Valentine Miller (1754 - 1834)

The lives of Valentine and Susanna Miller were two of the first ancestor stories that I uncovered when I first begin researching family history.  Their daughter Elizabeth married John Houck  whose Bible  I found in my grandparent's attic.  The quest to find Elizabeth's parents soon led to the discovery of  Valentine Miller in the family tree.

Valentine Miller was born October 22, 1754 in Williams Township,  Northampton Co., Pennsylvania, the son of immigrant ancestor Bernhart Mullar (Miller) (1722-1792) & Maria Eva Muller (1724-1802).    Record of his baptism on  November 18,  1754 is found in the church records of the Williams Township Church.  

He was a young man of about 22 years when he was drafted into service.  Military records  show that he served two  different  terms  as a Revolutionary War Soldier.

The Pennsylvania Archives 5th Series  shows  service as  a  Private (5th Class), 1st Battalion, 1st Company, Northampton County Militia.  The 1st Battalion in Northampton Co. was formed in Williams and Lower Saucon Townships.  Col. George Hubler  was the officer in charge.  Capt. Joseph Frey was head of the Battalion.

The inscription on the brass plate at his grave site in the Old Union Cemetery  in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Northampton Co, PA  states  he served as a Private in the 3rd Battalion, 8th Company, Northampton Militia.

Valentine Miller married Susanna Laubach  sometime around 1778.  Susanna Laubach was the daughter of Johann Georg Laubach and his wife Margretha.  She was  born  November 27, 1756. Her  baptism record  on December 13, 1756 is found  in Tohickon Union Church, Bedminster Twp, Bucks Co, PA.  Also found on page  893 of the "History of Bucks County": Susanna, wife  of Valentine Miller, the eldest child of John George  Laubach.  Her birth date in these records differs slightly from that given on her  tombstone.  This is often the case  when  records have been transcribed from the old German script in which they were first written.

At the close of the Revolutionary War, Valentine moved his family north from Williams Township to Lower Mount Bethel, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.  Property  ownership  is evidenced in the record of  Land Warrants for Northampton Co., Pa. 1752 - 1886.  Copied from the Pennsylvania Archives, Third Series, Vol.26

MILLER, Valentine             200  acres        Date of Survey Feb. 4, 1790

This record in the 1790 census for Lower Mt. Bethel PA:

Miller, Valentine    1 free white male,   4 free white males under age of 16,    3 free white females

Valentine and Susanna became the parents of 10 children.  Their daughter Elizabeth married John Houck and had a daughter Anna who married John McEwen.  The McEwen Family of Richmond, Pennsylvania are descendents.

Valentine Miller lived to be 79 years old.  The following document at Easton PA.  Orphan's Court record Vol. 12, page 128, Aug. 22 1834.  "Valentine Miller died intestate sometime in the month of April 1834 leaving a widow named Susanna and some ten children to wit George (the petitioner), Michael, Barnet, Joseph, Jacob, John, Elizabeth intermarried with John Houck, Catherine intermarried with Jacob Albert,  Eve intermarried with John Reiser, Susanna intermarried with John Weinberg and the issue of Margaret, deceased who was the wife of Christian Schick and who died before her father, to wit, Valentine, Christian, Samuel and Rebecca."

Susanna Miller is buried in the Old Union Cemetery  in Upper Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania.  The inscription on the gravestone  reads  "Susanna Miller, wife of Valintine Miller was born 7 November 1757  and died 5th of January 1837  She was 79 years, 2 months and 28 days old."

                                                              
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