Welcome to the Mills Family Page!
Our Mills saga in colonial America begins in the mid 1600's with Peter Mills, who was born Pieter Wouterse Van der Meulen in 1622 in Amsterdam, Holland.
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times since Jan.13, 2001
Updated 2/27/2002
I am told that there are mistakes in the colonial portion below. Please use this as a guide
in your research, and verify all work. I will make corrections as time allows. Thanks!
Holland to Connecticut
Sir Peter was made a Knight of Amsterdam, honored by the King for his work done on the dikes and canals.
Pieter resided in Leyden for some time, where he was preparing for the ministry.
Somewhere along the line, Pieter grew restless and joined the refugees from England, and
sailed to the "New World," causing his father to dis-inheirit him.
No proof has been found to substantiate the above legend.
Pieter had his name legally changed in Hartford, Connecticut to "Peter Mills."
(Colonial Records, Sec. of State Hartford, Conn. Vol. L)
Van der Meulen, in Dutch, means "from the Mills."
Peter Mills was known by many locals in the community as "the Dutchman." There are reportedly several references to Peter's occupation as a tailor, merchant, shopkeeper, and references to his association with the Dutch West India Company.
Much of the information on the early Mills of colonial America is scattered, missing, incomplete or conflicting. If you find mistakes here, please, kindly let me know!
Peter married first to Dorcas Messenger in the spring of 1666. On June 9, 1666, Dorcas' father, Edward Messenger gave Peter 20 acres of land near Windsor, Connecticut. Nine (?) children were born to Peter and Dorcas Mills: Esther 1666; Peter (Jr.) 1668; Samuel, Mary, 1676; Sarah 1677; Dorcas 1681; Martha 1682; Ebenezer born and died 1687; and Return who died in 1689.
Peter married second, Jane Warren of Hartford, Connecticut. on December 10, 1691.
Peter and Dorcas' son, Peter Mills married Joanna Porter July 24, 1692. Joanna was the daughter of John and Joanna (Gaylord) Porter, born February 16, 1670/71 in Hatfield, Massachusetts Colony. She died 1751 in Connecticut.
Peter and Joanna had eleven (?) children: Pelatiah April 27, 1693; Gideon February 03, 1694/95; Jedediah May 23, 1697; Peter April 22, 1700; Peter April 12, 1701 (same child?) Ann 1703; Daniel May 22, 1706; John February 14, 1707/08; David 1709; Ebenezer 1710; and Y. C. 1722.
Pelatiah reportedly was a lawyer. Rev.Gideon was a Leiutenant in the Revolutionary War. Ebenezer settled at East Granby, Conn.
Rev. Jedediah graduated from Yale College in 1722. During his college course he was one
of the "Wethersfield secession." He gained his theological education mostly from Rev. Elisha
Williams, and showed such promise that he was called, December 2, 1723, to the vacant pulpit
at New Haven, Connecticut, but in preference, accepted the pastorate of the new society in
the north part of Stratford, called Ripton, now Huntington, and was ordained there
February 12, 1723/24. It was a poor living, but he remained there fifty-two years,
and died greatly lamented, January 19, 1776.
His scanty living was eked out by preparing students for college. In 1740 Whitfield notes
in his journal that Mills was a "dear man of God" who "talked like one who was no novice
in divine things". Mills was a "warm-hearted divine and entered fully into the spirit and
preaching of Whitfield and Tennant, and co-operated with Bellamy and Edwards."
In 1742 he was a member of the voluntary association which met at Wetherfield "to promote
the quickening and salvation of souls." He reportedly published two or more sermons.
He married Abigail Treat on June 16, 1726. She was the daughter of Robert and Abigail K.(Camp) Treat, (grandaughter of Gov. Robert Treat) born on June 11, 1704 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut.
Connecticut to New York
Rev. Jedediah and Abigail had seven children: Jedediah April 1727; Capt. Treat; Elisha March 26, 1732; Philo; Samuel; Isaac 1739; and Abigale.
His son, Jedediah married Hannah Hawley on February 24, 1757. She was the daughter of Obadiah and Sarah Hawley, born 1737 in Woodbury, Litchfield, CT. They had a son, Samuel (no other children are known by me.)
Samuel Frederick Mills was born December 30, 1759 in Derby, Connecticut.
Samuel F. Mills enlisted Aug, 1776 in Capt. Yates and Capt. Pettibonee's Cos.,
Col. Whitney's Regiment. He returned to the Army whenever he was needed. Served in Conn.
and New York State.
(Veterans Administration, Washington D.C. S.C. 13938,
B.L. 26016-160-55).
In his pension says he moved to Stratford, Conn. when a small child.
On January 23, 1785, he married Amaryllis Leavenworth in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
They had six children: Charry; Jedediah C. August 18, 1792; James; William;
Samuel and Harvey.
In May 1819 he bought a farm in the wilderness of Brownville, now the town of Cape Vincent,
in Jefferson County, New York, near the St. Lawrence Seaway.
In 1832 he was placed on the Revolutionary Rolls.
Samuel Frederick Mills died November 05, 1857 in Cape Vincent.
Notice of his death in "Reformer" of Nov. 26, 1857.
Samuel F. Mills and his wife are buried in the Market Street Cemetery
in Cape
Vincent, New York.
Jedediah C. Mills was born in (probably Johnstown, Fulton Co.,) New York.
He married Jane Forsyth(e) about 1837, probably
in New York.
Jane was born February 01, 1794 in Ireland.
(Side note: In "A Historical Sketch of the Town of Cape Vincent" it is mentioned that the
first schooner built at Cape Vincent, was the "Merchant" with the iron work being done by
Samuel and John Forsyth.....Could one of these men be the father of Jane???)
The Presbyterian Church in Cape Vincent began it's formal existence on March 2, 1823 at
the house of Oliver Lynch. Among the eight original members were: Jane Forsyth, Mary
Forsyth,
Ammarillis Mills, and five others. Jedediah Mills was received upon profession.
(Side note: Who is Mary Forsyth? Possibly her mother or sister???)
New York to Indiana
Jedediah C. and Jane Mills were still in Cape Vincent for the federal census taking on
August 9, 1850. Their land in Cape Vincent was valued at $1500, and he is listed as a
farmer.
They moved the family from Cape Vincent to Allen County, Indiana in 1850.
They settled in Springfield Twp. where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Their children were: Mary 1826; Nancy A. 1829; William V. 1831; Condelia 1832; and
Samuel October 21, 1837. All children were born in New York.
(Note: Daniel Guthrie also lived with the family in Cape Vincent when the census was
taken. He is listed separately, with Condelia Mills. Someone once told me that Condelia
was actually a wife to one of the children, and not a child of Jedediah & Jane's.)
Mary married a man by the name of Herrick, she died in 1914.
Nancy married a man by the name of Star, and had a son Arthur Star. She died in 1898.
William had three daughters: Jane, Nettie, and Nellie. He died in 1906.
Samuel is listed separately below.
Jedediah died in Allen Co., Indiana on September 24, 1857. Jane died March 18, 1881 also in Allen County. They are buried at the Old Harlan Cemetery near Harlan, Allen Co.
Samuel Mills (Sr.) married Martha Brown on August 21, 1861 in Harlan, Allen Co., Indiana.
Martha was born August 13, 1838 in Springfield Twp., Allen Co., Indiana to William and
Elizabeth (Miller) Brown. (If you have ANY info on this family, please contact me!)
Samuel and Martha had seven children, all born in Allen County Indiana:
Charles O., September 05, 1863; Samuel Jr., 1864; Abbie 1866; Carrie 1868; Alice 1876;
William 1878; and Jesse, November 1879.
The Journal-Gazette Newspaper, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Feb. 3, 1919 (Harlan News) mentions that Samuel Mills, Sr. left Tuesday for Indianapolis where he expects to take treatment for a cancer.
Martha (Brown) Mills died in 1924 and Samuel Mills, Sr. died on January 26, 1925.
Charles O. Mills married Catherine Ann Funk on September 05, 1880, daughter of
Martin Van Buren Funk and Christina (Boger) Funk of Allen County, Indiana.
Charles and Catherine had fourteen children: Harvey, December 09, 1881; Brenton,
September 05, 1883; Hattie, April 22, 1885; Jesse, May 10, 1886; Effie, February 12, 1888;
Roy, January 22, 1890; Charles, September 07, 1891; Orpha, February 21, 1893;
Samuel Martin, August 31, 1894; Martha Christine, May 24, 1896; Ralph, May 04, 1898;
Carl, April 13, 1901; Kenneth, June 25, 1903; and Harry, July 23, 1910.
Charles O. Mills died May 05, 1915, and Catherine (Funk) Mills died February 05, 1951. They are buried in Harlan, Indiana.
MILLS Family Links
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MILLS Family
Cemetery Photos from Allen County, Indiana
Helen Ullmann's GEDCOM at WorldConnect - Helen is a professional genealogist studying the
family of Peter Mills
Jedediah C. Mills
Pedigree, Son of Samuel F. Mills, at Ancestry.com
Peter Mills - Our Immigrant
Ancestor!
Peter Mills II, Tombstone Wintonbury Cemetery, Bloomfield, CT
Mills
Message Boardat Rootsweb/Ancestry.com
Mills Message Board at GenForum
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