Milroy Family of Dutchess County, New York
Click the above thumbnails for photos and obituaries of Robert Milroy and Mary (Carmichael) Milroy
Five surviving Milroy children, probably taken in the 1920s (twin John died in 1930). Photo generously submitted by a relative.
Back row: Lafayette Milroy, twins John and James Milroy (we aren't sure which is which in this photo)
Front row: Jessie Watt (Milroy) Friday, Jane (Milroy) Bowman
I believe that it's safe to assume that all the newspaper clippings in the Milroy section probably came from The Rhinebeck Gazette.
Robert Milroy (1812-1896) and Mary Carmichael (1818-1909), my great great great grandparents, came to the United States from different parts of Scotland. Robert was originally from Wigtownshire (emigration date unknown) and Mary, according to her obituary, emigrated in 1835 - her family may have been living in Kelso in Roxburghshire where her younger sisters and brothers were born. In 1839, Robert and Mary were married in Brooklyn where they apparently spent some of the early years of their marriage and where two of their children were born. Their daughter Jane (my great great grandmother) was apparently born in Canada. Possibly the family was visiting one of Mary's sisters who lived in Kingston, Ontario.
Robert's obituary says they moved to Dutchess County in 1840. They settled in Milan Township, where the rest of their children were born. Robert (who was 50 years old at the time) and his son William enlisted together in Company C of the 128th New York State Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War. Robert's son Alexander also enlisted. He went across the river to Ulster County and enlisted in the 20th New York State Militia, also known as the 80th New York State Volunteer Infantry. Since he was about 16 at the time, we guess that he may have run away from home to a place where nobody would know him and lied about his age to get into the army.
After the war, Robert and Mary and some of their children moved into the village of Rhinebeck (also in Dutchess County), where they spent the rest of their lives. They are buried in Rhinebeck Association Cemetery.
Milroy Family Bible Transcription
(Mary Carmichael's birthplace read "Lander Berwickshire/Scotl" in the transcription that was given to us. I have changed it to "Lauder" according to information I've seen on Scottish geography - possibly whoever transcribed this for us had difficulty reading the handwriting in the family Bible)
Record from a family bible - Albany, NY Library D.A.R. Bible BkB1/pg 169 ...too fragile to be xeroxed... ROBERT MILROY b 21 Jan 1812 Scotl/Galoway Parish of Stony Kirk d 23 Feb 1896 ae84y m.17 Mar 1839 Mary Carmichael b 17 Apr 1818 d 26 Oct 1909 ae91y born at Lauder Berwickshire/Scotl ch: Jessie Watt b1841 Bklyn m.1864 Wm Richard Friday Jane b.1842 m.1859 John T. Bowman Wm C b.1844 NYC m.II:1909 Adah E Hyde Alexander b1846 Milan Robert J b1849 " James & John b1851 " John C. m1880 Alice Doyle Arabel b1854 " Mary Ann 1856 LaFayette b1860 m.1882 Susan Garvey
For more information on this family's descendants, see the listing section at the bottom of this page.
Milroys in the Civil War
"Milroys, Robert - Rhinebeck - w. r. cheek - $4.00 - Mar. 1878 (151,967)"
I found Alexander Milroy, another of Robert's sons, in Company A of the 20th New York State Militia (also known as the 80th New York Volunteers) from Ulster County. It appears that he ran away from home, crossed the Hudson River to Ulster County (where nobody would know him), lied about his age, and joined the army there.
On August 11, 2001, I was able to visit the Port Hudson battlefield site in Louisiana with my parents (Robert Milroy and his son William fought here with the 128th NYSV). Most of the site is wooded and overgrown, but the state of Louisiana has cleared out some of the area around where the visitor center is located. I have looked at maps, but am still not quite clear on what part of the battlefield the vistor center is located (probably either the "Citadel" or Confederate General Gardner's headquarters?). I got a bit turned around on the winding road into the park, so I put what direction I think the photos are facing.
This is a view of the visitor center at the Port Hudson battlefield site. I think this is looking west toward the Mississippi River. The tower to the left is a four-story observation tower.
This is a view from the third floor of the obervation tower (looking northeast?)
Two cannons in front of the visitor center.
UPDATE: A correspondent has alerted me to the listings of the discharge certificates of Robert, William, and Alexander in the Historical Manuscripts Collection at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York. Their Collection of Hudson River Valley and Dutchess County Manuscripts apparently also has a listing for "Box 17, Folder/File - Milroy, Robert". I hope to be able to investigate this stuff the next time I am able to visit the area.
Milroy House in Rhinebeck, New York
Three views that I took in May of 2002 of what I was told was the former Milroy house in the village of Rhinebeck. I was told that someone had been in the process of converting it into a restaurant a couple of years ago when it caught fire. It's hard to tell from what's left whether any remodeling had been done or how much. From the height of the chimneys, there was probably a second story.
UPDATE 1 (October 2002): I received the following email and photos from another descendant of this family (the late Donald C. Milroy, Jr.).
"The view you have shown as the Milroy house is not the actual house, but the SITE of the original Milroy home. The original house that stood on this site was a white clapboard house, two and ½ stories high that had it's main entrance facing the north east or opening toward the back of the 1st National Bank of Rhinebeck. The main entrance had a cement porch about 10' sq. with 4 steps down to a stone sidewalk that extended to the driveway which was behind the house or on the south side of the house. A long cement porch ran along the North side of the house and the back or kitchen door was on this porch at the West end of the house. There was what was called the sun porch extended out from the house towards the Southeast. This sun porch, which was enclosed and had windows about 4' long spaced about 1' apart that could be raised during the summer months and replaced by screens, was two stories high and encompassed the entire southeast side of the house. The Children slept on the second floor of the sun porch since the main portion of the house had only two bedrooms on the second floor. The second floor of the sun porch was divided into three separated rooms with doors that when all were opened allowed a walkway along the outer wall. A door on the West side of the house opened directly into the dining room.I have attached three pictures to this e-mail.
- Milroyhouse#1 is a view of the house from West Market St.
- Milroyhouse#2 is a view of the main entry taken from the lower driveway which was behind the house to the Southeast.
- Milroyhouse#3 is a view of the West side of the house showing from Left to Right, the downstairs kitchen window, Dining room window and door and the Dining Room. Upstairs windows are, from Left to Right, bathroom and bedroom and an attic window. Below the two story Sun porch was cement slab or patio that had two entry doors into the cellar area, which was divided into two rooms, one for the furnace & storage, and one room that was used as a laundry room."
UPDATE 2 (August 2003): The owners of the restaurant bought this site in 1997. They are rebuilding the restaurant (they are scheduled to open in September 2003) and are looking for old photos of the Milroy house or the village of Rhinebeck to decorate it with. I can't help them as I only have one photo (the five-generation one above) for the Milroy family.
1890 Map of Rhinebeck
Graves of Robert and Mary (Carmichael) Milroy
Graves of Robert Milroy (1812-1896) and his wife Mary (Carmichael) Milroy (1818-1909) in Rhinebeck Association Cemetery, Rhinebeck, Dutchess County, NY. These photos were taken facing north. The Milroy plot is off to the right of the road into the cemetery. The red granite obelisk of the Hester family behind the Milroy graves makes a good landmark to look for.
Robert's stone reads:
of Co. C.
128th Regt. N.Y.S.V.
DIED
Feby. 23, 1896
Aged 84 yrs. 1 mo.
& 2 days
Dearest father thou hast left us
Here thy loss we deeply feel
But tis God who hath bereft us
He can all our sorrows heal.
The metal mount for Robert's flag reads "Post 104 GAR". Mary's stone reads as follows:
Wife of
ROBERT MILROY
DIED
OCT. 26, 1909
Aged 91 yrs, 6 mos.
& 9 days
Descendants of Robert and Mary (Carmichael) Milroy
Mary's long obituary says she had twelve children, while the family Bible entries (above) show only ten. Possibly the other two died young, but I believe that the newspaper writer may have been given erroneous information - this was, after all, more than fifty years later and it's easy to get family stories wrong or mis-remember details like that.
- Jessie Watt Milroy (b. 1841) married William Richard Friday (listed as "Richard Friday" in the 1870 and 1880 Federal census listings for Milan Township). The 1850 census taker apparently had trouble with her parents' Scottish accents as he listed Jessie as "Jessewhat Millroy." According to Mary's obituary, Jessie and Richard apparently lived in Lafayetteville in Dutchess County. I have found mention of two children so far:
- William Friday, born ca. 1868, is listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Milan Township. He does not appear in the 1880 census when he would have been about twelve years old. Perhaps he died young?
Luella Friday, born ca. 1871, is listed in the 1880 Federal Census for Milan Township. No further information yet. Photo generously provided by a relative.
- William Friday, born ca. 1868, is listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Milan Township. He does not appear in the 1880 census when he would have been about twelve years old. Perhaps he died young?
Jane B. Milroy (1842 - 1938) married in 1859 to John S. Bowman (1826-1906). These are my great great grandparents. Their descendants are listed on the main Bowman and Simmons pages. Clicking the photos will take you straight to my page about John and Jane.- William C. Milroy (1844 - 1915) enlisted in the 128th NYSV along with his father. His mother Mary's obituary lists him as a survivor and gives his residence as Shickley, Nebraska. According to the above family Bible transcription, he apparently married in 1909 to Ada E. Hyde as his second wife.
The 1880 Federal Census for Hamilton, Fillmore, Nebraska (as transcribed on www.familysearch.org) lists him as "W. C. Milroy" - this is why it took so long for me to find him as I was looking for "William", not "W". He is shown there as being married to a woman named "Malinda", born about 1839 in Pennsylvania. No children are mentioned in the 1880 census.
Records of Shickley Cemetery in Shickley, Fillmore County, Nebraska have been transcribed and uploaded at this Shickley Cemetery page. According to these records, William and his first wife Melinda D. (1839 - 1908) are both buried there.
A page on the history of Shickley mentions "W. C. Milroy" as being one of the earliest automobile owners in the area.
There is a small stone in the Milroy plot in Rhinebeck Association Cemetery that says only: "ADA MILROY 1864 - 1939". This is probably William's second wife Ada. I am guessing that maybe William came home from Nebraska for his mother's funeral in 1909, met and married Ada then, and was sent back to Nebraska to be buried next to his first wife when he died in 1915. I have no evidence for any of this speculation though. - Alexander Milroy (1846 - 1881) also joined the Union Army - he signed up with the 20th NYS Militia (80th NYSV). He apparently gave his age as 18 when he signed up in October of 1861. According to the family Bible transcription above, he would really have been only 15 or 16 at the time. At some point during his service, he was promoted to Corporal. His description is given as "5 feet 3 1/2 inches tall, light complexion, dark eyes, light hair." Army records show him as being discharged in 1865, so he may have survived the war. Then again, army records also show Francis Van Kleeck (on my mother's side of the family) as having been discharged in 1865, a year after he died in Andersonville. The obituary of Alexander's mother Mary appears to show him as having died before 1909 when she passed away. I have no information on whether he may have married or had children. I will continue to look for more conclusive information on Alexander.
UPDATE: I think I finally found him! On the Sons of Union Veterans Civil War grave database, there is an entry for MILROY, A. from the 80th NYSV, Company A. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in San Jose, California.
- Robert J. Milroy (1849 - 1851) died while the family lived in Milan and is buried in the Yeoman Cemetery according to Poucher's "Old Gravestones of Dutchess County". I visited this cemetery in May of 2002, but did not see this stone - it may be long gone by now.
- James C. Milroy (b. 1851), one of twins. James married Mary Ann Casey (1857 - 1923). James and Mary Ann are apparently buried in the Rhinecliff Catholic Church cemetery in Dutchess County. They had five children who may also be buried there.
- Mary Milroy (b. ca. 1879) - this is according to the 1900 census for the village of Rhinebeck - no further information yet.
- John T. Milroy (1880 - 1967) married Nora Connor (1882 - 1957). They had three children:
- Joseph Kenneth Milroy (1911 - 1996)
- Paul A. Milroy (1915 - 2000)
- Gregory J. Milroy (1917 - 1992)
- Joseph Kenneth Milroy (1911 - 1996)
- Catherine "Katie" Milroy (1883 - 1946) married in 1905 to William H. "Bill" Asher (1883 - 1932). They had three children:
- Dorothy Marie Asher (1908 - 1986) married George Bickel (1904 - 1974)
- James E. Asher (1906 - 1986)
- Louis R. Asher (1912 - 1994) married Helen Wetzler (1912 - 1993)
- Dorothy Marie Asher (1908 - 1986) married George Bickel (1904 - 1974)
- William J. Milroy (1885 - 1965) - no further information yet.
-
Alexander J. Milroy (1887 - 1957) - was in World War I according to his grave marker in Rhinecliff Catholic Church Cemetery (photo generously contributed by a relative).
John C. Milroy (1851 - 1930), the other twin. John married in 1880 to Alice Doyle (1859 - 1945). They had three children that I know of and are buried in Rhinebeck Association Cemetery near John's parents. The Ada Milroy stone is just visible behind the left side of John and Alice's monument.
Robert J. "Pop" Milroy (1881 - 1971) married Irene M. Staley (1888 - 1972). 
Robert operated a garage on West Market Street in Rhinebeck, possibly at the same location where his father and uncle's blacksmith shop had been located? This scan is a receipt from his garage for work done on my great grandmother (his first cousin) Elma (Bowman) Simmons' car in 1921. At that time, the work done cost $54.40 (5 gallons of gasoline cost $1.55). I would hate to think what all that would cost nowadays lol.Robert and Irene are buried in Rhinebeck Association Cemetery. They had seven children.
- Guy R. Milroy (1910 - 1964)
-
Vivien "Vivi" Milroy (1911 - 1994) married William Gerald Stickel, Sr. (1908 - 1979). They are buried in Rhinebeck Association Cemetery along with their son, also a veteran (see below).-
William Gerald Stickel, Jr. (1930 - 1993). His stone reads:WILLIAM GERALD STICKEL, JR.
CPL US MARINE CORPS
KOREA
NOV 6 1930 MAR 27 1993
- Donald Carmichael "Donnie" Milroy, Sr. (1913 - 1992) married Marion H. Day (1912 - 2006). Marion is buried in Rhinebeck Association Cemetery. Donald probably is too, but I need to find information to confirm this.
- Donald Carmichael Milroy, Jr. (1937 - 2004). Spouse still living. He sent me the photos of the old Milroy house above.
- Peter M. Milroy (1943 - 1987).
- Donald Carmichael Milroy, Jr. (1937 - 2004). Spouse still living. He sent me the photos of the old Milroy house above.
- Roger J. Milroy (1915 - 1971)
Bobbette Milroy (1926 - 1990), one of twins. She is buried in Rhinebeck Association Cemetery.- Irene M. "Renie" Milroy (1928 - ????)
- Guy R. Milroy (1910 - 1964)
Francis A. Milroy (ca. 1883/4 - 1889). Francis died in childhood and is buried next to his parents in Rhinebeck Association Cemetery, Rhinebeck, Dutchess Co., NY. I had a hard time getting a good photo of this stone. It reads:FRANCIS A.
SON OF JOHN C. &
ALICE MILROY
DIED JUNE 4, 1889?
AGED 5 YRS, 9 MOS.
& 25 D'S(illegible first line of inscription)
He doeth all things well- Anna "Annie" Milroy (1886 - 1972). Anna married E. Wallace Lown. No further information yet.
- Arabel Milroy (b. 1854). I can find no further information on Arabel other than that she was living with the family in Milan when the census taker came through in 1860. She may have died young.
- Mary Ann Milroy (b. 1856). I can find no further information on Mary Ann other than that she was living with the family in Milan when the census taker came through in 1860. She may have died young.
- Lafayette Milroy (b. 1860) married in 1882 to Susan Garvey (born ca. 1862). Lafayette is mentioned in his older sister Jane's obituary, so he lived at least until 1938. Jane's obituary says that Lafayette lived in Hyde Park, Dutchess Co., NY. I heard somewhere that he is buried in the Catholic cemetery in Rhinecliff, Dutchess Co., NY. Lafayette and Susan had the following five children listed in the 1900 census for the village of Rhinebeck. I have no further information on any of them yet.
- Hollie or Mollie Milroy (first name difficult to read, born ca. 1885)
- William D. Milroy (born ca. 1886)
- Catherine Milroy (born ca. 1887)
- Charles George? Milroy (middle name difficult to read, born ca. 1891)
- Genevieve Milroy (born ca. 1895)
Other MILROY Websites
- Ron Field's Family History Site - This site has information on a branch of the MILROY family that settled in Ontario, Canada. There are also old family photos, some letters in PDF format, etc. There is a link to Ron's extensive database on Rootsweb's WorldConnect. He has a very good set of resources on his links page.
- The Susan Coolahan Family Home Page - This website has a descendant tree for a branch of the MILROY family that went to Australia.
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