The Millar/Miller family were agricultural workers. It is not sure if they owned land. William’s Grandfather Peter was described on his Death Certificate as a Pauper and formally an Agricultural Labourer.

William was the illegitimate son of Janet Miller. He was born on the 6th September 1867 at Muthill. Janet had another son Robert born on 22nd September 1872 the reputed father being an Alexander Menzies. Janet married William Wilson on 17th June 1879 and she had six more children with William. I am not sure of what education William received but at the age of fourteen at the time of the 1881 Census he was working as a servant on a farm at Blackford.

William as a young man enjoyed the sports of cycling and Curling (a Scottish ice game), he also played the piccolo and was a Mason.
The Wilson family lived at Crieff until about 1885 and then moved to Motherwell outside of Glasgow. The 1891 Census shows William and Robert Miller living with the Wilson family in Motherwell and their occupation as Wood Sawyers. William married Julia in Glasgow on the 21st November 1893.

MacLennan/McLennan
The MacLennan/Mclennan family came from the Highlands of Scotland The family lived at Camuslongart, Ardelve, Lochalsh, Ross & Cromarty. This area are the Clan lands of the MacKenzies,MacRaes and the MacLennans. These names are very prominent in our origins. Records in the Highlands were very poorly kept and unless you were a member of the “ well to do families” it is hard to find much before Statutory Registrations became law in 1855. Like the Millers they were people of the land. Julia’s parents were Crofters. Julia was born on the 21st July 1866 and was the youngest of seven children. It has been suggested that she went to school at St. Duthac’s Convent across the Loch at Dornie. It appears that Julia’s parents Donald and Ann couldn’t write and only spoke Gaelic.

Julia moved from the Highlands and is found in the 1891 Census working as a laundress in a large household at Abbey, Renfrewshire. Her address at the time of her marriage in 1893 was shown as 20 Woodside Place Glasgow.

The Miller Family
After their marriage in 1893 William and Julia took up residence in Motherwell. They lived at three known addresses, Mill Road, 97 Hamilton Street and 90 Merry Street.
Between the years 1894 and 1909 the couple had nine children, six girls and three boys. About 1895 William went into his own business. The primary business was to assemble and sell ‘Brandon’ Bicycles not one to let a opportunity slip he also imported and sold Gramophones and Chinaware from Germany. He also owned a Motor Cycle in the early 1900’s as his daughter Janet (Nettie) spoke of being taken to school with her sister Julia (Sheila) in the sidecar.

William and Julia decided to leave Scotland in 1910. It has been said that their first choice was to immigrate to New Zealand but for reasons unknown, travel plans at the last minute were changed and the family were on a vessel destined for Australia.
The family arrived in Brisbane in November 1910. On arrival the family lived in a rented property at East Brisbane and the younger school aged children went to the East Brisbane State School. William then bought land at Herston where he built a family home that he named ‘Brandon’. Whilst living at Herston the school aged children went to the Kelvin Grove School. When William first arrived in Brisbane he set up a bicycle business but it wasn’t long until the entrepreneurial William was out of pushbikes and into the fledgling Motor Vehicle business.
William owned two garages in the city, the first at Petrie Bight and the second in Turbot Street. It is unknown where William obtained his mechanical training but it has been said that his skills at turning out parts on a lathe were legendary. Janet (Nettie) was the business’s bookkeeper and said that William had the first ‘Chevrolet’ dealership in Brisbane. It is noted that a ‘Cadillac’ sign appears in the window of the garage in the surviving photo.
As the business prospered William purchased an ‘Old Queenslander’ 8 bed roomed house called ‘Stanmore’ in Goodwood Street, Hendra. The property had a tennis court and the family, who were all at home until Nancy married in 1923 did a lot of entertaining.
Sadly Julia died of a twisted bowel on the 8th July 1924.
Mary and Margaret both entered the nursing profession. Mary eventually becoming the Matron of a leading Brisbane Private Hospital. Mary married Sammy Arter; they had no children.
Margaret married Ian Stewart and moved to North Queensland. They had two children Morag and Alistair (Deceased).
Chris never married but forged a distinguished career in the Queensland Public Service. She eventually held the highest position for a woman in the Queensland State Government.
Nancy worked in the New Zealand Loan Office before Marrying Doug Fleming. They had two boys Doug and Ken (Deceased).
Nettie was the Bookkeeper for the family business before marrying Reg Markwell and moving to ‘Wonga Hills’. They had four children Janice, Alison, Jim and Nancy.
Shelia married Wal Kerrison. They had three children Margaret-Anne (Deceased), Russell and Graham.
Don and Peter remained in the Motor trade. Don married Nora Wilkinson. They had two children; Margaret and Keith.
Peter married Joy Cossart. They had three children Bruce (Deceased), Ross and Gail.
Bill became a Marine Engineer and married Beth McLean. They had one son John.