John William Mills (1790-1865)

John William Mills was born on 12th July 1790 in Dedham, Essex to Munson and Jane Mills. He was baptised in the local parish church at Dedham on the 19th December of the same year. His siblings were Jane, James, Thomas, Sarah and Mary.

Early Life
Nothing is known of John’s early life, but family legend speaks of him serving with a troop of Dragoons at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The family story states that he did not fight, but had the responsibility of looking after the horses.

The medal roll for the Battle of Waterloo indicates that there were a number of men at the battle by the name of ‘John Mills’ (spelt in various ways). No birth information is provided in these records, so it is impossible to determine if our John is one of them.

We have evidence that John was a veterinarian from 1841 onwards. Because of the lack of records prior to this date, it is not known when he started in the veterinarian field. According to Waterloo researcher David Milner, if John had been a vet at the time of Waterloo, he would have held commissioned rank. If this is true of our John, then two possibilities are:-


 * Jns Mills, Lieutenant, 2nd (or RNB) Regiment of Dragoons, Captain R Verner’s troop, or
 * J Mills, Lieutenant, 1st Battalion, 40th Regiment of Foot, Captain R Turton’s company, wounded.

Until evidence on whether the family story about the Battle of Waterloo is true, it will be very difficult to prove. John’s eldest son William ran away to join the military and used an assumed name when he did so due to the objection of his father. It is interesting to assume that John objected to his son being in the military due to his own earlier experiences in the army.

1st Marriage
John firstly married Sarah Bird who had originated in Tendering in Essex. We do not have a record for the marriage at this stage, but due to the birth date of their first child, it is assumed to have occurred in Nayland, Suffolk in approximately 1823. John would have been approximately 33 years old at the time, which is considerably old for a first marriage of the period. His wife was approximately 31 years of age.

John and Sarah would have 3 children together, William Munson, George, and Augustine Herbert. All were born in Nayland between 1824 and 1827.

John’s wife Sarah died when she was only 37 years old on the 31st August 1829 in Nayland, Suffolk. Here cause of death is unknown at this time.

2nd Marriage
John would marry for a second time in approximately 1830 to Sarah Polley. Again, the marriage is likely to have occurred in Nayland, Suffolk.

John would have 3 children with Sarah Polley, as he did with his first wife. Their names were Walter John Polley, Coburg and Victoria, all born between 1830 and 1838 in Nayland.

In the 1841 census, the family are recorded at Bear Street in Nayland. John is recorded as 50 years old and a veterinary surgeon. Wife Sarah is aged 40, and children William (a shipwrights apprentice), George, Walter, Victoria and Coburg are all living with them. Son Herbert is recorded as an apprentice tailor with William and Lavana Martin in Crouch Street in Colchester, just across the border in Essex.

John’s second wife Sarah died on the 2nd January 1842 in Nayland and was buried at Chapple in Essex. Her cause of death is currently unknown, but can be determined by obtaining a death certificate. Twins Victoria and Coburg were only 3 years old at the time. This must have been a particularly difficult time for the family, considering what eldest son William did within a week of her death.

In January 1842, John’s eldest son William (aged 17) ran away to join the army. Family legend states that his parents objected to him joining the military, but their reasons are not given. So he enrolled under his two Christian names ‘William Munson’ on the 10th January 1842 with the 3rd Regiment of Light Dragoons. This was within a week of his step-mother’s death and it is likely to have been devastating on the family. He volunteered into the 9th Lancers in the May following and went out to India. He was at the Battle of the Sobraon on 10/2/1846, the Battle of Chilianwalla on 13/1/1849, and the Battle of Goograt on 21/2/1849.

3rd Marriage
John married for a third time on 2nd March 1848 to Rebecca Hall (nee Bennett), who had been born in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. The marriage occurred at Stoke by Nayland in Suffolk. This time, there were no children from the marriage.

In the 1851 census, the couple are recorded at Bear Street in Nayland, with children Walter, Coburg and Victoria. Walter (aged 20) has taken on the profession of his father and is listed as a veterinary surgeon. The three eldest children had left the household at this time – son William with the army in India, son George (a carpenter) lodging in Lambeth in London, and Herbert is in Colchester, Essex. Son George would marry in London in 1852 and move to Australia between 1852 and 1856.

1861 census
In the 1861 census, John is still living at Bear Street, Nayland, with wife Rebecca, and children Coburg (aged 22) and Victoria (aged 22). Son Coburg has taken on the profession of his father and is now a veterinary surgeon, while son Walter (who was a vet in the last census) is now an innkeeper at the Rose Crown Inn in Greater Horkesley in Essex.

Death
John died on the 2nd October 1865 in Nayland. A death certificate has not been obtained at this stage as a matching entry for this death in the official death records has not yet been located. The National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations 1861-1941) confirms the death however, when on the 4th May 1866, wife Rebecca proved his will at Bury St Edmunds. John left effects under the amount of 200 pounds. He was buried at Nayland on 6th October 1865.

Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of John and Sarah Mills
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of John and Sarah Mills


 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of John and Sarah Mills
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of John and Sarah Mills