Sir John Ontario Miller (7 August 1857 – 19 January 1943) was a British

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

in India. He was born in Toronto, Canada, the eldest son of Robert Schaw Miller and Eliza Miller. He died at Lavant,

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

Early life

John Ontario Miller’s father died in Canada in 1862, forcing the family to move to Scotland. The following year his mother died in mid-1863 and he was raised by members of her family.. He was educated at King's College,

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...

after he won a bursary of £35 in 1874.

Career in India

Miller joined the Indian Civil Service in 1879. He held various secretary positions from 1895 to 1907. Miller was Chief Secretary to the North West Provinces and Oudh Administration 1899 to 1902,Who's Who 1917 and was appointed a Companion of the

Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander (GCSI) # Knight Commander ( KCSI) # Companion ( CSI) No appointments ...

(CSI) for his services in the New Year's Honours List 1 January 1901. Miller served as a Secretary in the Government of India Revenue Department 1902 to 1903 and then as Chief Commissioner of Central Provinces and Berar from 1905 to 1907. He then became a member of the Viceroy Executive Council of India and Commissioner of Legyral Province from 1907 to 1910.London Gazette 1901 For his distinguished work he was knighted as a Knight Commander of the

(KCSI).

Later life in England, and family

On his final return to Britain, Miller served as a London County Council (Non-Member) representative on the London Port Authority from 1916 to 1925, He also served in the Ministry of Food (probably at the time of the First World War).The Scotsman newspaper 1943 He was a founder of the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1895. Miller was interested in the concept of "the currency question," and published two small books on the subject in 1920 and 1931.Politicians, Financiers and Currency
/ref> He married Mary Evelyn Lyall, the youngest daughter of

Alfred Comyn Lyall Sir Alfred Comyn Lyall (4 January 1835 – 10 April 1911) was a British civil servant, literary historian and poet. Early life He was born at Coulsdon in Surrey, the second son of Alfred Lyall and Mary Drummond Broadwood, daughter of James S ...

, in 1888. Together they had three sons (one of whom died young in India) and two daughters. He brought his family back to the United Kingdom for short breaks in 1894, 1899 and 1901. He was a grandson of

William Mitchell (Scottish entrepreneur) William Mitchell (16 March 1781 – 17 February 1854) was a Scottish entrepreneur. He was born in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, the second son of Alexander Mitchell and Janet Barrowman. He was a co-founder of the Alloa Coal Company later run by his s ...

(1781 - 1854). One of his grandchildren is

Richard L. Hills Richard Leslie Hills MBE (1 September 1936 – 10 May 2019) was an English historian and clergyman who wrote extensively on the history of technology, particularly steam power. He helped to found Manchester's Science & Industry Museum, whe ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, John Ontario Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India 1857 births 1943 deaths Indian Civil Service (British India) officers Alumni of the University of Aberdeen People from Lavant, West Sussex