John Miller (engineer)
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John Miller of Leithen
FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...
MICE DL (26 July 1805 – 8 May 1883) was a Scottish
civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...
and
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
politician. Together with
Thomas Grainger Thomas Grainger FRSE (12 November 1794 – 25 July 1852) was a Scottish civil engineer and Surveying, surveyor. He was joint partner with John Miller (engineer), John Miller in the prominent engineering firm of Grainger & Miller. Life Graing ...
, he formed the influential engineering firm Grainger and Miller, specialising in railway viaducts.


Life

Miller was born in
Ayr Ayr ( ; ; , meaning "confluence of the River Àir"), is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With ...
on 26 July 1805, the son of Margaret Caldwell and James Miller, a wright and builder. He attended
Ayr Academy Ayr Academy (Scottish Gaelic: ''Acadamaidh Inbhir Àir'') is an 11–18 non-denominational secondary school situated within the Craigie Estate area at University Avenue in Ayr, South Ayrshire. It is the sixth largest secondary school in South Ayr ...
and then studied law at the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
going on to be a legal apprentice with A Murdoch Esq, a lawyer in Ayr. His interests then turned from law to engineering. In 1825 he went into partnership with
Thomas Grainger Thomas Grainger FRSE (12 November 1794 – 25 July 1852) was a Scottish civil engineer and Surveying, surveyor. He was joint partner with John Miller (engineer), John Miller in the prominent engineering firm of Grainger & Miller. Life Graing ...
. The partnership was responsible for many of Scotland's railway projects. Miller took the lead role in surveying the
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was authorised by act of Parliament on 4 July 1838. It was opened to passenger traffic on 21 February 1842, between its Glasgow Queen Street railway station (sometimes referred to at first as Dundas Street) and ...
. He designed many viaducts, including the Lugar Viaduct, Cumnock and the
Ballochmyle Viaduct The Ballochmyle Viaduct is the tallest extant railway viaduct in Britain. It is high, and carries the railway over the River Ayr near Mauchline and Catrine in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It carries the former Glasgow and South Western Railway ...
, Mauchline. Miller designed and led the construction of the Almond Valley Viaduct to carry the Glasgow–Edinburgh via Falkirk line which was completed in 1842. The viaduct is 1.5 miles long with 36 masonry arches and is now Category A listed. Miller designed the route to keep the railway as level over as much of the route as was possible. Miller designed a planned maximum gradient of 1 in 880 with the aim of ensuring the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was the most level main line in the UK at the time. Although primarily a railway engineer, including the design of railway stations, he was also responsible for the construction of Granton Harbour. Miller trained the engineer
Benjamin Blyth Benjamin Hall Blyth (14 July 1819 – 21 August 1866) was a Scottish civil engineer. Life Blyth was born at 26 Minto St in Newington, Edinburgh, the son of Robert Brittain Blyth, an iron merchant, and his wife, Barbara Cooper. He was their t ...
. Miller was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...
in 1841 his proposer being the architect
William Burn William Burn (20 December 1789 – 15 February 1870) was a Scottish architect. He received major commissions from the age of 20 until his death at 81. He built in many styles and was a pioneer of the Scottish Baronial Revival, often referred ...
. The civil engineer James Deas apprenticed under Miller from 1841 to 1844. In 1842 he bought the Millfield Estate in
Polmont Polmont () is a village in the Falkirk council area of Central Scotland. It lies towards the east of the town of Falkirk, north of the Union Canal (Scotland), Union Canal, which runs adjacent to the village. Due to its situation in Central Sco ...
near
Falkirk Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...
and began building a large house to his own design, naming it Millfield House (demolished 1958). The family moved here when Miller retired from engineering in 1850. In 1852 he bought the site of Leithen near
Innerleithen Innerleithen () is a civil parish and a small town in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders. It was formerly in the historic county of Peeblesshire or Tweeddale. Etymology The name "Innerleithen" comes from the Scottish G ...
enlarging a 16th-century house to to create Leithen Lodge. He thereafter styled himself John Miller of Leithen. In 1853 he also bought the smaller but still considerable estate of Drumlithie in
Kincardineshire Kincardineshire or the County of Kincardine, also known as the Mearns (from the Scottish Gaelic meaning "the stewartry"), is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area on the ...
. During this period, as was normal for the time, he also had a townhouse in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
. This was originally at 132 George Street in the Edinburgh New Town however he later moved to the more spacious and fashionable West End, buying a newly built townhouse at 2 Melville Crescent. Miller died at home, 2 Melville Crescent in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
on 8 May 1883. He is buried with his wife in the north-east section of the original
Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and o ...
in Edinburgh not far from the main entrance.


Political career

As John Miller of Leithen, he unsuccessfully contested the Stirling Burghs at the 1852 general election, and was defeated again in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
at the 1865 general election. He was elected unopposed as one of two Members of Parliament for Edinburgh at the 1868 general election, but at the 1874 election he lost his seat to another Liberal candidate, James Cowan.


Philanthropy

Miller left the established
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
in 1857 and became a strong advocate of the Free Church of Scotland. He made substantial donations to the building of the Free Church of Scotland in Polmont. He established the Polmont Mutual Improvement Association which was then left to the direction of his head gardener, William Hepburn (1823–1890), in whom he also encouraged an interest in journalism.


Family

Miller was married to Isabella Ogilvie (1799–1876) in 1834. In 1858 his daughter Margaret Miller married the civil engineer George Cunningham of Lilliesmuir, Perth
FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...
(1829–1897), who thereafter (due to the power of the Miller name in engineering) restyled himself as George Miller-Cunningham. Miller's only son, normally referred to as John Miller Jr was also an engineer, living and practising from 25 Northumberland Street in Edinburgh. He died unexpectedly in 1864. In February 1874 his daughter Jessie married John Webster, a barrister of the Inner Temple in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. In June 1874 his youngest daughter Mary married Alexander Thomson a farmer from near
Tillicoultry Tillicoultry ( ; Scottish Gaelic: Tulach Cultraidh, perhaps from older Gaelic ''Tullich-cul-tir'', or "the mount/hill at the back of the country") is a town in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. Tillicoultry is usually referred to as Tilly by the loc ...
. His second daughter, Isabella, never married and cared for Miller after his wife died. His daughter Katherine Monilaws Miller (b.1849) married the wealthy John Phillips of Royston in north Edinburgh. She is also buried in
Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and o ...
some distance west of her father.


Friendships

Miller was a close friend of
David Octavius Hill David Octavius Hill (20 May 1802 – 17 May 1870) was a Scottish painter, photographer and arts activist. He formed Hill & Adamson studio with the engineer and photographer Robert Adamson between 1843 and 1847 to pioneer many aspects of p ...
from at least 1830. When Hill was only known as an artist Miller gave him many commissions to paint the more scenic sections of the railway lines he was creating. At the advent of photography Miller invested in much equipment and was a keen amateur. Together with the then professional photographer Hill they jointly created the Photographic Society of Scotland in 1856.


Memorials

A plaque commemorating his life was unveiled at
Haymarket railway station Haymarket railway station is the second largest railway station in Edinburgh, Scotland, after Waverley railway station. The station serves as a major commuter and long-distance destination, located near the city centre, in the West End. Trai ...
on the 200th anniversary of his birth. In 2012, a memorial was unveiled at , funded by the
Institution of Civil Engineers The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a Charitable organization, charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters ar ...
. Another plaque to Miller and his work was unveiled in April 2014, at
Ballochmyle Viaduct The Ballochmyle Viaduct is the tallest extant railway viaduct in Britain. It is high, and carries the railway over the River Ayr near Mauchline and Catrine in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It carries the former Glasgow and South Western Railway ...
. The plaque was produced by the Institution of Civil Engineers and was jointly unveiled by the ICE President, Geoff French, and
East Ayrshire East Ayrshire (; ) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquarters of the council are located on London Roa ...
Provost Provost may refer to: Officials Ecclesiastic * Provost (religion), a high-ranking church official * Prince-provost, a high-ranking church official Government * Provost (civil), an officer of local government, including the equivalent ...
, Jim Todd.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, John (engineer) 1805 births 1883 deaths People from Ayr People educated at Ayr Academy Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish civil engineers British railway civil engineers Scottish Liberal Party MPs Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Edinburgh constituencies UK MPs 1868–1874 Burials at the Dean Cemetery Politics of Edinburgh Viaduct engineers Scottish company founders 19th-century Scottish engineers 19th-century Scottish politicians 19th-century Scottish businesspeople