The Story Behind the Collection
I began my family history journey early in life. I participated in my first Miller family picnic during the summer of 1948 when descendants of William Miller and Margaret Burns gathered at Silver Lake near Perth Ontario. I understand that the occasion was initiated to welcome a relative from afar. It was later decided that a gathering should be held annually, and these gatherings continued for fifty years. Although the waters of the lake, the sand beach, and the doting aunts were no doubt of more interest at the time, it wasn’t too many years until I would eavesdrop on the stories told by the elders as they sat around the picnic area.
In the 1970’s, when Algonquin College offered extension courses throughout the counties surrounding Ottawa, my interest turned to more formal research of my family heritage. While taking courses in genealogical research under the guidance of Viola Reid, I spent many hours in front of a microfilm reader, talking to relatives and seeking family documentation, and Archives, museums, and libraries became familiar haunts.
In the beginning the story I sought was about William Miller(ar) and Margaret Burns who emigrated to Dalhousie township in the Bathurst District of Upper Canada in 1820. William and Margaret were said to be my 3x great grandparents. It was only later that it was confirmed that William Miller(ar) and Elizabeth Gilmour, who settled nearby in Lanark township in 1821, were my 4x great grandparents. Although my direct lineage was known, only a few of the siblings of my ancestors were known. Their stories began in Scotland and continue in Canada for over 200 years. Today, the family story extends across the United States and to Australia.
During the 1980’s I pursued a degree in Canadian Studies at Carleton University. I was able to use some of my family history in assignments that encompassed Canadian and European history, sociology, literature, cultural heritage, and politics. Although I planned to return to classroom teaching upon graduation, I assumed a position as project coordinator with the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in Almonte, Ontario. This position immersed me in local community history as I worked with other volunteers to make a dream a reality.
I was busy during these years. Life with a young family and as a partner in a multi-faceted farm operation, left little time for pursuing my interest in family history. My father, Ernest Miller, was newly retired and looking for a project. Over the years he documented local Miller family history (published 1993) and, working with a relative from the USA, added a new lineage to what was known of the family. His main love was working with another research to publish indices for microfilms pertaining to the people of Lanark Count that I still use today. Today I continue to sort through Dad’s research notes in addition to ones I have collected!
Today my research has expanded and could be considered ‘community’ research. It now documents both maternal and paternal family lines, and the family lines of spouses and children of each generation. In 1980, I began to document my husband’s family line. He is descended from Robert Duncan, the eldest son of Robert Duncan and Agnes Gifford who settled in Ramsay township, Bathurst District in 1821. At the time little was known of Don’s direct ancestors. Verbal history was documented in time for a Duncan family reunion that year and I later picked it up and developed it further as unknown cousins were discovered.
In 2014, after settling in Calgary Alberta, I split my database and Don picked up the research on his family lineages. Today his database is almost as large as mine and is also a ‘community’ study. Between us, our information encompasses not only Lanark County but also surrounding counties, across Canada and the USA, and to Scotland, Ireland and other parts of the world.
I have developed an interest in the women in my family story. I recently published a book Janet’s Legacy, Janet Miller Callander 1812-1895. This followed the publication of Tayside Memories: The Story of a Lanark County Lad, my father’s memories. This book was a chance to share early photos of the mills and river that runs through the village of Glen Tay in Tay Valley township in Lanark County. Other manuscripts are in the works.
It is hoped that friends and relatives will find their way to this site, a sharing place for photos, and to the companion site at diane-duncan.com, my personal website, where I blog about stories of people I have researched.