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The discussion starts with


"I've hit a real stumbling block on one branch of my family tree. I'm trying to trace the parents of one John Edwin Jacob Miller, a brickmaker from West Malling (possibly the village of Burham) and the surname of John's wife Harriet
who is called Harriet Smith in one family source and Harriet Langridge in another! Obviously I'm hoping that the less common name is the right one.
They emigrated to New Zealand in 1874 with the help of the Kent Union. Basically unless I can find out any more information on John Miller's family and his wife's real name I'm stuck. John was born circa 1844 possibly into a brickmaking family . Harriet's parents might have been called James and Mary.
Any help would be great! "

I have a large number of the Malling Langridges on my tree.
I have not found a connection yet but I am sure we will eventually link. towards the end of the rootschat board there is talk of a little boy who was murdered.

The murderer is in my tree!!!!!

More from the roots chat

"You're right, I definitely need to give out some more background information so here goes. I don't have any info on the backgrounds of Harriet and John (i.e where were they born etc.) which was why I was finding them so elusive. However this is what I do know: John and Harriet Miller emigrated to New Zealand in 1874 with three children Catherine (10), Charles(2) and William (2 months). The Kent Union, with its executive in Maidstone, had already sponsored the emigration costs of about a thousand labourers and their families. In early 1874 sixteen families from the parish of Burham near Rochester were sent. They were farewelled from the Walnut Tree inn in Burham and set out for Portsmouth. One of these sixteen families (most of whom were unemployed brickmakers) was the Millers. This ties in with the baptism entry for little Charles which lists St Mary's as their parish church and that is the name of Burham's parish church. What I don't know is whether John and Harriet's families were natives of Burham or whether John and Harriet had moved there looking for work. Catherine's daughter could only remember her mother referring to the fact that they came from West Malling. Those are the only facts we know in the family. Any help in filling in some of the gaps would be very welcome"

1841 Address: Hall House Corner, Barming
LANGRIDGE, James M 28 1813 Kent
LANGRIDGE, Mary F 20 1821 Kent
LANGRIDGE, Matilda F 2 1839 Kent

Thank you so much Christine.
I haven't been able to look at my Threads for the last couple of days - had loads of things to catch up on outside the home. Now I'm back and look what info you have forwarded to me. Just wonderful. I will get into the Rootschat site tonight.

You have been very generous with your time.

Thankyou.

As I say I have a large number of Langrdges in Malling. Some went to Mereworth . My primary interest in the area is Harryman but there were several marriages between the families. I recently visited Mereworth and saw the houses they had built, They were quite influential in the area, Some of mine are on tyhe same street as yours at one point, If you wish to view my tree pm me.

Christine
The forum re Miller/Langridge on Rootschat is fascinating. Certainly is my family. How exciting to read all that. As I also have Mary's surname as Smith from one of the records. Just goes to show not everything is recorded correctly. My connection with this family is : After John and Harriet arrived in NZ with Catherine, Charles and William they then had Annie Elizabeth who is my Grandmother.

Well I am sorry my relative murdered your relative. Sad story wasn't it?