George Miller (New York politician)

American politician

George Miller

County Judge of Suffolk County
In office
1857–1857
Preceded by| Abraham T. Rose
Succeeded by| J. Lawrence Smith
Member of the New York State Assembly from Suffolk County, 1st District
In office
1854–1854
Preceded by| Abraham H. Gardiner
Succeeded by| John E. Chester
Personal details
Born| (1799-03-16)March 16, 1799
Miller Place, New York, U.S.
Died| October 27, 1883(1883-10-27) (aged 84)
Spouse| Eliza Leonard

George Miller (March 16, 1799 – October 27, 1883) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge from New York.

## Life

[edit]

Miller was born on March 16, 1799, in Miller Place, New York, the son of Timothy Miller and Mehetabel Brown.[1]

Miller attended the Clinton Academy in East Hampton. He initially studied law under Selah B. Strong, later with Caleb S. Woodhull of New York City. In 1825, he moved to Riverhead and opened a law office there. He later took James H. Tuthill as a law partner. He and a few associates purchased an entire township of valuable timberland in Maine, which turned out to involve defective titles and led to a number of suits. He was also involved in a long contest with New York City Griswold merchants over the ownership of some lots in the Brooklyn Atlantic Dock.[1]

In 1840, Miller was appointed Surrogate of Suffolk County.[2] He was a supporter of the Maine law. In 1853, he was elected to the New York State Assembly as a Whig, representing the Suffolk County 1st District.[3] He served in the Assembly in 1854, introducing a bill that would incorporate the Riverhead Canal and Mill Company.[4] In 1857, he was appointed County Judge and Surrogate following the resignation of Abraham T. Rose.[5] He lost the election for the position later that year to J. Lawrence Smith.[6] He became district attorney of Suffolk County in 1858, and in the election that he ran as a Republican[7] and won.[8]

Miller supported and helped establish the Congregational Church in Riverhead. In around 1836, he married Eliza Leonard of Massachusetts, who worked as a teacher in Riverhead Academy for many years.[1]

Miller died on October 27, 1883, twenty days after his wife.[9] He was buried in Riverhead Cemetery.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Riverhead". History of Suffolk County, New York. New York, N.Y.: W. W. Munsell & Co. 1882. p. 19 – via Internet Archive.
2. ^ "Appointments by the Governor and Senator". The Corrector. Vol. XVIII, no. 80\. Sag Harbor, N.Y. 12 February 1840. p. 3 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
3. ^ "The Election-The Results". Brooklyn Evening Star. Vol. XLIV, no. 3969\. Brooklyn, N.Y. 15 November 1853. p. 3 – via Brooklyn Public Library Historical Newspapers.
4. ^ Journal of the Assembly of the State of New York; At Their Seventy-Seventh Session. Albany, N.Y.: Charles Van Benthuvsen. 1854. pp. 5, 63 – via Google Books.
5. ^ "Hon. George Miller". The Corrector. Vol. XXXV, no. 95\. Sag Harbor, N.Y. 22 April 1857. p. 2 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
6. ^ "Suffolk County Canvass". The Corrector. Vol. XXXVI, no. 34\. Sag Harbor, N.Y. 21 November 1857. p. 2 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
7. ^ "Union in Suffolk". Brooklyn Evening Star. Vol. L, no. 5482\. Brooklyn, N.Y. 11 October 1858. p. 2 – via Brooklyn Public Library Historical Newspapers.
8. ^ "District Attorneys: Suffolk County". Historical Society of the New York Courts. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
9. ^ "George Miller". The Sag-Harbor Express. Vol. XXV, no. 14\. Sag Harbor, N.Y. 1 November 1883. p. 2 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.

## External links

[edit]

* The Political Graveyard
* George Miller at Find a Grave

New York State Assembly

Preceded by

Abraham H. Gardiner

|  New York State Assembly
Suffolk County, 1st District
1854  | Succeeded by

John E. Chester