A mystery house in Napanee?

[Norman]

Is there a resident of Napanee who can help solve a family history puzzle for a visitor to this Forum from Sheffield, England?

A few weeks ago, I came by chance upon a blog that was kept up for only a one month - February 2007 - by "Barista". (http://millerfryer.blogspot.com/)
The blog is a collection of 41 postings of pictures, some of which relate to the family of James and Lucy Miller who emigrated to Canada in 1884 and their descendants. One picture is of a watercolour painting of "Donnington House", painted by Lucy Miller, the family home they left behind in Shropshire, where James had been a farmer. A recent 'Comment' was posted by 'Anonymous', who owns the original picture, passed to her after her father died. She has contacted me, is a grand-daughter of James and Lucy Miller, and is mystified as to how a copy of the painting came to be posted by 'Barista'.

Who is 'Barista'? And what is her connection with the house in Napanee shown in one of the photographs (captioned "Napanee 1957")? Might the young girl on the horse have been a visitor who, perhaps returned a year later ("Nalanee 1958") with her brothers and sisters?

Do you recognise the house in Napanee in the photograph from 1957? Or the elderly gentleman with a steadying hand on the horse? Is there a connection between this house and the Miller or Fryer families of the weblog?

I've made a copy of this request which I have posted on our family weblog, which you would be very welcome to visit.(http://www.perrinfamily.co.uk/)

I'd be delighted and grateful for any help. Please post a reply on this Forum or email me directly at norman.perrin@googlemail.com

Thank you for reading this posting.
Norman Perrin. Sheffield. Yorkshire. England.

[Jason]

I know exactly where that house is in Napanee. I asked a relative about it(who does geneology) and was told that the Millers lived there but do not currently. There is one still living in Napanee. I can send you an email with information later tonight.

[Norman]

Thank you, Jason. I look forward to hearing from you again when you've some more information. Norman

[mrwilde]

This mystery house is located on York St. I grew up a block from this house. It is one of the largest houses in Napanee and as long as I can remember is the property of a retired Dr. Burns. The people on the horse are unknown to me and the location that they are standing is along side the road on York St. The house just happens to be in the background. Solved!!! kind of.

[Norman]

Thank you mrwilde for your help. Yes, I had assumed that the people were connected with the house. You may be correct that they are not and that the house 'just happens' to be in the background.

However, Jason (who I think may be the Forum administrator) has posted to this thread that he has been told that a Miller family did live in the house. If so,my guess, and it is only that, is that it could have been at almost any time from 1900 to 1950.

Does Dr Burns still live in the house? If so, and if I can find a ZIP-code, I may well write to him.

Thank you again.

[Jason]

Sent you a PM Norman. Haven't had too much luck with miller information. I believe Dr. Burns still lives there and maybe he can help.

[mrwilde]

I spoke with my parents regarding the house before it was owned by the Burns family. It is correct that the Miller family did own the home. The mother and father of the family were both teachers at Napanee District Secondary School. My mother went to school with one of their daughters whose name was Dorothy Miller. They moved out of the house in the early to mid sixties.

[Norman]

Thanks mrwilde for asking your mother. And thank her too.

If I'm to solve this mystery, I think I've got to somehow make the link to Barista (who posted the original picture that I mentioned in my posting that started this thread) and this house.

I don't want to put you (or your mother) to any trouble but I wonder if she has any idea what became of Dorothy Miller or whether she had any brothers or sisters? Does she know about when Dorothy might have been born? Or what her parents were called?

Thanks again for any help.

(BTW I was trained as a teacher myself. And now manage a charity for children with cerebral palsy and their families. A write a blog related to my work at http://bit.ly/5sNQt0.)