Robert Millis ²

  General Notes:

Treasury pension - Ledger 1865-1879 T9/2 page 148 Chelsea Pension Robert Millis, Pte 9th Battn of R Artly 9d per diem Date of admission 14 Jany 1845 Age 45 (1854) Period of service 18yr 7mo R.
Any Other service - none Service abroad - none Cause of discharge - rheumetism place of birth - Leicester residence - Auckland Payments of pension commenced - 1 Aprl 1853 in this district Remarks - marrd Armagh, 25 jany 1831 5 children Details copied forward from page 249 old book (dead)

  Medical Notes:

Extracts from his medical report prepared for his discharge:
Strained back and enlarged testicle.
While in Gibraltar in May 1842, he received a severe strain in his back when attempting to mount a gun, for which he was some time under me.
In March 1844, when at Eastbourne, he first observed a swelling of his left testicle, accompanied by a severe pain. In as desired benefit from treatment he was sent to Woolwich where he continued in hospital 36 days. The enlargement of the testicle is harmful.
His back is such that he is unable to perform his duty. His disability has been caused by his military service

Opinion of the Principal Medical Officer Dec 1844
After a careful examination I am of opinion that Robert Millis is unfit for service and likely to be pensioned with dignity for military duty but that he is able to contribute something towards his livelihood

  Noted events in his life were:

• AKA. ⁶ Robert Millhouse

• Military: Gunner & Driver in the Royal Artillery, 19 Mar 1826-1830, Woolwich, KEN, England, UK. ⁷ in the 9th battalion.
He attested for the Royal regiment of Artillery at Leicester in the County of Leicester on the 17 March 1826 at the age of 18 years

• Military: Gunner & Driver, 1831-1833, Ireland. ⁸

• Military: Gunner and driver, Between Oct 1833 and Sep 1842, Gibraltar, Gibraltar, , GIB. ⁹ The 9th Batt. left Gibraltar in Oct. of 1842 on HM Troopship Dee for Woolwich, England and remained there until Oct. 1843 then moved to Banagher on the River Shannon south of Athlone, Ireland.

• Living, 1845, , Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom. ¹⁰

• Military Discharge: (9th battalion of the Royal Artillery), 14 Jan 1845, Woolwich, KEN, England, UK. Total service was for 18 years 7 months.
Final discharge 14th January 1845 from Woolwich

His service record summry for his discharge reads:
Whereof General Sir George Murray of GCB+GCH is ..
- discharge of Robert Millis - gunner & driver
The Board .. report that gunner & driver Robert Millis by trade a bricklayer, was born in the parish of All-Saints in the town of # in the county of Leicester and was attested for the Royal regiment of Artillery at Leicester in the County of Leicester on the 17 March 1826 at the age of 18 years ..
The service up to the 14th Jany 1845 which amounts to 18 years 322 days during which he served abroad nine years at Gibraltar.
His discharge is proposed in consequence of being unfit for further service.
With regard to character and conduct of Gunnr+Drvr RM ....it appears that his conduct has been good. He has in his possession two distinguishing marks for good conduct.
He was tried and convicted by ? ? as follows:
1st on 9 Sept 1831 for breaking his confinement to the fort - sentence 20 days solitary confinement.
2nd on 7 March 1832 for breaking out of his barracks - sentence 12 days solitary confinement.
3rd on 5 Sept 1839 for being drunk for Paymt - sentence 12 days solitary confinement
4th on 21 July 1840 for falsely accusing a Non Com Officer of being drunk - sentence 7 days solitary confinement.
In addition to the above his name appears 6 times in the defaulters book for minor offences for which he was punished by the commanding officer.
Gunner & Driver Robert Millis has received all just demands .... up to the 14th of January 1845. Signed - (his mark) - RM

• Living, 1848, , Perthshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. ¹¹

• Living, 1851, Forgandenny, PER, Scotland, UK.

• Immigration: from London, England on the Berwick Castle, 13 Dec 1852, Auckland, New Zealand. ¹² "The barque 'Berwick Castle', a small vessel of 342 tons under Captain Latto occupied 196 days in 1852 from the Downs to Auckland. She sailed on the 13th June, and brought out 148 passengers, including a large number of pensioners. Being under contract to visit the Falkland Islands she called there on the 11th August and while beating in, ran aboard the store ship 'Margaret' causing considerable damage to both vessels. the barque sailed from Port Stanley on the 1st October and for several days experienced nothing but gales, with snow and sleet. On the 21st October a heavy sea struck the rudder, carrying it clean away. The gale continued for eight days without a lull, and the barque was steered by means of a spar and a howser, but finding these too heavy, a temporary rudder was rigged with a guy lashed to the foot of it. With this the ship was carried all safe into Hpbart Town on the 6th November. Having shipped a new rudder, she sailed again on the 1st December, and had a pleasant run, making the New Zealand coast on the 9th, and arriving in Auckland on the 13th December 1852. During the voyage there were nine deaths and seven births."

The Berwick Castle carried 40 male pensioners, 37 females and 68 children.
Two of the deaths were men, the other seven were children.

Millis, Robert 1809 LCST ENG - 1864 Otahuhu
Millis, wife & 2 children
Millis, Robert
Millis, Samuel
Millis, Ellen

• Military: Fencible, 1853, Auckland, New Zealand. ¹³ Robert signed on to be a Fencible in Perth, Scotland per WO4/288

• Residence: Wyndham St, 1857-1858, Auckland, New Zealand. ¹⁴

• Residence: Chapel St, 1864, Auckland, New Zealand. ¹⁵

Robert had a relationship with Catherine Ann Kerr, daughter of Kerr and Unknown, on 23 May 1831 in Armagh, ARM, Northern Ireland, UK.¹⁶ (Catherine Ann Kerr was born circa 1811 in Eskra, , TYR, Northern Ireland and died on 4 Nov 1869 in Thames, Coromandel, NZ ¹⁷.)

  Marriage Notes:

Robert & Catherine will have met while Robert was stationed at Charlemont, Armagh and Catherine lived at her family's farm in Eskra, Tyrone (25 miles away).