11162 NELSON CO – THOMAS J. MILLER – Miller, Shaw, Masterson, Lewis, Bowman, Mitchell, Miles, Humphrey, Head, Cass #11162 Kentucky Genealogy and Biography Volume 5, Battle-Perrin-Kniffin, 4th ed. Nelson CO. THOMAS J. MILLER was born in December 5, 1827, and is a son of Jacob and Amanda (Shaw) Miller, to whom four sons and three daughters were born, six of whom lived to be grown. Jacob Miller was born in 1801, on Rolling Fork, Nelson County. In his early day he was a flatboatman, became a farmer and a slave-holder, a stack raiser and distiller from 1816 to 1860, and is still living. He is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Masterson) Miller, natives of Pennsylvania, who, as early as 1790, in flatboats floated as far as Louisville, walked from there to Nelson County, and for a time lived in the fort at New Hope. Mr. Miller next settled on Rolling Fork, where he entered about 1,000 acres. He was a united Baptist of Dutch descent, and was blind for about thirty years before his death in 1850, at the age of about eighty. Mrs. Amanda Miller was born in Nelson County; she lost her parents when a child and was reared by Thomas Lewis. Thomas J. Miller was reared on a farm, and at sixteen commenced working and trading for himself, at twenty-one he engaged as salesman for Miller & Bowman, at Raywick, and remained twenty-eight months, after which, with Dr. Mitchell, engaged in merchandising in Raywick for two years; he then ran alone for a few years, sold and entered into stock trading and shipping to New Orleans. In 1859 he purchased 730 acres at New Hope, and entered farming, but shortly after resumed the mercantile business; he now owns two farms of 500 acres each, also one on Rolling Fork, Marion County, of 370 acres; another on Salt Lick Creek, Marion and La Rue Counties, of 370; also another in Marion and La Rue, of 725, and one of 150, in La Rue; also holds an interest in several other farms, and has been more or less engaged in stock raising. He is a heavy lender of money, and was also engaged in his distilling business near New Hope, but his distillery was destroyed by fire in 1884. He was one of the principals in the start of the distillery now owned by Miles & Co. At present he is a notary. Mr. Miller was married in June, 1870, to Alice Humphrey, a daughter of Simon and Caroline (Head) Humphrey, who were natives of Nelson County. Mr. Humphrey, of German origin, was a farmer, and served as sheriff and deputy sheriff for eighteen or twenty years. Mr. and Mrs. Miller had born to them six children: Anna, Sadonie, Caroline, Mary Willie, Thomas J. and McKay. Mr. Miller is an active Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Lewis Cass in 1848; with his wife he is an active members of the Baptist Church. KYBIOGRAPHIES Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=kybiographies KYRESEARCH Archives:http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=kyresearch