John Riggs Miller
Encyclopedia
Sir John Riggs-Miller, 1st Baronet (c. 1744 – 28 May 1798) was an Anglo-Irish
politician who championed reform of the customary system of weights and measures in favour of a scientifically
founded system.
, Ireland
. His father was John Miller and his mother, John's wife, Anne née Browne. He was educated at Dalston School and Eton College
before joining the British Army
in 1760 as a cornet
. He was on active service in the Battle of Emsdorf
and at Belleisle, France
in 1761, before retiring from the army in 1763. He was admitted to study at the Middle Temple
in 1765, though does not seem to have made any progress with his legal studies, but studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
though he did not graduate
. In August 1765 he married Anna
née Riggs (1741–1781), adding her name to his own. They parented a son and a daughter. In July 1762 he inherited his family estates, though they were worth little, but his wife brought substantial wealth to the marriage, enabling him to build a prestigious house at Batheaston
, Somerset
. The couple there held a fortnightly literary
salon
along with competitions and prizes. The prizes were drawn from an ornately decorated Roman
vase
and the affair was mocked as Lady Miller's Vase, though that did not dissuade distinguished contributions from the like of David Garrick
and Christopher Anstey
. In 1778 he was created a Baronet, of Ballicasey in the County of Clare. Anna died on 24 June 1781 and on 9 September 1795 he marrier Jane née Sell, widow of Sir Thomas Davenport. He was elected Member of Parliament
for Newport
, Cornwall
in 1784
.
on 5 February 1790. In France, Charles Maurice Talleyrand was pursuing similar goals with a unit of length
based on the seconds pendulum
, as was Thomas Jefferson
in the U.S. having been charged by President George Washington
with measurement reform. Talleyrand had ambitions that France would establish itself at the centre of a new international measurement system that would form the basis of global trade and, on hearing of Riggs Miller's initiative, proposed a tripartite collaboration. After some diplomatic manoeuvring by Talleyrand, the definitive pendulum measurement was agreed to take place in France. However, France's official approach for collaboration was then rejected by Foreign Secretary
the Duke of Leeds
. Riggs Miller continued to campaign on the matter but, when parliament was dissolved in 1790, he was not reelected. Ultimately, in 1791, the French National Assembly
vetoed the pendulum in favour of the meridional definition of the metre, bringing an effective end to hopes of collaboration. France unilaterally adopted the metric system
in 1793.
, London
. He allegedly became known in society as an inveterate gossip and newsmonger, and was a well-known figure in many gentlemen's club
s. He died suddenly and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son by his first marriage, John Edward Augustus Miller (1770–1825). Riggs Miller was buried in Bath Abbey
.
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
politician who championed reform of the customary system of weights and measures in favour of a scientifically
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
founded system.
Early life
He was born John Miller in County ClareCounty Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. His father was John Miller and his mother, John's wife, Anne née Browne. He was educated at Dalston School and Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
before joining the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1760 as a cornet
Cornet (military rank)
Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, after captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer.- Traditional duties :The cornet carried the troop standard, also known as a "cornet"....
. He was on active service in the Battle of Emsdorf
Battle of Emsdorf
The Battle of Emsdorf was fought on 14 July 1760 during the Seven Years' War at Emsdorf in present-day Hesse, Germany, between forces of British, Hanoverian and Hessian troops under the Prince of Hesse-Kassel against German troops in French service under Marechal de Camp Glaubitz...
and at Belleisle, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1761, before retiring from the army in 1763. He was admitted to study at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1765, though does not seem to have made any progress with his legal studies, but studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
though he did not graduate
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
. In August 1765 he married Anna
Anna Miller
Anna, Lady Miller was an English poet and salon hostess, widely ridiculed in fashionable society for what were seen as pretensions to good taste.-Life:...
née Riggs (1741–1781), adding her name to his own. They parented a son and a daughter. In July 1762 he inherited his family estates, though they were worth little, but his wife brought substantial wealth to the marriage, enabling him to build a prestigious house at Batheaston
Batheaston
Batheaston is a village and civil parish east of Bath, England , on the north bank of the River Avon. The parish has a population of 2,625...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. The couple there held a fortnightly literary
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
salon
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
along with competitions and prizes. The prizes were drawn from an ornately decorated Roman
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
vase
Vase
The vase is an open container, often used to hold cut flowers. It can be made from a number of materials including ceramics and glass. The vase is often decorated and thus used to extend the beauty of its contents....
and the affair was mocked as Lady Miller's Vase, though that did not dissuade distinguished contributions from the like of David Garrick
David Garrick
David Garrick was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of theatrical practice throughout the 18th century and was a pupil and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson...
and Christopher Anstey
Christopher Anstey
Christopher Anstey was an English writer and poet.Anstey was the son of Dr. Anstey, a wealthy clergyman, the rector of Brinkley where he was born. He was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, where he distinguished himself for his Latin verses. He became a fellow of his college...
. In 1778 he was created a Baronet, of Ballicasey in the County of Clare. Anna died on 24 June 1781 and on 9 September 1795 he marrier Jane née Sell, widow of Sir Thomas Davenport. He was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Newport
Newport (Cornwall) (UK Parliament constituency)
Newport was a rotten borough situated in Cornwall. It is now within the town of Launceston, which was itself also a parliamentary borough at the same period...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in 1784
British general election, 1784
The British general election of 1784 resulted in William Pitt the Younger securing an overall majority of about 120 in the House of Commons of Great Britain, having previously had to survive in a House which was dominated by his opponents.-Background:...
.
Weights and measures
He made a careful study of the contemporary state of weights and measures before proposing reform in the British House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
on 5 February 1790. In France, Charles Maurice Talleyrand was pursuing similar goals with a unit of length
Unit of length
Many different units of length have been used across the world. The main units in modern use are U.S. customary units in the United States and the Metric system elsewhere. British Imperial units are still used for some purposes in the United Kingdom and some other countries...
based on the seconds pendulum
Seconds pendulum
A seconds pendulum is a pendulum whose period is precisely two seconds; one second for a swing in one direction and one second for the return swing, a frequency of 1/2 Hz....
, as was Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
in the U.S. having been charged by President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
with measurement reform. Talleyrand had ambitions that France would establish itself at the centre of a new international measurement system that would form the basis of global trade and, on hearing of Riggs Miller's initiative, proposed a tripartite collaboration. After some diplomatic manoeuvring by Talleyrand, the definitive pendulum measurement was agreed to take place in France. However, France's official approach for collaboration was then rejected by Foreign Secretary
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior member of Her Majesty's Government heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regarded as one of the Great Offices of State...
the Duke of Leeds
Francis Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds
Francis Godolphin Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds KG, PC , styled Marquess of Carmarthen until 1789, was a British politician...
. Riggs Miller continued to campaign on the matter but, when parliament was dissolved in 1790, he was not reelected. Ultimately, in 1791, the French National Assembly
National Assembly (French Revolution)
During the French Revolution, the National Assembly , which existed from June 17 to July 9, 1789, was a transitional body between the Estates-General and the National Constituent Assembly.-Background:...
vetoed the pendulum in favour of the meridional definition of the metre, bringing an effective end to hopes of collaboration. France unilaterally adopted the metric system
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
in 1793.
After parliament
After parliament, Riggs Miller settled in Bloomsbury SquareBloomsbury Square
Bloomsbury Square is a garden square in Bloomsbury, Camden, London.- Geography :To the north of the square is Great Russell Street and Bedford Place, leading to Russell Square. To the south is Bloomsbury Way. To the west is the British Museum and Holborn tube station is the nearest underground...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He allegedly became known in society as an inveterate gossip and newsmonger, and was a well-known figure in many gentlemen's club
Gentlemen's club
A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
s. He died suddenly and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son by his first marriage, John Edward Augustus Miller (1770–1825). Riggs Miller was buried in Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England...
.