WAITED FOR GROOM 60 YEARS Miss Miller, Jilted On Her Wedding Day, Became Demented
In March 16 of 1902 in the little town of Perth, the death is announced of Miss Catharine Millar, known in the neighbourhood around as “Kitty” Miller. Sixty years ago she was a beautiful and accomplished girl in Scotland and was engaged to be married to a young man who had a large interest In a Scottish thread factory.
The day was fixed for the wedding and every preparation was made for the ceremony. The wedding day came and “Kitty,” dressed in her bridal attire and awaited the bridegroom. Instead, there came a message that he had married another.
The shock affected her mind, and for several years she was confined in an asylum. The doctors finally decided that she could be given into the custody of her relatives, as they thought a change of scene and surroundings would prove the best cure. The Miller family moved quickly from Scotland to Canada hoping it wold change Kitty’s spirits.
Nearly 50 years have passed since their settlement in Lanark County, yet never, a month has elapsed in which “Kitty” did not don her wedding garments to await the coming of her lover. The dress was antique, of amber-coloured silk, with a long front peaked waist, plaited and corded, with bell sleeves and skirt hanging oddly on account of the straight width.
The bonnet was also peculiar. It was made of white silk, trimmed with satin ribbon and a stiff lace matching the dress in colour. Miss Millar was 80 years old when she died, and for nearly 60 years had preserved this wedding dress, expecting the arrival of her promised husband. All her immediate relatives had died before her and she was living with friends at the time still with her robes made in Scotland long ago.
Catherine “Kitty” Miller
- BIRTH
-
Scotland
- DEATH
- 4 Jan 1902 (aged 79–80)
Bathurst, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada
- BURIAL
-
Scotch Line, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada
The death of Miss Catherine Miller, generally known as “Kitty Miller,” on Tuesday of last week, closed the last chapter of one of the “tragedies of life,” which call forth the sympathy of all. In her youth she was beautiful and accomplished. She was engaged to a young man who had a large interest in a thread factory. The day was set for the wedding and the young girl had made every preparation. While dressed in her wedding garments, waiting for the groom, word was brought that he had married another girl. The shock affected her mind, and it was found necessary to place her in an asylum. As time went by she became quiet and she left the asylum and went to live with her mother. Her mind was still affected, but she was very peaceable. The doctor suggested a complete change of surroundings for her, and she and her mother came to Canada. They found a home with John Grey, who then lived on the 4th line. Here the mother died, and some time after Miss Miller was taken to live with the late Mrs. George Grey. When Mrs. Grey died, her daughter, Mrs. Alexander Palmer, took charge of her. It was pitiful to see “Kitty” as every month she would don her wedding dress and wait for her expected lover. She never forgot the fact that she was a bride waiting for the groom. Her dress is very antique. It is an amber colored silk, with a long front, peaked waist, pleated and corded, with bell sleeves and skirt, hanging oddly on account of the straight width. The bonnet also is peculiar. It is made of white silk, trimmed with satin ribbon, and a stiff lace matching the dress in color. Miss Miller was eighty years old when she died, and for nearly sixty years has cherished this wedding dress, expecting her lover to appear and wed her. She was buried in the Scotch Line cemetery on Thursday last.
The Daily Whig, Kingston, Saturday, February 22, 1902, page 4
Location: 513 Scotch Line, Lot 12, Concession 10, Upper Scotch Line, North Burgess
Details: In 1886, a half-acre of land on the Upper Scotch Line passed hands from Gilbert Wilson and his wife Marian, to a group of men wishing to have a community cemetery. The cemetery trustees were John Wilson, Robert Allan and Robert Hendry. They purchased the half-acre for $75. Although the land was not officially a cemetery until 1886, around ten people had been buried there previous to the purchase. In the same year as its purchase, the Scotch Line Cemetery had its first official burial. The man’s name was Mr. George Oliver, a local mill owner, who died at the age of 49 on June 26, 1886. A fence was put up around the cemetery in 1887 and the cost of $40, as well as the purchase price of the land, was paid for by a group of 24 men in the area.A piece of land 10 feet in size was added to the west side of the cemetery in 1920. Also added was a strip of land 40 feet wide fronting the Upper Scotch Line and 210 feet to the rear of the cemetery. The strip was purchased in 1941 from the Scotch Line School, which shared the same lot as the cemetery. In the same year, the land between the west side of the cemetery and Allan’s Side Road was purchased for $100 from Gilbert Wilson. The project of planting 200 pine seedlings was completed in May of 1942, with the trees being placed along the fence separating the cemetery from the school, as well as the fence by Allan’s Side Road. After its closure in 1968, the remaining school property was purchased for $1000 on July 12 th . This purchase would mark the final expansion of the cemetery. The Scotch Line School is still situated on the cemetery lot and is a beautiful addition to the land.
Contact: Allan Menzies, Registrar, 613- 264-2697
The Alexander Palmers of Christie Lake Tay Valley Perth that looked after her.
| Name | Alexander Palmer | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Male | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status | Married | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Age | 45 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Year | abt 1846 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Place | Ontario | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence Date | 1891 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence Place | Bathurst, Lanark South, Ontario, Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head | Head | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Free Church | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Farmer House Carpenter | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Can Read | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Can Write | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
| French Canadian | No | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Isabella Palmer | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Father’s Birth Place | England | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother’s Birth Place | Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Division Number | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Neighbours | View others on page | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
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| Enumeration District | 84 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Page number | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||
CLIPPED FROMThe Lanark EraLanark, Ontario, Canada05 Feb 1902, Wed • Page 4
January 1902
January 1920
CLIPPED FROMThe Kingston Whig-StandardKingston, Ontario, Canada22 Feb 1902, Sat • Page 4
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