Orangemen’s Day – July 12

Have you ever heard of this commemorative holiday? It’s also known as the Glorious Twelfth, and is celebrated in Ireland each year to honor the Protestant king William III (the former Prince William of Orange)’s victory over the Catholic king, James II, at the Battle of the Boyne in the year 1690. During that year, the battle actually took place on the 1st of July, however, since that time, our calendars have changed from using the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, thus shifting the observation date to the 12th of July. 

James II’s reign was the last time a king of the Roman Catholic faith has ruled as monarch over the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It should be noted that modern analysis of documents from that time suggest that soldiers of both Catholic and Protestant beliefs fought on both sides.

Historically, this day has seen its fair share of violence on the streets of Ireland (particularly during the ‘Troubles’ of the 1960s-1990s), as it’s a quite controversial subject between the opposing faiths of Catholics and Protestants in the country. However, now in the 21st century, it has taken on more of a joyous occasion. It’s even celebrated in plenty of other countries, too, such as Scotland, Wales, and Newfoundland in Canada. 

In observance, there are usually a plethora of street parades put on, typically led by local Orange lodges (the majority of which are held in Northern Ireland), folks will dress up in costumes and don a lot of orange outfits and sashes, marching bands will join along beating the Lambeg drums, and Irish Protestants will light giant bonfires.

My 3rd great grandfather, Charles Henry Miller, was believed to be a staunch member of the Orange Society. According to his wife’s family’s bible, he was a native of Belfast, Ireland, born in 1798. Legend claims he was nearly lynched for his beliefs by a Catholic mob and then smuggled out of the country for his safety. He settled in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York (just a skip away from the banks of Canada) and is first enumerated in the United States on the 1840 federal census.

Charles Henry Miller

A cousin, who legend also claims had to flee Ireland with his brother in the early 1800s due to Catholic harassment, was John A. Miller, born in 1815. It’s unclear the exact relationship between Charles and John, however, John’s first known appearance on U.S. documents is also on the 1840 federal census, 8 pages prior to Charles, also in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York. 

It’s possible Charles and John were 1st cousins, but further documentation is needed to be able to link their fathers as brothers to one another. It’s believed John’s father was Robert Miller, and that he was the head of their local Orange Society back in Ireland. Their children did end up marrying each other though (James Miller, son of John, to Matilda Miller, daughter of Charles), so John A. Miller became kin to me in that form, at the very least. One also cannot look at the photographs of these two men and conceivably believe they're not of some relation! Their physical similarities are quite uncanny.

John A. Miller

In any case, John was not at all shy of proclaiming loyalty to Protestant rule, and certainly wore his religion on his sleeve. He named his second eldest son William Orange Miller! Had he still been living in Ireland, this certainly would have rubbed the local Catholic population the wrong way. Instead, it was more like thumbing his nose back at the motherland from afar.