Biography

Lived in Utica, NY. Possibly mentioned in 18290713FMS_WHS1, but does not appear to have a direct family tie to the Seward/Miller family. If indeed she lived in Utica and is the woman referenced in the above cited death sermon, her father was a Mr. Bleecker from Albany (http://archive.org/stream/sketchofoldutica01mill/sketchofoldutica01mill_djvu.txt). Ancestry then tells us that she married Judge Morris Smith Miller (1799-1824) on July 7, 1809. The fact that her husband died in 1824 supports the fact that a "Mr. Miller" is never mentioned along with the bulk of the references to Maria, which occur through the 1830s in FMS letters as "Mrs. Miller," or, simply, "Maria." In 18361208FMS_WHS1, a reference is made to "Mrs Miller's Ann" who came over to see Frances. From context, I am inclined to think "Ann" is a servant to Mrs. Miller rather than a daughter - Ancestry additionally does not report a child of Mrs. Miller's named Ann. The only issue is that with letters I've encountered, Maria Miller seems to be a local resident. If she lived in Utica throughout the '30s, then the woman defined in the context of this entry is probably not the woman FMS is writing about.