William Miller (preacher)
| William Miller | |
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William Miller
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| Born | February 15, 1782 Pittsfield, Massachusetts |
| Died | December 20, 1849 (aged 67) Hampton, New York |
| Occupation | Author Teacher Minister/Preacher Military officer Farmer |
| Spouse(s) | Lucy Smith |
| Children | 5 |
William Miller (February 15, 1782 – December 20, 1849) was an American Baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid-19th century North American religious movement known as the Millerites. After his prophecies of the Second Coming did not occur as expected in the 1840s, new heirs of his message emerged, including the Advent Christians (1860) and the Seventh-day Adventists (1863). Later movements found inspiration in Miller's emphasis on Bible prophecy; the Bahá'í Faith holds that his predictions of 1844 events were accurate.
Miller was born on February 15, 1782, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. His parents were Captin Miller, a veteran of the American Revolution, and Paulina, the daughter of Elnathan Pelps. When he was four years old, his family moved to rural Low Hampton, New York. Miller was educated at home by his mother until the age of nine, when he attended the newly established East Poultney District School. Miller is not known to have undertaken any type of formal study after the age of eighteen, though he continued to read widely and voraciously. As a youth, he had access to the private libraries of Judge James Witherell and Congressman Matthew Lyon in nearby Fair Haven, Vermont, as well as that of Alexander Cruikshanks of Whitehall, New York. In 1803, Miller married Lucy Smith and moved to her nearby hometown of Poultney, where he took up farming. While in Poultney, Miller was elected to a number of civil offices, starting with the office of Constable. In 1809 he was elected to the office of Deputy Sheriff and at an unknown date was elected Justice of the Peace. Miller served in the Vermont militia and was commissioned a lieutenant on July 21, 1810. He was reasonably well off,owning a house, land, and at least two horses.
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