The house in Napanee – a Miller home?

What follows is a posting on the community forum of Greater Napanee, a few moments ago.

Is there a resident of Napanee who can help solve a family history puzzle for a visitor to this Forum from Sheffield, England?

A few weeks ago, I came by chance upon a blog that was kept up for only a one month – February 2007 – by “Barista”. (http://millerfryer.blogspot.com/) The blog is a collection of 41 postings of pictures, some of which relate to the family of James and Lucy Miller who emigrated to Canada in 1884 and their descendants.

One picture is of a watercolour painting of “Donnington House”, painted by Lucy Miller, the family home they left behind in Shropshire, where James had been a farmer. A recent ‘Comment’ was posted by ‘Anonymous’, who owns the original picture, passed to her after her father died. She has contacted me, is a grand-daughter of James and Lucy Miller, and is mystified as to how a copy of the painting came to be posted by ‘Barista’.

Who is ‘Barista’? And what is her connection with the house in Napanee shown in one of the photographs (captioned “Napanee 1957”)? Might the young girl on the horse have been a visitor who, perhaps returned a year later (“Nalanee 1958”) with her brothers and sisters? Do you recognise the house in Napanee in the photograph from 1957? Or the elderly gentleman with a steadying hand on the horse? Is there a connection between this house and the Miller or Fryer families of the weblog?

I’ve made a copy of this request which I have posted on our family weblog, which you would be very welcome to visit.(https://perrinfamily.co.uk/) I’d be delighted and grateful for any help.

Please post a reply on this Forum or email me directly at [email protected] Thank you for reading this posting. Norman Perrin. Sheffield. Yorkshire. England.