Harold Martel Millar

Born: 29 Jul 1865, Durban, Natal, South Africa
Christened: 27 Aug 1865, Durban, Natal, South Africa
Marriage (1): Johanna Philippina Zietsman on 30 May 1898 in NGK, Moriah, Weenen, Natal, South Africa
Died: 24 Jul 1961 aged 95
Buried: Durban, Natal, South Africa

Family Links

Spouses/Children:

1. Johanna Philippina Zietsman

(+ Shows person has known children.)

bullet Birth Notes:

http://www.durban.gov.za/Documents/DiscoverDurban/Museums%20and%20Durban%20Art%20Gallery/1_march2002_publications_ppmar02.pdf

And

http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=1530828

And

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11863-122234-87?cc=2063749
Cal 30 Mar 1866

And

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-23609-17107-69?cc=1468076

bullet Christening Notes:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-23609-17107-69?cc=1468076
Sponsors:-
Miss Alice Ayres
John Ayres Esq.
Walter Ayres Esq.

bullet Death Notes:

http://www.durban.gov.za/Documents/DiscoverDurban/Museums%20and%20Durban%20Art%20Gallery/1_march2002_publications_ppmar02.pdf

And

http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=1530828

And

National Archives of South Africa

DEPOT NAB
SOURCE MSCE
TYPE LEER
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE 2328/1961
PART 1
DESCRIPTION MILLAR, HAROLD MARTEL. BORN IN DURBAN, NATAL. PRSP MILLAR, JOHANNA
PHILLIPPINA. EST. NO. 32293 (1941). DECEASED ESTATE.
STARTING 19610000
ENDING 19610000

bullet Burial Notes:

http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=1530828

bullet Sources of information or noted events in his life were:

• Web Based Info. http://www.durban.gov.za/Documents/DiscoverDurban/Museums%20and%20Durban%20Art%20Gallery/1_march2002_publications_ppmar02.pdf

• General Comment. An eighth child, Harold Martel Millar was born on 29 July, 1865. His childhood was spent in a large home surrounded by acres of natural bush close to the seashore. As a youth, he spent hours exploring, collecting insects, birdwatching and fishing, which engendered in him an deep love of and respect for nature. After leaving school at the age of 19, he entered the law firm of his brother, Alfred Duchesne Millar (1858-1911). Seventeen years later he was invited by Alfred to become a junior partner. It did not prove to be a happy association and Harold shortly severed his connection with the firm to set up practice on his own.

During his years in legal practice he did not abandon his pursuit of natural history. Self taught, he became a proficient taxidermist and his reputation as an outstanding collector and ornithologist grew. His talents as an artist developed and his watercolours of local birds and flowers were executed in the finest detail, earning him international acclaim. During this time he joined the working committee of the newly established (1887) Durban Museum, working tirelessly to augment the Museum collections of local fauna.

In 1902, Harold abandoned the law to devote himself entirely to painting, collecting and taxidermy. He was requested by J.F. Quekett (Curator 1895- 1909) to assist with the mounting of birds and other animals for the Museum. In 1916, he took on the directorship of the Mitchell Park Zoo, a position he held until 1922. The commission received from W.A.C. Campbell, a benefactor of the Museum, ensured for him, a period of feverish painting.

In 1955 he was honoured by the Durban City Council when he was given the freedom of the city, in recognition of his contribution towards the better understanding of the local fauna and flora through his tireless efforts, all to the benefit of the city. Sadly, in his latter years failing eyesight precluded him from painting. He died on 24 July, 1962.

And

In 1926 Harold was commissioned by William (WAC) Campbell, a distinguished patron of the then Durban Museum, to paint every species of bird then known to be indigenous to South Africa, for a fee of £1 000 payable over a period of three years. It actually took him 37 months of dedicated work to complete this task and I have been told that he scarcely stopped to eat! This collection, which numbered 868 watercolour paintings, all meticulously executed, was ultimately sold in about 1950 to an English financier, Harley Drayton, for £2 000, of which half, being the original commission fee, was refunded to William Campbell. Sadly, the collection did not remain intact and a parcel of about 160 of the paintings was sold at Christie's, London, in June, 1985, fetching prices ranging from £75 to £200 each. I do not know what has become of the remainder of the collection.

http://www.durban.gov.za/Documents/DiscoverDurban/Museums%20and%20Durban%20Art%20Gallery/1_march2002_publications_ppmar02.pdf

• General Comment. MILLAR, Harold Martel, Attorney Supreme Court of Natal and Conveyancer ; b. 2nd July, 1865, in Durban ; s. of late Hon. John Millar, J.P., M.L.C., of Durban; m., April, 1898, d. of late John 1*. Zietsmann, of Frere, Natal ; 3 children. Edue. Durban High School and Hilton Col lege. Hobbies: Yachting, shooting, and general sports. Add., Malvern, nr. Durban ; and Mandelsloh's Buildings, Durban. Commodore of C.Y.C. Member Church of England in Natal. Hobbies: Entomology and taxidermy.

http://www.archive.org/stream/natalwhoswhoani00unkngoog/natalwhoswhoani00unkngoog_djvu.txt

And

http://www.angloboerwar.com/images/pdf/natalwhoswho1906-m.pdf

• Children. They had 3 children.
http://www.archive.org/stream/natalwhoswhoani00unkngoog/natalwhoswhoani00unkngoog_djvu.txt

Harold Martel Millar was the eighth child.
http://www.durban.gov.za/Documents/DiscoverDurban/Museums%20and%20Durban%20Art%20Gallery/1_march2002_publications_ppmar02.pdf

• Occupation. Attorney at Law.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11863-122234-87?cc=2063749

And

Lawyer and Curator of Mitchell Park Zoo.
http://www.durban.gov.za/Documents/DiscoverDurban/Museums%20and%20Durban%20Art%20Gallery/1_march2002_publications_ppmar02.pdf

• General Comment. Copy of his father - John Millar's Death Notice dated 22 May 1919 in RAB's possession.

Harold married Johanna Philippina Zietsman, daughter of Johan Philip Zietsman and Margaretha Johanna Hattingh, on 30 May 1898 in NGK, Moriah, Weenen, Natal, South Africa. (Johanna Philippina Zietsman was born on 16 May 1873 in Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa and died on 12 Mar 1941 in Durban, Natal, South Africa.)

bullet Sources of information or noted events in their marriage were:

• Web Based Info. http://www.archive.org/stream/natalwhoswhoani00unkngoog/natalwhoswhoani00unkngoog_djvu.txt

And

http://incolor.inetnebr.com/strydom/geslagsregisters/zietsman/Zietsman.HTM

And

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11863-122234-87?cc=2063749
Witnesses:-
J.G.Hattingh
J.G.Zietsman
A.M.Minnaar

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There will inevitably be errors and omissions and the whole purpose of creating this online record, is to invite feedback and corrections.
The data is specifically for non-commercial use and my clear intention is to build family records. The data may, therefore, not be used in any way for the purposes of financial gain.

Caveat:- Throughout the project UK GRO birth, marriage and death index data appears. The GRO data appears in Quarters. Q1 = January, February and March, Q2 = April, May, June , Q3 = July, August and September and Q4 = October, November and December. Similarly, Mar Q = January, February and March, Jun Q = April, May, June , Sep Q = July, August and September and Dec Q = October, November and December. Where these dates occur, they represent the date of Registration of the event rather than the date of the actual event. Logically, registration occurs AFTER the event. In some cases this may be days or months or even years after the event. The important thing is that the event was recorded and a copy of the document of registration could be obtained if necessary. This also applies to South African NAAIRS records.

Similarly, the UK system is confusing to the uninitiated because registration districts can span several counties. Accordingly GRO locations may not record the true location of the event. They do record where the record is actually kept or recorded.

Caveat #2:- I have used URL's throughout the website as sources. The URLs are often from paid subscription sites so you may not be able to access them without an account. Inevitably there are broken URL's. I have been to every URL recorded here and at the time they were operational. In this regard, the Ancestry24 records are a problem. There are numerous references in the South African data citing Ancestry24 records. Unfortunately Ancestry24 has closed down and these records are no longer available on line.

The early South African records on this site would not have been as good as they are without the work done by Delia Robertson. Where there are website addresses containing http://www.e-family.co.za... I record the citation should read Robertson, Delia. The First Fifty Years Project. This website can be found at First Fifty Years