liv 
Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. 
Thomas Miller, M.A., LL.D. By J. S. Mackay, LL.D. 
(Read February 15, 1892.) 
Thomas Miller was born at Greenbrae, in the parish of Ardoch, 
on the 16th October 1807. His father, William Miller, was a 
farmer, and intended the son to follow his own calling. The son, 
however, had a thirst for learning, and wished to enter the Church. 
He was sent — perhaps it would be more correct to say he was allowed 
to go — to St Andrews, for the expenses of his first session (1825-26) 
were defrayed from his own earnings as a teacher. He took the 
usual Arts course of four years, distinguishing himself in all his 
classes, and particularly in those of mathematics and natural 
philosophy, and graduated the first man of his year. He had come 
up to the University with what would now be considered rather a 
slender stock of knowledge, for he knew no algebra or geometry, his 
Greek was entirely self-acquired, and the instruction he had in Latin 
was such as could be obtained from one year’s attendance at a 
country school. But if his preparation for college studies w^as in- 
adequate, it was more than compensated for by his enthusiasm and 
his indomitable industry, two qualities which remained with him to 
the end of his life. 
In accordance with his design of entering the Church, Mr Miller 
spent four years more at St Andrews in the study of theology. 
During this time he had not only many private pupils, but he 
was engaged by his friend. Professor Duncan, to superintend his 
competitions, to correct his class exercises, and to revise his 
Elements of Solid Geometry^ which was then in manuscript. All 
this, with his own work for his divinity classes, kept him em- 
ployed with little intermission from six in the morning till 
midnight. 
At the close of his theological course the appointment of a 
mathematical master in the Madras College, St Andrews, fell to be 
made, and he was urged by Principal Haldane to become a candidate 
for the post. Diffident though he was of his qualifications (it is 
