McMillan, Robert
Private
No. 2327, 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
Killed in action in France on Sunday 1 November 1914 (aged 25)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium (Panel 11)
Megain Memorial Presbyterian Church Belfast
Journey of Remembering Belfast Book of Honour
Brother of Sergeant William George McMillan (No. 13172)
BIOGRAPHY
In some records his surname is spelt McMillen.
Robert McMillan was born on 28 November 1888 in Railway Street, Bangor and he was a son of William and Annie McMillan (nee Tanner) who were married on 9 May 1884 in Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church.
William McMillan worked as a house painter and he and Annie had six children:
Margaret (born 16 July 1886 in Railway Street, Bangor)
James (born 4 December 1887 in Railway Street, Bangor; worked as a labourer in the shipyard)
Robert (born 28 November 1888 in Railway Street, Bangor)
William George (born 10 March 1890 in Railway Street, Bangor)
Sarah Jane (born 27 April 1891; worked as a seamstress)
Hugh (born 7 October 1892 in Gray’s Hill, Bangor)
Their mother Annie died of endometritis in Gray’s Hill, Bangor on 1 November 1893 (aged 31).
Their father William married Sophia Lindsay on 29 December 1900 in Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church. William McMillan was a widower; a house painter from Gray’s Hill, Bangor and he was a son of James McMillan. Sophia Lindsay was a spinster from Ballymagee Street, Bangor and she was a daughter of James Lindsay, a labourer.
William and Sophia McMillan had at least one child:
Lindsay (born 7 February 1902 in Gray’s Hill, Bangor)
The McMillan family moved from Bangor to Belfast and in 1911 they were living at 14 Ina Street.
Robert McMillan worked as a labourer and he and Margaret McConnell were married on 25 December 1912 in Megain Memorial Presbyterian Church Belfast. Robert McMillan of 38 Bright Street, Belfast was a labourer and a son of William McMillan, a house painter. Margaret McConnell of 4 Baltic Street, Belfast was a daughter of William McConnell, a labourer.
Robert and Margaret McMillan (nee McConnell) had two children:
Sarah Annie (born 10 September 1913 at 38 Bright Street, Belfast)
Robert (born 4 April 1915 at 2 Westbourne Street, Belfast – five months after his father was killed)
Robert McMillan enlisted in Belfast, served with the 1st Battalion Irish Guards and was 25 when he was killed in action on 1 November 1914. He has no known grave.
At that time his wife Margaret was living at 59 Convention Street, Belfast and two of his brothers were also on active service – James McMillan DCM and William George McMillan, both in the 8th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles.
Private Robert McMillan is commemorated in the Belfast Book of Honour (Page 455) and in Megain Memorial Presbyterian Church Belfast.