John Riggs Miller

Sir John Riggs-Miller, 1st Baronet (c. 1744 – 28 May 1798) was an Anglo-Irish politician who championed reform of the customary system of weights and measures in favour of a scientifically founded system.

Early life He was born John Miller in County Clare, Ireland. His father was John Miller and his mother, John's wife, Anne née Browne. He was educated at Dalston School and Eton College before joining the British Army in 1760 as a cornet. He was on active service in the Battle of Emsdorf and at Belleisle, France in 1761, before retiring from the army in 1763. He was admitted to study at the Middle Temple in 1765, though does not seem to have made any progress with his legal studies. He also studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, though he did not graduate. In August 1765 he married Anna née Riggs (1741–1781), adding her name to his own. They had a son and a daughter. In July 1762 he inherited his family estates; but his wife brought substantial wealth to the marriage, enabling him to build a prestigious house at Batheaston, Somerset. However, France's official approach for collaboration was then rejected by Foreign Secretary the Duke of Leeds. Riggs-Miller continued to campaign on the matter but, when parliament was dissolved in 1790, he was not re-elected. Riggs-Miller was buried in Bath Abbey.