Charles’s father and grandfather were both born in Fairlie. His father, John, was born in Fairlie, near Largs, on the 13th of June 1844, the third of ten children born to parents Andrew Miller and Elisabeth Brown who had been married in Largs on 21st December 1839.
By 1851 Andrew and his family, including 7 year old John, had moved to Greenock and by 1861 Andrew was employed as a dock porter and 17 year old John as a clerk in a boatyard.
Tragedy struck the family when, on 5th February 1869, Andrew accidently drowned aged only 53. He had been working as the Foreman Porter for Messrs Burns’ Belfast and Liverpool Steamers at Greenock when the steamer Racoon arrived in the harbour at 4.30am. Due to a strong wind off the quay, the steamer struggled to berth, and the ropes couldn’t reach the quay. Andrew threw them a line from the quay, which he had first tied round his hand so he wouldn’t lose it in the strong winds. The rope was caught by the crew of the Racoon, and made fast, but due to the winds, the steamer drifted quickly away from its berth and Andrew, unable to disentangle himself from the line, was dragged into the water.
Andrew’s son, John, emigrated to São Paulo Brazil to work on the São Paulo railway sometime between 1861 and 1870. His occupation was listed as Funcionário da Ferrovia São Paulo railway (railway worker).
It was in Brazil that John met Carlota Alexandrina foxwhere they married in 1870 and had four children. Their second born was Charles William Miller who was born on 24th November 1874 in Sao Paulo.
Sometime between 1878, after the birth of his last child Adolph Peter, John returned to Scotland. He died on 6th October 1886 at Bath Street, Glasgow, aged 42.