Captain Sir James Miller

Sir James Percy Miller Bt was adjutant of the 14th Hussars from Sep 1888 until Sep 1892. He owned a chestnut colt called Sainfoin which won the Derby at Epsom on 6 June. It is not clear if he was riding the horse but the regimental history says, 'it is believed there is no other instance of an officer of the army on full pay winning the Derby.'
He was born on 22 Oct 1864, the son of Sir William Miller 1st Baronet. He served in the 14th Hussar from 1885 to 1892, and fought in the Boer War as second in command of the 6th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. He reached the Rank of Major in the Lothians and Berwickshire Yeomanry and was awarded the DSO. He was a noted racehorse owner. He had owned Sainfoin for only a month before it won the Derby. He bought it for the price of 6,000 pounds plus half the winnings of the race, if it happened to come first. He also owned other winners; Roquebrune, Rock Sand, Aida, Chaleureux and Signorinetta. He was married to Eveline, daughter of Lord Scarsdale but had no children. Sir James established a breeding farm at Hamilton Stud and used the fortune built up by his father and himself to rebuild Manderston House near Duns in Berwickshire. In London he lived at 45 Grosvenor Square, Belgravia. He died at Manderston on 22 Jan 1906 and was buried at Christ Church, Duns.

Regimental Details | 14th Hussars Soldiers