MILL or MILLE, HUMPHREY (fl. 1646), verse writer, was probably a younger brother of Thomas Mill or Mille (1604–1650), the son of William Mille of ‘Grattam,’ Sussex, who matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford, 8 Dec. 1620 (Oxf. Univ. Reg., Oxf. Hist. Soc. ii. ii. 385; Foster, Alumni Oxon. 1500–1714, p. 1013). Humphrey published: 1. ‘Poems occasioned by a Melancholy Vision. Or a Melancholy Vision upon Divers Theames enlarged …,’ London, 1639, 8vo. This work, which the author describes as ‘the first fruits of his poore indeavours in this kinde,’ is dedicated to Thomas, earl of Winchelsea. It has an engraved title by Droeshout. 2. ‘A Nights Search. Discovering the Nature and Condition of all sorts of Night-Walkers; with their Associates. As also the Life and Death of many of them …’ London, 1640, 8vo. This is dedicated to the Earl of Essex and contains commendatory lines by the author's brother, Thomas Mill, M.A., Oxford, Thomas Heywood, Thomas Nabbs, Robert Chamberlain, Richard Broome, and others. It has also an engraved title in compartments. 3. ‘The Second Part of the Nights Search discovering the Condition of the various Fowles of Night. Or, the Second great Mystery of Iniquity exactly revealed …,’ London, 1646, 8vo. This is dedicated to Robert, earl of Warwick, and has an engraved title in compartments, one of which contains a portrait of the author, which is probably that mentioned by Granger (ii. 312).
[Corser's Collect. Anglo-Poet. pt. viii. p. 404.]
MILL, JAMES (fl. 1744), Indian colonel, devised a project for the conquest of India, and appears to have submitted it in 1744 to Francis, duke of Lorraine, husband of Maria Theresa of Austria, who at the time was commanding the imperialist army against the Turks. His scheme, which is given in the appendix to Bolt's ‘Affairs of Bengal,’ sets forth that the Moghul empire was overflowing with gold and silver, and had always been weak and defenceless. It was a miracle that no European nation with a maritime power had attempted the conquest of Bengal. By a single stroke infinite wealth might be acquired, which would counter-balance the mines of Brazil and Peru. The country might be conquered or laid under contribution as easily as the Spaniards conquered the naked Indians of America. A rebel subject named Aliverdi Khan had torn away the three provinces of Bengal, Behar, and Orissa from the Moghul emperor, and had acquired treasure to the amount of 30,000,000l. sterling. The provinces were open to the sea, and three ships with fifteen hundred to two thousand regular troops would suffice for the operation. The British government would co-operate for the sake of the plunder and the extension of their trade. The East India Company had better be left alone. No company could keep a secret, and the East India Company was so distracted as to be incapable of any firm resolution. In 1743 ‘James Mill, esq.,’ was appointed captain and second in command of the East India Company's military in Bengal (Gent. Mag. 1743, p. 275). Bolt described Mill as a colonel who had served twenty years in India. The India office contains no lists of officers in the employment of the East India Company of so early a date.
[Wheeler's Early Records of British India, p. 269 et seq., on the authority of Bolt's Affairs of Bengal.]
MILL, JAMES (1773–1836), utilitarian philosopher, born 6 April 1773 at Northwater Bridge, in the parish of Logie Pert, Forfarshire, was the son of James Mill, a country shoemaker, by his wife Isabel Fenton, daughter of a farmer in the Kirriemuir district. The father occupied a cottage under a farmer named Barclay, whose family were afterwards friends of the son. The Fentons were supposed to have descended from a higher social position. The neighbours thought that Mrs. Mill gave herself airs on the strength of her origin, and health or temperament made her rather fastidious. She resolved to bring up her eldest son as a gentleman. He had probably shown early promise, and was certainly allowed to devote himself to study instead of following his father's trade. He was sent to the parish school, and was then and afterwards befriended by Mr. Peters, the minister of Logie Pert. He attended the Montrose academy, boarding in the town for 2s. 6d. a week. He there made friends with his schoolfellow, Joseph Hume (1777–1855) [q. v.], afterwards his political ally. He became known to Sir John Stuart (previously Belsches) of Fettercairn. Sir John, with his wife, Lady Jane (Leslie) daughter of the Earl of Leven and Melville, passed their summers at Fettercairn House, five miles from Northwater Bridge, and their winters at Edinburgh. Lady Jane Stuart was charitable, and is said to have started a fund for educating poor young men for the ministry. James Mill was recommended for
