Name Orlo Miller Role Author | Died 1993 | |
Books The Donnellys Must Die, Death to the Donnellys: A Novel | ||
Henry Orlo Miller, sometimes listed at Hanson Orlo Miller (April 1, 1911 in London, Ontario - 1993) was a Canadian author, He gained fame under the name Orlo Miller for The Donnellys Must Die, a history of the Black Donnellys of Lucan, Ontario. In later life he was ordained a priest in the Anglican Diocese of Huron.
Life
Miller was born on April 1, 1911 in London, Ontario, the son of Joseph Albert Miller, a merchant, and his wife Mary Della Barclay. His career began as a journalist with the London Free Press in 1932, and later worked with the CBC. He was ordained as an Anglican minister in 1964 at age 52. He served in Point Edward and Mitchell, Ontario. He wrote more than fifty plays, mostly for radio. He also produced for CFPL-FM.
He was considered to be a foremost expert on the Donnellys. Miller linked the Donnelly case to a feud started in Ireland. He expressed personal anger over the Donnelly story, calling it "an unexpunged blot on the Canadian judicial system." He believed that Canadian institutions could have taken steps to prevent the Biddulph tragedy. While The Donnellys Must Die was less sensationalistic than Thomas P. Kelley's earlier work, playwright Paul Thompson felt the book 'angelfied' the Donnellys. Miller also wrote a novelized account of the Donnellys called Death to the Donnellys. Miller's wife claimed they received over 30 threats concerning the Donnelly books.
Miller died in 1993.