When Peter Miller was born in 1813 in Hampshire, his father, George, was 38 and his mother, Lydia (nee Tinsley), was 41. He was the seventh of the eight children they had together. The family lived on the site of what is now Old Tinsleys and George worked as an agricultural labourer. The Rev Comyn records the family as dissenters in his notebooks.​

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Peter was baptised on 3rd October 1813 at Beaulieu church by the Rev Henry Adams.

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Patience, born in 1811 (in Niton, Isle of Wight) was the daughter of Jacob and Ann Colenutt (nee Rolf); the third of their eight children. She married James Scovell on 18th October 1829 in Chale. 

The 1841 census shows that Patience (25, a dressmaker) returned home to her mother after James death in 1840. Peter (also 25, a shoe maker) lodged with the family. 

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Peter (28) and Patience (30) married on 5th August 1841 at Boldre church.

In 1847 Peter was appointed one of East Boldre chapel's eight 'visitors', with responsibility for East End, who supported the pastor in maintaining oversight of its members given the wide area the chapel covered.

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In 1851 they were living in Thorney Hill where Peter farmed 10 acres helped by their lodger and Patience's nephew Jacob. By 1861 the couple had moved to Burley where Peter worked as a farmer. Both the 1871 and 1881 censuses show them settled in Beaulieu Rails where Peter worked as a labourer. By 1891 they had returned to the Isle of Wight and were lodging with Patience's nephew in Carisbrook.

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Peter was buried by the Rev Henry New on 14th September 1894. Patience's death post-dates the surviving burial register so there is no record of her burial.

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The epitaph includes 1 Thessalonians 4:16 - 17