Combe Miller

Combe Miller (1745 - 18 February 1814) was a Church of England clergyman. He was the third son of Sir John Miller, 4th Baronet Miller of Froyle and Susan Combe. Education Miller studied at New College, Oxford and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree on 14 January 1768, he received his Master of Arts degree on 14 March 1771. Career Miller was appointed Prebendary of Wyndham, a Canon residentiary of Chichester Cathedral, in 1769. While a residentiary, an issue arose at the cathedral that he was involved in. After the death of one of the other canons residentiary on 29 March 1784 a meeting was held on 1 August 1784 by the remaining four members of the chapter to elect a replacement for the late Dr. Hurdis. The Dean Rev. Charles Harward and one of the residentiaries a Rev. William Webber, voted for the prebendary of Eartham, the Rev. John Buckner; the other residentiaries, Rev. Combe Miller and Rev. John Courtail voted for Rev. George Metcalf prebendary of Sutton. It was not accepted that Dean Harward had a casting vote so a stalemate ensued. There followed several more meetings to try to resolve the issue but to no avail, so Miller and Courtail petitioned the bishop to settle the matter. The bishop arranged for the four surviving residentiaries to appear before him on 12 January 1785 to explain why they had not made the appointment, and why he should not appoint someone himself. At the hearing the bishop was not persuaded by the arguments so appointed George Metcalf. The dean and Webber refused to accept this decision, but the bishop demanded that they accept his candidate on pain of excommunication. However this was not the end of the matter as the dean and Webber took out an order of the Court of Chancery restraining the bishop from proceeding.