{{Short description|Church of England clergyman}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Combe Miller''' (1745{{snd}}18 February 1814)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Foster |first=Joseph |title=Alumni Oxoniensis: The Members of the University of Oxford. Late Series 1715-1886. Vol. III |publisher=Parker |year=1891 |location=Oxford |publication-date=1892 |pages=955}}</ref> 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.<ref>Oxford University. ''Catalogue of all Graduates etc.'' p. 454</ref>
==Career== Miller was appointed Prebendary of Wyndham, a Canon residentiary of Chichester Cathedral, in 1769.<ref>Hennessy. ''Chichester Diocese Clergy Lists''; p. 18</ref>
While a residentiary, an issue arose at the cathedral that he was involved in.<ref name="horsfield26">Horsfield. ''History''. pp. 26-28</ref> 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.<ref name="horsfield26"/> 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.<ref name="horsfield26"/> 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.<ref name="horsfield26"/> 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.<ref name="durnford1">Durnford. ''Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Court of King's Bench''; p. 650.</ref> [[File:Microcosm of London Plate 094 - Westminster Hall edited.jpg|thumb|upright|Westminster Hall, where the King's Bench sat until its abolition]] The case was eventually heard by the Court of Kings Bench on 27 April 1787.<ref name="durnford1"/> The court agreed with the dean and Webber's argument and found that it was not in the bishop's power to appoint people over the dean and chapter. However it seems that despite all this George Metcalf continued in post.<ref name="horsfield26"/>
Summary of the court's findings:<ref>Durnford. ''Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Court of King's Bench''; p.800.</ref> # A prohibition issued to the bishop of Chichester, who claimed a right to present by lapse, under pretence of his visitational authority, to the office of a canon residentiary of his church, it being a freehold office, and the right of election thereto in the dean and chapter. # Whether in case the dean and chapter neglect or refuse to appoint a canon residentiary in proper time, the bishop by virtue of his general visitational power may appoint pro-tempore till such election be had. # A mandamus will lie to compel the dean and chapter to fill up a vacancy among the canons residentiary, and on such a mandamus the court will compel an election at the peril of those who refuse. # The election is in the dean and canons. # The dean has no casting voice. # The canons have a right to vote by proxy. # There is no lapse to the bishop in the case of a canonry.
Miller's other appointments were: * 1774 Rector of Winfarthing and Snetterton, Norfolk.<ref name="gentleman410">Urban. ''Gentleman's Magazine''; Vol. 115, p.410.</ref><ref>''History and Antiquities of the County of Norfolk''. p. 184</ref> * 1785 Treasurer of Chichester Cathedral.<ref>Hennessy. ''Chichester Diocese Clergy Lists''; p. 4</ref> * 1790 Dean of Chichester cathedral.<ref>''London Gazette''; 26 June 1790, p. 397.</ref> * 1806 Warden of the Hospital of St. Mary, Chichester.<ref>Page, W. ed. ''A History of the County of Sussex''; Volume 2, pp. 100-102.</ref>
He died at Walsham in Suffolk in his 69th year.<ref name="gentleman410"/> His wife Ann died in 1826, aged 72.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Urban |first=Sylvanus |date=1826 |title=Obituary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N6hJAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA477 |journal=The Gentleman's Magazine |volume=140 (new series 96.2) |pages=477 |via=Google Books}}</ref>
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==References== * {{Cite book|author=Anonymous|title=History and Antiquities of the County of Norfolk. Volume II containing the Hundreds of Clavering, Depwade, Diss Earsham|publisher=J. Crouse|location=Norwich|year=1781}} * {{Cite book|last=Durnford|first=Charles|author2=East, Edward Hyde |title=Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Court of the King's Bench from Michaelmas Term 26th George III to Easter Term, 27th George III. Volume 1|edition= 5th| publisher=White, Byrne, Moore and Rice|year= 1797|location=London}} * {{Cite book|last=Hennessy|first=George|year=1900|title=Chichester Diocese Clergy Lists: Clergy Succession from the earliest time to the year 1900|publisher=St Peters Press|location=London}} * {{Cite book|first=Thomas Walker|last=Horsfield|authorlink=Thomas Walker Horsfield|title=The History, Antiquities and Topography of the County of Sussex. Vol. II|publisher=Sussex Press|location=Lewes, Sussex|year=1835}} * {{Cite web|url= http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/13213/pages/397|title=London Gazette Issue number:13213 |date= 26 June 1790|publisher=HMSO|page=397}} * {{Cite book|author=Oxford University|title=A Catalogue of all Graduates in Divinity, Law, Medicine, Arts and Music, who have regularly proceeded or been created in the University of Oxford, between October 10, 1659 and December 31, 1850|publisher=Oxford UP|year=1851}} * {{Cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36582&strquery=combe |title=Cathedral of Chichester |editor-first=William|editor-last= Page|publisher=Institute of Historical Research |year=1973 |work=A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 2 |accessdate=23 February 2011}} * {{Cite journal|last=Urban|first=Sylvanus|title=Combe Miller|journal=Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle| volume=115|year=1814|publisher=J. Harris|location=London}} {{S-start}} {{S-rel|en}} {{S-bef|before=Charles Harward}} {{S-ttl|title=Dean of Chichester|years=1790–1814}} {{S-aft|after=Christopher Bethell}} {{End}} {{Deans of Chichester}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Combe}} Category:1745 births Category:Place of birth missing Category:1814 deaths Category:Deans of Chichester Category:Alumni of New College, Oxford