Miller of Chichester and Lavant, Sussex and Froyle Co Hants Created Baronet October 29, 1705 Seat at West Lavant, Sussex, some 2 miles North of Chichester and having as a neighbour the 2nd Duke of Richmond.

Arms -Ar. a fesse wavy, az. between three wolves heads erased, gu.
Crest -A wolf’s head erased, ar. gorged with a collar, wavy az.
Quartering -Or, a chevron dancettee, between three estoiles gules for Comber.

Richard Miller, bur. at St. Peters Chichester 1603
Thomas Miller, ob. 1635 = Agnes, dau of Miller of St. Olaves, mar. 1631.

Mark Miller, one of the aldermen and justices of Chichester Co. Sussex, bur in the churchyard of the Cathedral, in 1672, aet 1666. mar. Mary, dau of John Comber, alderman of Chichester, sister and co-heir of John Comber, Esq of Dunnington, Co. Sussex, sometime high-sheriff for the counties of Sussex and Southampton, ob. 1664 bur in the Cathedral.

Sir Thomas Miller, justice of the peace for the City of Chichester in 1684, several times mayor thereof, and representative in Parliament in 1688 and 1690, had a large fortune left him by his uncle (Comber), was knighted and advanced to the dignity of a Baronet by Queen Anne in the fourth year of her reign 29 Oct 1705, ob 2nd Dec 1705 aet 70 buried in the Cathedral.

He mar. Hannah, dau of by whom he had John, his successor, and other children. one dau mar. John Farrington of Chichester Esq eldest son of sir Richard Farrington of Chichester Bart.

2nd Baronet

Sir John Miller, Bart., eldest son and successor to his father, represented the city of Chichester in several parliaments, in the reigns of K. William and Q. Anne. He married first Margaret, daughter of John Peachey, of Chichester, who died Sept. 23, 1701, aged 38 bur in Chichester Cathedral, by whom he had one son Thomas, who died young, and a daughter Emblem, who died Jan 6, 1718 aged 17. He married secondly, Anne daughter of William Elson, of Groves in Sussex, Esq (ob. 6 May 1709 aet 29 bur. in Chichester Cathedral) by whom he had two children that died young; Thirdly, Susannah eldest daughter of Sir William Meaux of Kingston in the Isle of Wight, Bart. Sir John died Nov 29 1721 aged 56 and was buried in Chichester Cathedral, leaving by his marriage Sir Thomas his successor. Besides Sir Thomas he had other children for one of his daughters was wife of the Rev. Dr. Gooch, Bishop of Norwich; another of the Rev. Dr. Manningham; another of the Rev. …….. Blackshell, one of the residentiaries of Chichester, and fellow of Winchester College; and another of Thomas Yates Esq. member of parliament for Chichester; and another of Mr. Dutton near Guildford.

3rd Baronet

Sir Thomas Miller, Bart. 1688-1733 of Lavant eldest son and successor to Sir John, was likewise representative in parliament for Chichester in the reigns of Queen Anne and King George I 1715-1727, and married Jane, daughter of alderman Francis Goater of Chichester by whom he had three sons, 1. John 2. Thomas who died unmarried aged about 21, and 3. Henry and one daughter Jane, wife of …… Bye. Sir Thomas died at his seat at Lavant, near Chichester, November 1733 and was succeeded in dignity and estate by his eldest son.

4th Baronet

Sir John Miller, Bart., who married Susan, daughter of Dr. Matthew Combe, physician of Winchester in 1735, by whom he had two sons and four daughters, Thomas his successor, George, Jane, Mary, Sussanna and Anne, who was the wife of George Earl of Albemarle. Sir John was succeeded by his eldest son. The family seat at Lavant was sold to the third Duke of Richmond.

Sir Thomas Miller, Bart. This section of the pedigree is more difficult as this Sir Thomas disposed of the family seat in Lavant and moved to Froyle in 1772. Indeed writing in 1803 the Rev. William Bethan in his Baronetage states, “Not being able to procure any information from this family, I am obliged to give it as it stands in Kimber and Johnson”, and he terminates at the 4th Baronet.

The baptismal entries of the children of his two marriages are presumably in the Parish Registers at Lavant, Co. Sussex. The year of birth of Sir Thomas is presumably recorded at Lavant with the death of his first wife and the birth of children of his first and second marriage the year of birth of his second wife and children of that marriage have been deduced from Froyle burial registers who most obligingly provides also their ages. The 5th Baronet died on the 4th September 1816 but his death is not recorded at Froyle.

Sir Thomas (Bt of Lavant) married (1) Hannah only child of John Black Esq of Norwich by whom he had two daughters, the second of whom married Sir John St Leger Gilman Bt. who died at Bath March 1817 his wife also died at Bath 3rd May 1803 aged 39 years. Their only son died at Froyle 25 October 1812 aged 18. All three are buried at Froyle. See MI. in Chancel.

Sir Thomas married secondly Elizabeth …… dau of ……. married c.1769 born 1750 bur 4th April 1800 aged 50 years. She bore him six children.

John b.1770 s. of Sir Thomas(Bt) and Dame Elizabeth bur. 28 April 1804 aged 34
Ann b.1772 d. of Sir Thomas(Bt) and Dame Elizabeth d. 22 Feb 1778 aged 5
Frances b.1773 s. of Sir Thomas(Bt)and Dame Elizabeth bur. 20 Sep 1783 aged 10
Augusta Elizabeth Mary b.1775 d. of Sir Thomas(Bt) and Dame Elizabeth bur. 15 Aug 1856 aged 81
Thomas Combe b.1778 s. of Sir Thomas(Bt) and Dame Elizabeth bur. 4 July 1864 aged 86
Sarah Ann b.1781 d. of Sir Thomas (Bt) and Dame Elizabeth bur .8 Jan 1857 aged 76
George b.1783 s. of Sir Thomas(Bt) and Dame Elizabeth died 16 May 1784 aged 13 months

In 1772 Sir Thomas Miller purchased from the Hon. Thomas Willoughby Lord Middleton of Warwick and Mary Lady Middleton of a moiety and Alexander Ready Esq (later name changed to Colston) of Filkins Hall Filkins in the Co of Oxford and Sophia 1R) his wife the other moiety. Which said Mary and Sophia are the two great neices and heirs at Law of Edward Colston late of the City of Bristol Esq. deceased.

This purchase included The Capital Messuage and Mansion House (Now Froyle Place) formerly occupied by Samuel Gauden a former High Sheriff of Go. Southampton and Lord of the Manor and Gauden Draper Esq also Lord of the Manor, Place Farm Simbury Hill Farm, Banburys Farm, Yarnhams Farm Lands and other tenements carefully described                                      see Appendix.

In 1775 a further purchase was made between Sir Thomas and Lucy Rebecca Draper of the City of Bath in Co. Somerset, spinster, Charlotte Draper and Emma Draper both of Winchester Co. Southampton spinsters. Three of the daughters and co-heiresses of William Draper late of Froyle in the same county Esq. deceased by Lucy (Walter) his second wife are seized in fee simple or otherwise well entitled unto three undivided fourth parts or shares in the several manors, Rectory, messuages farms Lands tithes tenements woods and hereditaments etc.
see Appendix

In 1778 Sir Thomas Miller purchased from Mary Nicholas relict of William Nicholas of Froyle Esq and only surviving child of William Drapers first marriage (Mary Ann Horn by) and thus the eldest of the four co-heiresses of William Draper deceased. This is more or less a copy of the 1775 document but in addition to the Indenture are three Schedules with the individual items numbered in Arabic figures relating to a lost Estate Map the tracing of which would be of very considerable interest.

Sir Thomas now became lord of the manor of Froyle with control of its Court Leet and Court Baron The Advowson and rights pertaining thereto tithes and extending to Hunting, Hawking and Fishing and was able to set up his eldest son Thomas Gombe as Vicar of Froyle, which could if necessary be reduced to a sinecure by the services being given over to others.

The church at Froyle as we see it today is another example of Sir Thomas energy for he in 1812 was behind a Faculty for demolishing the entire nave of the church and rebuilding to accommodate a larger congregation. The supplication being headed by Thomas Gombe Miller, Vicar, supported by the most influential and moneyed members of the parishoners, who secured the most prominent seating, with a large pew for the squire in the gallery. It also provided the Miller family an opportunity to record individual Millers in stained glass.

Finally he found time in his latter years to follow the family tradition in providing a Member of Parliament and himself sat M.P. for Lewes 1774-1778 and as M.P. for Portsmouth 1806-1816.

He died on 4th September 1816 being succeeded by his eldest son Sir Thomas Combe Miller.

Sir Thomas’ burial is not recorded in the Parish Registers of Froyle and it is probable he was buried either in Lavant or Ghichester, Go. Sussex.

Thomas Gombe Miller, Vicar of Froyle before his father died became 6th Baronet on his father’s death in 1816. Born in 1778 died 29th June 1864 having married 5 May 1824 Martha eldest daughter of Rev. Thomas Holmes of Brooke Hill, Norfolk: She died 28 June 1877 aged 76 having had 6 sons and 4 daughters.

1. Charles Hayes s. as 7th Baronet.
2. Henry John b. 9 Sept 1830, m. 15 Dec Jessie youngest dau of John Orbell Esq. of Hawkesbury Walkonati N.Z.
3. Thomas Edmund, major in the Army , Capt 12th Regt b. 16 feb 1832.
4. George b. 7th July 1833 m 25 July 1865 Mary Elizabeth eldest dau Rev Peter Aubertin rector of Chipstead, Surrey.
5. William UVeclale, capt. 38th Regt b. 5 August 1835 d 15 act 1868.
6. Richard Combe J.P. Kent b. 15 April 1841 m 17 act 1870 Elizabeth eldest
dau of William Aldworth Esq. of Frilford, Berks.
7. Charlotte Elizabeth bap 1 April 1825 d.s.p. 8 Mar 1874 having m 4 Aug 1849 to Capt William Smith Nicholson late 26th Regt.
8. Marianne bap 22 act 1826.
9. Francis Margaret bap 29 June 1868.
10. Georgina Emily bap 7 July 1839 m 3 May 1866 to Henry Thomas Lambert Esq of Sandhills Surrey. He d 8 July 1879 having had with other issue a son Henry Charles William Lambert b ………1868.

Sir Charles Hayes Miller b. 6 Feb 1829 d 12 Jan 1868, having m 9 April 1856 Catherine Maria 2ncl dau of James Winter Scott Esq. of Rotherfielcl Park Hants and had two sons and 3 claus.
1. Charles John Hubert bap 13 act 1858
2. Cecil Walter Nicholson b 9 July 1860
3. Margaret Catherine d 6 feb 1869
4. Gertrude Teresa bap 4 Dec 1864
5. Constance Caroline hap 20 July 1866

Sir Charles John Hubert bap. 13 Oct 1858 bur 8 Oct 1940, was a small boy of nine years of age when his father died. His mother with the children left Froyle soon after and from that time Froyle Place was let to various tenants. In due time Sir Hubert joined the Guards and in 1892 at the age of 34 retired as a Captain.

He came back to Froyle in 1892 but never took up residence at Froyle Place. Until he left the army the estate had been managed by his uncle ….. Until his death in 1940 Sir Hubert lived at The Shrubbery (Shrubbery House) a charming Georgian House of c1740 near the Hen and Chicken and between the A31 and the River Wey on a site sloping steeply to the River. This property was in the late 18th century owned by George Erving Esq. formerly of Boston New England and his wife was Mary McIntosh Erving the daughter of Isaac Royall Esq late of Medford in New England lie buried in Froyle Churchyard (see “The Elegant Royalls”) Charles Newman purchased from the Ervings who later sold to the Miller family.

Sir Hubert did not share his father’s and grandfather’s love of horses and hunting.

Often spent 6 months of the year at a property he owned in Venice, returning with church vestments and “Images”. Statuettes of saints which are displayed in niches on various houses in Upper Froyle. This phase began about 1900. He built a temporary structure as a church, dedicated to St. Joseph (Lower Froyle), and hoped to convert it to a permanent building but the 1914-18 War intervened and no trace now remains. The money he had intended for the project went to Chichester Cathedral and the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral. His avowed intention in Froyle was to “Wake the Church up”. He certainly left an imprint of his character on Froyle. He and his father are interred in the family vault in Froyle churchyard. 

Sir Huberts death terminated the Miller Saga so far as Froyle is concerned. In his will Sir Hubert left the Froyle Estate to his niece Mrs Loyd who in 1947 sold Froyle Place and 63 acres of the Park to the Trustees of the Lord Mayor Treloar College and the rest of the estate with the Manorial rights in 1949.