John Milner (14 October 1752 – 19 April 1826) was an English Roman Catholic bishop and controversialist who served as the Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District from 1803 to 1826.
Early life
At the age of twelve he was sent to Sedgley Park School, but the following year, on the recommendation of Bishop Richard Challoner, he was sent to the English College at Douai, France, to study for the priesthood. He remained there twelve years. Upon his ordination to the priesthood in 1777 he returned to England and, at first, resided in London, in Gray's Inn, having no permanent appointment, but being what was familiarly called among the Catholic clergy of that time "a jobber", serving as a supply priest when and where required.
Two years later he was sent to Winchester to replace the Catholic missioner, the Rev. Mr. Nolan, who had died of a malignant fever while ministering to the hundreds of French Catholic prisoners of war then confined in the city gaol.
Winchester
Winchester was then one of the few towns in the south of England where a Catholic chapel had been openly supported since the latter part of the 17th century. The saying of Mass there was technically illegal, for the penal laws prohibiting the saying of Mass were not repealed until the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1791 ; but practically there was not much prospect of Catholics being interfered with. The facilities at Winchester, however, were quite inconvenient and insecure, Masses being celebrated either in the priest's house (called "St Peter's House") or in a kind of shed at the end of the garden behind it. Under Milner's guidance, the decision was taken to build a Catholic chapel in the "light gothic style" at a time when most ecclesiastical architecture in England was neo-classical, and when Catholic chapels rarely aspired to any style at all. In Milner's own words :-
This measure being resolved upon, instead of the following the modern style of building churches and chapels, which are in general square chambers, with small sash windows and fashionable decorations, hardly to be distinguished, when the altars and benches are removed, from common assembly rooms ; it was concluded upon to imitate the models in this kind, which have been left us by our religious ancestors, who applied themselves with such ardor and unrivalled success to the cultivation and perfection of ecclesiastical architecture. [History of Winchester, P. II. ch. xii]
The chapel, erected behind St Peter's House, out of sight from the road, was dedicated to the Virgin Mary to the saints Peter, Birinus and Swithun. It was consecrated by Bishop Douglass, Vicar Apostolic of the London District, on 6 December 1792. It is now beside St Peter's Catholic Church.
Milner remained in Winchester for 23 years, during which time, apart from building the chapel, he devoted himself to missionary work and established a school. The English convents in France and the Low Countries were breaking up, and the nuns fled for refuge to their own country. Milner established in his mission the Benedictine nuns, formerly of Brussels. The Franciscans from Bruges likewise settled at Winchester.
During succeeding years, Milner began to make his name as a writer and controversialist. The Cisalpine movement among the Catholic laity was beginning, the moving spirit being a nephew of Alban Butler, Charles Butler, a lawyer of eminence and reputation, and the lifelong opponent of Milner. The movement also affected some of the clergy, Joseph Berington being the most notable example. Milner directed all his endeavours to combating this movement.
Towards Catholic emancipation
William Pitt, as Prime Minister, promised to introduce a bill of Catholic relief; but when it was drafted, it contained an oath which all Catholics were to be called upon to take, based on the "protestation", but in stronger language, and containing doctrine to which no good Catholic could set his name; while the Catholics throughout were called "Protesting Catholic Dissenters". The four vicars apostolic met at Hammersmith, in October 1789, Milner attending as theological adviser. They unanimously condemned the oath and the new appellation.