William Henry Milman was an English rower, clergyman and librarian who was president of the Oxford Union and of Sion College.
Background
Milman was the eldest son of Review Henry Hart Milman and Mary Anne Cockell, daughter of Lieutenant General William Cockell. His father was rector of Saint Margaret"s, Westminster, and a Canon of Westminster Abbey, and later Dean of Street Paul"son
Education
Christ Church; Westminster School.
Career
Milman was brought up at Ashburnham House and educated at Westminster School. He then went to Christ Church, Oxford where he pursued a successful rowing career. He was also President of the Oxford Union in Michaelmas 1849.
Milman took Holy Orders and in 1851 was mentioned in the letters of Thomas Babbington Macaulay with regard to his purchase of clerical vestments.
Milman ordered a long vest of the latest clerical fashion which the tailor referred to as an "M.B waistcoat". When interrogated by Milman, the tailor confessed that "Bachelor of Medicine" meant "The Mark of the Beast".
On 1 October 1856, Milman was appointed librarian and chaplain of Sion College. He was rector of Street Augustine and Street Faith.
In 1874 and 1875, he was president of Sion College.
In 1880 he presented to the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Some account of Sion College and of its library which was later published separately. Milman remained librarian of Sion College library until his death in Kensington at the age of 83 in 1908. The library now forms part of the collections of Lambeth Palace Library and King"s College London.