Greetings!
Yes, it's a minor thing, I know. However, in medieval times, the Miller was a very important and even a prominent member of society. Millers were the guys that ran Mills--the buildings and machinery that ground up wheat, cereals, flour, and so on for the local community--as well as supplying the basic food stuff and bread products for everyone from the poorest laborer to the local Church, and even to the local Noble Lord, and his household.
The Miller was highly skilled in using tools, and building and maintaining machinery, and the whole processes involved with the upkeep of the Mill. He knew quite a bit about carpentry, working with wood, metal, as well as stone. Millers were on a first-name basis with local carpenters, plasterers, lumber-mill operators, metalworkers, and blacksmiths. Not to mention wagon-makers and wheelwrights, too, and rope-makers.
When I was in college, I was doing some special courses for my Bachelor's Certificate in Medieval & Rennaissance Studies--a university program that comprised more than a Minor, but less than a Major. The program allowed me to jump into extensive studies of Medieval languages, culture, and art, as something of a more specialized course of study looking at topics beyond military, warfare, politics, and dynastic stuff.
From such study, I got a hold of some primary sources on a historical Italian Miller, living and working in Northern Italy at the time. The scope of ife and contacts he had was very broad, and he was a serious community leader, regularly meeting with the Nobility, Church leaders, Guild leaders, Militia Captains, and more. There wasn't much that went on in the local village or town that the Miller--and any assistant Millers that he was supervising--didn't know about. Millers were also quite prominent socially, but also financially. The local Nobility insured that the Miler's taxes were low, and that the Miller also received a nice percentage of coin and goods of the overall value of product that his mill produced quarterly--in addition to his standard usage and job fees.
From additional works consulted, as well as my professor, a specialist in Medieval Studies, evidently Millers enjoyed similar prominence and prestige, whether they worked in Italy, France, England, Germany, and beyond. Basically, everywhere, they were very important people with highly specialized training, knowledge, and skills. Fundamentally, as a *Commoner*--they were irreplaceable. Few if any, could quickly replace them. Obviously, other nearby Millers could not simply "stand in" for them, as they had backlogs of jobs and product on a regular schedule to fulfill. These experts were always busy, with full schedules that everyone in the local community absolutely relied upon.
Thus, in my own campaigns, I have always made it a point to detail local Millers alongside a blacksmith, nobleman, and an assortment of other characters as an important NPC. Millers occasionally were able to travel, assuming they had a team of assistants that could handle things temporarily--often of which was heavily dependent on the particular season, local growing conditions, and specific local crops. Chief Millers were able to sometimes go on long-distance pilgrimages, attend special schools or meetings in distant cities, and periodically participate in some unusual adventures. Some became involved with local politics, and various other activities. Millers were some very interesting characters!
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK