Background

The Milner family were residents in the Woodhouses area of Frodsham from as early as 1571. A third son Daniel (1676 to 1760) married Sarah Barrow at Frodsham & moved to Acton Bridge as a yeoman farmer.
The family prospered at Acton, acquired land in & around the village & built several fine houses.
By judicious marriages, two between cousins, ownership of the estates passed into the hands of a very few descendants who sold all in Acton, Moore & Stretton in 1918.The sale included 58 lots, 1100 acres with 12 farms, 6 large houses in Moore, about 25 cottages & the Maypole Inn in Acton. The houses in Moore were named ‘The Grove’, ‘Ivy Bank’, ‘South Bank’, ‘Bridge House’, ‘Beechwood’ & ‘Moore House’.
The family connection with Moore arose from the marriage of Nathaniel Milner (1718 to 1797) to Sarah Dennis & of their son Nathaniel (1758 to 1837) to Ellen Cawley, both brides being heiresses to land & property in the locality. The latter’s son Nathaniel Dennis Milner (1801 to 1878) of Moore married his cousin Ann heiress to all the Acton estates. They had 3 daughters Ann, Mary (1831 to 1916) & Sarah Ann who all continued to live in Moore House after the death of their parents.
Miss Mary Milner was a devout churchwoman who worshipped at Daresbury Church all her life. In 1907 she presented the village of Moore with the Milner Church Institute in memory of her mother & father. There is also a stained glass window in the Church dedicated to them.
She died on 17th September 1916 & is buried in the Milner family vault in the churchyard.
The Milner Institute remains, to this day, as a place of worship & a much used community facility