The Miller surname needs little explication: like many others it was originally occupational, describing a corn miller or mill operator.  The Latin "molere" (to grind) became "mylene" in Old English, and later "milne" - also now a surname in its own right.  Such job-descriptive surnames, which denoted the occupation of the bearer, only became hereditary when a son followed his father in the same line of work. 

There are many separate and unrelated Miller (or Millar) families in Britain, just as there are Müller and Mueller families in German-speaking countries, Molinari families in Italy, Monnier families in France and Switzerland, etc.

Our own Millers came from Grappenhall in Cheshire, and mainly lived in and around Warrington.

Note:  This particular Miller family, while not my direct ancestors, are cousins who descend from my direct Hinton line, and have been placed on a separate page for clarity. 

William Miller, son of Thomas Miller, an agricultural labourer, and his wife Martha, was born in Grappenhall on 7 October 1831, and christened there on 13 November 1831.  He worked as a tanyard labourer, and married Alice Hinton, youngest daughter of Thomas Hinton and Miriam, in Lymm on 18 February 1855.  The couple had eleven children, all born in Thelwall:

Alice died in Thelwall in 1881, and William in 1911.

James Miller, oldest child of William Miller and Alice Hinton, was christened in Thelwall on 21 December 1856, and became a labourer in the tanyards at Lymm.  He married Annie Woolley, daughter of John and Ann Woolley, at St Paul's Church, Warrington in 1883, and the couple had ten known children: the 1911 census states that fourteen children were born alive.

Mary Alice Miller, second child and oldest daughter of William Miller and Alice Hinton, was born in Thelwall in 1859, and married George Thomason in All Saints Church there on Christmas Day 1877.  George, an agricultural labourer, was born in Antrobus, and christened at Great Budworth on 6 September 1857, the son of Isaac Thomason and his wife Anne Mills.

George and Mary had eight children, all born in Appleton:

Mary died in 1891 in childbirth or shortly afterwards, and George married Clara Ellen Brocklehurst at St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn in 1899.  He had seven children with his second wife, and died in Warrington in 1917.

Martha Miller, daughter of William Miller and Alice Hinton, was christened in Thelwall on 3 November 1860, and married Theophilus Richardson at St Paul's Church, Warrington in 1883.  Theophilus, a boot and shoe dealer, was born in Warrington in 1854, and was the son of Thomas Richardson and his wife Mary Tickle. 

Martha and Theophilus settled in Warrington, and had thirteen children:

Martha died in Warrington in 1907, and Theophilus in 1944 at the advanced age of 90.

Emma Miller, daughter of William Miller and Alice Hinton, was born in Thelwall in late 1862, and christened on 9 August 1863.  She was a dressmaker, and married William Watson in All Saints' Church, Thelwall on 26 October 1891.  William, an engineer, was born in Bristol in about 1864.  The couple had five children, born in Thelwall and Grappenhall:

Emma died in Latchford in 1935.

William Miller, son of William Miller and Alice Hinton, was born in Thelwall in 1864, and worked as a tannery labourer.  He married Annie Woolnough at St Paul's Church, Warrington in 1889, and the couple spent their married life in and around Warrington.  According to the 1911 census, Annie had given birth to thirteen live children, but only ten are known at present:

Annie died in Latchford in 1920, and William in 1941.

Joseph Miller, son of William Miller and Alice Hinton, was born in Thelwall in 1867, and like his older brothers worked as a tannery labourer.  He married Susannah Hall at St Elphin's Church, Warrington on 24 November 1889, and the couple lived initially in Warrington, before moving to Leicester, where William worked as a tanner in a shoe factory.  The couple had four children:

Susannah died in Leicester in 1931, and Joseph in 1944.

Thomas Miller, son of William Miller and Alice Hinton, was born in Thelwall in 1868, and after working in the local tanyards, moved with his older brother Joseph to Leicester to work in a shoe factory.  He is recorded living with Joseph's family on the 1901 census, but he returned to Cheshire imediately afterwards to marry Amy Smith at Christ Church, Latchford on 9 April.  He returned with her to Leicester, where their four children were born:

Thomas died in Leicester in 1958, and Amy in 1966.

Herbert Miller, youngest surviving son of William Miller and Alice Hinton, was born in Thelwall in 1872, and unlike most of his brothers, did not work in the tanyards, becoming first a gardener, and later a steel worker.  He married Catherine Hazlehurst at St Mary's Church, Lymm, and had three children, all born in Thelwall:

Herbert died in Thelwall in 1947, and Catherine in 1962.

Marian Miller (also known as Miriam), daughter of William Miller and Alice Hinton, was born in Thelwall in 1874, and married James Humphreys at All Saints' Church, Thelwall on 30 September 1896.  James, a baker, was born in Darnhall in 1872, and was the son of William Humphreys from Flintshire and his wife Agnes.

The couple had four children:

Annie Miller, youngest child of William Miller and Alice Hinton, was born in Thelwall in 1876, and worked as a domestic servant before her marriage.  She married William Winstanley at All Saints' Church, Thelwall in 1902, and had two sons, both born in Warrington:

William Thomason, oldest son of George Thomason and Mary Alice Miller, was born in Appleton in 1878 and became a builder's foreman.  He married Eleanor Ridyard in Widnes in 1903, and the couple settled in Latchford.  Although she grew up in Widnes, and later worked as a domestic servant in Latchford, Eleanor was born in Pendlebury in 1872, and was the daughter of James Ridyard and his wife Eleanor. 

William and Eleanor had three children:

Eleanor died in Latchford in 1956, and William in 1958.

Herbert Thomason, son of George Thomason and Mary Alice Miller, was born in Appleton on 12 April 1880, and christened at Stretton on 4 July 1880.  He was a platelayer, and married Edith Emily Johnson at St Wifred's Church, Grappenhall on 4 February 1907.  The couple had two daughters, both born in Stockton Heath:

Herbert died in 1956, and Edith in 1957.

George Thomason, son of George Thomason and Mary Alice Miller, was born in Appleton on 18 April 1882, and christened in Stretton on 2 July 1882.  He was a carter, and married Elizabeth Emma Devin at St Peter's Church, Warrington on 4 April 1904.  Emma was born in Warrington in 1880, and was the daughter of James Devin and his wife Matilda Arnold.

George and Elizabeth had three children:

Elizabeth died in Warrington in 1956, and George in 1966.

Emma Thomason, daughter of George Thomason and Mary Alice Miller, was born in Appleton on 8 May 1884, and christened in Stretton on 6 July 1884.  She married George Henry Wheeler, a gas stove fitter, at St Wilfred's Church, Grappenhall on 3 September 1905, and the couple settled in Grappenhall.  George was born in Grappenhall on 12 August 1884, and was the son of Henry Wheeler and his wife Hannah.

George and Emma had three children:

Thomas Richardson, second son of Theophilus Richardson and Martha Miller, was born in Warrington in 1886 and became a butcher.  He married Sophia Homer at St Elphin's Church, Warrington on 24 June 1909, and the couple lived in Warrington.  Sophia was born in Warrington in 1888, and was the daughter of Benjamin Homer and his wife Mary.

Thomas and Sophia had one daughter:

Lilian Marian Richardson, daughter of Theophilus Richardson and Martha Miller, was born in Warrington on 19 September 1889, and worked as a domestic servant as a young woman.  She had a son, born in Warrington:

Lilian then married William Dwerryhouse in Warrington in 1922 and had another son:

She died in Warrington in 1975.

Violet Richardson, daughter of Theophilus Richardson and Martha Miller, was born in Warrington in 1891, and married Walter Dwerryhouse, a foreman tanner, at St Elphin's Church, Warrington on 23 April 1914.  Walter was born in Prescot on 21 November 1892, and was the son of James Dwerryhouse and his wife Elizabeth Ellen Bullen.  (His younger brother William is presumably the William Dwerryhouse who married Violet's sister Lilian Marian Richardson.)

Violet and Walter had three children:

Walter served in the Coldstream Guards during WW1.

Violet died in Runcorn in 1949, and Walter in 1972.

Ida May Richardson, daughter of Theophilus Richardson and Martha Miller, was born in Warrington on 2 May 1892, and married James Bladen at St Elphin's Church, Warrington on 26 April 1914.  James was born in Wolverhampton on 25 November 1894, and was the son of Thomas Bladen and his wife Matilda Smith.  The couple lived in Prescot, and had two daughters:

James died in Cheshire in 1971, and Ida in 1980.

Hilda May Richardson, daughter of Theophilus Richardson and Martha Miller, was born in Warrington on 25 August 1896, and married Cyril Wright Finch at St James' Church, Latchford on 21 August 1919.  Cyril was born in Warrington on 13 May 1900, and was the son of Mary Jane Finch.  The couple had two children:

Cyril died in Warrington in 1974, and Hilda in 1985.

Minnie Miller, daughter of William Miller and Annie Woolnough, was born in Halton on 28 July 1892, and worked as a domestic servant before her marriage.  She married Thomas William Boden, a basket maker, at Christ Church, Latchford in 1912, and the couple spent their married life in or near Warrington.  Thomas was christened in Latchford on 9 October 1881, and was the son of Matthew Boden and his wife Betsy Weedall.

Minnie and Thomas had eight children:

Arthur Boden served in the 4th Battalion, Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment) during WW2, and was killed while fighting with the Eighth Army near Tobruk on 1 June 1942.  He is buried in Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma.

Thomas died in Warrington in 1952, and Minnie in 1960.

Beatrice Miller, daughter of Joseph Miller and Susannah Hall, was born in Warrington on 20 March 1890, and moved to Leicester with her family as a child.  She married Fred Sidney Jolley, a worker in the shoemaking industry, in Leicester in 1919.  Fred was born in Leicester in 1889, and was the son of Charles Frederick Jolley, a house painter from Northampton, and his wife Ellen Louisa Stanley. 

Fred and Beatrice had one son:

Fred died in Leicester in 1950, and Beatrice in 1954.