196 A HISTORY OF LONGRIDGE. [Chap, 8. 



REV. JOHN MILNER. 



An inscription upon a white stone, on the south side of the altar, 

 commemorates John MUnor, Vicar, who died in 1777, aged sixty-seven, 

 and who was a warm friend of the Rev. John Wesley, the founder of 

 Methodism. In April, 1751, Mr. Miluer was at Bolton, and Wesley 

 records: — Thursday, 11 April. — "Hence I rode with Mr. Milner to 

 Eibchester," where some clergj'men had appointed to meet him; and 

 the same evening he spent at Chifiping Vicarage. He again spent the 

 evening of Saturday, June 6, 1752, at the Vicarage, and preached the 

 following day at Chipping Church. He says of the morning service : 

 — " Such a congregation was present as I believe was never seen there 

 before, and a solemn awe seemed to rest on the whole congregation 

 from the beginning to the end." He adds : — "I preached in the after- 

 noon .... The people were all attention." In July, 1752, he 

 was again at Chipping, but there is no record of any service. In 

 April, 1763, he paid his last visit to Chipping. On Satiu'day evening, 

 April 7, he rode to Chipping, and on Sunday he went to church, Mr. 

 Milner desiring that he should preach. He says: — "As soon as we 

 came into the aisle of the Church from the Vestry, a man (since dead) 

 thrust himself between Mr. Milner and me, and said, ' you shall not 

 go into the pulpit.' I told him ' I am only going into the desk.' He 

 said, ' but you shall not go there neither,' and pushed me back by 



