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Deane, Greater Manchester facts for kids

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Deane
Deane Parish Church.jpg
Deane Parish Church
Deane is located in Greater Manchester
Deane
Deane
OS grid reference SD689084
• London 173 mi (278 km) SE
Metropolitan borough
  • Bolton
Metropolitan county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BOLTON
Postcode district BL3
Dialling code 01204
Police Greater Manchester
Fire Greater Manchester
Ambulance North West
EU Parliament North West England
UK Parliament
  • Bolton West
List of places
UK
England
Greater Manchester
53°34′16″N 2°28′05″W / 53.571°N 2.468°W / 53.571; -2.468
George Marsh (martyr) monument Deane
George Marsh memorial

Deane is an area located in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Bolton and 11 miles (17.7 km) northwest of the city of Manchester.

Historically, Deane was part of Lancashire. It was once a very large parish, which is like an old administrative area. This parish covered about half of what is now the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton. The main church for the parish, St Mary's Church, is found in the nearby area of Rumworth.

History

What's in a Name?

The name "Deane" comes from an old English word, "denu", which means "valley." In earlier times, the name was often written without the final "e."

A stream that runs through the valley to the west of the church was called the Kirkbroke. This name means "Church Brook." The valley is also known as Deane Clough. The word "clough" is a northern English term for a deep valley or ravine.

The Old Church

There has been a church building in Deane since the time of the Anglo-Saxons, with the earliest records dating back to the year 1100. This church, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, was sometimes called St Mariden in old documents.

Deane became its own parish in 1541. The current St Mary's Church was built in 1452. It replaced an even older building. Parts of the church, like the tower and the north door, are older than the rest of the structure. The church has been changed several times over the years, and it was repaired and updated around 1880.

George Marsh: A Local Hero

George Marsh, a farmer's son, was born in Deane in 1515. He was a Protestant and became a preaching minister after studying the New Testament.

When King Edward VI died in 1553, his half-sister Mary I became Queen. Queen Mary wanted to bring back Roman Catholicism to England. George Marsh was arrested because he refused to change his beliefs. He was accused of preaching ideas that were not allowed.

He was put in prison in Chester. Even though he was pressured, he would not give up his beliefs. He was found guilty and was executed on April 24, 1555. A memorial was put up in the churchyard in 1893 to remember him. This memorial is now a protected historical structure.

How Deane Was Governed

Deane has been part of the historic county of Lancashire since the early 1100s. It was originally the northern part of a larger parish called Eccles. However, in 1541, Deane became its own separate civil and church parish.

Like many large parishes in northern England, Deane was divided into ten smaller areas called townships. These townships included Horwich, Halliwell, Heaton, Rumworth (where Deane Parish Church is located), Westhoughton, Over Hulton, Middle Hulton, Little Hulton, Farnworth, and Kearsley.

Over time, these townships became independent local authorities. In the 1800s, many of Deane's townships became their own civil parishes. They either joined the Municipal Borough of Bolton or formed their own urban districts. By 1898, the remaining part of Deane township, including the church, also became part of the County Borough of Bolton.

Geography

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