Community in crisis?
In the late 1720s, a disaster overtook Deane, a rural parish near Bolton in Lancashire. A period of apparent population growth was suddenly brought to a halt by a dramatic rise in the death rate. Why?
'The local parish register contains a record of every baptism, marriage and burial in Deane parish.'
The usual suspects in such instances are war, disease, migration or famine, but which of these helped cause this catastrophe? As far as we know, no one has left an account of life in Deane in the mid-18th century, so looking for an answer will require some historical detective work.
The local parish register contains a record of every baptism, marriage and burial in Deane parish. What can it tell us about the people buried in Deane churchyard in the 1720s and 1730s?
Published: 2005-01-31
