Deane Parish consists of 10 townships: Rumworth, Westhoughton, Over Hulton, Middle Hulton, Little Hulton, Halliwell, Heaton, Horwich, Farnworth and Kearsley. It was created in 1541 by Henry VIII.

Since Anglo-Saxon times when the parishes were created Deane had presumably been a chapelry of the vast parish of Eccles. The earliest evidence of this is given in two charters circa 1205 in which Robert the Chaplain of St.Marie Dene and Henry the Parson of Bothelton are mentioned.

In 1227 another deed makes the connection with Eccles quite clear when William clerk of Eccles granted to Thomas, chaplain of Flixton "all obventions to be received in the Mother Church of Eccles for the next 4 years, saving to himself the obventions of Saynte Mariden".

Deane Church is the oldest building in the district. The 13th Century doorway is the oldest part of the church and the pulpit is the oldest in Lancashire.

Registers commenced 1637.

The registers of the parish church, St Mary, have been published by the Lancashire Parish Register Society as follows.

The south-eastern end of Deane Parish was covered by the three estates of Peel Hall, otherwise known as the Wychevies, Kenyon Peel Hall and Wharton Hall. In 1734 Catherine Mort, who owned Peel Hall left in her will money to provide for the erection of a chapel and the endowment of a curacy. The bequest ultimately came to fruition when the chapel was built in 1759 and consecrated on the 19th July 1760 From that date there is a complete list of successive clergy, at first as perpetual curates in the Parish of Deane, but after 1874 , when a district was assigned to the Chapel, as vicars. In 1818 the chapel was possibly enlarged and ten years later rebuilt, only to be replaced by the present church of St. Paul: Peel, in 1874 and consecrated by bishop Fraser on the 14th December 1876. The design of the church by J. Medland Taylor was not completed until Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1897 when the tower and spire were added.

Thomas Gillibrand of the Peel, 1648
Peel Hall prosperity reached high levels under this Thomas, born in 1577 and died in 1648. His second wife was Alice Damport and his children named from the will, Geoffrey, Ralph, Henry, Ellin, Ellinor and the youngest son Thomas. Two daughters were named; Alice was the wife of James Parcevall and Jane had married Richard Whitehead. He gave 㴰 each to sons Henry and Thomas and the rest was for his three youngest children. A son Geoffrey had died before his father and Ralph the heir was left the best bay gelding. The two married daughters received pieces of gold. Gillibrand was very rich: it took four men three days to list and price his possessions and agree their total at 㵹5. Even his suits were costly at 㱰. He had been wont to shoot with a long carbine and two pistols. He owned a pair of bandoliers. There was 㴴 10s. in gold in the Hall when he died and nearly 㲰 in other money. The silver plate weighed 30oz. and he bred hawks in a mew at Peel. His list of effects is given elsewhere.

Peel Hall in 1648
Peel was a great house in these carolan times and comfort, measured in that age by feather beds, ample and sufficient. In the spacious hall joining the two wings was a screen. The farm economy demanded facilities for repairs and in the workhouse and the under workhouse implements, wheels and carts could be made to serve their purpose. The water corn mill was near the Ellenbrook; in it meal and money for meal, with picks, tools and arks. The tithe barn was of great size, well able to keep a storage of oats and barley of the value of 㲰. In the mews were kept the hawks and in 1648 a weight of feathers. Gillibrand as did Leyland loved to hunt along the lanes in Astley. Like most famous houses at this time the Peel rooms were furnished in a colour scheme and there was a White Chamber. In the Great Chamber were three feather beds and all things belonging to them. Far away in the Gate House was a chaff bed for the servant, who lived there to guard the approach from the village green. The brass pans were of enormous weight and size, capable of meals on a great menial scale. Illumination was by candle; the windows were curtained and carpets adorned the floor. One bed was a canopy bed, heated in the harsh cold of winter by warming pans. All the evidence shows the abilities of high scale living at Peel in the year that Thomas died.

The assets of the three estates have been utilized in different ways; Peel Hall was rebuilt in about 1840 and attributed to Sir Charles Barry, but some authorities reject both the date, as too early,  and the architect because the place is too flamboyant. Its last owner died just before the first World War and since then has been used as a hospital.

Kenyon Peel Hall has been demolished but was considered by the diocese as a possible conference center before the decision was taken in favor of Crawshawbooth. The land of the estate, which extends over about a quarter of the parish was acquired by the Salford Corporation for their Little Hulton overspill housing programme. The connection with the Kenyon family has not been entirely lost as Lord Kenyon of Gredington, whose home is in Flint, is still the Patron of Peel.

The Gatehouse of Kenyon Peel Hall

Wharton Hall which was home to a branch of the Morts, became a Presbyterian stronghold, giving rise to the Wharton Presbyterian Chapel at an early date.