The Clergy Houses
The historic meaning of 'vicarage' is the job of a vicar, who looks after the people in a parish or other area. Obviously they need to live somewhere and over time the house has become known as "The Vicarage", or "The Rectory" where the Rector lives. The earliest one we have information about was close to the church.
A hand-drawn plan shows where. Later, when this was getting past its best, the vicar moved into a house on Wigan Road. An envelope, postmarked 7th November 1928, is in our possession containing an insurance policy for the Bakewells, addressed to:
Rev. R.C. Worsley
The Vicarage
Broom Terrace
Wigan Road
Deane
BOLTON
Broom House is shown on an old map and corresponds approximately with the Broomfields House (Guest House) at the junction of Wigan Road and Maybreck Close.
The Bakewells on Junction Road was previously owned by Alexander Thompson of Bakewell Tin Plate Works, Daubhill, Bolton. We will research a little more which took the name first.
Rev. K.M. Bishop spent all his incumbency living at the Bakewells. His successor, Rev. R.B. Jackson, took over the old house but soon moved after declaring it too big for his needs. One of the Churchwardens, Tom Stokes, had brought his family up at 234 Wigan Road and was preparing to move to Heaton. A deal was done and Rev. Jackson moved to Wigan Road. Subsequent Rectors have also lived here.