ible conjectures by later writers founded
on these imperfect editions has evolved a history of Harrogate in this
period which is, as regards the main facts, largely fictitious. The
object of the following biographical notes is, briefly, to restate the
history of Harrogate during the Elizabethan period, in terms of the only
reliable source for such a purpose, and to trace the accumulated errors,
as far as possible, to their origin and source, an inquiry which the
reprint of "Spadacrene Anglica" at the present time makes not
inopportune.

No history of Harrogate should be written, unless preceded by a
biographical note of the author of "Spadacrene Anglica," to whom and to
whose work Harrogate doubtless owes its position as the premier Spa of
this country; and it is with no little sense of the fickleness of fame
that one finds his name so little known, and his worth as a writer
unrecognized. As far as I know, no biography has been written
heretofore, nor is his life given in the various collective records of
the lives of British medical men, such as Aikin, etc.[2] The same
neglect of him occurs in the "Dictionary of National Biography," where
in view of the national importance of the Spas of this country, a
biography of Deane might not unreasonably be expected. Here and there
one is able to glean some small scraps of information about him, but the
result of all the gleanings from contemporary records, so far, can be
condensed in a very small compass. It does not seem amiss therefore to
record here what is known of the "father of Harrogate" albeit at present
unrecognized by his off-spring.

Deane was descended from a family who for many generations lived at
Saltonstall, a hamlet in Warley in the parish of Halifax, and whose
history appears to have been quite uneventful.[3] Owing to the frequency
with which the same Christian names occur in the Parish Registers, it is
by no means easy to identify the several families of the name of Deane,
but in 1612 the family from which the author of "Spadacrene Anglica" was
descended, recorded in the College of Arms a short entry of pedigree, of
which a copy is appended. His parents were Gilbert Deane of Saltonstall
and Elizabeth, daughter of Edmund Jennings of Seilsden in Craven, and
their family consisted of four sons, viz. Gilbert, Richard, Edmund and
Symon (twins). The date of birth of Edmund is not known, but the entry
of baptism is on 23rd of March 1572.[4] The mother seems to have