In the fourth volume of the Winwick Register (1696-1716) is entered a "humble request of the inhabitants of Ashton" for a font to be placed in Ashton Chapel "for the public Baptizing of infants." The petitioners note that the Baptisms need take place only on such Sundays or other days as either the Rector or his Curate "are wont to attend for the reading of Public Prayers of the Church" They promise "neither to desire the Rector or his Curates or endeavour to procure any other Minister to Baptize any infant Publicly on any other day or time whatsoever." They also promised to keep a register of all such Baptisms and to pay the Clerk of Ashton Chapel an extra annual sum of twenty shillings so that his "Salerie shall be yearly fourtie shillings, which be paid by four equal payments without any manner of abatement or defaulcation upon any account whatsoever"

They further promised to procure a stone font at their "own proper cost and charges." Also, "because the said Chappel is at present much out of repaire we do likewise promise to put the same into good repaire and to make it neat and decent and constantly to keep it so" They promised to "hinder every person from making any graves or interring any corpses within the said Chappel"

For the better keeping of the Register, they intended to provide a chest having two different locks and keys to it. One key was to be kept by the Churchwarden of the Ashton Quater, and the other by the Rector of Winwick. This chest was still in the Church up to November of 1992, when it was stolen. It had the following initials carved on the front:

WM IB TN IO CT 1699

Baptisms began in 1698, the first entry being that of Lydia, daughter of Henry Lowe, Ashton, who was born on August 20th and baptised the 28th. Marriages are registered from 24th December 1700 when George Whittel marries Elizabeth Robinson, to 6th March 1773, when there were two marriages celebrated-David Williamson to Ellen Layland, and John Ashurst to Ann Ibbit. Lord Hardwicke's Marriage act of 1752 decreed that all marriages were to be solemnised in the Parish Church, so there were no more marriages at Ashton until 13th August 1845 after the Parish of St Thomas had been created out of Winwick.
The Wigan Observer of Saturday June 9th 1883 referred to the first marriage performed in 1845 between George Heath and Sarah Green:

"On Tuesday last Sarah heath, wife of George Heath, a farm labourer, died at her residence in Liverpool Rd, Ashton, aged 66 years. It is remarkable that the above couple were the first persons married at St Thomas's Church, Ashton, after a lapse of nearly 100 years, no marriages having been celebrated there from 1753 to August 13th 1845, when the above couple were married by the Rev Edmund Sibson, then the Vicar of the Parish. Mr Deane, the Churchwarden presented them with the Bible customarily given to the first persons united in wedlock in a newly licensed Church. We need hardly add that the couple lived happily ever since and is further remarkable that this first wedding was made much of by the villagers."

The earliest recorded burial was on the 16th October 1745. The original Registers, covering Baptisms from 1698 to 1938, Marriages from 1700 to 1753 and 1845 to 1955, and Burials from 1745 to 1974 were deposited in the Wigan Record Office a few years ago. Work has been done to have all the registers copied, so that the originals can be safely left at the record office but the Church will still have a copy on hand to answer the many queries which arise.