The 1845 Act of Parliament, dividing the ancient Parish of Winwick, declared the Rev. Edmund Sibson, the Curate then in charge, to be the first Vicar of the Parish and Vicarage of St Thomas.. "without any fresh Presentation, Institution or induction thereto, or other form of law being had, observed or required."
Edmund Sibson was Minister and the first Vicar of St Thomas's for a period of thirty eight years. He was born in or near Carlisle, and was the son of the Rev. John Sibson, who held two of the very small livings in Cumberland-Lorton and Mosser and Anne, his wife. At the age of about twenty he left Cumberland and settled in Darwen where he was appointed to the mastership of a small school. In the course of a few years he entered holy orders and was ordained to the Curacy of Darwen. Whilst there he came to the notice of Rev. Geoffrey Hornby, Rector of Winwick, who in the year 1809 presented him to the living of Ashton, then a small unaugmented curacy with no settled income except the house and about ten pounds a year, to which the generosity of Mr Hornby contributed a voluntary allowance of £50.00 a year out of his own resources.

The new incumbent settled by Mr Hornby did not immediately recommend himself to the good opinion of his flock but soon came to be held in great affection, regard and esteem by his parishioners. At about the time he came to Ashton, he married Miss Betty Brandwood of Darwen.

For some time after coming to Ashton, Mr Sibson increased his income, and obtained the means of supporting his numerous charities, by acting as tutor to young gentlemen intended for the professions. But it was not only the middle and upper classes that he instructed, for very soon after his appointment to Ashton he established Sunday Schools throughout the district and eventually became trustee of the Grammar School.

In 1812, the Ashton Sunday School Committee was formed, and a school in the Townfield was opened. By 1814 there were five hundred children in Sunday School. In 1825 the Ashton Sunday School Committee bought pews in Ashton Chapel, thirteen on the south side for the girls and fourteen on the north side for the boys.

In addition to his Parish duties as Curate and his time spent in teaching, he found time to devote to the study of science and literature. His various contributions to the Transactions of the Manchester Philosophical Society showed his ability as a mathematician. He was so good a mathematician that he was engaged by his friend, George Stephenson, prior to the erection of the Britannia Tubular Bridge over the Menai Straits, to work out the calculations and supply the necessary data as to the strength etc of each tube to be used so as to ensure the safety and stability of the bridge. The same transactions show his skill and information as an antiquary, and he was well read in botany, geology and entomology. He had a theoretical knowledge of music and was a keen reader of poetry.

But Edmund Sibson was essentially a practical person and accordingly took an active part in the public business of Ashton where he employed his skill and counsel as the chairman of the Vestries and public charities. But not only did the Vicar give his attention to the public concerns of the Parish, he was equally ready with his time and assistance for all who needed his aid and counsel. For nearly forty years that he continued as Minister of Ashton, Mr Sibson kept records of all visits that he paid to the sick members of his Parish.

In appearance Mr Sibson was tall and robust, and his ruddy and healthful countenance indicated great bodily strength and a strong constitution. His motto however would seem to have been it is better to wear out than to rust out, as not many months before his death, the work of a single Sunday was noted as follows:-

"...at eight o'clock he married a couple; he then walked two miles to his school at Haydock, where he catechized the children for an hour, and afterwards returned to his church where, at ten o'clock he married another couple, and then catechized his children until the commencement of morning service. He then read the service and preached and afterwards baptised an adult. At half past two in the afternoon he again read prayers and preached, after which he baptised three children and interred two corpses, and then finished his day's duty by again catechising the children for an hour."
Mr. Sibson was sixty five years of age when he died on December 22nd 1847, from the results of a cold caught in attending the funeral of his friend Dr Holme of Manchester. In his obituary published in "The gentlemen magazine" for February 1848, he was described as :-

"a true son of the Church of England......at all times zealous to guard his flock against being led away from the Church by either error or unsound doctrine. He was at once loyal to his own principals, and at the same time tolerant of others."
He is buried in the old churchyard with his wife and daughter, and his parents. His grave can still be seen in the extreme south eastern corner of the old yard.