[2] In the 1840s he moved to Pilkington Brothers at St Helens and became manager of their glass-polishing department.

[1] In 1853 Deacon, with Edmond Leyland, filed his first patent, which was for an improved manufacturing process for sulphuric acid.

[5] Later that year Deacon left Hutchinson and went into partnership with the younger of the Pilkington brothers, William, to establish their own alkali works in Widnes on land between the Sankey Canal and St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway.

In 1838 Harrison Grey Dyar and John Henmming patented an ammonia-soda process of making alkali.

He was chairman of the Local Board and played a significant part in establishing the waterworks at Pex Hill.

[6] Deacon married Emma Wade from Basford, Nottingham in 1851 with whom he had at least three sons and three daughters.