St. Andrew's Church - history

In the Church is a list of vicars of Tarvin and the earliest named is Nicholas de Blaston 1307-1318 A.D. This suggests that there was a church in Tarvin at that time. However there are earlier references to the church in Tarvin. The Victoria History notes that the “Dean and Chapter of Lichfield were given Tarvin Church in 1238”.

It is unlikely that the building was the one we see today although the roof of the South aisle is said to be of Saxon origin and there is a wooden screen in the Bruen Chapel which is of great age.



It is also worth noting that, since the Synod of Whitby in 651 A.D. the Church had been Roman Catholic but in the second half of the 16 th century the Church became Protestant. Not without the ups and downs of the reigns of Edward VI and his sister Mary but it can reasonably be assumed that Edward Bagshawe, who was vicar from 1557 to 1621, presided over a Protestant Church .

This is not to say that all the people rejected their Catholic faith: many refused to attend the Protestant Church because of their beliefs. Since attendance at Church was compulsory these offenders were usually fined. There is a record of “Henry Heape, a carpenter of Tarvin, and his wife Elena” who were called before the Bishop's visitation in 1595 for recusancy but they promised to reform.

Besides those who thought the reforms to the Church had gone too far were others who did not think they had gone far enough. In Tarvin, Sir John Bruen, born 1560, who's home was at Stapleford Hall, seems to have been allowed to impose his Puritan views on the Church. It is said that he destroyed all the stained glass in the Church at the time. It was common in earlier churches to have plastered walls covered with paintings representing scenes from the bible. It is not clear whether or not Tarvin Church had such paintings and, if it had, whether it was Sir John or the Victorians who had them removed.

The 17th century saw the Civil War and Tarvin Church did not go untouched. There are marks made by cannon balls and musket balls on the wall of the tower beside the main West door. There is a report of fighting in Tarvin on 20 th August 1644 during which some soldiers took refuge in the Church and there is a brass plaque in the chancel which has a hole in it made by a musket ball

After the Civil War “divers poor inhabitants” of Tarvin petitioned the Justices of Quarter Sessions asking for help with the cost of repairing the Church roof because they had “beene great sufferers in tyme of warre by quarter and plunder”. It is not clear whether or not they received any help but there is a beam in the nave which records “this rowfe was raised 1652” The cost was “neere two hundred pounds”.


THIS ROVFE WAS MADE ANNO DOMINI 1650
RAPHE WRIGHT JOHN BRUEN CHURCH WARDINS CHARLES BOOVTH WILL VENABLS CARPINTERS


The 18th century saw the start of the Industrial Revolution but it is unlikely to have had much impact on Tarvin at this stage where farming was the main occupation. In 1755 a new gallery of 16 pews was built in the area under the tower. Seats were sold to parishioners and “George Robinson of Altrincham, gentleman” bought a seat in the gallery for five guineas for “the purpose of standing, sitting, kneeling and hearing divine service and sermon” for ten thousand years….. reasonably and quietly”. The gallery was removed in 1861. Other owners of pews in the gallery include several names which are still familiar in the village today such as Gunnery, Briscoe, Hignet, Lightfoot, Rutter and Dutton.

In 1779 a new peal of bells, cast by Thos. Rudhall of Staffordshire, was installed. the inscriptions on the bells read:-

1. Peace and good neighbourhood 1779
2. Fear God, Honour the King 1779
3. Thos. Rudhall, Gloucester, Founder 1779
4. John Blythe and Henry Briscoe, Wardens 1779
5. The Rev Mr. Thos Dickenson, Vicar 1779
6. T. R., 1779, Come at my call and serve God all.

The rest of this page is still under construction

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