Notes on the history of Tarvin
The eighteenth century was a time of great change as the country shook off the domination of the Church and responded to the Enlightenment. Slavery was abolished and Britain lost in the American war of Independence. The century saw the beginning of movements which would continue through the nineteenth century such as the Industrial Revolution, the movement of people from the country to the town and the rise of the middle classes and of non-conformity.
Local effects
To the people of Tarvin the changes would be slow and in some cases they would not be affected. Slavery would not have touched Tarvin, the Industrial Revolution would have little effect on the village but Methodism touched the people although not affecting large numbers then. (See the Church pages for more on Methodism). Changes in agricultural practice would have been noted, the turnpike roads would have appeared, and in fact the vicar invested some of the villager's money in the Chester and Northop Turnpike road and later the Tarvin Turnpike road.
In the nineteenth century there is evidence of the movement to the towns but not in the eighteenth century. However, the Enclosure Act did affect the village and the commons were enclosed in the latter part of the century “whereby a manifest advantage would result to the several persons interested therein”.
John Thomasen
This is not to say that nothing happened or that there were no interesting people in the village as the following inscription shows:-
“Near this stone lie the Remains of JOHN THOMASEN, for 36 years Master of this Grammar School, in that capacity approved and Eminent, but highly excelling in all the varieties of Writing and wonderfully so in the Greek Characters. Specimens of his Ingenuity are treasured up not only in the Cabinets of the Curious, but in public Libraries throughout the Kingdom".
As his Incomparable performances acquired him the esteem and friendship of the great and learned, so his Affability and Humanity gained him the Good Will of all his Acquaintance, and the Decease of so much private worth was regretted as a public loss. Obiit 25 January 1740, act 54.
Dum mortale perit , littera scripta manet .”
(While the mortal perishes, the written word remains.)
Fire
On "the last day of April 1752" there was a fire in Tarvin and "in about two hours time the greater part of the place was burned to the ground." A collection was made house to house in Chester and £300 was raised and the lord of the manor, Lord Cholmondeley, gave £200 "to relieve the dreadful misfortuune."It is as a result of this fire that Tarvin has so many interesting Georgian buildings such as "The Flaggs" and "Hamilton House"; the two pubs are also from this period.
Thomas Dickenson
Some years ago I researched and wrote about one of the village's vicars which covers at least half of the eighteenth century. This essay says something about the village and its life. I have posted a cut down version of this essay on the Church pages.
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