Hargrave, Cheshire Genealogy

History
Hargrave St Peter Cheshire is a former chapelry and school within the Ancient Parish of Tarvin St Andrew Ancient parish. It owes its foundation as a church and school to Thomas Moulson who was born there.

The church was built in 1627 as a combined chapel and school by Thomas Moulson, a former native of the village. He had moved to London and become a master grocer. He was Member of Parliament for the City of London in 1628 and Lord Mayor of London in 1634. Shortly before his death in 1638, he set up a trust to maintain the church and the school. In 1812 its use as a school ended. As the state of the church had become neglected, a considerable restoration was carried out between 1878 and 1890, the first Duke of Westminster contributing £200 of the total cost of £600. This restoration, with the addition of a vestry, is attributed to John Douglas.

Thomas Moulson
In the late Tudor times Thomas Moulson of Hargrave was sent to the Grammar School in Tarvin by his father, a farmer. It was a walk of several miles including a crossing of the little River Gowy. On one occasion after a severe thunderstorm the Gowy was flooded and Thomas had to sleep overnight in a hay stack. As this was not an infrequent happening Thomas swore that when he grew up he would build a church and school in Hargrave. He left Hargrave and went to London and made his fortune. In 1627 he kept his promise and built a combined school and chapel at Hargrave.

Thomas Moulson became a Master Grocer in London and was so diligent in his trade that he rose through the ranks.


 * 1623 elected Alderman of the City of London
 * 1628 Thomas elected a Member of Parliament for the City of London
 * 1632 Governor of the Merchant Adventurers
 * 1634 elected Lord Mayor of London.

Thomas lived in and owned a large house on the site of what was to become the Bank of England. Shortly before his death on 6th December 1638 Sir Thomas set up a Trust with land to maintain the church and school that he had established. The trust included annuities in perpetuity for the salary of the curate and the schoolmaster. The capital was invested in the Trust's name and still produces a substantial income today. After the payment of expenses the balance of income is divided into three equal parts. These are as follows:


 * To pay a priest
 * To maintain the church
 * To promote the education of people under twenty-five years of age who are resident in the area

Church Records
Parish registers for Hargrave, 1744-1995 Hargrave is a chapelry in the parish of Tarvin.

Cheshire Record Office record number: P78/1, P78/3323/1, P78/6134/1.

An index for Cheshire parish registers is available online in Record Search

Bishop's transcripts for Hargrave, 1631-1890 Cheshire Record Office Record number: EDB 103

An index for Cheshire, Church of England, Bishop’s Transcripts (Diocese of Chester) is available online in Record Search

Non-Conformist Churches
Hargrave, Methodist Chapel (Wesleyan). Built in 1859, closed in 1981.

Non-Conformist Records
Cheshire Record Office DocumentReference ZCR 484 Hargrave Methodist Church Date 1859-1966 Cash account books A Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built in the village of Hargrave in 1859. Until 1959, it was on the St. John Street Methodist Circuit and from 1963, on the Chester Methodist Circuit. The church closed in 1981.

For other records of Hargrave Methodist Church, see Cheshire Record Office ZCR 55/116, ZCR 55/2/67, ZCR 55/3/75. URL http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=017-cr484&amp;cid=0

Poor Law Unions

 * Great Boughton (1837–71)
 * Tarvin (1871–1930)

Registration Districts

 * Great Boughton (1837–69)
 * Chester (1870–1937)
 * West Cheshire (1937–74)
 * Chester and Ellesmere Port (1974–98)
 * Cheshire West (post 1998)

registration events may be searched online at Cheshire BMD