to 20 (of whom 6 to be from the 'towne of Tarvin' and the rest 'in the other townes belonging to the parish of Tarvin'), and there was a house for the master. The ten feoffees for the management of the trust were to be inhabitants of the town. One of the masters (for 36 years) was John Thomasen (died 1740, aged 54), described as the finest penman in England, especially known for his transcriptions of the Greek poets in authentic characters: in 1714 he produced a handwritten copy of the Eikon Basilike for Queen Anne. The grammar school survived until final closure in 1939. Restored in 1997, the building is to the left approaching the entrance to St. Andrew's church, and is used as parish rooms. The endowment survives and individual grants from it are available via the Tarvin Educational Foundation (registered charity 525966) "to assist the educational needs of students of secondary school age or older who live in the ancient parish of Tarvin." Civil War During the Civil War, because of its proximity to Chester, Tarvin did not escape. The village changed hands several times. Initially it was occupied by Parliamentarians (Roundheads). On 12 November 1643 there was a skirmish between the garrison and Royalist (Cavaliers) from Chester. In January 1644 there was another skirmish. In July 1644 the Cavaliers occupied Tarvin and they beat off a large Roundhead assault. In September the Roundheads captured the place and occupied it with a strong garrison within strong earthworks. The Parliamentary governor of Tarvin was sufficiently confident in the strength of his fortifications and the size of his garrison that he refused to surrender to the Cavaliers even when it was known that Charles I was in the area with an army. Tarvin remained in Roundhead hands until the end of the war. The church shows signs of its part in the battles: there are cannonball and musketball holes in the wall of the church tower next to the west door. It has been said that prisoners were shot against this wall, which explains some of the bullet holes. The church was also used as a refuge by soldiers and the tower was probably used as a lookout post. Later history On the last day of April 1752 at about noon, the Great Fire of Tarvin broke out in the north-west part of the village. Fanned by strong winds,