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John Bruen Tarvin
Protestant and Iconoclast |
John Bruen was a Protestant and lived during the reigns of Elizabeth 1 and James 1. He believed in religious liberty for everyone unless they were Papists! His brother - in law The Rev. William Hinde, Vicar of Bunbury, wrote a book about his life in 1641 called:"A Faithful Remonstrance of the Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen "
In the book he describes him as |
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John lived at Stapleford Hall near Tarvin and at the age of 17 went to Oxford. At this time he had a reputation for dancing and hunting. At the age of 20 he married Elizabeth Cowper, a widow and 8 years older than himself and daughter of Henry Hardware, Puritan and Chester alderman. At 27 his father died and he assumed reponsibility for his 11 siblings. This was the beginning of the transformation of his life. Bruen imposed a strict code of piety on the household. For his family and his servants this involved prayers seven times daily. They were also required to attend both morning and evening sermons at Tarvin church on Sundays, usually without leaving between them. Bruen was particularly fond of one servant ‘Old Robert’, Robert Pashfield who memorized so much of the Bible that he could quote chapter and verse of almost any scriptural text, despite being unable to read. John caused the stained glass windows to be removed from Tarvin Church because he thought they were darkening the gospel, and so he caused them . He also banned many of the popular customs of the time at Tarvin Wakes. These wakes, which began on St. Andrews Day, were"Popish and profane - riot and excess of eating and drinking, dalliance and dancing, sporting and gaming, and other abominations, impieties and idolatries." John had 3 wives intitally, Elizabeth, Anne Fox with who had 9 children then Margaret who bore him a further 2. His houshold was a magnet for the children of the local gentry who were sent to board with him.He is remembered inside Tarvin Church as there is a Bruen Chapel and a street nearby in the village named after him. |
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