The Rev. Frederic Jarvis
The Rev Frederic Jarvis (his Christian names misses out the usual final k) was born in or around 1887 and his birthplace is given variously as either Grimston, Freebridge or Cromer.
In the 1891 census he is recorded as being three years of age and the son of John and Fanny Jarvis. At the time he seems to have had five siblings. The 1901 census has him aged 14 and lists his parents as John and Frances (presumably also known as Fanny) Jarvis.
He was educated at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he gained a Bachelor's Degree (BA) in 1910 and a Masters' Degree (MA) in 1913. He was ordained a Deacon in 1910 and priest in 1911.
From 1910 to 1912 he was Curate of Blakeney with Glandford and Cockthorpe and the 1911 census shows him living in a household of 13 people at Blakeney Rectory. From 1913 to 1914 he was chaplain to Gonville and Caius College and came to Hethersett as Rector and served the village from 1914 until 1932, apart from a year of service as an army chaplain on the Western Front.
He subsequently became Vicar of Wymondham and was responsible for writing a history of Wymondham Abbey and served the town until 1953 when it is likely he retired. He was also an honorary Deacon of Norwich Cathedral.
Frederic Jarvis died on 18th November, 1959, at St Andrew's Hospital, Thorpe, just outside Norwich. The value of his effects were put at £8,309 2s 6d (£8,309.13p). At the time of his death his address was given as Bennetts, Hethersett, and his telephone number was Hethersett 343. At the time the village had its own exchange.
We also know that Frederic was married and had at least one daughter. As far as his war service is concerned, he left for France on 27th December, 1916, leaving behind his wife, Dorothy Eleanor and a baby daughter Marion. At this point he was said to be 31 years of age (there seems to be a slight discrepancy in his age as outlined in various censuses). He was 5ft 9in tall and weighed 147 lbs (10 stone 7 lbs). He was passed fit for duty as a Temporary Chaplain 4th Class to H.M Forces, with the relative rank of Captain at a payment of 10 shillings (50p) a day. All his transport was free of charge.
Wymondham Abbey has an impressive font just inside the main door. This dates from about 1440 and moved to its present position from under the west end of the nave in the early 20th century. It is one of a relatively large group of fonts in Norfolk and Suffolk which are similar in form and probably come from the same workshop. The front cover is modern and is tall and stately. It was designed by Cecil Upcher and given in memory of Frederic Jarvis to mark his 21 years of service to Wymondham.
Hidden away in the Hethersett Village archives are copies of the village Good News magazine. Frederic Jarvis wrote regularly in the magazine during his tenure as Rector
He talked at length about the effect that the First World War had on the village and those left behind. He also talked at length about what was happening on the Western Front and then, for a period of a year, left the village to serve as a chaplain in France—at times getting very close to the action through serving at military hospitals.
Before “going off to War”, Rev Jarvis admitted to much soul searching at leaving his parish behind. But he felt that he had a calling and his letters home from the front give a flavour not only of the dangers and heartbreak of war but also some of the lighter moments that you somehow believe are documented to keep up the spirits of both troops and the writer himself.
On numerous occasions the Rector points out that by necessity his letters are subject to censorship, suggesting that he cannot fully reflect on the horrors of some of the things he has witnessed at first hand. He does point out that some of the things he had witnessed would remain with him for the remainder of his life.
After a year on the Western Front the Rector returned to Hethersett (then a relatively small village of 1,000 people compared with the sprawl of 6,000 that we have today). He served the village until 1932 when he made the short journey down the road to become vicar of Wymondham. He subsequently wrote a history of Wymondham Abbey which is still available in Norwich Central Library and which also turns up occasionally on the e-bay web site.
You can read more about the Rev Frederic Jarvis and read what he had to say about the War and many other articles on wartime in a Norfolk village by visiting www.hethersettatwar.weebly.com Incidentally Frederic’s successor went on to write in the parish magazine about the Second World War.
Below is a short extract from one of Rev Jarvis' letters which appeared in the Good New magazine.
"The darkness is still with us, but the glimmer of dawn is beginning to penetrate it, and we begin to look forward with a great hope to the opening of a new day, a day of better things, a day which shall see England better, the world better, and above all, a day of righteous peace.
As I sit here writing with the guns pounding away a few miles off, one realises that the night has not yet gone, that there will be a heavier pounding than this before the sunrise; but how often the darkest part of the night comes just before the dawn and so with this hope in our hearts we will wait and work until we hear the watchman cry "The morn is come."
The Rev Frederic Jarvis (his Christian names misses out the usual final k) was born in or around 1887 and his birthplace is given variously as either Grimston, Freebridge or Cromer.
In the 1891 census he is recorded as being three years of age and the son of John and Fanny Jarvis. At the time he seems to have had five siblings. The 1901 census has him aged 14 and lists his parents as John and Frances (presumably also known as Fanny) Jarvis.
He was educated at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he gained a Bachelor's Degree (BA) in 1910 and a Masters' Degree (MA) in 1913. He was ordained a Deacon in 1910 and priest in 1911.
From 1910 to 1912 he was Curate of Blakeney with Glandford and Cockthorpe and the 1911 census shows him living in a household of 13 people at Blakeney Rectory. From 1913 to 1914 he was chaplain to Gonville and Caius College and came to Hethersett as Rector and served the village from 1914 until 1932, apart from a year of service as an army chaplain on the Western Front.
He subsequently became Vicar of Wymondham and was responsible for writing a history of Wymondham Abbey and served the town until 1953 when it is likely he retired. He was also an honorary Deacon of Norwich Cathedral.
Frederic Jarvis died on 18th November, 1959, at St Andrew's Hospital, Thorpe, just outside Norwich. The value of his effects were put at £8,309 2s 6d (£8,309.13p). At the time of his death his address was given as Bennetts, Hethersett, and his telephone number was Hethersett 343. At the time the village had its own exchange.
We also know that Frederic was married and had at least one daughter. As far as his war service is concerned, he left for France on 27th December, 1916, leaving behind his wife, Dorothy Eleanor and a baby daughter Marion. At this point he was said to be 31 years of age (there seems to be a slight discrepancy in his age as outlined in various censuses). He was 5ft 9in tall and weighed 147 lbs (10 stone 7 lbs). He was passed fit for duty as a Temporary Chaplain 4th Class to H.M Forces, with the relative rank of Captain at a payment of 10 shillings (50p) a day. All his transport was free of charge.
Wymondham Abbey has an impressive font just inside the main door. This dates from about 1440 and moved to its present position from under the west end of the nave in the early 20th century. It is one of a relatively large group of fonts in Norfolk and Suffolk which are similar in form and probably come from the same workshop. The front cover is modern and is tall and stately. It was designed by Cecil Upcher and given in memory of Frederic Jarvis to mark his 21 years of service to Wymondham.
Hidden away in the Hethersett Village archives are copies of the village Good News magazine. Frederic Jarvis wrote regularly in the magazine during his tenure as Rector
He talked at length about the effect that the First World War had on the village and those left behind. He also talked at length about what was happening on the Western Front and then, for a period of a year, left the village to serve as a chaplain in France—at times getting very close to the action through serving at military hospitals.
Before “going off to War”, Rev Jarvis admitted to much soul searching at leaving his parish behind. But he felt that he had a calling and his letters home from the front give a flavour not only of the dangers and heartbreak of war but also some of the lighter moments that you somehow believe are documented to keep up the spirits of both troops and the writer himself.
On numerous occasions the Rector points out that by necessity his letters are subject to censorship, suggesting that he cannot fully reflect on the horrors of some of the things he has witnessed at first hand. He does point out that some of the things he had witnessed would remain with him for the remainder of his life.
After a year on the Western Front the Rector returned to Hethersett (then a relatively small village of 1,000 people compared with the sprawl of 6,000 that we have today). He served the village until 1932 when he made the short journey down the road to become vicar of Wymondham. He subsequently wrote a history of Wymondham Abbey which is still available in Norwich Central Library and which also turns up occasionally on the e-bay web site.
You can read more about the Rev Frederic Jarvis and read what he had to say about the War and many other articles on wartime in a Norfolk village by visiting www.hethersettatwar.weebly.com Incidentally Frederic’s successor went on to write in the parish magazine about the Second World War.
Below is a short extract from one of Rev Jarvis' letters which appeared in the Good New magazine.
"The darkness is still with us, but the glimmer of dawn is beginning to penetrate it, and we begin to look forward with a great hope to the opening of a new day, a day of better things, a day which shall see England better, the world better, and above all, a day of righteous peace.
As I sit here writing with the guns pounding away a few miles off, one realises that the night has not yet gone, that there will be a heavier pounding than this before the sunrise; but how often the darkest part of the night comes just before the dawn and so with this hope in our hearts we will wait and work until we hear the watchman cry "The morn is come."