Fisher Tench (1715 - 1784)

Born 1715 in London, England

Husband of Margaritta (Tarleton) Tench — married 12 Apr 1744 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Died Jun 1784 at about age 69 in Chester, Cheshire, England

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Biography

Birth about 1715
Baptised 25 August 1715 Hackney St Leonard, Shoreditch, England: "Fisher of Thomas and Sarah Tench from Moorefields".^[1]

Marriage 12 April 1744 to Margaret Tarleton of the Liverpool Tarletons in St. George's Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England. "Mr Fisher Tench Gent. and Miss Marg't Tarlton spinster".^[2] The marriage bond has the following information: Fisher Tench, age 28 of Liverpool, gentleman, and Margaret Tarlton age 23, of Liverpool. Robert Seel of Liverpool merchant was the other bondsman.^[3][4]

1757 He was made Freeman of Chester

"Fisher Tench was chosen as Mayor's Freeman in 1757 (each Mayor had the right to nomimate one freeman during his term of office), and he voted as such in the general election of 1784, being then resident at St Martin's in the Fields."^[5] (Note however he was in Chester in 1784 according to his will and burial)

According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, he was a dancing master who ran a boarding school in Chester. This fact is from a book about Chester published in 1831:

Just below Castle- street, on the west side, is an ancient structure, to which there is an ascent by a high flight of steps, the court within being known by the name of the Boarding-school- yard.... Between the years 1760 and 1770, these premises were occupied by a Mr. Tench, who kept an academy for dancing, and a most respectable boarding-school, from which circumstance, the present name of the place is derived. ... The son of Mr. Tench entered the army as a lieutenant in the marines, in which capacity he was employed by govenment on a voyage to the then infant colony of New South Wales, of which, after his return in 1793, be published an excellent history ; and, passing through the different gradations, was raised to the rank of general in the service, which he still sustains. ^[6]

Death 1784: Burial 24 June 1784 Holy Trinity, Chester.^[7]

In his will (written 24 March 1784) he mentions his dear wife Margaret Tench, his son Watkin Tench, his grandchildren (the children of son John Tench), Rachael Tench the wife of son John. He also mentions "my relations John Thompson of the city of Westminster, Rose otherwise Rosamond Butler daughter of my Uncle Richard Jones late of London and Mary Thompson sister of the said John Thompson and daughter of my Aunt Margaret Thompson late of Shrewsbury". ^[8]

Research Notes

Another Fisher Tench: Fisher Tench, born in 1726, was christened ffisher at St. Mary's in Nantwich, father John Tench, attorney.^[9] However he is too young to be the Fisher Tench who married Margaret Tarleton (see ages in marriage bond above).

Sources

1. ↑ Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 for Fisher Tench, Hackney, St Leonard, Shoreditch,1709-1727 https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/1624/images/31281_a101344-00044?pId=6181564
2. ↑ Liverpool, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1659-1812, Liverpool, St George 1734-1812 https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/2247/images/engl56170_283-geo-1-1_m_00047?pId=2446340
3. ↑ "England, Cheshire, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1606-1900," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FBD4-4YC : 9 March 2018), Fisher Tench and Margaret Tarlton, 12 Apr 1744; citing Chester, Cheshire, England, item 2, Cheshire Record Office, Chester; FHL microfilm 1,885,838.
4. ↑ Cheshire Marriage Licence Bonds And Allegations 1606-1905, Chester, Findmypast https://www.findmypast.com.au/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FM%2F737278922%2F1
5. ↑ L. F. Fitzhardinge, ‘The Origin of Watkin Tench: A Note’, Journal and Proceedings (Royal Australian Historical Society), vol 50, part 1, 1964, pp 74-77
6. ↑ Hemingway, Joseph, "History of the City of Chester, from its foundation to the present time; with an account of its antiquities, curiosities, local customs, and peculiar immunities; and a concise political history ..", vol 2 (Chester, 1831), pp.32-33 https://archive.org/details/historyofcityofc21hemi/page/60/mode/2up
7. ↑ Cheshire Diocese Of Chester Bishop's Transcripts Burials 1576-1906, Holy Trinity, Findmypast https://www.findmypast.com.au/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FD%2F742234932%2F1
8. ↑ Cheshire Wills And Probate, Cheshire, England, Findmypast https://www.findmypast.com.au/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FCHS%2F748100477
9. ↑ On the track of Watkin Tench

• Australian Dictionary of Biography Vol 2 (MUP) 1967 https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/tench-watkin-2719