Origin of the Tarvin Family in America

by Verne Hoffman

Adapted from The Descendants of George Tarvin IV, Tenth Child of Reverend George Tarvin prepared by the Tarvin Family Association and published by Family History Publishers, 845 South Main Street, Bountiful UT 84010. Copyright 1993 by the Tarvin Family Association. Permission to reproduce is granted provided proper attribution is made. This document will be updated as research progresses.


Almost all Tarvins in the United States are descended from Richard Tarvin who immigrated from England in about 1715, settling in Maryland. Through his children, and especially his grandson, Reverend George Tarvin, who had thirteen children, the Tarvins have spread to all United States and today number in the thousands.

The First Generation

The immigrant Richard Tarvin was born about 1 AUG 1691 in Liverpool, England. Though the fifth child of George Tarvin and Martha of Liverpool, Richard was an only child at his birth; his elder siblings had died before he was born. In fact, when his mother died in 1701 after giving birth to eight children, only Richard appears to have survived them all.

Liverpool was a major port of debarkation for emigrants leaving Europe for America. Although the record of his own emigration has not been located, no doubt Richard left Liverpool for America between 1708 and 1716, when he would have been 17 to 25 years old. There is some evidence that his father, George (whom we call George I), also emigrated, but he probably died in Liverpool about 1725.

Richard ended up in Charles Co., Maryland, where he married Elizabeth Dent about 1719. They eventually had nine children, all born in Charles Co. Richard was a planter and raised tobacco on the Mattawoman and Laurel Branch plantations in southern Charles Co., Maryland, near present day Port Tobacco. He was prominent in the community and served a term as Sheriff and He died in December 1742 in Charles Co., Maryland.

Elizabeth Dent was born about 1696 in either Charles Co. or Prince George Co., Maryland, to William Dent and Elizabeth Fowke, who came from prominent English Colonial families. (It is through Elizabeth's ancestry that the American Tarvins trace to English nobility.) Elizabeth inherited land from her family. She died about 1760 in Charles Co., Maryland, and is buried in a family plot in Laurel Branch Plantation, now lost under a modern housing development in a suburb of Washington D.C.

The children of Richard Tarvin and Elizbeth Dent (birthyears are approximate):
George Tarvin (1721) (referred to here as George II)
Richard Tarvin (1722)
Martha Tarvin (1723)
John Tarvin (1724)
Elizabeth Tarvin (1726)
William Tarvin (1727)
Thomas Tarvin (1730)
Ann Tarvin (1732)
Rebecca Tarvin (1736)

The Second Generation

George Tarvin (George II) was born in Charles Co., Maryland about 1721, the first child of Richard Tarvin and Elizabeth Dent. He married Eleanor Mudd about 1741. They had at least three children, all born in Charles Co., Maryland. George II died before 1750 in Charles Co., Maryland.

Eleanor Mudd was born 1709, the daughter of Thomas Boarman Mudd and Rebecca Wright Lowe.

The children of George Tarvin (George II) and Eleanor Mudd:
Richard Tarvin, born before 1742. May have served in the Revolutionary War.
George Tarvin (called here George III or Reverend George), born about 1744. See below.
Nancy Ann Tarvin, born about 1746, married Benjamin Simpson. Moved to Mason/Fleming Co., Kentucky. [updated]


Richard Tarvin was born 1722 in Charles Co., Maryland, the second child of Richard Tarvin and Elizabeth Dent. He apparently died 1744. His will, dated 14 Jan 1743, was probated 26 Mar 1744.


Martha Tarvin was born 14 Mar 1724 in Charles Co., Maryland, the third child of Richard Tarvin and Elizabeth Dent. She married Joseph Noble, Jr. They had eight children, three daughters and five sons. They lived for a time in Prince George Co., Maryland, then moved to Pennsylvania. She died 30 Jan 1796 at her farm on Robinsons Run, Fayette Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Joseph Noble, Jr., was the son of Joseph Noble and Mary Wheeler.

The children of Joseph Noble, Jr., and Martha Tarvin:
William (Henry-?) Noble, born 3/10/1740 married.
Elizabeth Noble, born 11 Jan 1743 married George Vallandigham, Virginian. She died 1801 in Noblesburg PA.+
Clement Noble, born 1748; went to sea; may have died at sea
Joseph Noble II, born 1749 married.
Richard Noble, born 1750 married 1. Elizabeth Goe of Maryland; married 2. Eleanor Goe (a sister; hence change of religion).
Mary Noble, married Col. Joseph Beelor.
William Henry Tarvin Noble (known as Henry), died 4/3/1819; married Mary Elliott.
Martha Noble, born 4/17/1761, died 1838; married John McDonald, native of County Fermanagh, Ireland; Indian trader.

+Note: There was no such town name until turn of 1800; in 1838 the name was changed to Noblestown. Before being named, it was a large family settlement known simply as 'Nobles' and was the site of their large trading station, flour mill, whiskey still, etc.

Source of this Noble information is a magazine article written by Milton M. Allison and published in 1952 in the quondom "Pennsylvania Historical Records Survey," vols. 35 and 36. forwarded to us by Esther L. Kikta of North Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.


Elizabeth Tarvin was born about 1726 in Charles County, Maryland, the fifth child of Richard Tarvin and Elizabeth Dent. She married Basil Beall and had two or three children. She died before 1794.

Basil Beall died 1795.


William Tarvin (William I) was born about 1727 in Charles Co., Maryland, the sixth child of Richard Tarvin and Elizabeth Dent. He married and had at least two children before moving to Georgia after his mother, Elizabeth Dent, died about 1760. William Tarvin settled in what is now Columbia Co., Georgia, and lived near the Little Kiokee Creek until his death on 25 November 1785. He had seven children. Research is continuing into how William ties into the Tarvins in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. See the related essay, Who was William Tarvin? by Walt Tarvin.

The children of William Tarvin (William I):
(Note: order of birth is uncertain)

William Tarvin, born about 1747 (here called William II).
Richard Tarvin, born about 1750.
John Tarvin, born about 1752.
George Tarvin, born about 1754.
Ann Tarvin, born about 1756.
Two other children, including one possibly named Nancy, born around 1760.


Ann Tarvin was born about 1733 in Charles County, Maryland, the eighth child of Richard Tarvin and Elizabeth Dent. She never married, but was involved in several land transactions involving inherited estates. She also inherited property from her sister Elizabeth and brother-in-law Basil Beall, Elizabeth's husband, who died in about 1795. The 1800 census shows her living with several small children, possibly Elizabeth's children.


Other Tarvins. Researchers of other families in the Port Tobacco and Charles Co., Maryland area have identified Tarvins whose connection to Richard Tarvin and Elizabeth Dent have not been determined. Here are some examples.

John Tarvin. A Tarvin researcher, B.E. Vaughn found a John Tarvin in Jillsons book "Old Kentucky Entries and Deeds." John had two Land grants in Lincoln County: Both for 250 acres 12/17/1781. One on Drakes Camp Creek.

Comment: This could be a cousin to Rev. George, perhaps John the son of William (the "William Line"), but we need much more research to check this out.


The Third Generation

This web site follows the line of Reverend George Tarvin, son of George Tarvin, son of Richard Tarvin. As we can connect other Tarvin descendants to this line, we will be happy to link to them here.

Return to Tarvin Home Page.


15 Oct 2013 by Gary Hoffman