THE TAVISTOCK FAMILES
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The present town developed round the Benedictine Abbey which was begun by Ordgar, Earl of Devon in 974 AD. It was dedicated to St Mary and St Rumon and held 1000 monks. The Vikings raided Tavistock in 997 AD and razed the Abbey to the ground. However, it was rebuilt and prospered until the dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. Its revenues were then granted to John Russell the first Earl of Bedford. His descendants became the Dukes of Bedford

Tavistock became a Market town in 1105 and was a centre for wool production. Tavistock was also an early tin mining centre and it became a Stannary town in 1305.

Sir Francis Drake was born in Tavistock in 1542

Mining boomed in the 19th century and the Devon Great Consuls Mine was one of the richest producers of copper in Europe.

The mining boom brought a huge increase in population and there was considerable overcrowding in parts of the town during the mid-1800s. The then Duke of Bedford built several hundred workers cottages when the town centre was re-modelled in mid-1800s.

The Parish Church of St Eustachius was dedicated in 1318 but most of the building dates from the 15th century. The Parish Registers begin in 1614. There were several non–conformist churches whose records have been entered into IGI.

There are several villages close by which have strong ties to Tavistock. In particular there are Lifton, Mary Tavy, Peter Tavy and Whitchurch. The Local Villages Page