Auction shines light on man who made it his mission to rescue Jarrow
Keepsakes for sale of the man who set out to save Thirties Depression-crippled Tyneside town. Tony Henderson reports
Wealthy southern businessman and economist Sir John Jarvis was appalled by the plight of a Tyneside town crippled by the unemployment of the Great Depression of the 1930s.
High Sheriff of Surrey and Conservative MP for Guildford, he set up a fund which raised £40,000 for Jarrow and invested £1m of his own money on schemes to generate jobs to lift the town out of deprivation.
There is a plaque to Jarvis in Jarrow and now two of his personal keepsakes have emerged which will be auctioned on March 14.
The pair of George III silver beakers, made in York in 1790, will be sold by Tennants Auctioneers, with an estimate of £2,000-£3,000.
Jeffrey Lassaline, Tennants silver specialist, said: “It is unusual to see pieces of silver come to auction bearing the York town mark and particularly being sold with such interesting provenance. The cups have come by direct descent from Sir John Jarvis, and it has been fascinating to learn about his mission to bring employment to Jarrow.”
Jarvis ran a major family building firm, owned a racehorse stud, was chairman of the London Bus Company and lived in Hascombe Court, a 16th century manor house.
“He was a strong Christian who saw himself in the tradition of the early 20th century philanthropists and believed that people who had wealth should put something back into society,” said author Tom Tweddell, who grew up in neighbouring Hebburn and now lives in West Boldon, and has written books around Jarvis and the Jarrow of the Thirties.
Amid the Depression, Jarvis visited the Ministry of Labour and asked officials which was the most badly affected town with soaring unemployment, and was told Jarrow.
Jarvis bought a flat cap and muffler and travelled to Jarrow by train, walking around the town and seeing conditions for himself.
He returned home and on October 4, 1934 he launched the Surrey Fund at Claridge’s Hotel in Mayfair and posted his appeal to all 50,000 homes in Surrey to raise money.
He personally bought the decommissioned liners Olympic for £97,500 and Berengaria for £108,000 so that they could create more work by being dismantled at Jarrow.
He helped set up Jarrow Industries, which included the industrial Jarrow Tube Works which was opened by the Duchess of Northumberland in 1938, provided work through the decoration of more than 2,000 homes and community buildings, created Jarvis Park and a sports ground which became the home of Jarrow and Hebburn Athletics Club of which he was first president.
In addition 40,000 items of clothing and bedding were sent to Jarrow, a football league of 24 teams of unemployed men was started, and when Jarvis found out that Jarrow men were rowing out to sea at night in an old boat to catch fish he bought them a replacement, which they called the John Jarvis.
While serving as treasurer of the club, Tom Tweddell came across the silver Jarvis Cup, donated by the MP, which sparked his interest in the benefactor, who was made a Freeman of the town in 1935.
“He set out to use his position, wealth and influence to show that a run down town like Jarrow could be made prosperous again,” said Tom.
Sir John said in his maiden House of Commons speech: “As High Sheriff of Surrey, I looked round for the most difficult job in which I could help my fellow countrymen and I found it in Jarrow, the worst-hit town in the country.
“I have just returned from Jarrow. Never have I seen such a grim sight. Eight out of 10 men were unemployed. Many of the houses were hovels. I am horrified that in Christian England such things can be.
“I appealed to my county to start a fund to bring hope to these men. These people are English folk like ourselves. They are not slackers – they want work.”