The first record of Ellis is on 3 Jan 1605 when he was bound to the above John COMBE as an apprentice Draper (Combs &c. Families of the Drapers Company of London). This places Ellis' birth year as ca 1590. (No IGI record has been located for an Ellis Combs born around this time; however, see below in regard to an older Ellis Combs of Devonshire).

On 15 Jan 1616 [1616/17?], Ellis was freed by his apprenticeship to John COMBE, "a merchant in Aldermanbury 7 years at his master's house." (ibid.)

On 09 Aug 1617, Ellice COMBE of Aldermanbury, Draper, married Judith BARGAR, puelle Lic. Fac., at St. Peter Pauls Wharf, London. (ibid. Note also that the IGI may not have extracted this parish's records, and that there was also a John COMBE in this parish who has not been identified.)

On 02 Feb 1619 [1619/1620?], at St. Stephan Coleman Street, London, EN, Judithe COOME, d/o Ellis COOME, was christened. (IGI, Ba: C019662, So: 375013, Pr: 883922, source not viewed)

For the years 1620 and 1621 Ellis paid quarterage "Coleman St" "Woolsack Alley" at Fwr. Carrier's house at the lower end of Aldermanbury at the end of Bamshaw near the Wall. (Drapers Company. See also St. Stephen Coleman St., London)

On 16 Sep 1621, at St. Stephen Coleman Street, London, EN, ----- COOME, d/o Ellis COOME, was christened. (IGI, Ba: C019662, So: 375013, Pr: 883922, source not viewed)

On 26 Mar 1623, Thomas COMBE, son of Ellis, was baptised at St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury .

On 01 Apr 1623, only 6 days after her son, Thomas' birth, Judith BARGAR Combe, entered as "Mrs. COMBE wife of Ellis," was buried at St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury.

In 1629, William COMBE of Oxford University, s/o John and Margaret ARCHDALE Combe of St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury, confirmed the existence of a relationship between the two families when he bequeathed "my kinsman Ellis COMBE fourerscore pounds."

By 1633 Ellis, too, was deceased: On 2 Apr of that year Ellis COUMES was buried at St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury. His will was written only one day before his death, thus apparently written in expectation of same:

Abstract of the Will of Ellis COOMBE/COMBE of London. Written the first day of April 1633.
Item (wife's wedding ring) to his "sister Suzan the wife of John TILLY"
Item (money) to my Alice/Niece/Third? CAPELL in "Aldermanbury London"
Item (money to purchase a Bible) to "Dorothy BIRDE the daughter of my Landlord Thomas BIRDE"
Item (money for purchase of a Bible) to my "godsone Ellis TILLY the sonne of my brother John TILLY"
Item (money in "remembrance of my love" ) to "Mrs. Barbara CLARKE the wife of George CLARKE Merchant
Item (money in "remembrance of my love" ) to "Mr. George CLARKE the eldest son of the Mr. George CLARKE
Item (book in "remembrance of my love" ) to John CLARKE Merchant
Item (my Bible and the rest and residue of his goods and chattels) to "my sonne Thomas COOMBE" (Thomas noted as not being twenty and one years of age yet)
Item (makes sole Executor) "my loving friend Mr. George CLARKE Merchant in Milkestreete London"
Item (payment and responsibility for Escrow) "Mr. John CLARKE Merchant"
Item (to keep money for son by the custome of London) Mr. George CLARKE
Also asks George CLARKE to take upon him the tuition and education of his son Thomas until he turns eighteen. If Ellis' son Thomas should die, then according to custom, Ellis wants the sum of three hundred pounds to go to his brother Robert, and if he dies; then there is another distribution [too hard to read, possibly children of Robert];then to his brother in law ("lanor"?) John Tilly; [then another distribution too hard to decipher]; then to his sister Suzan the wife of John TILLY; then to her children; then to brother John COMBE; then to his children. He then mentions giving Mr. George CLARKE money. And mentions his brothers Robert COOMBE, John COOMBE and John TILLY to divide the balance equally. The name "Willm COMBE" is stated [with no explanation that I can decipher]. Witnesses: Thomas TOMLINSON, Willi TIBBES, Thomas SMITH Senr.

Probatum mentions April and appears to read "Mono dio menfirs Aprilis anno Domini". George CLARKE is also mentioned. (Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills and Administrations, PROB 11/163 LH231-RH-231, pp. 230/231, abstracted by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff)

DKM Notes: Nothing more is known of Ellis' son, Thomas, as yet. It appears that Thomas was Ellis' only living issue and that he never remarried after the death of Judith. John and Suzan COMBE Tilly m 22 Dec 1614 in Willand, Devonshire according to the IGI (film ordered).

Ed. Notes: Only two additional entries are found in the IGI for Combs in Willand Parish. Ten years after the marriage of John and Susan COMBS Tilly is the 15 Jun 1624 marriage of a John COOMBE to an Elizabeth CHERLYE [SHIRLEY?], and over ten years later, the christening of a John COMBE, s/o Hugh COMBE in Nov 1635 (Neighboring parishes are also being checked).

Less than ten miles from Willand Parish, in Upottery, Devonshire, is found an older Ellis COMBE who was baptised on 12 Mar 1568, the s/o a John COMBE. This Ellis COMBS was too old to have been Ellis d 1633, but apparently had siblings named Robert (c 1562), Jane/Jean/Joan and Alice (c 1565), Richard (c 1567), Martin (c 1572) and Mary (c 1574).

Also found in Upottery parish is a John COMBE, s/o Margaret who was christened in 1560. The estimated birth range for John COMBE, h/o Margaret ARCHDALE is 1560-1562 based on his apprenticeship period, and given the 1629 will of their son, William, which named "Aunt Chrian LANGWORTH" of Devonshire and her daughter, Margaret, it appears clear that these Combs families have strong Devonshire connections.

It should also be noted that there are "extra" Combs in the records of St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury, London, who have not yet been identified (including both a John Combs and a Margaret Combs). Moreover, it appears that the George CLARK with wife, Barbara, who were also named in the will of Ellis Combs, was probably the same George CLARK who m Barbara PALMER of Hill, Bedfordshire, cousin of William, h/o Barbara ARCHDALE Palmer, sister of Margaret ARCHDALE Combs (The 1636 will of William PALMER of London, Esq. names his "cousin, George CLARKE," who was Sheriff of London in 1644)

Also Note: Despite the fact that Ellis named no daughters, it is nevertheless not certain that he left no female issue, as daughters were sometimes ignored in wills (a.k.a. inferior<g>).

Return to
John and Margaret ARCHDALE Combe