Combs &c. Families of Soulbury, Buckinghamshire, England

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Soulbury Parish is in the hundred of Cottesloe in County Bucks. Within the bounds of the parish are the hamlet and manor of Liscombe, Bragenham (originally "Bracca's farm"), Chelmscote and Hollingdon. Surrounding Soulbury (clockwise) are Stoke Hammond parish to the north; Great Brickhill to the northeast; Linslade parish to the southeast; Liscombe to the south; Stewkley parish to the southwest; and Standlake to the northwest.

Liscombe, Soulbury, Bucks was home to Sir Robert and Ann SAUNDERS Lovett, parents of Elizabeth LOVETT, who married in 1630 to John COMBE, son of John and Margaret ARCHDALE Combe.

Thus far, the family of John and Elizabeth LOVETT Combe and the earlier Barnard (2) and Mary COMBS are the only COMBES found in Soulbury (parish records reviewed thru 1677). The only neighboring Bucks parishes with Combes are Great Brickhill where Gilbert COMBE married Joane SAUNDERS in 1603 and Wing where Tobe COMBES married Marie THEED in in 1625/6.

Soulbury is near the Bedfordshire border, being only three miles west northwest of Leighton-Buzzard, Bedfordshire (where Sir Robert & Ann SAUNDERS Lovett, parents of Elizabeth LOVETT Combe, married); and only 3.1 mi. from Wing, Bucks (Wing and Great Brickhill are the closest parishes to Soulbury where other COMBS have been located).

See also Parishes within 21 miles of Soulbury.

Soulbury is described in the "History and Topography of Buckinghamshire" by James Joseph Sheahan, 1862, as:

"…with the hamlets hereinafter noticed, contains 4460 acres, and 589 inhabitants. On the east side it is, partly, separated from Bedfordshire by the river Ouse. The London and North Western Railway, and the Grand Junction Canal intersect it - the former occupying 23A. 2R. 6P. ; and the latter, 13A. 3R. 3P. The rateable value of the parish is £7732. Soulbury parish is 7 miles in length, and contains, it is said, upwards of 17 miles of roads. The Village, which is situated 3 miles N.W. from Leighton Buzzard [Bedfordshire], is about half-a-mile in length, and the houses are mostly ancient and covered with thatch. The southern end of it is pleasantly seated on the brow of a hill, from which issues a copious spring of pure water. The country around is well wooded."

From the "Magna Britannia: Buckinghamshire", S. and D. Lysons, 1806, and Soulbury, Bucks, Gen-UKI, 2000:

Author's footnotes:

The Lovetts of Soulbury Parish did not become lords of the manors of Soulbury and Liscombe until 1301 (Lovett Memorials…). Liscombe is not found in the Domesday surveys, but the manor of Soulbury appears as "Soleberie," with the Domesday entry (abstracted) "Payne from William FitzAnsculf; Roger from Miles Crispin; Hugh de Beauchamp; Jocelyn le Breton; Azelina, Ralph Tailbois' wife; Godwin the Beadle." (The Domesday Book). Other Bucks manors in the parish of Soulbury that were held by the Lovetts included Hollingdon (modern), described in Domesday as "Holedene/Holendene: PAYNE from William FitzANSCULF; Nigel from Miles CRISPIN."

Soulbury Parish Records 1594-1677 were transcribed from Buckinghamshire Record Office, FHC#1042447, by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff who adds: Since the record pages are unnumbered I numbered them arbitrarily in order of appearance on film. I utilized two Latin word lists to interpret some of the earliest entries and have written my interpretation in brackets. At the end of each entry I have added the year as it is indicated for a group of entries in the record even if it was not in the actual entry to make a complete intrepretation of the event. The transcribed records include COMBES and LOVETT surnames, and I also found GOFFE and SANDERS. GOFFES had associations with COMBES in Colonial Virginia and Maryland. SANDERS (SAUNDERS) was the maiden name of Elizabeth LOVETT Combes' mother. I found no ARCHDALE or NEVITT entries. I did find KENNELL which could be KENDALL and I also found BAYLIS. I will be reviewing the names and dates as they were extracted to see if I can relate to those items in this list for which I was unable to decipher the information. If I am still uncertain of the data, I will write the Buckinghamshire Record Office for further assistance.

The Buckinghamshire County Council's Family History site shows Soulbury Parish records have been filmed for Christenings, 1594-1838; Marriages, 1623-1992 (filmed to 1838); and Burials, 1624-1893. (Note: This excellent site includes numerous resources for historians, including not only Bucks resources, but information about and links to many other sources).

Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Early Proceedings, Richard II to Philip and Mary [22 Jun 1377 - 17 Nov 1558]. C 1/1448/54-56. "Lawrence LOVETT, esquire, son and heir of Richard LOVETT, v. Thomas FARNALL alias LONDON.: Messuage and land in Soulbury of the grant of John MYLLIETT of Liscombe.: BUCKS." (Combs &c. Extractions from the PRO Catalogue, C Series - record not yet acquired)

Laurence LOVETT was the son of Richard and Alice MARTIN Lovett according to Lovett Lineages (Heraldic Visitations and Burke's Lineages). Laurence LOVETT married Elizabeth WILLIAMS, daughter of Sir Reginald Williams of Thame Park, Oxfordshire some time prior to 1531.

1608-9 (7th Year, James I) Sheriff of Buckinghamshire: "Robert LOVET, Knt. Seat, Liscombe. Arms, Argent three Wolves passant in pale Sable, armed and langued Gules." (Gen-UKI's Sheriffs of Buckinghamshire)

Sir Robert LOVETT was the son of Francis and Anne CRISP Lovett, and grandson of Laurence and Elizabeth WILLIAM Lovett.

07 Jul - 15 Sep 1618 Will of Hugh SMYTH of Soulberry Co. Bucks who deceased 7 Julie 1618 "I have intreated and appointed my good master Sr Robert LOVELL knight & Humfrey MONOUX gent. to bee overseers." Proved at Aylesbury [Bucks], 15 Sept. 1618 Register 1618,i,folio 10d. (Extracted by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff from "Abstracts of Buckinghamshire Wills 1601-1652 at Probate Registry, Lincoln, England." Typed and indexed by S. Allyn Peck. NY NY, 1951, Source: FHC #0908915 Item 5, Index of Persons By Will Number: LOVELL, Sir Robert: 55A)

DKM Note: The "ll" and "tt" name endings are sometimes mistaken since the formation of the letters is often the same with the exception of the cross on the "t" and the ink sometimes is so thin on the old records it is extremely difficult to decipher. A check of this entry indicates that this person may be Sir Robert LOVETT, the father of Elizabeth LOVETT who married John COMBE 08 Jul 1630 at Soulbury, Bucks (See Below). The LOVELL name would have to ruled out first, however (See Also 1646 Christopher LOVETT/Ann LOVELL record under Drapers Company).

27 Dec 1621 Soulbury Parish. Married: Frauncis_ LOVET and Joh. GARWAY (IGI, Ba: E130061, So: 496686, not transcribed; however, see Lovett Families)

Frances LOVETT, was the daughter of Sir Robert LOVETT by his first wife, Susan (BROOKE?).

Notes: Neither Mary, nor Bernard COMBS (etc.) have been identified; however, see 1628 below. Also note that Barnard was a given name in the ARCHDALE Family.

1624 "Richard GOFFE and Susan BUCKMASTOR were married the ???th day of October." (Transcribed from Buckinghamshire Record Office, FHC#1042447, p. 37, by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff)

See Richmond Co VA re Combs-Goff-Kendall Families. It is not known as yet if there is a possible relationship (research in progress).

1624 "Francos? SAUNDERS amd Susan LOVOTT were married the 22th day of September" (Transcribed from Buckinghamshire Record Office, FHC#1042447, p. 37, by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff)

Susan LOVETT was the younger of two children of Sir Robert LOVETT by his first wife. He married second 24 Oct 1610 at Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, Ann SAUNDERS. The relationship, if any, between Francis SAUNDERS and Ann SAUNDERS, second wife of Robert LOVETT, remains unknown. It is of additional interest due to the marriage of Gilbert COMBE and Joane SAUNDERS in 1603 in Great Brickhill Parish, Bucks, which is only 2-1/4 mi. from Soulbury.

1624/1625? "Francifca LOVETT filia Roberti baptizata decimo Martii anno predicto(?)" [Francisca Lovett daughter of Robert baptized 10 March 1624/1625] (Transcribed from Buckinghamshire Record Office, FHC#1042447, p. 4, by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff)

Consideration should be given to the possibility that the above may have been a male rather than a female given that (1) Sir Robert LOVETT had a daughter, Frances, by his first wife, Susan BROOKE, who m (1) Sir Ambrose WILLOUGHBY; and (2) on 27 Dec 1621 in Soulbury, Bucks, John GAREWAY; and (2) that a Francis LOVETT, s/o "Robert of Solbery Bucks mil," was apprenticed as a Draper for 8 years on 21 Nov 1640 (Combs &c. of the Drapers Company). The usual age at apprenticeship was 15-17, thus a birth year range of 1624-1626.

1625. "Deborah LOVETT filia Roberti baptiza…." [page torn and missing. Deborah LOVETT daughter of Robert baptized 1625 (probably February or March). (Transcribed from Buckinghamshire Record Office, FHC#1042447, p. 4, by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff who adds: Note that this entry appears after entries that are for the months April through February. Therefore, the baptism for Deborah should have occurred during February or March given the April through March order typically used in making parish record entries at this parish.)

No mention is made of a daughter, Deborah, in other sources.

Oct 1627 "Edwardus LOVETT filius Richardi baptizatus decimo quarto Octobris." [Edward Lovett son of Richard baptized 14 October 1627] (Transcribed from Buckinghamshire Record Office, FHC#1042447, p. 5, by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff)

This may be in error (Richard instead of Robert) since a memorial exists in the Tawstock, Devonshire church that states that Edward (s/o Robert & Ann SAUNDERS Lovett) died in 1702 at age 74 (born ca 1627). (Lovett Memoirs…)

1628 "Bernard COOMS and Mary WORFLER were married ye 5th of May." (Transcribed from Buckinghamshire Record Office, FHC#1042447, p. 37, by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff who adds: COOMS could be a name like COLLINS; WORFLER could be WORSTER or other combination of letters) SW: WORSLER

Could this be a son of the 1624 Bernard COMBS above?

Christopher LOVETT son of "Robert of Liscombe Bucks mil dec," was apprenticed as a draper on 08 Jul 1646 to Robert MOWLSWORTH for eight years by Dna Anna LOVELL [sic] of Solebury Bucks." (see below).

Elizabeth LOVETT, daughter of Sir Robert and Anne SAUNDERS Lovett, was christened 3 Apr 1614 at Wotton Underwood, Bucks. It is not known if their marriage took place at All Saints or in the Liscombe chapel.

Notes: John the younger apparently died bef 1642 when a second son named John was born to John and Elizabeth LOVETT Combs in Sparsholt, Berks.

No more is known of Robert COMBE, eldest known son of John and Elizabeth, including whether he lived to adulthood or died young.

Francis LOVETT was probably b between 1624 and 1626, assuming an average apprenticeship age of 15 years. See above baptism, plus see 1646-56 Soulbury records below.

1641 "Thomas HOXKINS and Anne LOVETT were married the fifth day of October." (Transcribed from Buckinghamshire Record Office, FHC#1042447, p. 40, by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff) SW: HOSKINS, HOPKINS

According to the visitations of Buckingham, Sir Robert's daughter, Anne, married "Edmund, Earle of Bath." Burke states "Anne, m. first, Edward BOURCHIER, fourth Earl of Bath, but by his lordship (she was his second wife) had no issue. She wedded, secondly, Baptist NOEL, third Viscount Campden, and had by him one still-born child only." Also note that this record is indexed by the IGI as HOPKINS.

1641 "Archdale the sonne of John COMBE and Elizabeth his wife was baptized the 18th day of November." (Transcribed from Buckinghamshire Record Office, FHC#1042447, p. 22, by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff)

The above is the last parish record in Soulbury for this family. They are next found in the parish register of Sparsholt, Berks in 1643 (However, see next).

According to Lovett Lineages (Visitations and Burke's), Anne LOVETT, daughter of Sir Robert and Anne SAUNDERS Lovett of Soulbury, Bucks, married Edward BOURCHIER, Earl of Bath. Sir Robert died in September 1643 at Sparsholt, Berks.

Elizabeth LOVETT Combs, like Francis LOVETT of the 1640 record and Christopher above, was a child of Robert LOVETT of Liscombe, Soulbury. She was widowed in Apr 1652 in Sparsholt, Berks, and at some time following the death of her husband, she removed to Oxford, where she was residing in 1656 when she apprenticed her son, Archdale COMBE (baptized in 1641 in Soulbury), for eight years to her brother Christopher who was in Dublin Ireland by 1658. Drapers Company records in London do not reflect whether the apprenticeship was completed; however, those records may be in Ireland Research in progress. Also Note that According to Burke's…, Christopher LOVETT was in Turkey at the time of the Restoration (May 1660); yet he appears in Dublin during period 1658-1663.

In 1710, Robert LEVET "liberally endowed with land a school for twenty-four boys and girls…" Sir John LOVETT, Bart. was patron in 1808. (A Topographical Dictionary of England, Samuel Lewis, S. Lewis and Company, London, 1831, p. 116, Soulbury, Bucks) See the Buckinghamshire County Council's photograph of Soulbury, Lovett House, Chapel Hill, whose stone plaque reads "Lovett Charity House & School."

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