Combs &c. Families of Cornwall, England

Last updated
You are Our Visitor.
Please Email Additions/Corrections to Webmaster

Cornwall, a maritime county, bounded on the north by the Bristol channel, on the west by the Atlantic ocean, on the south by the English channel, and on the east by Devonshire} extending from 49° 57′ 30″ to about 51° (N.Lat), and from about 4° to 5° 40′ (W.Lon.) : it contains eight hundred and forty-nine thousand two hundred and eighty acres, or one thousand three hundred and twenty-seven square miles. The population, exclusively of the Scilly islands, amounted in 1821 to 257,447. The name is thus derived :-the part of Britain including this county and a portion of Devonshire, from its shape, was called by its ancient British inhabitants Kernou, or, as it is written by the Welch, Kerniw, signifying the horn, which word was latinized to Carnubia, or Cornubia: when the Saxons gave the name of Weales to the Britons, they distinguished those who had retired into Kernou, or Cornubia, by that of Cornweales; and their country was thus called Cornuwall, or Cornwall, that is, Cornish Wales. (Lewis…, 1830)

See Also “The History of the Coumbe's of Devonshire and Cornwall” (Manuscript - Author Unknown)

1664 Hearth Tax

Hundred of Powder, Western Division

Grampound, a corporate and market town and chapelry, partly in the parish of Probus, but chiefly in that of Creed, 40 miles SW of Launceston, situated on the great road from London, through Plymouth, to the Land's end, and on the declivity of a hill, at the foot of which runs the river Fal. John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, brother of Edward III., granted a guild-merchant to the burgesses of Grampound, in 1332, which included, besides other privileges, the right of holding a market and two fairs; a jury makes presentments, appoints persons to municipal offices, and possess the right of making new freemen, the manor held by the corporation, under the duchy of Cornwall, formerly a borough, having sent two members to parliament from the reign of Edward VI. till 1824, when, in consequence of the discovery of corrupt practices among the electors, an act of parliament was passed for disfranchising the borough, and returning two additional members for the county of York. The chapel is dedicated to St. Nunn, or St. Naunter, a chapel of case to the rectory of Creed,

The Visitations of Cornwall 1620 pg. 282

(Extracted by Combs Researcher Leslie Owens. See Combs &c. Visitations) Search Words: Combs HAWKINS WOOLRIDGE HARRISON PURDUE

Hundred of East, Northern Division

Launceston, a borough, market town, and parish, possessing separate jurisdiction, though locally in the northern division of East hundred, is 20½ miles ENE of Bodmin, the ancient name Dunheved, the swelling hill, also called Lanstephadon, or Church Stephen Town, its present name seems to be a contraction of Lan-cester-ton, or Church Castle Town; the word Llan signifying a church in the British language. The manor and honour of Launceston, which had a very extensive jurisdiction, belonged from time immemorial to the Earls of Cornwall, who had their chief seat at Launceston castle: it was given by William the Conqueror to his half-brother, Robert, Earl of Montaigne, whom he made Earl of Cornwall. The church of the parish of St. Stephen, now the borough of Newport, adjoining to Launceston, and considered as part of it, was made collegiate, before the Conquest, for Secular canons. King Henry I. gave this college to the church of Exeter. Reginald, Earl of Cornwall, was a great benefactor to the college of St. Stephen, and used all his influence with King Stephen to remove the bishop's see from Devonshire to Cornwall, and constitute this the cathedral church: but it was successfully opposed by William WARLEMAST, Bishop of Exeter, who, being then resident at Lawhitton, on his first triennial visitation, suppressed the college of Secular canons, and in its stead founded a priory of Augustine monks, in the parish of St. Thomas, about half-way between St. Stephen's and the castle. The castle of Launceston passed with the earldom; and when Cornwall was erected into a duchy, was annexed to it by act of parliament. Hubert de BURGH, who had large possessions in Cornwall, was made governor of the castle, and sheriff for the county, by King John. Launceston was constituted a free borough in the reign of Henry III., by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, who granted various privileges to the burgesses, and a piece of ground on which to build their guildhall, to be held of him and his heirs by the annual tender of a pound of pepper: the borough extends as far as Poulston bridge, on the Tamar, and into the parish of Lawhitton. The charter of incorporation was granted by Queen Mary, in 1555; and two general sessions of the peace are held within a month after Easter and a month after Michaelmas, when prisoners accused of petty offences are tried; more serious offences are reserved for the assizes. A court of pleas, for the recovery of debts to an unlimited amount, is held every Monday. Besides the parish of St. Mary Magdalene, Launceston, the borough comprises the extra-parochial district of St. Thomas-street, and portions of the parishes of Lawhitton and South Petherwin.

20 Sep 1573 St. Stephens by Launceston, Cornwall. Christened: Alice COMBE, daughter of John COMBE (IGI B: 20 Apr 1968 LANGE Ba: P002221, E: 11 May 1968 LANGE So: 549501 IT 4, SP: 8 May 1969 OAKLA Pr: 1145621)

Note: Re those of the above records that list Prudence THOMAS as mother of the children of Henry COMBE, it is doubtful that the surname was part of the record if this is a parish record. There is a second LDS microfilm source that does not list the mother's surname, and lists the parish as "Saint Stephens By Launceston." (Ref: Ba: P002221, So: 549501 IT 4, SP: 14 May 1969 OAKLA Pr: 1145621). Dates are the same, but the surname is spelled variously COMB, COOMBE and COUMBE.

South Petherwin, a parish 3 miles SSW of Launceston, the living a vicarage, with the curacy of Trewin annexed, in the peculiar jurisdiction of the Bishop of Exeter, and in the patronage of the Chancellor and Fellows of the University of Oxford, the church dedicated to St. Paternus.

1607 South Petherwin, Cornwall. Devonshire 320, Will of William COME (See Index to Devonshire Wills & Admins)

1665 Southpetherwyn [sic], Cornwall. Devonshire Will of Thomasine COOMBE (See Index to Devonshire Wills & Admins, p. 44)

Trewen, a parish 5¼ miles SW of Launceston, the living a perpetual curacy annexed to the vicarage of South Petherwin, in the peculiar jurisdiction of the Bishop of Exeter, the church dedicated to St. Michael.

Stoke-Climsland, a parish 3½ miles North of Callington, the living a rectory in the archdeaconry of Cornwall, and diocese of Exeter, and in the patronage of the Crown, bounded on the north by the river Inney, which runs into the Tamar on the east, and near the romantic and picturesque rocks of Cartharmartha.

1547 “The parish register of Stoke­Climsland [Cornwall, EN] records the burial of one Richard COMB in 1547. Stoke­Climsland is a parish and Duchy­of­Cornwall manor in east Cornwall, south of Launceston [Cornwall], and near the Devon­Cornwall border. John [COMBS], the armiger, of London, was probably of the family of this Richard, who could have been his grandfather. A few miles from Stoke­Climsland, and in Devonshire, is the parish of Bradstone. Here one John COUMB died November 16, 1604, and who, according to the inscription on his tombstone, was ‘six score years of age’ [120 years old].” (Combes Genealogy, Chapter 2, p. 11)

Notes: The ancestry of John COMBS, armiger of London, has not yet been determined, although Devonshire is a possibility. See also "“The History of the Coumbe's of Devonshire and Cornwall”".

Lezant, a parish 4½ miles SE of Launceston, the living a rectory, in the archdeaconry of Cornwall, and diocese of Exeter, and in the peculiar jurisdiction and patronage of the Bishop of Exeter. The church is dedicated to St. Breock.

Note: The IGI extractions among the following are incomplete.

1 Feb 1595 Lezant, Cornwall. Born: Barbara COMBE, d/o John COMBE (IGI F#: 445764 @, E: 4 May 1951 SLAKE SP: Pre-1970 O#: 97761)

Note: The IGI lists her christening date as 1 Feb 1596 (Ba: P002121, E: 4 May 1951 SLAKE So: 908051, SP: 8 Sep 1969 LOGAN Pr: 1145610)

Hundred of East, Southern Division

Landrake, a parish NE of St. Germans, the river Lynher navigable on the east, and the St. Germans on the west of this chapelry; on the south they unite; includes chapelry of St. Erney.

1776 Landrake, Cornwall. Devonshire Will of Maynard COOME (See Index to Devonshire Wills & Admins, p. 53)

Hundred of Kerrier

Falmouth, a parish comprising the sea-port and market town of Falmouth, which possesses exclusive jurisdiction of a portion of the parish of Budock, which extends into Falmouth; it is 54 miles SW of Launceston, its name derived from its situation at the mouth of the river Fal: the origin of the town may be dated subsequently to the year 1600, but the haven was well known long before that period, and resorted to by ships bound for British ports, having been considered one of the most secure and commodious in Great Britain. The earliest mention of it in history occurs in the reign of Henry IV., when the Duchess Dowager of Bretagne landed here on her arrival in England, to celebrate her nuptials with that monarch. Until 1613 there was only a single house of entertainment for sea-faring persons, and perhaps a few fishermen's cottages on the site of the present town, at which period John (afterwards Sir John) KILLIGREW, to whom the ground belonged, began to build several new houses, and met with much opposition from the corporations of Penryn, Truro, and Helston, who united to petition King James against the work, stating the evil consequences they anticipated to their own interests, should a town be built at Falmouth harbour, later decided in KILLIGREW'S favour; and soon after 1670, Sir Peter KILLIGREW, Bart. constructed a new quay, and procured an act of parliament to secure certain duties to be paid to himself and his heirs; and the subsequent establishment of the post-office packets to Lisbon, the West Indies, &c. In its infancy this town was called Smithick, under which appellation it is mentioned in a resolution of the House of Commons, in January, 1653, appointing a weekly market; the first record which mentions the name of Falmouth is the charter of incorporation, bearing date 1661. It was made a separate parish in 1664, having up to that period been a part of Budock, a portion of which still extends into this town.

1744 Falmouth, Cornwall. Devonshire Will & Administration of estate of John COOUMBS (See p.51 of Index to Devonshire & Cornwall)

The following was extracted/transcribed by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff from “Cornwall Parish Registers Marriages” ed. by W.P.W. Phillimore, Thomas Taylor and William J. Stephens, 1909 (Source: Film FHC #046694), organized by parish name and date:

MARRIAGES

DMK: Conclusion - There are no apparent COMBES surnames in the parishes cited. There is one name that lends itself to Archadell. Perhaps the original record should be checked further to see if the transcription fits the script on the primary source.