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Colchester, a borough and market town having separate jurisdiction, locally in the Colchester division of the hundred of Lexden… 22 miles northeast of Chelmsford, and 51 east northeast of London, including the parishes of Bere-Church, Greenstead, Lexden, and Mile-End, which are within the liberties… (Lewis…, 1831)

22 Jun 1377 - 17 Nov 1558 [at some time between these dates] Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Early Proceedings, Richard II to Philip and Mary.

C 1/973/40-42. Thomas COMBE of Colchester, butcher, and Ellen his wife, v. John TURNOUR.: Sale of a messuage, dovecote, land, and a butcher's shop in Halstead.: ESSEX.

C 1/1109/43 Ellen, late the wife of Thomas COMBE of Colchester and daughter and heir of Allen TURNOUR and of Marion his wife, v. John TURNAR of Chapel.: Entry on messuages, lands, etc., in Hawstead before completion of a mortgage or full payment of a loan.: ESSEX.

(Combs &c. Extractions from the PRO Catalogue - record not yet acquired)

4 Jun 1581 Saint Nicholas, Colchester, Essex. Christened: Elizabeth COOMBE, daughter of William COOMBE. (FamilySearch.Org, IGI. Source: Computer printout of Colchester, St. Nicholas, Essex, Eng. Film/Fiche No. 6905285).

Note: This was the only entry for this parish as of 1998 IGI.

26 May 1595 (abstracted extract) Inquisition post mortem, shewing the Kingshead Meadows to be tithe free Capital messuage now called the Kingshead in St. Mary with a messuage and garden adj., S., and lands called `Le Great Moore" alias Marks Great Meadow, Cheese Meadow and Press Croft (2a.) together with all tithes of the said lands, to be held of the Queen, as of her borough and town of Colchester, by fealty in free burgage and 40s. rent Recites: (i) death iof William BERRIFFE, gent., 21 November 1594, leaving his son William as heir (ii) Copy of a Crown Grant, 10 June 1544, to Richard DUKES of all tithes of lands called Pyes, Markes Meadow and Cheese Meadow in Colchester in his occupation to hold in socage only for £3163.12s.8d. (iii) Grant, 10 August 1544, by Robert BROWNE and Robert FLYGANT, bailiffs of Colcherster, and the Commonalty, to Richard DUKE for Goord services, of the right of common of pasture and feeding in Pyes Meadow (2a.) at an annual rent of 2d. (iv) Conveyance (Feoffment), 27 September 1544, with livery and seizin endorsed and enrolled in the Town Court of Colchester, by Richard DUKE and Eliz., his wife, to Augustine BERRIFFE and Johanna, his wife and William his son, of all the said property (v) Licence, 7 April 1547, of William BERRIFFE to Edward COMBE, for the building of a water-course under Cheese Meadow for an annual rent of 2d., with right to distrain on a tenement of Robert SMITH, late of Henry WEBBE in North Street in the event of non-payment (vi) Exemplification of a Common Recovery, in Colchester Court, 7 March 1579/80, of Kingshead Meadows, tithes etc. (vii) As in (vi), 15 March 1590/91 (viii) Fine Easter, 1594, of 6 messuages, 10 tofts, 6 gardens, 3a. land, 14a. meadow, 3a. pasture and all tythes in Colchester

(Abstracted by the Essex Record Office from a Collection of Deeds etc. of “King's Head” and Land in Colchester, Ref Code: D/DU 116/2, acquired ca 1818, copies available from Essex Online Archives)

26 Jun 1577 - 1 Sep 1579 Essex Wills, CT 7/173. Will of Nicholas WILBORE of Colchester woollendraper, dated 26 June 1577. To Emme my wife my lands free and copy in West and East Mersea in the occupation of PLATFACT [sic], for life; to remain to Edward my son; for want of issue to Nicholas my son. To my wife my capital messuage wherein I dwell and my rentary with two gardens in St. Martin's parish, for life, keeping the same in sufficient reparations; to remain to Nicholas for want of issue to Edward. All my ceilings, glass and glass windows, benches, portals, hangings, doors, locks, settles, wainscots and kays to remain to the capital messuage for ever and not to be removed by my wife. To Nicholas 10 pounds at 21. To Anne my daughter 30 pounds at 18 or marriage; if she marry without the consent of her mother and friends before 18 she shall not have 30 pounds; to her my stone pot lipped and footed with silver and the 2 silver spoons which I had of John PULLEN clothier, at age or marriage in form aforesaid. To Joan my daughter 10 pounds as is limited to Anne. My wife shall have my silver goblet parcel gilt and my dozen silver spoons for life, and after to Nicholas, and the goblet to Edward or else my executor to pay him 4 pounds. To my daughters Mary, Grace and Margaret each 5 pounds at marriage. To my brother Richard WILBORE my furred gown I bought of George HARRISON. To my sisters GRENE and CATLES and my cousin SYMNEL'S wife each an angel. To my cousin SYMNELL my own shutting bow. To Matthew BROWNE'S wife the gold ring that Mr. LATYMER gave me. To my cousin Thomas BUXTON my dagger and 2 arrows. To William HILL 2 prickshafts. To Mr. MOTT my mool spade staff with the prynes and to Matthew BROWNE my other mool spade. To my brother Edward COMBES my gold ring. To my cousin Thomas BUCKSTON'S wife an angel. Robert PLATFOOTE shall not be put out of his farm as long as he liveth but to have it for 6 pounds a year. The rest of my goods to my wife, whom I make executrix, if she be minded to marry, she with whom she marry together with two sureties to enter into bond in 200 pounds to my cousins Thomas BUCKSTONE and Richard SYMNELL for the performance of my will. Witnesses: Richard COLLETT, Matthew BROWNE, Richard SYMNELL, Thomas BUXTON, Thomas POLLIFOOTE, [blank] GRENE. Proved 1 September 1579.

((pers library) Elizabethan Life-Wills of Essex Gentry & Yeomen, by F. G. Emmison, Chelmsford: Essex County Council, 1980, p. 159-60)

search words: GREEN WILBER WILBUR Combs BROWN PLATIFOOT

Was Edward COMBS above the same who was s/o of John COMBS of Fordham who d 1570/1? How was he brother to Nicholas WILBORE? Also note BROWN, GREEN, PULLEN & MOTT as potentially significant surnames in Old Rappa. County, Virginia, and that on 16 Apr 162, one Nycholas WILBORE and an Edward STRACHIE [STACEY?] were among those who witnessed the will of William MOTT, an Aldermen of the Town of Colchester, Essex , 16 Aprill, 1562 (Arch. Colchester. Puckell, 75.) See Also Robert PLATFOOT in CAMMOCK Family Records, and note the following earlier will:

1586 Thomas SCOTT of Colchester, Essex & London, England married Judith BORROUGHS (d/o Stephen BOROUGH:BORROW or BOROUGHE, of Stepney, Middlesex)

Judith BORROUGHS Scott m (2) as his 3rd wife, John VASSALL, d. 1625, father of Samuel & William VASSALL. The latter d bef 1658 in Barbados, father of John VASSALL of Old Rappa. & Essex Cos, VA. The 1598 London EN will of William BORROUGHS names his niece, Judith BORROUGHS Scott, and mentions a lease to Martin ARCHDALE, uncle of Margaret ARCHDALE who m in 1587 in London EN, John Combs. (See Archdale-Combs Families and Burroughs-Vassall-Ware Families)

1588 John VASSALL, “of county Essex, England,” fitted out at his own expense and commanded two ships, the Samuel and the Little Toby, to help repel the Spanish Armada.

(Adventurers of Purse & Person, Virginia 1607-1624/5 by Virginia M. Meyer/John Frederick Dorman, 1987)

1610 John VASSALL described himself as of Eastwood, Essex, aged 62, in a deposition made in 1610.

(ibid.)

John VASSALL above was a shareholder in the Virginia Company in 1618, but his primary residence appears to have been Middlesex, England where he married 3 times (HEWES, RUSSELL, BORROUGHS (SCOTT)), although again in 1610 he was self-described as "of Eastwood, Essex" where his wife, Judith (OVERYE) Vassall died testate in 1638/9. (He was also an alderman of London). He died 13 Sep 1625, was buried at St. Dunstan, Stepney Co Middlesex. By his 2nd wife, Anne RUSSELL, he had issue (among others) William VASSALL, father of John VASSALL of Old Rappahannock Co VA and Barbados who had married Anna LEWIS, d/o John, and whose sister, Anna VASSALL had married Nicholas WARE of Old Rappahannock Co VA.

See Also (1) John COMBS of Fordham and Colchester, Essex in 1570; (2) William VASSALL & various ARCHDALES & COMBS of Barbados; and (3) the LWT of Robert BECKINGHAM of Lancaster County, Virginia, dated 20 Jan 1675/6, names, amongst others, "my brother in law Jno: CUMES" and "my dear sister, Elizabeth CUMES, his wife…" and his sister, "Martha BURROUGHS and her husband John BURROUGHS."

(Lancaster Co, VA Wills 1674-1689, p 19, Ruth and Sam Sparacio, Antient Press, McLean VA)

1637 John COOMBS of Plymouth Colony, New England, assumed the indenture of William SPOONER, of Colchester, County Essex, England, from John HOLMES in 1637 for six years.

(Plymouth Colony It's History and People 1620 - 1691, by Eugene Aubrey Stratton pub. by Ancestry Publishing Salt Lake City, UT)

John COMBS had m ca 1630 in Plymouth Colony, Sarah PRIEST, d/o Degory and Sarah ALLERTON Priest, the latter having married 2nd Cuthbert CUTHBERTSON (a.k.a. Godbert GODBERTSON). Sarah ALLERTON was aunt of Isaac ALLERTON, Jr. of Plymouth Colony and later Westmoreland Co VA. On 22 May 1650, Andrew GILSON patented 600 A on the south side of the Rappahannock River by Tigners Creek (County not listed, possibly Lancaster VA); his headrights included one Wm. SPOONER, who has not yet been identified.

(Cavaliers & Pioneers, Vol. I, Nugent, p. 197).

Note: In Thomas Hoskins Warner's book, History of Old Rappahannock County, it is made clear that Gilson's Creek was named for the man who owned the mill on that creek, named Andrew Gilson. The creek is shown on modern maps as Upper Mount Landing Creek. This creek had many names over the years, and one of those names was Tignors Creek. So it is safe to conclude the land Andrew Gilson patented was the land for his mill on what became known as Gilson's Creek in Old Rappahannock County, not Lancaster County. Submitted by Bob Hart Vienna, Virginia

25 Oct 1638 Colchester, Essex. "The Booke of the examinaction [sic] of all such pepole as have taken oath of Allegiance to his Matie in this porte and have passed over Sea: from Michallmas 1638 to Michalmas 1639…. October the 25th 1638. The examination of Thomas COMBE: of Coulchestar strong water stiller ageed [sic] 45 yeares or there aboutt is desirous to goe into Holland to by such thinges as belonge to his arte and to Retorne within a month or two."

(Excerpted by Combs Researcher Thom Mont from TRANSCRIPT OF THREE REGISTERS OF PASSENGERS FROM GREAT YARMOUTH TO HOLLAND AND NEW ENGLAND 1637-1639; Charles Boardman Jewson; Clearfield Company; Baltimore, MD; 1990, Page 73)

29 Nov 1638 Feoffment. Mich. ARNOLDE, weaver, and w. Katherine and Isaac CHENNY (s. and their of John CHENNY, formerly of Colchesterm decd.) to Nicholas BAKER, merchant, all of Colchester Tenement with garden adjoining in East Stockwell Street, abutting on tenement sometime of Richard COMBE, butcher, formerly of Richard [G]ILSONE, butcher, on N. tenement formerly of Richard CLARKE on S., East Stockwell Street on E. and tenement sometime of John GILDER, now or formerly of Alexander DIGBIE, on w., in St. Martin, Colchester To use of Katherine ARNOLDE for life with remainder to her s. John CHENNY, conditional upon payment of £330 after her d. by the said John to Isaac CHENNY Witnesses to livery of seisin; Nathaniel NOETHIE.

(SEAX, Essex Records On-Line, Essex Record Office, Deeds Of Various Essex Parishes, D/DU 946/11) Note: See this site for ordering information.

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