Archdale, Combs &c. of Oxfordshire, England

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Oxfordshire, Oxford, or Oxon, an inland county, chiefly within the basin of the Thames. It is bounded, on the N w and the N, by Warwickshire: on the N E, by Northamptonshire; on the E, by Bucks; on the S E, the S, and the S W, by Berks; on the W, by Gloucestershire. Its outline is exceedingly irregular; commences, on tho N, in an apex, at the Three-shire-stone; expands irregularly southward till it attains a breadth of 34 miles; contracts suddenly at the middle, and for about 8 miles in the vicinity of Oxford, to a mean breadth of 7 miles; and stretches thence south-south-eastward with a maximum breadth of about 12 miles. Its boundary, overmost of the contact with Northamptonshire, is the river Cherwell, over all the long contact with Berks, is the Isis or Thames; but almost everywhere else, is artificial. Its greatest length, from N N W to S S E, is 50 miles; its greatest breadth, as already noted, is 34 miles; its circuit is about 180 miles, of which about 55 is along the Isisor Thames; and its area is 472, 717 acres.

Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales. John Marius Wilson. 1870-72

Except where otherwise noted, all Combs Oxfordshire Marriages were extracted by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff from FHC microfilm (See Also Marriage Notes); and all geographical data is from Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of England, parish_info.mdb, and Combs Researcher Barbara Jones.

For the purposes of Combs &c. Research, reports have been divided into the below-linked sections, with records where the town or parish is unknown listed on this page.

The nearest known “Oxfordshire County Combs Parishes” are: Littlemore (less than three miles southeast - see Cuddesdon), Sandford on Thames (abt 3 miles southeast) and Yarnton (about 4-1/2 miles northwest). Until 1974, the Thames River was the dividing line between Oxfordshire and Berks. Of the known Combs &c. parishes, the only ones affected so far by the 1974 change of boundary are North and South Hinksey (now in Oxfordshire, but formerly in Berks, which is also where they are located for research purposes as that was the "county of record").

Unknown Locations within the (City and) County (Chronologically)

1273 Co. Oxford, Hundred Rolls.
Gilbert ate CUMBE
John ate CUMBE
Roger de la CUMBE

(Dictionary of English & Welsh Surnames with Special American Instances, by Charles Wareing Bardsley, 1901) See also Earliest Combs &c. of England

12 Nov 1634 Administration of estate of Archdale COMBE, Bachelor, Oxford to John COMB 12 Nov. 1634.

(Extracted by Combs Researcher Joe Kendalll and transcribed by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff from Index to Administrations In Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Now Preserved In PRO….. ed. by Marc Fitch, London, British Record Society, 1986)

Archdale COMBE, bachelor, Oxford. To John. B. [sic], brother, 12 Nov 1634, p.63

(Extracted by Combs Researcher Joe Kendalll from The Index Library -- Index to Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Now Preserved in the Public Record Office, Chancery Lane Vol. VI, 1631-1648. ed. Marc Fitch. London: The British Record Society. 1986, p. 95)

Archdale COMBE, third s/o John and Margaret ARCHDALE Combe, died s.p., his estate administered by his eldest brother John, who had m in 1630 in Soulbury, Bucks, Elizabeth LOVETT (d/o Sir Robert and Anne SAUNDERS Lovett). Acquisition of the estate records of Archdale COMBS are still pending; however, it is known that John COMBES, by then of Sparsholt, Berks, died in Apr of 1652. A month later John's widow, Elizabeth, assumed administration of his brother William's estate (See 1629 Oriel College), and by 1656, was residing in Oxfordshire herself (See below).

10 Apr 1656 Archadell COMBES, son of John COMBES of Sparsholt, Berks., Arm, dec, apprenticed as a Draper to Christopher LOVETT for eight years by John's widow, Elizabeth [LOVETT] of Oxon, for L1000.

(Combs &c. Families of the Draper Company)

The above Archdale COMBES, b in 1641 in Soulbury Parish, Bucks, was the s/o John and Elizabeth LOVETT Combs. John's father, John Combs of St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury, London, was also a Draper, and the above Christopher LOVETT is believed to have been the same who was Elizabeth LOVETT Combs' brother. Christopher LOVETT was in Dublin, Ireland by 1658, but it is not known yet if Archdale Combs accompanied his uncle (Research in progress). Archdale's apprenticeship would have concluded in 1664, and by 1665 an Archdale Combs, believed to have probably been the same, is found in the records of Stafford and Old Rappa Cos VA. No further record has been found for Archdale's siblings or of his mother, who may have remarried, possibly in Oxfordshire - the primary reasons for the current active research of this county.

04 Feb 1681/2 Walter COMBES, son and heir of Thomas COMBES, late of Oxford, gent. Deceased, admitted to the Inner Temple, 4th February 1681/2

(Index of Admissions to the Inner Temple 1505-1750, Archivist, Inner Temple of London)

Oxfordshire Marriage Notes by Denise Mortorff: No abbreviations or codes were explained in these sources, which were handwritten card files, sometimes illegible. Oxford marriages are divided between City and County groups, and male and female entries, resulting in four record groups; however, it is not known how many of Oxford's 280 parishes were included in this source as no list of parishes were included. Comments added by myself appear in quotes or question marks are added.

Note: The source material utilised [brackets]; however, since brackets are the device normally used by Combs Researchers to add data that was not part of the source, (parentheses) have been substituted for brackets found in the source document.
Comb(e) see Combes
Comber see Cumber
Combes entries include Coombes, Comb(e), Coombe and Coome