Combs &c. Families of Cheshire, England

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Last updated 11 October 2009
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Cheshire is a palatine and maritime county of England, bounded on the NW. by the Irish Sea, and bordering on the counties of Lancaster, York, Derby, Stafford, Salop, Denbigh, and Flint.

(Bartholemew's Gazetteer of the British Isles, 1887.)

Note: This county has not yet been researched, and only a few “clues” have been collected thus far.

For a more complete explication of the history of Cheshire hundreds see THE DOMESDAY GEOGRASPAHY OF NORTHERN ENGLAND edited by Henry Clifford Darby and Ian Stanley Maxwell. Cambridge University Press. Date unknown.

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22 Jun 1377 - 17 Nov 1558 [between these dates] Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Early Proceedings, Richard II to Philip and Mary. C 1/1369/40 John MASSYE of Etchells v. Roger COMBES : Refusal to complete a sale of wheat.: Chester. (Combs &c. Index to PRO Entries; C 1 Series)

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Chronology of Index to Combs/COMBER (& all var. spellings) Wills of Cheshire, England
Extracted from Cheshire Wills, 1492-1857, proved at the Chester dioecesan consistory court and now held at the at the Cheshire Record Office; Prepared & Provided by the Cheshire Record Office in collaboration with The Family History Society of Cheshire. See Also http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/blangston/chswills/ for the full index.

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Among the later Combs of Cheshire were Hester COMBS, wife of Joshua GORDON* of Stockport, whose firstborn son, George, removed to America, sailing from England on 23 Aug 1856, and landing in New York on 02 Oct. (Biography of George GORDON ) *Joshua GORDON having been the son of a John GORDON. Is it possible that Hester COMBS Gordon was the d/o the above George COMBES of Stockport, 1829?

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Of the earlier Combs of Cheshire, nothing more is known as yet; however, several Combs-Associated families are known to have connections to Cheshire:

1. Descendants of William & Barbara ARCHDALE Palmer (the latter sister of Margaret ARCHDALE Combs); i.e., the will of William PALMER of Wanlip, Leicestershire, dated 13 Apr 1692, proved 14 Jul 1693, includes the statement: "… after the death and decease of my sister in law Mrs. Anne APPLETON, of all my lands &c in Astbury als Newbold Astbury, in the co. Palatine of Chester … (See Archdale-Combs Families of England)
2. Ancestors of Randall MANNING of Edmonton, Middlesex, who m 13 Dec 1607, Mary COMBE, d/o the above John and Margaret ARCHDALE Combe.
3. Ann BIRKENHEAD of Huxley, Chester, m John WATERHOUSE of Whitchurch, Buckingham, nephew of Robert & Agnes WATERHOUSE Combe of Newington, London [sic].

Other Combs-Associated Families of Chester included:

Robert OFFLEY whose granddaughter, Sarah OFFLEY, married (1) Adam THOROUGHGOOD, a resident of Virginia and member of the Council of the Virginia Company in 1637; (2) John GOOKIN, and (3) Francis YARDLEY, s/o George & Temperance FLOWERDEW Yardley.