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Stepney, Middlesex, England

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Combs &c. of Middlesex
Parishes within 20 miles of London
Later Combs &c. Middlesex Marriages

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Stepney Parish, 1.38 miles northeast of the city centre of London, is in the Tower division of the hundred of Ossultone, "2½ miles east of London, comprising the hamlets of Mile-End New Town, Mile-End Old Town, and Ratcliff… called in various ancient records Stebunhithe and Stebenhythe, occurs in Domesday-book under the name Stibenhede… anciently included the hamlets of Stratford le Bow, Limehouse, Poplar and Blackwall, Shadwell, St. George's in the East, Wapping, Spitalfields, Whitechapel, and Bethnal-Green… The present [1830] parish of St. Paul, Shadwell, was separated from Stepney in 1666; St. Mary's, Whitechapel, in 1673; St. John's, Wapping, in 1694; St. Mary's, Stratford le Bow, in 1717; the parishes of Christchurch (Spitalfields) and St. George in the East, in 1729; St. Anne's, Lime-house, in 1730; St. Matthew's, Bethnal-Green, in 1743; and the parish of All Saints', Poplar, including Blackwall, in 1817… Stepney is within the jurisdiction of the county magistrates and the new (in 1830) police establishment, and under the jurisdiction of the court of requests for the "Tower Hamlets," held in Osborne-street, Whitechapel, for the recovery of debts… The church of Stepney, together with the manor, was appropriated to the see of London, in 1380, and the bishops of that diocese appointed to the rectory, which was a sinecure, the rectors being patrons of the vicarage: in 1544, the great tithes were impropriated, and the impropriator presented both to the rectory and to the vicarage; in 1708, they were purchased by the Principal and Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford, which purchase was afterwards confirmed by act of parliament, and they were annexed to the vicarage, subject to an annual payment of £40 to the college, and divided into moieties, of which the incumbents were styled portionists of Church-Stepney and Spitalfields-Stepney. After the separation of the several parishes, and the consequent diminution of the value of the benefice, the arrangement was altered, and the living became vested in one person. It is a rectory, in the peculiar jurisdiction of the Commissary of London, concurrently with the Consistorial Court of the Bishop, rated in the king's books at £73. 6. 8., and in the patronage of the Principal and Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. Dunstan and All Saints... …" (Lewis, 1830)


Stepney - General Records (no parish named)
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 1/754/7 Henry COMBE.: Petition that Aldred FITZJAMES, steward of the manor of Stepney, Middlesex, may testify to a demise of lands there by the bishop of London. (Combs &c. Extractions from the Index to the PRO Catalogue, C 1 Series)

3 Apr 1672-20 Sep 1673 The Wanlip, Leicestershire will of Archdale PALMER bequeaths to his four sons, Archdale, Thomas, Samuel and Joshua (the latter two under age) "My houses &c in Stepney." He was born in 1610 in St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury, London, s/o William and Barbara ARCHDALE Palmer (d/o Thomas ARCHDALE)

Saint Dunstan, Stepney, Middlesex (1.38 mi. northeast of city centre)

Except where otherwise noted, the source for parish records is FamilySearch.Org, St Dunstan Parish Registers, 1568-1639 (#0578821 marriages, #0595417 christenings) (source not yet viewed)
2 Sep 1576 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, EN. Christened: Ellenn COOMES, d/o Harry COOMES

26 Oct 1578 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Harry COOMES, s/o Harry COOMES

6 Mar 1579 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Anna COOMES, d/o Hary COOMES

25 Feb 1581 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Elizabeth COOMES, d/o COOMES [sic]

14 May 1582 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Married: Alice COMBES & Richard EMMERSON

15 Apr 1583 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Married: Elizabeth CUMBES & John WARFARD [SW: WOFFORD, WARFORD]
See also later Combs-Warford of Kingwood Twp., Hunterdon Co, New JerseyJ and Hampshire Co, Virginia.
2 Feb 1586 I, Richard EMERSON, of Lymehouse, in Co. Midd. To be bur. in the Churchyard of Stebenhuth. To my wife, all my leases and 1/2 my movable goods. The other half to her dau. Eliz. COMES. Out of the legacy to my wife I except the money owing to me by James and Edward PARKER. To Clare DUNINGE, my new trunk. To my nephew Edward EMERSON, my clothes. The rest of my goods to my wife, whom I make executrix. Robert FEME to be overseer. Witnesses:--John BARNES, Ric. RANDOLS, Job BRODOKE. Proved 3 March, 1586--7, by Alice EMERSON, the relict. REGISTER No. 17, fo. 58B. (Extracted from The English Emersons, A Genealogical Historical Sketch of the family from the earliest times to the end of the Seventeenth Century, including various modern pedigrees, with an appendix of authorities by P. H. Emerson, David Nutt, Publisher, 270, STRAND, LONDON, W.C., 1898, Appendix, xii)
See the 1582 St. Dunstan marriage of Richard EMMERSON to Alice COMBES who was apparently a widow. No earlier marriage record has been located as yet for Alice, whose daughter, Elizabeth, may have been the same christened 25 Feb 1581 at St Dunstan's. According to this same source,
14 Mar 1588 St. Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: John VASSALL, s/o John VASSALL
See Burroughs-Vassall-Ware Families re Massachussetts and Virginia Connections.
23 May 1598 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England. Married: John LONGWORTH and Mary MICHELL
See below
27 Aug 1593 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Married: Rose COMES & George GLASSON
This same source indicates that on 8 Oct 1598 at St. Dunstan, Stepney, a Rose GLASSON married a Henry THOMSON.
05 Jun 1600 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Married: Agnes COOMES & Thomas BLAKE

27 Aug 1601 St. Dunstan, Stepney Married: Clement COOMES & Katheren REA [SW: RHEA, RAY]
See also Clement COOMES of St. James, Clerkenwell, Middlesex in 1611 and of St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney in 1614 (below); and Clement and St. Botolph, Aldgate, London in 1617.
10 Apr 1604 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Married: Alice COMBES & Basill SPENCER
No later entries for Basil are found (He may be the same who was christened 25 Jul 1575 at Saint Mary Woolchurch Haw, London), but there is a marriage of an Alice SPENCER in St. Dunstan on 13 May 1610 to a Henry PERRYN. Perhaps a second marriage?
10 Oct 1613 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: John COOMBES, s/o Thomas COOMBES

6 Jul 1613 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Jone COMMBES, d/o Charles

15 Jan 1615 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Married: Diana COOME & Robert SMITH

01 Nov 1621 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Married: Mary COME & John WILSON

17 Jan 1637 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Christian COOME, d/o John & Elizabeth COOME
In Soulbury, Bucks, there is a five-year gap between the birth of Robert (1634) and Anne (1639), children of John & Elizabeth LOVETT Combe (s/o John & Margaret ARCHDALE Combe); however, based on the 1643 record below, this was unlikely to have been their child. Even if not, could this nevertheless have been a related family, and Christian named after John's Aunt Chrian [Christian, Christine?] COMBE(?) Langworth of Devonshire, mother of Margaret LANGWORTH, both named in the will of William COMBE of Oxford University? See also St. Mary Whitechapel (below) re Marmaduke and Margaret LONGEWORTH, also of Cheshunt, Herts, children of George LUNGEWORTH. No marriage record has been located for either George or Marmaduke.
26 Oct 1638 Married: Jane Gedge COMBE & William TAYLOR (IGI, Ba: E055761, So: 578821, film not read)

2 Jun 1643 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: John COOME, s/o John & Elizabeth COOME

2 Jun 1643 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Elizabeth COOME, d/o John & Elizabeth COOME

4 Nov 1644 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Sara COMBE, d/o Thomas & Joane COMBE

01 Jan 1645 [1645/6?] Saint Dunstan, Stepney Married: Sarah COOMES and Thomas WOODWARD

13 Dec 1646 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Frances CUMMIS, d/o Cutbert & Anne CUMMIS

28 Feb 1646 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Thomas COOMES, s/o John & Elizabeth COOMES

13 Aug 1648 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Sarah COOME, d/o Edward & Elinor COOME

23 Nov 1650 Saint Dunstan, Stepney, London, England. Married: John LONGWORTH and Elener SMITH

28 Mar 1650 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Sarah COMBES, d/o John & Elizabeth COMBES

24 Jun 1652 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Married: Susana COOMES & Thomas WILSON

26 Jan 1656 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Jane COMBS, d/o Thomas & Thomasin COMBS

7 Feb 1659 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Anne COOMBS, d/o Henry & Mary COOMBS

14 Oct 1659 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Married: Christian COOMES (bride) & Gyles SUITE (groom)

24 May 1660 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Elizabeth COOMES, d/o Thomas & Thomasin COOMES

24 Feb 1660 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Susana COMES, d/o William & Susana COMES

22 Aug 1662 Saint Dunstan, Stepney. Christened: Allen COMES, s/o William & Susana COMES
[following which, a thirty year gap in records, not YET extracted here]

Mile End, Stepney
27 Apr 1709 James FOWLER of Mile End, Stepney, Mddx., late inhabitant of Nansemond Co. [Virginia], James river, Va., gent., dated 27 Apr 1709. My stock in trade in Va. to be disposed of by my exec. and the proceeds to be remitted to England. My wife Elizabeth FOWLER is to consign goods delivered to my account to my friend Mr. John GOODWIN, merchant in London. Mr. Robert BETTY who, with my wife, manages my concerns in Va., is to be retained at the salary agreed with Capt. Richard LOVETT, late of Norfolk Co., Va., deceased. ...................................................................
................................................................
............................................................. (PROB 11/508/115). (Extracted by Combs Researcher Vince Griffin from "American Wills Proved in London 1611-1775" by Peter Wilson Coldham, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1992, pg 95)
Capt. Richard LOVETT has not yet been identified; nor has Lancaster LOVETT who was also early in Norfolk Co VA… where no Combs have been found as yet. >:
St. Mary Whitechapel (.87 mi. northeast of city centre)

Note: Only two early 1600s Combe IGI entries have been located (as follows), but many later 1600s records not yet extracted.
15 Oct 1607 St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney. Christened: Bennet COMES, son of Daniel COMES (IGI, B: 4 Jun 1971 SLAKE Ba: C006291, E: 29 Nov 1971 SLAKE So: 094691, SP: 9 Aug 1971 SLAKE Pr: 0820590, source not yet viewed)

17 Jul 1614 St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney. Christened: Jane COOMES, daughter of Clement COOMES
See 1601 St. Dunstan, Stepney marriage of Clement and Katherine REA Coomes (above); also Clement of St. James, Clerkenwell; and Clement and Katherine of St. Botolph without Aldgate, London, in 1617.
25 Nov 1622 St Mary Whitechapel, London, England. Married: Thomas LOVETT and Katheren PALMER

6 Feb 1630 St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London, England Christened: John LANGWORTH, son of Marmaduke and Alice LANGWORTH (FamilySearch.Org, #0094691, Parish registers, 1558-1940 Church of England. St. Mary's Church (Whitechapel))

22 Mar 1634 St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London, England. Christened: John LONGWORTH, son of Marmaduke and Alice LONGWORTH (FamilySearch.Org, 0578821 Parish registers, 1568-1719 Church of England. St. Dunstan Church (Stepney, Middlesex))

22 Jan 1642 St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London, England. Marmeduke LONGWORTH, son of Marmeduke LONGWORTH (FamilySearch.Org)

24 Oct 1670 St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London, England. Christened: Nathaniell POPE, son of Will. and Ann POPE (FamilySearch.Org, IGI, #0094691, Parish registers, 1558-1940 Church of England. St. Mary's Church (Whitechapel))

1675-1686 John COMBES, St. Mary, Whitechapel, Middlesex; will regd. (98 Dycer (1675), 1686 160) (Extracted by Combs Researchers Joe Kendalll and Denise Mortorff from "The Index Library - Index to Wills Proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and now preserved in the Probate Registry, Somerset House, London", Vol. XI, 1686-1693. ed. C. Harold Ridge. London: British Record Society Limited, 1958, p. 64)

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