Contents [hide]

Newcombe History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Newcombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Newcombe is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was name for a new person in town; a person who had just arrived to live in the area. The name Newcombe is derived from the Old English elements niwe, which means new, and cumen, which means come. The name is therefore transliterated as "newly come." Nickname surnames were frequently the result of a spontaneous reaction to a particular occasion or event. 1

Early Origins of the Newcombe family

The surname Newcombe was first found in Lincolnshire where Alan le Neucument was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1175. In Durham, William Neucum was listed at Boldon in 1183 and Walter le Neucumen was a Knights Templar in Lincolnshire in 1185. Again in Lincolnshire, Richard Newecwne was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Gilbert le Neucum, Lincolnshire; Gilbert le Neucomen, Lincolnshire; and Robert Neucomen, Lincolnshire. To the north in Yorkshire, Ricardus Newcomen was registered there in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 3

"Newcombe is an old Devonshire name. Richard Newcomb was twice mayor of Barnstaple in the reign of Henry VI. (G.). In the 16th and 17th centuries, a gentle family of Newcombe resided at Great Worthy, in Teignton - Drew. The name was well known in Exeter from the 16th to the 18th century, and Newcomb was the name of the Exeter mayors of 1612, 1703, and 1713. Ashburton also possessed a family of the name in the 16th century, Newcombe being the name of the Ashburton churchwardens of 1550 and 1569. The name still survives in Exeter and Barnstaple." 4

We found this interesting passage: "Somewhere about the year 1670, there was born in Dartmouth a man who did more to lay the foundations of the present manufacturing greatness of the kingdom, and to advance the progress of industrial operations throughout the world, than any other who can be named. This was Thomas Newcomin, the inventor of the first practical working steam-engine, upon which, after it had been many years in useful operation, the work of James Watt was based. Newcomin, with whom was associated another Dartmouth man, named Cawley, perfected his engine in 1705. Hardly anything is known of him except that he was a locksmith and ironmonger, and that he died in 1729. The date of his birth is quite uncertain, but no doubt has ever been thrown upon his being a Dartmouth worthy. The house in which he lived was pulled down a few years since, and the materials worked into a house called ' Newcomin Cottage.' West-Countrymen are proud of the fact that to Newcomin the world owes the stationary steam-engine, and to Trevithick, of Hayle, in Cornwall, the locomotive. Newcomin's engine was a perfectly new machine, though it had to a certain extent a predecessor in the ingenious device of Savery of Shilston ; and Trevithick's engine was the first that proved the practicability of steam locomotion on railroads." 5

Early History of the Newcombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Newcombe research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1610, 1627, 1669 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Newcombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newcombe Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Newcombe have been found, including Newcombe, Newcom, Newcomb, Newcome, Newcomen and others.

Early Notables of the Newcombe family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Newcombe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newcombe Ranking

In the United States, the name Newcombe is the 17,638^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Newcombe family to Ireland

Some of the Newcombe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Newcombe migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Newcombe, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were:

Newcombe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Newcombe, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 7
Arth Newcombe, who landed in Virginia in 1657 7

Newcombe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Newcombe, who landed in America in 1765 7
Robert Newcombe, who settled in New England in 1766

Newcombe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jane Charlotte Newcombe, who arrived in New York, NY in 1845 7
Mr. Thomas Newcombe, (b. 1868), aged 21, Cornish stonemason departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Etruria" arriving in New York, USA on 22 April 1889 8

Newcombe migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Newcombe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Newcombe, Jr., (b. 1804), aged 27, English tailor who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1832 9
Mr. John Newcombe, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Thomas Newcombe, English convict who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 4th October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
James Newcombe, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 12
John Newcombe, aged 39, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Newcombe migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Newcombe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Richard Newcombe, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
Mr. Richard Newcombe, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" arriving in Nelson, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1842 14
Mr. William H Newcombe, (b. 1852), aged 26, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 14
Miss Alice Newcombe, (b. 1870), aged 9, Cornish settler departing on 25th April 1879 aboard the ship "Orari" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 26th July 1879 15
Mrs. Ann Newcombe, (b. 1842), aged 37, Cornish settler departing on 25th April 1879 aboard the ship "Orari" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 26th July 1879 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Newcombe (post 1700) +

Donald "Newk" Newcombe (1926-2019), American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher, the first pitcher to win the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and Cy Young Awards during his career
Anton Newcombe (b. 1967), American singer-songwriter, musician
Lloyd A. Newcombe (b. 1922), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Senate 43rd District, 1966 16
E. C. Newcombe, American Republican politician, Mayor of Big Rapids, Michigan; Elected 1900, 1903 16
Hanna Newcombe (b. 1922), recipient of the 1997 Pearson Medal of Peace for her work as a peace activist and community development
Edmund Leslie Newcombe C.M.G. (1859-1931), Canadian lawyer and Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
John David Newcombe AO, OBE (b. 1944), Australian former World No. 1 tennis champion
Charles Frederick Newcombe (1851-1924), British botanist and ethnographic researcher
Arthur Newcombe Bourns FRSC (b. 1919), professor of chemistry and a university administrator
Alex Newcombe Walkinshaw (b. 1974), English actor, best known for playing the role of Sergeant Dale "Smithy" Smith in The Bill

Historic Events for the Newcombe family +

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Sarah Ann Newcombe (1865-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 17
Mrs. Gladys Newcombe (1900-1917), née Jay, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 17

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-gray
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque OREGON, 521 tons - 1851 voyage to South Australia. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Oregon.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance