| ![Show Contents]() Comber History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Comber is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived in a small valley. The surname Comber is derived from the Old English word cumb, which means valley. The surname Comber belongs to the large class of Anglo-Saxon topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees. Alternatively, the name could have been an occupational name for 'the comber,' as in 'the wool comber.' 1 "The early importance of this occupation was bound to create and preserve this surname. " 2 Early Origins of the Comber familyThe surname Comber was first found in various counties an shires throughout ancient Britain. By example, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Richard le Cumbere in Cambridgeshire; and John le Cumbur in Oxfordshire. 2 Ralph (le) Cambere was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Lincolnshire (1201-1202.) Reginald Combere (le Camber) was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Hertfordshire in 1220 and Ralph le Combere and William le Comere were found in Norfolk in 1286. William le Combere was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1260 and later, John Comber was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 3 John a Kent and John a Cumber is a sixteenth-century English play by Anthony Munday (c. 1560-1633.) The exact dating of the play is not known but we do know that it was being performed on stage as early as 1587. It is generally thought that in this case, the comedic play's character was in fact John a' Cumber (relating to Cumberland) The play has parallels with Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Early History of the Comber familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Comber research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1296, 1575, 1631, 1644, 1645, 1649, 1653, 1660, 1689 and 1699 are included under the topic Early Comber History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Comber Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Comber has been recorded under many different variations, including Comber, Comer, Commber, Commer, Combers, Commers and others. Early Notables of the Comber familyNotables of this surname at this time include: - Thomas Comber (1575-1653), an English linguist, Dean of Carlisle and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge (1631-1645.) He was born at Shermanbury, Sussex, on 1 Jan. 1575, being the twelfth son of his...
- Thomas Comber (1645-1699), was an English churchman from Barkham, Sussex, Dean of Durham from 1689. He "was descended from an ancient family at Barkham, Sussex. His father, James Comber, was the fourt...
 Migration of the Comber family to Ireland
Some of the Comber family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Comber migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Comber or a variant listed above:
Comber Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- John, Michael, Martin, and Patrick Comber, all, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early 1800's, and then proceeded inland to settle in many parts of America
| Comber migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Comber Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Mr. Jacob Comber U.E. who settled in Ernestown, Lennox & Addington, Ontario c. 1783 4
- Mr. Paul Comber U.E. who settled in Ernestown, Lennox & Addington, Ontario c. 1783 4
- Mr. Thomas Comber U.E. who settled in Ernestown, Lennox & Addington, Ontario c. 1783 4
Comber Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Mr. Thomas Comber, aged 40 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Syria" Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle on 21st May 1847 5
| Comber 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: Comber Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Thomas Comber, (b. 1875), aged 4, Scottish settler, from Galway travelling with the Coyne family from Clyde aboard the ship "Nelson" arriving in Invercargill, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 28th August 1879 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Comber (post 1700) | + |
- John William Comber M.M. (1906-1998), American-born Catholic missionary and bishop
- John Howard Comber (1861-1903), English cricketer
- Michael Andrew Comber (b. 1989), English cricketer
- Robert Comber (1816-1858), English cricketer who played for Surrey
- Bobbie Comber (1886-1942), English comedian, singer and acto, active from 1904 to 1941
- Harold Frederick Comber ALS (1897-1969), English horticulturist and plant collector
- Leonard Francis Comber (1921-2023), British military and police officer and book publisher, born in London
- Anthony James "Tony" Comber (1927-2022), English prelate, Archdeacon of Leeds from 1982 to 1992
- Mick Comber (1903-1975), former Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League
- Kenneth "Ken" Mark Comber (1939-1998), New Zealand politician of the National Party, Member of Parliament for Wellington Central (1972-1981)
- ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Historic Events for the Comber family | + |
- Mr. James D Comber (b. 1914), English Leading Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Pulborough, Sussex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 7
HMS Royal Oak - Albert Edward Benjamin Comber (1908-1939), British Petty Officer with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 8
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Sapiens dominabitur astris
Motto Translation: A wise man can rule the stars.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 19)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
- Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
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Comber migration to the United States 
Comber migration to Canada 
Comber migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
