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Mostly Coombe in Australia &

Coumbe in North Hill, Cornwall

Family History & Genealogy

Mostly Coombe – Migrants - Velocity - 1855 - Henry Coumbe and Family

In Adelaide, South Australia on 23 Jun 1855 on the Velocity in 1855 arrived: Henry Coumbe (agricultural labourer, age 50, from North Hill), his wife Jane Coumbe (44), Mary Coumbe (servant, 19), Elizabeth Forster Coumbe (servant,16), John Coumbe (9) and William Coumbe (6). They were from North Hill, Cornwall.

A notice appeared addressed to Henry very soon after his arrival

HARRY COUMBE (late of Cornwall) —If this should meet his eye he will hear of his Parents by addressing a letter to them, care of Mr. James Pearce, Mount Barker.

Adelaide Observer, 4 August 1855

Henry Coumbe (1804, Lezant - 1876, SA), agricultural labourer, had married Jane Forster (1811,Trebartha-1894, SA) in North Hill on 30 Mar 1833.  Henry and Jane's children, all born in North Hill, were Harry Coumbe (1833-77), Mary Coumbe (1835-?), Elizabeth Forster Coumbe (1838-?), John Coumbe (1845-1925) and William Coumbe (1848-1913). At the 1841 and 1851 censuses, Henry was at Basstreet Cottage near Bowda in North Hill parish, about a mile from Jane's birthplace of Trebartha.

TAKE NOTICE that the PARTNERSHIP hitherto existing between HENRY COUMBE and SON as Butchers at Nairne, is this day DISSOLVED by mutual consent. Dated this 30th day of November, 1869. HENRY COUMBE. WILLIAM COUMBE. Witnesses Richard Tucker, Samuel Lang. 15 Dec 1869

Henry's father was a blacksmith in Lezant, Cornwall - a good background for the grandson, John. Henry's son, John Coumbe was "of the well-known firm of John Coumbe & Sons, engineers, Kilkenny" from 1884.  Prior to this he was at Georgetown from 1871, where he was an agricultural implement maker and is said to have "held many important local positions". He was at Georgetown at the same time Coombe Brothers were in nearby Port Pirie. It is certain that they knew each other - they advertised their businesses concurrently in the same newspaper.

Henry’s brother, Thomas Pring COUMBE (b. 12 Jan, chr. 2 Feb Stoke Climsland) was hanged for robbery in 1828. On 12 June, the Times reported Thomas had broken out of a solitary cell in Bodmin Gaol and headed for North Hill on a stolen black mare. On 21 June, Woolmer’s Exeter and Plymouth Gazette reported the subsequent events (pictured). On 16 and 30 August, the Royal Cornwall Gazette reported Thomas’ impending and eventual hanging. (Thanks to Ken Ripper for the research on Thomas Pring COUMBE.)

Below is a descendancy chart for this family.  The following abbreviations are used: ? = uncertain, NI = no issue, ... indicates known descendants, Adel = Adelaide, NCM = New Cornwall Mine.  All locations are in South Australia, unless otherwise noted.

Henry COUMBE, bap. 23 Jul 1804 Lezant, CON, d. 9 Aug 1876 Byethorn, Nairne

+ Jane FORSTER, bap. 12 Mar 1811 Trebartha CON, m. 30 Mar 1833 North Hill, CON, d. 27 Feb 1894 Bowden

├── Harry COUMBE, bap. 19 May 1833 Northill CON, d. 13 Mar 1887 East Moonta

│   + Bridget FITZGERALD, b. circa 1842, m. 8 Nov 1861 Adel, d. ?. NB: Bridget Coombe not to be confused with Josephine Mary Bridget Coombe.

│   ├── Harry COUMBE, b. 29 Mar 1866 NCM Kadina, d. 3 Feb 1867 NCM. NI.

│   ├── Mary Jane COUMBE, 1867-68 NCM Kadina. NI.

│   ├── Florence COUMBE, b. 16 Jun 1870 Kadina ... (with Joseph Henry PEARCE)

│   └── William Henry COUMBE, b. 14 Dec 1871 Kadina, d. 11 Dec 1953 Adel

│           m(1)., ? m(2). Elizabeth Ann THOMAS 1913 Adel

│   + Elizabeth Anna PENGILLY, b. circa 1846, m. 18 Sep 1878 E.Moonta

│   ├── Elizabeth Ellen COUMBE, b. 13 Oct 1879 Moonta Mines, d. 25 Mar 1880 E.Moonta

│   ├── Frederick John COUMBE, b. 15 Dec 1880 Moonta Mines

│   ├── Elizabeth Alma COUMBE, b. 26 Mar 1883 E.Moonta

│   ├── James COUMBE, b. 18 Apr 1884 E.Moonta, d. 18 Apr 1884 E.Moonta

│   └── Clara COUMBE, b. 6 Aug 1885 E.Moonta, d. 20 Mar 1886 E.Moonta

├── Mary COUMBE, bap. 21 Jun 1835 Northill CON

│   + Samuel Carsley LANG, m. 24 Feb 1858 SA

│   ├── John LANG, b. 30 Mar 1868 Mt Barker Springs near Nairne

│   ├── Martha LANG, b. 30 Aug 1869 Mt Barker Springs

│   ├── Emma LANG, b. 11 May 1871 Mt Barker Springs

│   └── James LANG, b. 5 Sep 1874 Mt Barker Springs

├── Elizabeth Forster COUMBE, bap. 4 Nov 1838 Northill CON, d. 17 Jul 1862 Ballarat VIC Inquest

│   └── Lucy Elizabeth COOMBES, b. 7 Jul 1862 Ballarat VIC,

│            adopted by Dr Whitcombe (see inquest), d. 1900 Ballarat VIC. NI.

├── John COUMBE, b. 1843-1845 Northill CON, d. 11 Jun 1925 Kilkenny. Golden Wedding | Obituary

│   + Eliza Jane BEARD, b. circa 1843, m. 28 Nov 1864 Adel, d. 18 Feb 1919 Kilkenny

│   ├── Elizabeth Jane COUMBE, b. 31 Aug 1865 Mt Barker

│   ├── Mary Jane COUMBE, b. 28 Jul 1867 Mt Barker ... (with Edwin OATEN, m. 1895 Adel)

│   ├── Maria Eliza COUMBE, b. 20 Jun 1869 Mt Barker ... (with Arthur John BOYES)

│   ├── Ellen COUMBE, b. 15 Sep 1871 George Town ... (with Edwin John OATEN, m. 1899 Adel)

│   ├── John Albert COUMBE, b. 21 Sep 1873 Georgetown, d. 26 Nov 1874 George Town. NI.

│   ├── John Henry COUMBE, b. 8 May 1875 Georgetown, d. 30 Oct 1875 George Town. NI.

│   ├── Francis Henry Havelock COUMBE, b. 27 Sep 1877 George Town, d. 1 Dec 1948 Kilkenny ...

│   ├── John William Forster COUMBE, b. 13 Nov 1879 George Town, d. 22 May 1953 Adel ...

│   ├── Hurtle Harrold Emanuel COUMBE, b. 31 May 1882 Clare District, d. 8 Jan 1922 Kilkenny

│   ├── Elsie Phoebe Violet May COUMBE, b. 4 May 1884 Georgetown ... (with William SHARP)

│   └── Lillian Olive Victoria Maud COUMBE, b. 25 Jul 1886 Pt Adel, d. 29 Apr 1892 Kilkenny

└── William COUMBE, bap. 24 Sep 1848 Bowhayland CON, d. 10 Jul 1913 Adel. Obituary

    + Ann TUCKER, m. 17 Feb 1869 Adel, d. ?1873-82?

    ├── Betsy Gould COUMBE, b. 29 Jun 1869 Nairne ... (with William FINCH)

    ├── Elizabeth Foster COUMBE, b. 29 Aug 1870 Nairne ... (with Hector FRASER)

    ├── Adelaide COUMBE, b. 27 Feb 1872 Nairne ... (with Franz Heinrich WAGNER, m. 1904)

    │   └── Kathleen Alberta COUMBE, b. 20 Mar 1895, Prospect

    └── Alberta Mary COUMBE, b. 29 Jul 1873 Georgetown North, d. 5 Oct 1946 North Adel

    + Sarah RUSBRIDGE, m. 30 Oct 1882 Adel

    ├── William Henry Cobden COUMBE, b. 27 Jan 1883 Prospect, m. Annie BARNES 1910 Adel, d. 1963 Perth WA, children?

    ├── Ella May COUMBE, b. 24 Jul 1885 Brighton, d. 1973 Newtown NSW. NI.

    ├── Roy Mason COUMBE, b. 11 Feb 1888 Brighton, d. 1935 Earlwood NSW, children?

    └── Guy Richard COUMBE, b. 31 May 1892 Brighton, m. Maude Margaret WILSON 1922 Adel, children?

Henry’s Paternal Ancestry

Henry COUMBE, born 4 Jun, b. 23 Jul 1804, Lezant, son of:

   William COUMBE (blacksmith) and Elizabeth PRING / PRYNN, m. 10 Aug 1789, Lezant

                       (marriage recorded as “COOMBE” and both “of this parish”)

   William COOMBE, b. 20 Oct 1767 (baptised as “COOMB”) , son of:

      John COOMBE and Grace SMALE / SMALL, m. 28 Jul 1764, Lezant, (both “of this parish”)

      John COOMBE, b. 23 Feb 1731, son of:

          John COOMBE and Philippa SARGENT, m. 5 Sep 1728, Lezant.

John COOMBE and Philippa SARGENT are also ancestors of the Lewannick Coombe family.

This ancestry is reasonably likely, but would benefit from more research. Are there any researchers in this Coumbe family who are looking into this ancestry?

Can you help? To add, contribute, comment, contact David Coombe

Updated: 27 Apr 2016