Comberbach of Haughton

Pedigree 1: Addenda. Robert, son of John Comberbach, was born 1 May, and baptised 19 same month, at Hammer, co. Flint. This was probably Robert, who married Lettice Richardson.

Pedigree 1: Addenda. The third John Comberbach, of Haughton, ceases to be called “the younger” in certain deeds in the year 1774. His father must, therefore, have died previous to that date. “John Comberbach, of Whitchurch, co. Salop,” was buried at Bunbury, 17 February, 1770. This may have been the second John of Haughton.

We now come to that branch of the family, which, for three generations, owned the manor of Haughton, in the parish of Bunbury, and here, as in the former account, I shall only mention those of whom I have more to relate than is recorded in the tabular pedigree.

The first of this family, whose probable connexion with the Nantwich Comberbachs has been already explained, was Robert Comberbach*, of Crook Aldersey, in the parish of Coddington. By his will bearing date 14th Oct. 1703, proved at Chester, 25th Sept. 1704, he bequeathed his estate in Crook Aldersey, to his eldest son Robert. There is an entry in the transcript of the Coddington parish register at Chester, the original of which has been destroyed, of the marriage of Robert Comberbach and Margaret Nayler, on the 27th of April, 1635. There is also a marriage licence bond for the marriage of Robert Comberbach and Elizabeth Calveley, of Coddington, spinster, dated 26th January, 1679-80. He left issue, besides his eldest son Robert, Thomas and John, and three daughters.

John Comberbach was baptized at Coddington, 21st July, 1669.

In April 1704, he had a lease of the Hall, or Manor House, of Ridley, at the yearly rent of £208, from Sir Orlando Bridgeman. In 1712 he purchased the manor of Haughton, or as it is more anciently written Haighton, from John Aldersey, of London, youngest son of Thomas Aldersey, of Spurstow, county of Chester; and in 1721, a moiety of a messuage in Haughton from Thomas Tagg, of Gloverstone. In a will dated 8th May, 1719, but was afterwards cancelled, he bequeaths his lands at Ightfield, Whichurch, Prees, and Ashurst, in the county of Salop, to his son John and his issue male, with re­mainder to son Robert, and his Manor of Haughton to son Robert, and his issue male, with remainder to son John. He gives an annuity of £5 a year to his wife. In case his son Robert shall marry Abigail Chrichley, daughter to Ann Chrichley, widow, of Bunbury, he revokes the former bequest, and gives him £10 in full of all legacies, claims, and demands whatsoever. He died 29th January, 1742, and was buried at Bunbury on the 31st of the same month.        I subjoin, in a note, the expenses of his funeral taken from the original receipts, as the items will contrast singularly with simi­lar expenses in our day.* [* 31 Jan 1742]. He left issue, John, Robert, Ann, and Hannah.

Ann married Samuel Harrison, of Tatton, and had several children. See page 53. Hannah, married first, in 1719, John Lovitt, of Knutsford, and secondly, Samuel Williamson*.

Robert died in his father's lifetime, having married Lettice Richardson.

John Comberbach, upon the death of his father, joined with his son John Comberbach, in 1746, to bar the entail of the lands bequeathed to him by his father in Ightfield, Little Ash, and Prees. He is described as of Wem Brockhurst in 1744, of Kemples in 1746, and of Ightfield in 1747, and 1748, all in the county of Salop. From the following curious extract from the transcripts of the Coddington parish register, it appears that he was resident at Ridley, in the year 1722 :­

" 1722, 20 Feb. Ann d. of Jn Cumberbach, jun., yeoman, of Ridley in ye par’ of Bunbury, and Martha his supposed wife, was baptizd. Tho’ certificate of sd Comberbach's marr. was not shown whilst she resided in this parish."

This Ann married William Machin, and died without issue.

John Comberbach, the son, was the last owner of the manor of Haughton, which he left by his will, dated 23d July, 1779, to trustees for sale. The property was subsequently thrown into the Court of Chancery.    The Haughton estate consisted of 180 statute acres, and was sold to Mr. Garnett of Bunbury, the ancestor of the present Mr. Garnett-Botfield, for £4000. John Comberbach purchased an estate in Calveley, in 1773, from Sir Lynch Cotton, and sold it in 1777, at the Red Lion Inn, Nantwich. His first wife was Mary Shuker, from whose relative Arthur Shuker, his son Shuker Comber­bach inherited the Sandy-lane property, in the parish of Prees. His second wife, Mary Dutton, survived him, and after his death resided at Maesmynon, in North Wales. Some account of the Duttons will be found at page 55. He died in July, 1779, and was buried at Bunbury. Since his death little more remains to be told than is contained in the tabular pedigree. His descendants though very numerous, are none of them wealthy.      His third son John was a solicitor, and had the reputation of being a skilful conveyancer. This John’s eldest son John, was also in the profession of the law, during the later years of his life he resided at Overton, in Flintshire, and was buried in the church­yard of St. John’s parish in Chester. His fourth son Peter ran away to sea when a boy ; he afterwards resided near Liverpool, and is buried at Wavertree. See his monumental inscription, page 47. By his wife, Peggy Baxendale, he had issue two daughters, Mary Ann, and Margaret who lived at Chester, and died there, 16th March, 1857.  Mary Ann married William Brydon, of Leatherhead, in Surrey, surgeon, and had,

PETER-COMBERBACH, died sp.

WILLIAM, C.B., married Colina Macintyre, and has issue, a son William, and several others.

THOMAS.

JAMES, died sp.

JOHN, married and went to America.

JANE, died young.

MARGARET, married William Wright, of Gresford, in Denbigh­shire, and has issue.

MARY ANN, married R. R. Hill, and has issue. 

His fifth and youngest son Benjamin, was baptized at Bunbury, March 1770. On the 6th of June, 1793, he was admitted of the Inner Temple. For some time he practised as a solicitor at Worcester. He then went out to India, and practised in Calcutta, for fifteen years, and was very successful in his profession, as appears from the following extract:­

“Mr. Comberbach, formerly of Worcester, but now a resident in Calcutta, has lately brought to issue, by much perseverance and skill, a cause which had been for a consi­derable time before the Supreme Court, wherein Rajah Moory Loll was prosecutor against four other natives, for a conspiracy to compel him to sign the release of a suit respect­ing his landed property. After five days hearing the prison­ers were found guilty, and the Rajah has, in consequence, for a decision so important to his interests, remunerated Mr. Comberbach with a present of £10,000.”

He married ......... Sparks, of Bridgenorth, in Salop, and had issue, two daughters, Harriet and Louisa. Harriet married a Captain Maddocks, and upon her death he married Louisa. Harriet had issue an only child, Harriet-Fanny, now wife of - Crurnp, of Pentre­pant Hall, near Oswestry.

Benjamin Comberbach died at Calcutta.