Dear Mr. Antrobus,
Very strange that your mother's family were Coombes. My father's family
comes from Silverton, nr. Exeter where the name was very common, also at
Bradnich nr. Exeter. I have some research which shows that ?? De Cumbe comes
from Brittany after William the Conqueror and settled as farmers
around Exeter having sailed up the Exe river and the name derived from
that over the centuries.
If your family came from above perhaps we are related!! Perhaps we have
French blood in us as well!!
If You family history ties in with any of the above I would be most
interested to know.
Sincerely
Peter Coombes