Macomber Genealogy

Macomber

   Macomber is Scottish in origin. The family was first found in Perthshire where they were seated from very ancient times. McComber is an Anglicized form of a Gaelic name, probably Mac Ciaragáin (‘descendant of Ciaragán’), a personal name based on a diminutive of ciar (‘black’, ‘dark’), but erroneously identified with cíor (‘comb’). However, the Irish evidence is for Ó Ciaragáin, not Mac Ciaragáin, so the Mac prefix is surprising.
   The Coat of Arms is gold with a red lion rampant and a red stripe across the top of the shield. The Crest is a rampant mountain cat. The Family Motto is "Touch not the cat bot a glove" (translated: "Don't touch the cat without a glove").
   Our lineage to this family can be traced to JOHN MACOMBER, who was born in 1585 in Bridport, Dorsetshire, England. Bridport was (and still is) a market town 1.5 miles inland from the English Channel near the confluence of the River Brit and its tributary the Asker. Its origins are Saxon and it has a long history as a rope-making center. On the coast and within the town's boundary is West Bay, a small fishing harbour also known as Bridport Harbour.
   John was christened at St. Mary's, an Anglican parish church in Bridport that still stands today, and became a mercer, which is a dealer of silk, velvet and fine cloth. On 8 Jun 1607, John married EDITH LOCKE at the same church, and they had a large family together. Edith died on May 10, 1636, and is buried at St. Mary's, along with her husband, who died on the sixth of July, 1650. But they had a lot of children first...

CHILDREN OF JOHN MACOMBER AND EDITH LOCKE

THOMAS MACOMBER b: 12 Sep 1608 and was baptized on 14 Sep 1623 Bridport, Dorset, England. He died before 13 Jan 1623 in Bridport, Dorset, England.

WILLIAM MACOMBER was born before 25 Mar 1610, when he was christened at St. Mary's Anglican church in Bridport, Dorsetshire, on New Year's/Lady's Day, an important Christian Holiday in Europe, being exactly nine months before the believed birth of Jesus Christ on 25 December. William married PRISCILLA or URSUL in 1633 and was noted to be a cooper and to have a 'testimony' of such on 2 April 1638, which was, in all likelihood, an affidavit from a master coop indicating that William completed his apprenticeship. William sailed to the Plymouth Colony in America with his wife and son, and is noted as a resident of Duxbury on 20 August 1644 and as being in Marshfield by 1645. Marshfield Township is directly north of Duxbury Township. "Marshfield, the autobiography of a Pilgrim town (1640-1940)", by Marshfield Tercentenary Committee, 1940. p. 14: "Macomber House was built between 1639 and 1645 and was used as a watch or garrison place." Many colonial & town entries note William & family in Marshfield in the remaining years of his life. Soon after arriving in Marshfield he had our ancestor SARAH MACOMBER (BRIGGS, 1643-1680).

ZEPORAH MACOMBER b: 11 Nov 1611. No further information.

JOHN MACOMBER b: 26 Oct 1613. "John Macomber was admitted as a freeman and enrolled in the militia of Taunton in 1643. He was granted permission to build a mill in Taunton in 1659. There were then four persons in his family, and there is no record of more. The name of his first wife has not been learned. He married, 7 Jan. 1686, as his second wife, Mary Babcock. He was in a military company in 1680. He was living in 1687, as shown by a deed. Another deed shows that he died before 1690. He was a carpenter by trade. His property was equally divided between a daughter, Mary Staples, and a son, John Macomber" (Macomber Genealogy, by Everett Schermerhorn Stackpole, Lewsiton, Maine, Press of the Journal Co, 1907). Record from "Aug. 20, 1644, William Maycumber of Duxborrow sent forth to bring in John Macomber for non-appearance for making allarum at Taunton." No further information.

RICHARD MACOMBER b: 3 Dec 1619. No further information.

MARIE MACOMBER b: 12 Oct 1621. No further information.

THOMAS MACOMBER was baptized on 14 Sep 1623, according to records at the Dorsett History Center. He came to America with his brothers William and John. He was recorded in Thomas in Plymouth in 1643... No descendants of Thomas have been found" (Macomber Genealogy, by Everett Schermerhorn Stackpole, Lewsiton, Maine, Press of the Journal Co, 1907).

EDITH MACOMBER b: 27 Dec 1625. No further information.

ROBERT MACOMBER b: 2 Dec 1627. No further information.

   An old tradition concerning "three brothers" who came to America seems to be verified in the case of the Macombers, for William was in Duxbury in 1638; Thomas in Plymouth in 1643; and John in Taunton in 1643. No descendants of Thomas have been found.
   William Macomber traveled to America and became a cooper. Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden barrels, kasks, buckets and other similar wooden objects. Barrel making is also referred to as cooperage. William's trade is evidenced by the following note, which is the first mention of William in America: "Will'm Maycumber, of Dorchester, cooper, is lycensed to dwell within this gov'ment, at Plymouth or elsewhere, upon the testymony of his good behavior hee hath brought with him." (Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. I. p. 82.) The testimony of good behavior is likely to have been obtained from the person with whom he served his apprenticeship in learning the trade of a cooper. The date of the above record is April 2 1638.
   Under date of Sept. 3, 1638, are found the following records: "Will'm Maycumber, a cooper, is graunted an island lying on the north side Powder Poynt, & containing about three or four acres of land, provided that the committees of Duxborrow doe consent thereunto, and that he doe not stop the townes cattle from the fresh water thereupon," and "Liberty is graunted to Will'm Maycumber, cooper, to fetch tymber to make hoopes of for vessels for the colonies use at Clarks Island and Sagaquash." Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. I. p. 95.
   Aug. 3, 1640, "Will'm Maycumber is granted the wood fitt for coopery growing upon Wood Island, to be used by him so long as he followeth his trade, and forbidding all others to cutt there except for the loading of boats and vessells to carry away the hay." Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. I. p. 159.
   William settled in Marshfield, Mass. In 1644 he was fined for speaking against the Indians. He was a surveyor in Marshfield in 1653.
   William married URSULA MATHEW or THOMAS (b. 1612 in Marshfield, Plymouth, Massachusetts -- Surname given as Mathew in NEHGR vol. 125, p. 82, "Sons of John Briggs of Taunton, Massachusetts") on the 16th of January, 1633/34 in Bridgeport, St.Mary's, Dorsetshire. They had the following children (the dates are a hodgepodge, and names keep repeating, so either they renamed children after dead siblings, or a genealogist gave up and included every birth date recorded by everyone):

CHILDREN OF WILLIAM AND URSULA MACOMBER

THOMAS MACOMBER b: 28 Feb 1635/1636 in Bridgeport, Dorsetshire, England. No further information.

JOHN MACOMBER b: 1640 in Marshfield, Plymouth, Massachusetts. No further information.

EDITH MACOMBER b: ABT 1640 in Marshfield, Barnstable, MA. She married John Lincoln of Hingham. No further information.

HANNAH MACOMBER b: ABT 1642 in Marshfield, Barnstable, MA. No further information.

SARAH MACOMBER b: 1645 in Marshfield, Plymouth, MA. Family listed below.

WILLIAM MACOMBER b: 18 May 1645 in Marshfield, Barnstable, MA. The will of William Macomber, dated 10 Apr 1711, and probated 2 Jul 1711, names his wife Mary and all his children—whose births are found in the town records of Dartmouth: Elizabeth b: 17 Mar; William b: 20 Sep 1674; Thomas b: 3 June 1679; Abiel b: 12 Jan 1685; John b: 11 July 1687; Ephraim b: 11 Feb 1692; and Mary b: 15 Feb 1695.

MATTHEW MACOMBER b: 3 Feb 1648/1649 in Marshfield, Barnstable, MA. In December, 1675, Mathew Macomber of Taunton, son of William deceased, being twenty-five years of age or thereabouts, made his will, giving all his real estate to his loving brother, John Macomber, twenty shillings to his honored mother, ten shillings to his brother, Thomas Macomber, and ten shillings apiece to all his sisters unnamed. John Macomber, Jr., was witness. Thomas Macomber made oath to the inventory of Matthew Macomber's estate in 1676.

THOMAS MACOMBER b: 3 Feb 1649 in Marshfield, Barnstable, MA. He married Sarah Crocker. No further information.

HANNAH MACOMBER b: 1652 in Marshfield, Plymouth, Massachusetts. She married JOSEPH RANDALL of Scituate. Children: Elizabeth. No further information.

URSILLA MACOMBER b: ABT 1655 in Marshfield, Plymouth, MA. She married Nicholas White. Children: Nicholas; Matthew; Ephraim; Dorcas; Benjamin; John and Thomas.

JOHN MACOMBER b: ABT 1655 in Marshfield, Barnstable, MA. John is often mentioned in the history of Taunton and is called in deeds "John Macomber the cooper" to distinguish him from other John Macombers. He married Hannah, daughter of Edward Bobbit, who was born 9 March, 1660. John Macomber was a soldier in King William's War in 1691. He made his will, "being aged," 29 June, 1716. He was living 21 Jan. 1717-8, as a deed shows. His will names children as follows: William, b. 1684, m. Hannah Hoskins; Sarah m. abt. 1715, Wm. Hoar; d. 13 Jan. 1757; Damaris, m. 10 Dec. 1712, Josiah Cane; Esther; Hannah; (One of these m. William Richmond); and Ruth.

   William died on the 27th of May, 1670, in Marshfield, Barnstable, Massachusetts. It is probable that the early generations of Marshfield Macombers were buried not far from the house where they lived, and near to a tomb built by William Macomber (1748-1815). This is south from the house above mentioned a short walk and on the opposite side of the road.
   A bond of administration on the estate of the late William Macomber of Marshfield was given, June 6, 1670, by Ursilla Macomber, widow, of Marshfield, Thomas Macomber of Taunton, cooper, and Matthew Macomber of Marshfield.
   Amazingly, the farm occupied by William Macomber is still in the possession of the Macomber family, being owned by his descendant of the ninth generation, Herbert Israel Macomber. The original house was a garrison house for protection against the Indians, the ends being brick and the rest of wood. It was burned about the time of the Revolutionary War. It stood very near to the house now occupied by the widow of Israel Hatch Macomber, which is the nearest house to the Railway Station at Marshfield Hills. The land extended down to the Bay and included the small island above mentioned.
   William's daughter SARAH MACUMBER (MACOMBER) was born in 1645. She married WILLIAM BRIGGS on the sixth of November, 1666, in Tauton, Massachusetts. They had the following children:

CHILDREN OF WILLIAM BRIGGS AND SARAH MACUMBER

WILLIAM BRIGGS b: 25 Jan 1667/68 in Taunton, Ma. He married Elizabeth Lincoln (b: 24 Apr 1669) on 13 Oct 1693 in Taunton, Ma. They had a daughter, Sarah Briggs, on 5 Jul 1694 in Taunton, Ma. He then married Mehitable Blake (b: 2 Apr 1673) on 16 June 1696 in Milton. Children were Agnes (b: @ 1697), Nathaniel (b: 1698), Mehitable (b: 1703), Eliphalet (b: 1706) and Seth (b: 1709) in Tauton, Ma. He died on 20 Feb 1730/31 in Taunton, Ma.

THOMAS BRIGGS b: 9 Sep 1669 in Taunton, Ma. He married Abigail Thayer on 24 Oct 1689 in Taunton, Ma. Children: Thomas (b: 9 Oct 1690), Sarah (b: 10 DEC 1693), Nathaniel (b: 18 June 1695), Abiel (b: @. 1700), James, Abigail, Jemima, and Mary. He died on 1 July 1746 in Taunton, MA.

SARAH BRIGGS b: 10 Sep 1669 in Taunton, Ma. No further information.

ELIZABETH BRIGGS b: 14 Mar 1670/71 in Taunton, Ma. No further information.

HANNAH BRIGGS b: 4 Nov 1672 in Taunton, Ma. No further information.

MARY BRIGGS b: 14 Aug 1674 in Taunton, Ma. No further information.

MATTHEW BRIGGS b: 5 Feb 1676/77 in Taunton, Ma. He married Abigail Burt (b: 28 Jan 1676/77) in Taunton, Ma. Children: Elizabeth, Lydia, Matthew Jr. (b: @. 1710), Daniel (b: @. 1712), James (b: @. 1713), Josiah (b: 1715). He died on 8 March 1764 in Dighton, MA.

DEACON JOHN BRIGGS was born on 19 Mar 1679/80 in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts (SOURCE: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute: Jay and Delene Holbrook). He married HANNAH ROCKET (14 Dec 1683 - 3 Oct 1755). John died on 26 Jan 1750 (or 1756) in Taunton, Bristol, MA "in 81st year" (SOURCE: Vital Records of Norton, MA; Gravestone Record). He's buried in Norton Center Cemetery in Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Briggs

   Sarah died following the birth of her son John, on the 20th of March, 1681, in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts. Then William married again, to ABIGAIL MASON on the second of July, 1680, in Dedham, Massachusetts, but we have no record of any children from that union. William died on the third of January, 1727/28, in Taunton, Massachusetts, and is buried at Oakland Cemetery.
   Our next ancestor, JOHN BRIGGS, was born on 19 Mar 1679/80 in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, and became a Church Deacon. In 1712, John married HANNAH ROCKETT, who was probably the daughter of JOSEPH ROCKETT (or ROCKWOOD) of the Plymouth Colony, but sketchy records of that colony make her precise lineage hard to uncover... but we try in BRIGGS GENEALOGY.

NOTES:

TOP PHOTO: St Mary's Church is an Anglican parish church in Bridport, Dorset, England. It is a Grade I listed building in the The National Heritage List for England (NHLE), the country's official database of protected heritage assets. Part of the Bridport Team Ministry, it is the civic church of the town and principal church of the Parish of Bridport.

¹—The earliest remains of the church, dating from the early 13th century, are to be found in the north and south transepts. Much of the rest of the building, including the central tower, dates from the late 14th century and the 15th century. The church was substantially restored and altered in the 19th century.

GENEALOGY JOHN MACOMBER (b. 1585) married EDITH LOCKE and begat... WILLIAM MACUMBER (b. 1610), who married URSULA MATHEW or THOMAS (b. 1612) and begat... SARAH MACUMBER (1645 - 1681), who married WILLIAM BRIGGS (b: @1649) and begat... JOHN BRIGGS (1680 - 1750), who married HANNAH ROCHET and begat... PHINEHAS BRIGGS (1710 - 1754) who married ESTHER FINNEY, and begat... PHINEHAS BRIGGS JR. (1750 - 1835) who married SARAH or RHODA WATTLES (1759 - 1845) and begat... LEMUEL BRIGGS (b. 1773), who married CONTENT CLINTON and begat... POLLY BRIGGS (1811 - 1867) who married DAVID SANDERSON (1804 - 1884) and begat... MELISSA SANDERSON (1839 - 1921) who married LABAN HAUSE (1831 - 1906) and begat... FRANK HAUSE (1867 - 1951) who married FLADELLA RAYMOND (1869 - 1961) and begat... CARLISLE HAUSE (1891 - 1972) who married MARJORIE MARCHANT (1892 - 1939) who begat... CARLETON MARCHANT HAUSE, SR. (1917 - 1983) who married JEANNE BRUNNER (1918 - 2000) and begat... CARLETON MARCHANT HAUSE, JR. (b. 1939) who married MARTHA WENK (b. 1940) and begat... JEFF (who married LORI ANN DOTSON), KATHY (who married HAL LARSEN), ERIC (who married MARY MOONSAMMY), and MICHELE HAUSE (who married JOHN SCOTT HOUSTON).