Edited by Adrian G. Hanna. "GI0SMU"   Please bookmark this page .
COMBER HISTORICAL SOCIETY
WELCOME

COMBER HISTORICAL SOCIETY (CHS)
Welcome to the Website of Comber Historical Society. The Society was formed in 2000 and aims to preserve and record information relating to Comber and to make it available to all those with an interest in our town. Whether you are interested in the history of the town, its people, places and events - or want to learn more about Comber as it is today, there will be something on the site for everybody. Please do get in touch with any comments and we'd be delighted to receive any old photographs or information you may have about Comber. This site will be regularly updated so please keep visiting and click on "reload" to refresh the page.

Latest


This web site is undergoing a serious update and division into two parts.

Part 1. Is this page with components which are not strictly relevant will be stripped out and placed into a new page which can be accessed by simply clicking anywhere on this blue box.

Part 2. The new page is where you will find everything stripped out of this the original page.
You will find the following:-

  1. HOW YOU MAY CONTRIBUTE
  2. IMPORTANT CONTACT NOTE FROM THE WEB EDITOR
  3. OFFICERS of COMBER HISTORICAL SOCIETY for the current year
  4. INTRODUCING COMBER
  5. IN MEMORIAM to past members.
  6. CONTACTING US
  7. OTHER INFORMATION
Naturally these changes must meet with the approval of the CHS committee and based upon the feedback from you the membership and visitors. Just click anywhere on this blue box to see the proposed changes.
WHY ? The page has become far too big and combersom to both read and edit. The original page (this page) will retain all of the links to the articles previously published nothing has been deleted just moved.

Next meeting. 

Awaiting Update. 

Comber Historical Society
Programme

For further details contact:
Elizabeth McCullough (Hon., Secretary) (028) 97521014
  • The 2023 Programme is still being devised


  • 2022 SUMMER OUTING TO WHITEHEAD
    Done and dusted
    Report on other page.

  • IMPORTANT CONTACT NOTE FROM THE WEB EDITOR
    The web editor is Adrian Hanna. I can be contacted at the address shown below.
    <adrian@sixgolds.com>
      The main researchers for this web site are
    1. Desmond Rainey on 028 9187 8482 or email :- <comberhistory@hotmail.co.uk>
    2. Len Ball only contactable through Desmond or Adrian.
             

    MAIN SUBJECT INDEX
    NEW READING INSERTED HERE

    Comber Square pictures.

    Comber Primary School 1955/56

    Kathleen Coulter. Obituary.

    ESTATE of CHANGE by Len Ball.

    Skeleton found.

    The Mill Dams of Comber

    COMBER MASTER PLAN

    SAM McAUGHTRY a short monograph

    WILLIAM STURGEON

    ROBERT BENNETT Obituary

    THE CLARK FAMILY NEED YOUR HELP

    A WALKING TOUR OF COMBER

    The PETTS FAMILY of Comber In DOCX

    ABBEY STONES

    ANDREWS FAMILY

    ARDS T.T. RACES

    ARTEFACTS OF COMBER

    BCDR RAILWAY PART 1

    BCDR RAILWAY PART 2
    Many previously unseen and rare photographs.

    CHRISTIANITY IN COMBER

    COMBER IN THE 1830's

    COMBER IN THE 1840's

    COMBER IN THE 1850's

    COMBER IN THE 1860's


    MOVED TO RIGHT TOP  
    OLDER READING GETS MOVED HERE

    COMBER IN THE 1870's

    COMBER IN THE 1880's

    COMBER IN THE 1890's

    COMBER IN THE 1900's

    COMBER IN THE 1910's

    COMBER IN THE 1920's

    COMBER IN THE 1930's

    COMBER IN THE 1940's

    COMBER IN PICTURES 7 PAGES

    St MARY'S PARISH CHURCH, COMBER

    COMBER'S CINEMAS

    COMBER'S WATER SUPPLY Word Doc.  

    COMBER -THE REAL TITANIC TOWN

    FANNIE McROBERTS - THE POETRY OF

    GUY STONE DIARY

    MEMORIES OF COMBER by ANN CLEGG

    MOLLY'S WORLD - PART 1 of 2

    MOLLY'S WORLD - PART 2 of 2

    THE LIFE AND WORK OF NORMAN NEVIN MBE

    NORMAN NEVIN CENTENARY EVENTS

    OLD COMBER WHISKEY

    OTTILIE PATTERSON "Comber Girl"

    THE COMING OF THE SCOTS PART 1 of 3

    THE COMING OF THE SCOTS PART 2 of 3

    THE COMING OF THE SCOTS PART 3 of 3

    THE TITANIC CONNECTION

    TOWNLANDS IN COMBER PARISH



    LINKS TO INTERESTING THINGS

    A Crown of Life ⇐ CLICK
    A new book by Josh De Wind highlighting the life and times of Edmund De Wind VC (Victoria Cross). First printed June 30, 2019 by the New Milford Printing Company, Connecticut. The cover design by Mylessia Tkacs. This PDF digital version especially for Comber Historical Society with Additions and Corrections: January 2, 2022
    This version is full of Maps and other images taking us through Edmund's life and journey through the First World War to the place he was killed defending “Racecourse Redoubt” France.
    “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.”

    The people of Comber, its Industry, its Characters and people of action in photographic form.
    ⇐ CLICK
    Comber is an interesting place and so are it's people. As a resident you may have something interesting to say.
    So please say it.

    The sad passing of Ottilie Patterson Britains greatest Jazz Singer. "Comber Girl"
      ⇐ CLICK

    This will take you to an in-house link to read about Ottilie.

    THE TITANIC CONNECTION
    New Information and links
      ⇐ CLICK

    NORMAN NEVIN Read Norman Nevin's unpublished history of Comber,
    prefaced by a foreword by Erskine Willis.
      ⇐ CLICK

    This is a major work about 70+pages long a great resource for the researchers and the casual viewer.

    Jim Gracey's
    comprehensive Directory of Comber is available now as a 30mb PDF file.
      ⇐ CLICK

    This is a mega sized work containing valuable information collated by Norman.

    A Taste of Old Comber A good read by Len Ball & Desmond Rainey ISBN1 - 870132 - 06 - 08

    A book well worth having in your library and provides a lot of good reference material

    A chronicle of Comber. by Desmond Rainey and Laura Spence ISBN: 978-1-908448-07-1
    Price: £9.99 Order online now at:- <www.booksireland.org.uk>

    Comber can produce some wonderful books and this is no exception.


    A NEW BOOK "Remembering Rolo" Gillespie by Desmond Rainey and Laura Spence

    What a character.. Rollo an enigma onto everyone including himself. A good read.

    EDMUND De WIND V. C.

    Memorial badges depicting Edmund De Wind VC are available from Comber Historical Society the price is £3 Sterling plus P&P. Size is 2cm x 2.6cm or ¾" x1 inch approximately.
    The Ulster Scots Agency offers a wide range of activities so why not give them a quick visit.  ⇐ CLICK
    PHOTOGRAPHS OF COMBER
    COMBER IN PICTURES 8 PAGES  
    An eclectic mix of people and things about Comber. They are not in any order or categories they are placed here for historic reference and your enjoyment. COMBER IN PICTURES 8 PAGES     ⇐ CLICK
    LINK TO TITANIC WEBSITE
  • Belfast Titanic Society  ⇐ CLICK
    Some of the links previously published here have expired, I have removed them.

  • IN MEMORIAM
    It is sad to report that several long standing members of the Historical Society recently passed away. .
    May they rest in peace.

    Kathleen Coulter
    OBITUARY

    Robert Bennett
    OBITUARY

    Chris Griffith

    Barry Millar
    Requiescat

    Officers for 2022.
    ChairpersonDesmond Mackey
    SecretaryLiz McCullough
    TreasurerMartin Perry
    Press OfficerBilly McCullough
    Web EditorAdrian Hanna
    AuditorTerry Needham
    The Committee Desmond Rainey
    Len Ball
    Marion Hanna
    Hill Wilson
    Susan McCullough
    Don Johnston
    All elected unanimously.
    Honorary Life MemberMrs Kathleen Coulter (Deceased)

    INTRODUCING COMBER
    Comar, meeting place of the waters, that was the name given by the ancients to a settlement at the northwest corner of Strangford Lough at the confluence of the Enler and Glen Rivers. Today we call it Comber, famous for its spuds.

    Nomadic hunter gatherers arrived here around 10,000 years ago. St Patrick followed in their footsteps and founded a monastery, but its fame was eclipsed by the medieval Cistercian Abbey. Today that has vanished, and St Mary's Parish Church occupies the site. 1606 saw an influx of Scots under James Hamilton and Hugh Montgomery. Among the newcomers were the ancestors of the Andrews family who brought much prosperity to Comber. By the late 18th century John, known as "the great", had established a linen bleach green, corn mills and a flour mill. In 1864 his grandson erected a flax spinning mill. Later members of the family include Thomas of Titanic fame and his elder brother John Miller, wartime prime minister.

    Old Comber whiskey was produced at two distilleries in the town. Last distilling was in 1952, although the odd bottle is still available, at a price! Comber was also a railway junction, with steam trains chugging their way through for exactly 100 years from 1850. Today the long-awaited bypass runs along the route of the old track.

    No visitor can fail to notice a tall monument in Comber's Georgian Square. This commemorates Sir Robert Rollo Gillespie, who fought against the French and was killed while attempting to storm the fortress of Kalunga in Nepal in 1814. His reputed last words were "One shot more for the honour of Down" Another valiant soldier who made the supreme sacrifice was Edmund de Wind, awarded the Victoria Cross in 1918.

    HOW YOU MAY CONTRIBUTE
    One of the aims of Comber Historical Society is to preserve and record the history of Comber by noting all historical documents, artefacts, photographs and audio-video material relating to the town. We would be delighted if anyone who has any records or memories of Comber would get in touch.
    Contact Desmond Rainey on 028 9187 8482 or email :-

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