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- COMSTOCK - Origin of the name - Parts quoted from The Comstock Family
Comstock is a place name. Its derivation undoubtedly traces to a village in Debonshire, England, called Culmstock which is located off the River Clum some ten miles east of Tiverton and an equal distance south of Taunton.
The village probably derived its name from the fact that in mediaeval times it was customary to erect "stocks" or stockades around rural communities as a protection against wolves and marauders. This particular stockade being located on ther Clum or Colm came to be designated Colmstocke or Culmstock.
In considering the origin of family names, it must be borne in mind that surnames in England did not become permanent or hereditary until the Eleventh or Twelfth Centuries. Prior to that, a man's given name came to have the additional desion of his vocation such as John (the) Smith or Robert (the) Cooper, or one might be known from the place of his origin, as Thomas de Mille or Peter de Culmstock. Frequently the de (of) was dropped as superfluous.
It is not surprising, therefore, to find records in the parish Registers of the small towns of Devonshire and Somersetshire, not far from Culmstok, of such names as Petro de Columstok, 1241; John de Culmstok, 1189; Robert de Culmstok, 1189.
Samuel Willett Comstock, in his extensive researches in England, found records of some 122 early Comstocks, including that of a family at Timberscomve in the first year of the reign of Richard I (1189), wherein is named John de Culmstok, hie Alice, and son Robert. This is the earliest known reference to the name as applied to persons.
"I do think from a survey of that country with only two records of William found, that our William went from London to Yeovil or Cussy Rival and raised his family there. Yeovil parish registers 1620-1640 have not so far as I know been pubd and I think it may possibly contain them, as there was a Danyell Comstock nearby, in town of Closworth, Somerset County, 1614 and 1615." (Samuel Willett Comstock)
Coat of Arms is pictured and described in The Comstock Family
Motto - Not wealth bet contentment.
Described as Follows-
Arms; or, (gold) a sword point downward, issuing from a cresent in base gules (red), between two bears rampant sable (black); an elephant is indicative of personal prowess and sagacity.
The bear symbolize courage.
The sword and crescent indicate participation in the Crusades.
Crest; an elephant rampant proper, issuing out of a baron's coronet.
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From: DEE8514
To: Lumoto
Thanks alot for the notes. I will try to get time to compare them to what I have tonight. I appreciate it. By the way in my Comstock book is a picture of Culmstock viewed from the river Culm. (the town of Culmstock) Also another picture of the town of Culmstock, in Devonshire, Eng., and a picture of the All Saints Church in Culmstock showing a yew tree at the top. The roots of this tree start in the ground inside the tower and therefore you see the tree peeking out of the top of the tower. Its history really began with the purchase by the Mother Church at Exeter of the parish and the erection of a church there in approximately the year 600AD. At about the year 900 the present All Saints Church was built, and enlargements were made to it some two hundred years later. The register begins in 1645. There are Wesleyan and Baptist parishes there. The old burying ground about this church is very impressive.
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