The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-07-25
A CORNER IN ANCESTORS
THE NEWCOMB FAMILY
NJ FRANCES CowLns

1t must have been an easy matter to
spell correctly thousand years ago. For
Newcomer is the Latin rendering of the
old Saxon name spelled variously New
com. Newcome, Newcombe, Neukum,
Newkom, Newckum. Nucom. Nucome
Nucomb and Nucum. In Saxon times
combe was a vale, or a depressed place
between two hills, and although some
explanations suggest that Hugh New
comen's progenitors were newcomers
the more generally accepted explanation
is that they lived in some new combe.
In the year 1905 there was born in Eng
land one Francis Newcombe, who wrote
his own name "Fransis nucom." Ira
dition has it that he was OF pure Saxon
heritage.
When Francis was 80 years old he
came to America in the ship, Planter
The list of passengers. filed in London
starts off as follows
with Aprilis 1896. Theis p'ties heere-
under mentioned are to be transported
to New England; imbarqued In the Plan
ter bound thether; they have
brought certificates from justices of
peace and ministers of we p'ish that they
are conformable to the orders for We
&HuiSii VI IlSidDu anu dTS no SUBSIDY
men. they have taken the oath of su-
premacie and allegiance. Die ct Ano
pred
Francis Newcom. husband, 80
Rachel Newcom, 20
Rachel Newcom, 21z
10: Newcom, months, wife and two
children.
Francis and Rachel. his wife and their
two children, settled in Boston. After
fhrao IN
VIOLA ston. They founded a big family
which spread and flourished. and many
of the American Newcombs trace their
descent from them.
1t is another family, or branch of the
same family, that Simon Newcomb, one
of the greatest astronomers of modern
times, made famous. This branch was
founded by Captain Andrew. who came
from the west of England" sometime
before 1868 and settled at Boston.
The first mention of this Captain An
drew in Boston occurs In 1863 when he
married his second wife, Grace Rix, or
Kicks. Not much is known of the per-
sonality of this Andrew. He was a
mariner. and a man OF good education.
Unlike most men of his day, even men
of affairs, he could write legible and
easy hand.
BY his first wife. Captain Andrew had
Andrew, born in 1910, and Susannah, who
married. first Mr.. Blague, and, second,
a Mr.. Pritchett. or Pritchard His only
child by his second wife was a daughter
Grace.
The arms of the Newoomb family are
blazoned: Argent, lions head erased
sable between three crescents gules. The
crest is: A lambs gamb erased ana erect
sable.
To J. P. Newcomb, who asks for the
coat of arms of the Bowles family and
something about the origin of the name.
The coat-of-arms of the NewcOmb fam
lily is: Azure, three standing bowls. ar
gent, out of each. q boars head. or. This
is the coat-of-arms Of the Lewis family
of Maryland. and Virginia, and quarter
ed with the arms Of the Lewis family
1t is seen upon pieces of silver, which are
treasured heirlooms.
Not only in aristocratic Virginia and
Maryland, were the arms seen blazoned
upon family. silver, seals, bookplates
carriage doors and stationery, but even
in staid New England, the Bowles, also
the Bolles, made use of this insignia
The crest, used by some branches Of
the family, Is a demi- boar, azure,
armed, hoofed and bristled. or. pierced
through the shoulder with an arrow of
the second, headed or. 81
The Lncolnshire Bowles bear tho
arms illustrated. Henry VIII granted
one coat-armor in 1913, and . motto,
used by one branch is: Ut tibi sic alteri