Captain James Walter RN m. Stoke Damerel 1817

[PeterTomlinson]

I have had great help in finding out more about Martha Coombe a couple of years ago https://www.british-genealogy.com/for.../t-67064.html?

But I have now reached something of a dead end regarding her parentage. I am therefore trying to find out anything about her first husband (although i am descended from her second husband) in the hope it might reveal a little more about Martha.

I believe the Husband, Captain Walter was a Post Captain in the RN, although I have searched naval records from the period and found nothing. I have his name and naval rank from two separate sources, and wonder why it would not be included in the naval records. I had thought they were pretty complete from that period.

I have a record (from a family source) saying he and Martha Coombes were married in Stoke Damerel in Dec 1817, but can find nothing from searching Parish records on FMP.

The family record is a transcript (probably from an old Bible, but no idea of the whereabouts of the original) and gives his name as: James, Thomas, Gower, Walter Stafferes Post Captain in the RN. A lot of the transcript is very poor quality (for example Stoke Damerel is transcribed as Stoke Dunnirel) so errors in spelling are possible / likely, and also some details included are plain wrong (Martha's second marriage was stated as 1824 not 1825)

Martha remarried by Dec 1825 (to Thomas Lane Burrowes), and there is mention from a letter newspaper report that her first husband, Capt Walters died, so implied date of death would be between 1818 to 1825.

Martha herself used multiple names. In court in 1853 she stated her full name was Elizabeth Martha Selina Georgina Augusta Cuham / Coombe(s) Brovioms. For her second marriage, her name was recorded simply as Martha Combe. Pretty much any combination is a possibility. In the same court report she stated that her first husband was "a de Courcy" but I have not been able to find out anything much about the de Courcy family. I presume any link would have been through a female line given the surname is different, perhaps his mother.

I have found three different wills recorded for James Water(s) from the Plymouth area, but none of them is a certain match. There is one 1078/IRW/W/93 from 1820 in Yealmpton which is possible for the date, and not too far away. Another 1078/IRW/W/108 is spot on for location at for Stoke Damerel, but seems far too late with a date of 1832, and the third 1078/IRW/W/117 at Plymouth in 1826 is possible for location, but probably too late also. I am obtaining copies of these but consider them something of a long shot.

I have no estimate of DoB, no details of his parents - in fact nothing at all more than I have given above.

Any ideas??

[PeterTomlinson]

Still no joy on this - wills were all for the wrong people.
Any ideas at all?

[DOB7]

The 1825 marriage took place in Milton Abbot by Banns between Martha COMBE & Thomas BURROW. Both were described as of this parish - he made his mark, she signed. They had several children in Milton Abbot - I find it odd that she married using the COOMBE name if she had been married before. Curious!