Pincombe family in Usborne Township, Huron County, Ontario, Canada

An interesting email from a line that married into the Pincombe family in Usborne Township, Huron County, Ontario, Canada. Mary Anne Hancock married Richard Pincombe, 40, a widower born in England with parents William and Mary Pincombe in the City of London 26 Jan 1871. They were Bible Christians. Mary Anne was a widow and the daughter of John and Isabella Taylor and she was born on Prince Edward Island.

What I do know about the Pincombe family in Usborne Township is by way of the Rowcliffe family. Elizabeth Rowcliffe, a great niece of my 3x great grandmother Elizabeth Rowcliffe married to Robert Pincombe (and they lived in Bishops Nympton, Devon and died there) married Richard Pincombe and they lived in Huron County. Elizabeth's parents came to Canada after 1847 as the youngest child Esther was baptized in Bishops Nympton, Devon. John Rowcliffe (father of Elizabeth Rowcliffe married to Richard Pincombe) died 14 Aug 1873 in Usborne Township. They were well known to my Pincombe line in Westminster Township.

However, I can remember my mother saying that they had not figured out the relationship if any between the two Pincombe families. Family lore said that they came from Beaford, Devon. I have transcribed a will for William Pincombe of Beaford on my blog:

http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2011/10/will-of-william-pincombe-of-beaford.html

and William names his sons Richard, William and John and his daughters Sarah and Mary How with his wife being named Sarah.

The author of the email is related collaterally to the Pincombe family because of the second marriage of Richard Pincombe to Mary Anne Hancock mentioned above. Looking at the 1851 census of Ontario, Canada for Usborne Township I find the Pinkins family listed which included:

Wm Pinkins          Farmer     England     Bible Christians     28
Martha Pinkins   Farmer       England     Bible Christians     26
Jno Pinkins     Farmer     England     Bible Christians     7
Grace Pinkins     Farmer     Canada     Bible Christians     5
Mary Pinkins     Farmer     Canada     Bible Christians     3
Richard Pinkins          Canada     Bible Christians     1
Richard Pinkins     Labourer     England     Bible Christians     23
Elizabeth Pinkins     Labourer     England     Bible Christians     20
Wm Pinkins     Farmer     England     Bible Christians     56
Mary Pinkins     Farmer     England     Bible Christians     54
Mary Pinkins     Farmer     England     Bible Christians     25
Richard Pinkins     Farmer     England     Bible Christians     23
Jno Pinkins      Farmer     England     Bible Christians     21

When I found this census entry a few years ago I thought that the Richard Pinkins and Elizabeth Pinkins entry was that of Richard and Elizabeth Pincombe as they were the only ones I found living in Usborne Township where I knew that they lived. They had been living in Westminster Township for a short time.

On the 1861 Census at Usborne Township

Richard Pincombe     Farmer     England     Protestant     32
Elizabeth Pincombe     Farmer     England     Protestant     28
John Pincombe          Canada     Protestant     9
Eliza Pincombe          Canada     Protestant     5
William Pincombe          Canada     Protestant     3
 Rebecca Pincombe          Canada     Protestant     1

Interestingly above their name is Eliza Rowcliffe     England     Bible Christian     17

I didn't notice her before. By the 1871 Census at Usborne Township, Richard and Elizabeth have added three children and appear to have lost three - Eliza, William and Rebecca are missing from the census and Mary 8, Rebecca 6 and Robert 3 have been added but Elizabeth herself has died and Richard has remarried. It is a long time since I have looked at this family I am realizing. My the years pass and Blake has quite occupied my time. Also living with Richard and Mary Ann are her children from her earlier marriage namely John Hancock 16, Henry Hancock 14, Mary Hancock 9, Sidney Hancock 7, William Hancock 3, and Frank Hancock ten months of age.

I begin to wonder are Richard and Elizabeth the same Richard and Elizabeth in both censuses? With the second Richard (same age) I can not really say which one married for a second time. Is it simply an error on the part of the family recording their family members? Perhaps William the eldest son has given the information and accidentally recorded his brother Richard twice. Originally I thought that Richard married to Elizabeth was the son of Richard and Margaret Pincombe in Westminster Township.  They had ten children all born in England (Maria 1826, Richard 1828, John 1829, Rebeccah 1831, James 1833, Robert 1834, William 1836, Margaret 1838, Elizabeth 1842 and Samuel 1843). But Richard (1828) on the 1861 census is married to Ellen and they have two children Alpharetta and Alphonse. On the 1871 Census they are at Yarmouth, Elgin East and Richard is still a mason and they have with the two other children another daughter Amelia 9 also born in Ontario. Also on the 1881 census at Delaware as well although census is very difficult to read - John Pincombe is still listed as a mason and married to Hannah, with them Eliza 12, Samuel 13, Robert 45 and Ella 6 (daughter of Robert, he is a widower and a mason). Samuel born in 1867 is on the 1901 census (born 21 Apr 1867) and married to Emily M with daughter Winnifred E born 5 July 1895 and living with them is the widowed father John born 16 Jan 1829 and he emigrated in 1846 with his family to Canada. Robert is living at Delaware and he was born 6 Jun 1835 and married to Carrine E (born 21 Apr 1861 in England and emigrated in 1870) and their children Lottie O. born 23 Mar 1887, Albert E born 21 Jul 1890, Robert H born 21 Dec 1892, John F born 3 Oct 1895 all born in Ontario and Robert states he emigrated in 1846.

This clarifies the Richard who married Elizabeth Rowcliffe. He must have been Richard the son of William and Mary. I shall try to find the death of Elizabeth between 1868 and 1870. On the 1881 Census Richard and Mary Ann (born in PEI) are in Exeter, Huron County and with them Mary, Sidney, William, Robert, Frank and Richard's mother Mary 77 years old and a widow. All children have been given the surname Pincombe which then confused me for the 1891 census where Sidney appeared as Sidney Hancock (his correct surname).

Because William Pincombe of Beaford in 1812 named his sons Richard, William and John I had thought that Richard and William were brothers and fathers of these two families since family lore had them as descendant of the Beaford Pincombe family.  But William implies in his will that Richard is over 21 and Richard married to Margaret would be born circa 1803 from the census. William on the other hand would be born around 1795 which fits well with the will since he was under 21 in 1812 and so born after 1791. Hence I am concluding now that these two men William (circa b 1795) and Richard (circa b 1803) the one living in Usborne Township and the other in Delaware Township were not brothers. Richard is a mason and William is a farmer according to the censuses.

It has been awhile since I researched these families and with only a couple of vague comments in my blog although I did conclude that the Pincombe family at Strathroy was not descendant of the Richard and Margaret Pincombe family. I shall have to have a look at all of this information once again with the newer information that has come online. Wish I could get some of these Pincombe men to test their yDNA!

The Richard Pincombe living at Strathroy is 34 years of age on the 1871 census and he too was born in England circa 1837 and he was a miller. He was married to Amelia (30) with children Elizabeth 10 (these three born in England) and Mary 8, Amelia 6, Richard 3, Maria 1 all born in Ontario. On the 1881 census Richard is still living at Strathroy, his wife Amelia is still living. At home with them is Elizabeth, Mary, Amelia, Rihard and Gertrude (Maria is missing) 9. Richard and his wifer Amelia are also on the 1891 census where both state that they were born in England and their parents were born in England, Elizabeth 30, Mary 28, Maria 26, Richard M, 22 and Girtenda 19 are on the census with their parents and all living at Strathroy.

The 1891 census has a new Richard Pincombe, 43,  living at Ste Flore, Champlain, Quebec. He is born in England but his wife is French Canadian. Their children Sarah 13, Arthur 8, Richard 6, Percy 4, William 2 all born in Quebec. He is employed as a foreman in a manufacturing plant.In 1901 this Pincombe family is living in St Gabriel, Montreal and Matilda is widowed with Arthur (born 29 Oct 1883), Richard (born 18 Sep 1895), Percy (born 3 Jan 1897), William (born 29 Sep 1890), and Thomas (born 16 Aug 1892) living with her. The two older boys are clerks (Arthur and Richard), Percy is a tailor apprentice.

On the 1901 census living at Strathroy are two Richard Pincombe families side by side. The first Richard is born 27 Jan 1836 in England and he emigrated in 1855 to Canada (listed as a farmer). His wife is Am born 12 Oct 1840 in England and she emigrated in 1849. Their children are Lily born 25 Oct 1862 in Ontario and Gertie born 15 Jan 1873 in Ontario. Is this perhaps Richard and Amelia with Lily being a nickname for Amelia. Beside them is Richard Pincombe born 14 Dec 1867 in Ontario and married to Maggie (born 2 Jul 1868 in Ontario) with children Martyn born 12 May 1897 and Richard born 16 Sep 1900 both in Ontario. This Martyn is interesting because June Elizabeth Pincombe (3rd cousin once removed) married Frederick Martyn Pincombe who was born at Strathroy. Perhaps why the discussion of how was our Pincombe family related to the other Pincombe families in southwestern Ontario was quite active when I was a child. On the 1911 census at Strathroy there is the Richard M Pincombe family with year of birth 1869 and married to Maggie, with Martin 14 and Richard B 11 living at home. Four households below is Richard Pincombe married to Amelia Ann (Richard born Jan 1836) and emigrating in 1850 and Amelia born in 1839 and emigrating in 1850 with their daughter Elizabeth born 1861. The difference in emigration dates and they are now the same year is just aging probably. I would go with the 1855 and 1849 :) but I will also check the 1921 census for Strathroy.

Working through this has been a good plan as I have clarified to me anyway that Richard Pincombe who married Elizabeth Rowcliffe was the son of William and Mary Pincombe and I suspect this is William and Sarah Pincombe of Beaford's son. William Pincombe of Usborne and Richard Pincombe of Westminster and Delaware are not brothers. With all the Pincombe children born in the 1800s where did they all move to? I must investigate that this winter with the 1921 census.

Glancing at Strathroy for the 1921 census I did find Amelia Ann Pincombe as an 82 year old widow with her her daughter Elizabeth Pincombe 61 years of age (born in Ontario). Amelia gives her year of emigration as 1847. Her son Richard with Maggie his wife are also living at Strathroy and with them their sons Martyn and Richard (all born in Ontario).