The Newcombe's of Crediton in Devonshire:
The Crediton Newcombe's are recorded in the 'View of Devonshire' by Thomas Westcote as descending from Henry Newcombe who wed a daughter and heiress of a third brother of the Coplestone's (a large and illustrious Devonshire family) and they had a son Richard who was the father of John Newcombe who wed a Coode (a Cornish family and sometime resident at Gidleigh Castle near Chagford in Devon). This Henry and Richard are mistakenly given as ancestors, but perhaps they are relatives of some kind along with the Coplestone, although it is interesting to note that a branch of the Coplestone’s were Lords of the Manor of Chagford in the 16th century and for some time before that. The Crediton branch of this family commence with John who wed a daughter of Down, they had a son called John Newcombe of Trobridge Down south of Crediton who wed a daughter of Crocker, their son John wed Mary the daughter of Nicholas Pointington of Pennycot Esq. on the 4 May 1608 at Shobrook and had a son John who was a Captain in the Parliamentary Army during the Civil War and recorded as being at South Molton (during the said war); in his will written 16 March 1639 (proved 27 August 1647?), he mentioned that he wished to be laid beside his parents in the chancel of Crediton church and have a fair stone inscribed with his actions and his Coat of Arms; if this stone ever existed it is not now apparent. The heirs of this family lived at Westwood, a farm just to the west of Crediton. John’s armour was left to Crediton church and kept in the Governors’ room of the Chapter House, of which some pieces yet remain. Westcote clearly associates the Crediton Newcombe's with those at Chagford, but it should also be mentioned that in White's Directory of Devonshire, which was printed in 1850, there was a Newcombe charity which paid £4 4s yearly to the poor parishioners of Inwardleigh; these funds were a bequest from John Newcombe, clothier of Crediton who mentions in his will dated 3 March 1608 that he was born in Inwardleigh. So, Westcote may be correct that a Newcombe in Crediton had ancestors in Chagford but it is also apparent from reliable documentary evidence that these Crediton Newcombe's had an association with Inwardleigh.
View of Devonshire, by Thomas Westcote, gives a narrative history of the Newcombe family; albeit with some questionable accuracy in the relationships.
Below is some of the armour bequethed by John Newcombe on display in the Governor's Room of Crediton Church:
