Ancestors of Mandy Willard

George BOX (1687-1757)

and Anne COMBER (1697-1753)

George Box and Anne Comber were my 6x Great Grandparents.  (Click here to see their place in my pedigree chart.)  They married on 16 June 1715 at the parish church of St. Mary's in Balcombe, Sussex.  Given their dates of birth/baptism, George was aged about 28 and Anne about 17 years when they married.

George Box was baptised on 18 March 1686/7 in Ardingly, Sussex.  He was the son of 5 164 William Boxe (1647-1718) and 5 164 Susanna (c1655-1705).  He died aged 70 years and was buried on 28 February 1757 in Ardingly, as per the Sussex Record Society transcript of the parish registers.  I’m told the Bishop’s Transcripts state that he died aged "70 years almost" and was buried on 20 February 1757.  George may have been a wheelwright, as a George Box, wheelwright of Ardingly took on an apprentice named Joseph Parson of Lindfield, for a period of 7 years from 8 June 1723.  George’s brother-in-law Francis Comber (1691-1756) was also a wheelwright.  George does not seem to have left a will.

Anne Comber was born and baptised on 9 September 1697 in Ardingly, Sussex.  She was the eldest daughter of 5 165 John Comber (1660-1729) and 5 165 Judith White (1666-1726).  She died aged 56 years and was buried on 2 September 1753 in Ardingly.  Under the terms of her father's 1726 will, she was left a legacy of twenty pounds.

George Box and Anne Comber had 6 known children:

1. Mary Box was baptised on 18 December 1718 in Ardingly.  She was mentioned in her uncle William Comber's 1778 will, as "Mary daughter of my sister Ann", by which she received a legacy of five pounds.  She was the only one of her siblings to be left a legacy by their uncle.  Did this Mary Box or her cousin Mary Box born 1719, marry George Chapman of Lingfield, Surrey on 27 October 1747 in Ardingly?

2. William Box was baptised on 9 October 1720 in Ardingly.  He died aged 58 years and was buried on 14 February 1779 in Ardingly.  There is no evidence from the Ardingly parish registers that William married.

3. George Box was baptised on 5 January 1723/4 in Ardingly.  He married Judith White in 1743.  (They have their own page.)

4. Richard Box was baptised on 11 February 1725/6 in Ardingly.  He died aged 27 years and was buried on 11 January 1753.

   Richard married Ann.  Their headstone inscription reads:

   “Here lyeth the Body of / RICHARD BOX -- / who departed --- / the -- day of Jan 1752 aged 27 years / also the Body of ANN / the wife of RICHARD BOX / 2 Sep 1753 / 56 years.”

   (Was Ann really 30 years older than her husband?  Or should her age read 26 years?  Richard's uncle Richard Box had married Ann Pierce on 5 January 1719/20 in Lindfield, Sussex.)

5. John Box, my 5x Great Grandfather, was born on 5 May and baptised on 7 May 1732 in Ardingly.  He married 5 77 Hannah Hams (1737-1815) in 1754.  (They have their own page).

6. Anne Box was born on 5 May and baptised on 10 May 1741 in Ardingly.  She may have married John Holford on 11 June 1763 in Horsted Keynes, Sussex.  But another Anne Box was born in 1735 in Ardingly.  The 2 Annes were cousins.

NOTES

George and Anne were married 3½ years before their first child was born.  Might they have had a child, or children, who died before Mary was born in December 1718?  There was also a 6 year gap between Richard and John and a 9 year gap between John and Anne.  Again, might there have been other children?  I have checked the Ardingly registers and there is nothing to indicate that they did have other children.

BOX          COMBER