Surname Saturday: Edgcombe

Many, if not most families have a legend that stretches far back linking today's descendants to a noble (or royal) ancestor.  When I began researching my family history, it was the Edgcombe family that was my 'noble' link.  Stories abounded about lords and owners of the Eddystone Lighthouse and surrounding land.

I couldn't find a single link to these mysterious lords, and when I contacted the Edgcombe Family History Society, they had never heard of my branch of Edgcombes either!  I have the sneaking suspicion that I am the product of...well...I'm really not sure.  All I know is that Jephtha Edgcombe, born about 1647 in Ringmore, worked the land at Ringmore and Kingston near Ivybridge, and his sons, and his sons' sons, until my great grandfather became a coastguard (like the family he married into).  Most of great-grandfather John Samuel's children were born in Ireland while he was stationed there - and several of them emigrated to Australia later in life.

Now there are hundreds of Edgcombes in Australia - so our family is truly worldwide.