Note: Burial here in Ancient Cemetery can probably never be proven but this cemetery was only two or three blocks from his home on Post Hill near the corner of Williams and Vauxhall streets in New London. There are more than 30 memorials in the Ancient Cemetery which are prior to 1700 and Mary Berry Christophers, who died in 1676, has a gravestone which is still standing meaning that the cemetery was in existence before the reported death of William around 1683. While they might be buried elsewhere, William and Elizabeth's memorials have been added here as the most logical and probable place of burial rather than just "Unknown".
The Comstock surname is presumed to be from the village of Culmstock in Devonshire, England, which is about ten miles (16Km) south of Taunton. The name means there was once a stock or stockade on the Culm (Calm) River. In his book, A History and Genealogy of the Comstock Family in America by Dr. John Adams Comstock, there is an entry on page viii that the earliest record found in England by researcher Samuel Willett Comstock is that of a John de Colmstok in the year 1189. Other men named Colmstoke were found in the priories of Taunton in the 1300s.
The text below is from page 93 of American Biography A New Cyclopedia, Vol IV by William Richard Cutter, New York, The American Historical Society, 1918.
The founder of the American family was a native of England, and came to New England in the opening years of the seventeenth century. The Comstock family is today one of the most prominent of the numerous families of historic lineage in New England.
(I) William Comstock, the progenitor, was born in England, where he married twice. He came to America with his second wife, Elizabeth, at a date not recorded. The historian Stiles, in his "History of Wethersfield," says that doubtless William Comstock was one of the fifty-six men who, under the leadership of Captain John Mason, captured Pequot Fort, at Mystic, Connecticut, May 26, 1637, killing about five hundred Indians. On April 28, 1641, he was the owner of land on the Connecticut, previously purchased of Richard Milles. This same Richard Milles was the plaintiff against William Comstock and John Sadler in an action for slander, argued before the Court of Election at Hartford, Connecticut, August 1, 1644. The damages were £200. William Comstock later removed to Pequot, now New London, Connecticut, where he and others agreed to accept judgment of the Court of Magistrates of the town in the matter of gifts and grants of rights of land there. On June 21, 1647, he received a grant of land from the town, and on December 2, 1651, received a grant at Nahantic (Niantic). At a town meeting, November 10, 1650, he voted to co-operate with John Winthrop in erecting a corn mill, and in July, 1651, he, with other townsmen, worked on a mill dam, which is still in use. On February 25, 1662, "Old goodman Comstock" was chosen sexton to order the youth in the meeting. (James) Savage says that John Comstock, who settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts, settled in the east part of Saybrook, now Lyme, Connecticut, and this is the first record of a Comstock found in America. The date of his death is not known. Children: John, prominent in Saybrook, Connecticut; Samuel, mentioned below; Daniel, died at New London, 1683; Christopher, died December 28, 1702; Elizabeth, died in July, 1659.
William Comstock, son of William Comstock, was born in Culmstock, Devonshire, England. His baptismal record appears in Surname Index of Records for 1550-1636, St. Martins in the Field Church, London, England. The text is in Latin:
Guilielmus Coomstocke baptized 4 July 1596
Note: His exact date of birth has not been found and while he may have been born on the 4th of July, it's more likely that he was born a few days before being baptized.
The name of William's first wife is not known or whether his second wife, Elizabeth, was the mother of all six of William's children. The first three were born in England, and the three youngest were born in Connecticut.
Note: In addition to his father, Guilielm, there is a Johannes Comstock who died in 1603 who is also buried in the cemetery of St. Martin in the Field in London. Johannes was almost certainly related to Guilielm (William) but it's not known how.
Through his son John, the 38th U.S. President, Gerald R. Ford, was a descendant of William.
The Comstock surname is presumed to be from the village of Culmstock in Devonshire, England, which is about ten miles (16Km) south of Taunton. The name means there was once a stock or stockade on the Culm (Calm) River. In his book, A History and Genealogy of the Comstock Family in America by Dr. John Adams Comstock, there is an entry on page viii that the earliest record found in England by researcher Samuel Willett Comstock is that of a John de Colmstok in the year 1189. Other men named Colmstoke were found in the priories of Taunton in the 1300s.
The text below is from page 93 of American Biography A New Cyclopedia, Vol IV by William Richard Cutter, New York, The American Historical Society, 1918.
The founder of the American family was a native of England, and came to New England in the opening years of the seventeenth century. The Comstock family is today one of the most prominent of the numerous families of historic lineage in New England.
(I) William Comstock, the progenitor, was born in England, where he married twice. He came to America with his second wife, Elizabeth, at a date not recorded. The historian Stiles, in his "History of Wethersfield," says that doubtless William Comstock was one of the fifty-six men who, under the leadership of Captain John Mason, captured Pequot Fort, at Mystic, Connecticut, May 26, 1637, killing about five hundred Indians. On April 28, 1641, he was the owner of land on the Connecticut, previously purchased of Richard Milles. This same Richard Milles was the plaintiff against William Comstock and John Sadler in an action for slander, argued before the Court of Election at Hartford, Connecticut, August 1, 1644. The damages were £200. William Comstock later removed to Pequot, now New London, Connecticut, where he and others agreed to accept judgment of the Court of Magistrates of the town in the matter of gifts and grants of rights of land there. On June 21, 1647, he received a grant of land from the town, and on December 2, 1651, received a grant at Nahantic (Niantic). At a town meeting, November 10, 1650, he voted to co-operate with John Winthrop in erecting a corn mill, and in July, 1651, he, with other townsmen, worked on a mill dam, which is still in use. On February 25, 1662, "Old goodman Comstock" was chosen sexton to order the youth in the meeting. (James) Savage says that John Comstock, who settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts, settled in the east part of Saybrook, now Lyme, Connecticut, and this is the first record of a Comstock found in America. The date of his death is not known. Children: John, prominent in Saybrook, Connecticut; Samuel, mentioned below; Daniel, died at New London, 1683; Christopher, died December 28, 1702; Elizabeth, died in July, 1659.
William Comstock, son of William Comstock, was born in Culmstock, Devonshire, England. His baptismal record appears in Surname Index of Records for 1550-1636, St. Martins in the Field Church, London, England. The text is in Latin:
Guilielmus Coomstocke baptized 4 July 1596
Note: His exact date of birth has not been found and while he may have been born on the 4th of July, it's more likely that he was born a few days before being baptized.
The name of William's first wife is not known or whether his second wife, Elizabeth, was the mother of all six of William's children. The first three were born in England, and the three youngest were born in Connecticut.
Note: In addition to his father, Guilielm, there is a Johannes Comstock who died in 1603 who is also buried in the cemetery of St. Martin in the Field in London. Johannes was almost certainly related to Guilielm (William) but it's not known how.
Through his son John, the 38th U.S. President, Gerald R. Ford, was a descendant of William.
Note: Burial here in Ancient Cemetery can probably never be proven but this cemetery was only two or three blocks from his home on Post Hill near the corner of Williams and Vauxhall streets in New London. There are more than 30 memorials in the Ancient Cemetery which are prior to 1700 and Mary Berry Christophers, who died in 1676, has a gravestone which is still standing meaning that the cemetery was in existence before the reported death of William around 1683. While they might be buried elsewhere, William and Elizabeth's memorials have been added here as the most logical and probable place of burial rather than just "Unknown".
The Comstock surname is presumed to be from the village of Culmstock in Devonshire, England, which is about ten miles (16Km) south of Taunton. The name means there was once a stock or stockade on the Culm (Calm) River. In his book, A History and Genealogy of the Comstock Family in America by Dr. John Adams Comstock, there is an entry on page viii that the earliest record found in England by researcher Samuel Willett Comstock is that of a John de Colmstok in the year 1189. Other men named Colmstoke were found in the priories of Taunton in the 1300s.
The text below is from page 93 of American Biography A New Cyclopedia, Vol IV by William Richard Cutter, New York, The American Historical Society, 1918.
The founder of the American family was a native of England, and came to New England in the opening years of the seventeenth century. The Comstock family is today one of the most prominent of the numerous families of historic lineage in New England.
(I) William Comstock, the progenitor, was born in England, where he married twice. He came to America with his second wife, Elizabeth, at a date not recorded. The historian Stiles, in his "History of Wethersfield," says that doubtless William Comstock was one of the fifty-six men who, under the leadership of Captain John Mason, captured Pequot Fort, at Mystic, Connecticut, May 26, 1637, killing about five hundred Indians. On April 28, 1641, he was the owner of land on the Connecticut, previously purchased of Richard Milles. This same Richard Milles was the plaintiff against William Comstock and John Sadler in an action for slander, argued before the Court of Election at Hartford, Connecticut, August 1, 1644. The damages were £200. William Comstock later removed to Pequot, now New London, Connecticut, where he and others agreed to accept judgment of the Court of Magistrates of the town in the matter of gifts and grants of rights of land there. On June 21, 1647, he received a grant of land from the town, and on December 2, 1651, received a grant at Nahantic (Niantic). At a town meeting, November 10, 1650, he voted to co-operate with John Winthrop in erecting a corn mill, and in July, 1651, he, with other townsmen, worked on a mill dam, which is still in use. On February 25, 1662, "Old goodman Comstock" was chosen sexton to order the youth in the meeting. (James) Savage says that John Comstock, who settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts, settled in the east part of Saybrook, now Lyme, Connecticut, and this is the first record of a Comstock found in America. The date of his death is not known. Children: John, prominent in Saybrook, Connecticut; Samuel, mentioned below; Daniel, died at New London, 1683; Christopher, died December 28, 1702; Elizabeth, died in July, 1659.
William Comstock, son of William Comstock, was born in Culmstock, Devonshire, England. His baptismal record appears in Surname Index of Records for 1550-1636, St. Martins in the Field Church, London, England. The text is in Latin:
Guilielmus Coomstocke baptized 4 July 1596
Note: His exact date of birth has not been found and while he may have been born on the 4th of July, it's more likely that he was born a few days before being baptized.
The name of William's first wife is not known or whether his second wife, Elizabeth, was the mother of all six of William's children. The first three were born in England, and the three youngest were born in Connecticut.
Note: In addition to his father, Guilielm, there is a Johannes Comstock who died in 1603 who is also buried in the cemetery of St. Martin in the Field in London. Johannes was almost certainly related to Guilielm (William) but it's not known how.
Through his son John, the 38th U.S. President, Gerald R. Ford, was a descendant of William.
The Comstock surname is presumed to be from the village of Culmstock in Devonshire, England, which is about ten miles (16Km) south of Taunton. The name means there was once a stock or stockade on the Culm (Calm) River. In his book, A History and Genealogy of the Comstock Family in America by Dr. John Adams Comstock, there is an entry on page viii that the earliest record found in England by researcher Samuel Willett Comstock is that of a John de Colmstok in the year 1189. Other men named Colmstoke were found in the priories of Taunton in the 1300s.
The text below is from page 93 of American Biography A New Cyclopedia, Vol IV by William Richard Cutter, New York, The American Historical Society, 1918.
The founder of the American family was a native of England, and came to New England in the opening years of the seventeenth century. The Comstock family is today one of the most prominent of the numerous families of historic lineage in New England.
(I) William Comstock, the progenitor, was born in England, where he married twice. He came to America with his second wife, Elizabeth, at a date not recorded. The historian Stiles, in his "History of Wethersfield," says that doubtless William Comstock was one of the fifty-six men who, under the leadership of Captain John Mason, captured Pequot Fort, at Mystic, Connecticut, May 26, 1637, killing about five hundred Indians. On April 28, 1641, he was the owner of land on the Connecticut, previously purchased of Richard Milles. This same Richard Milles was the plaintiff against William Comstock and John Sadler in an action for slander, argued before the Court of Election at Hartford, Connecticut, August 1, 1644. The damages were £200. William Comstock later removed to Pequot, now New London, Connecticut, where he and others agreed to accept judgment of the Court of Magistrates of the town in the matter of gifts and grants of rights of land there. On June 21, 1647, he received a grant of land from the town, and on December 2, 1651, received a grant at Nahantic (Niantic). At a town meeting, November 10, 1650, he voted to co-operate with John Winthrop in erecting a corn mill, and in July, 1651, he, with other townsmen, worked on a mill dam, which is still in use. On February 25, 1662, "Old goodman Comstock" was chosen sexton to order the youth in the meeting. (James) Savage says that John Comstock, who settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts, settled in the east part of Saybrook, now Lyme, Connecticut, and this is the first record of a Comstock found in America. The date of his death is not known. Children: John, prominent in Saybrook, Connecticut; Samuel, mentioned below; Daniel, died at New London, 1683; Christopher, died December 28, 1702; Elizabeth, died in July, 1659.
William Comstock, son of William Comstock, was born in Culmstock, Devonshire, England. His baptismal record appears in Surname Index of Records for 1550-1636, St. Martins in the Field Church, London, England. The text is in Latin:
Guilielmus Coomstocke baptized 4 July 1596
Note: His exact date of birth has not been found and while he may have been born on the 4th of July, it's more likely that he was born a few days before being baptized.
The name of William's first wife is not known or whether his second wife, Elizabeth, was the mother of all six of William's children. The first three were born in England, and the three youngest were born in Connecticut.
Note: In addition to his father, Guilielm, there is a Johannes Comstock who died in 1603 who is also buried in the cemetery of St. Martin in the Field in London. Johannes was almost certainly related to Guilielm (William) but it's not known how.
Through his son John, the 38th U.S. President, Gerald R. Ford, was a descendant of William.
