Edward Comber was born on December 20, 1820, in Spitalfields, London, England, to James Robert Comber and Elisabeth Lowe. By December 7, 1821, he had connections to St. Leonard’s Workhouse in Shoreditch, Middlesex, England. On June 24, 1834, he embarked from Cobh, Cork, Ireland, aboard the *Blenheim*, a ship carrying mostly Irish convicts. The vessel arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, on November 14, 1834, after a voyage of 110 days.
At the age of 15, Edward enlisted in the British Army on October 15, 1835, in Windsor, New South Wales. He served in the 50th Regiment of Foot with military service number 1105. His military service lasted until November 3, 1845, and included participation in the Gwalior Campaign, specifically the Battle of Punniar on December 29, 1843. After his discharge, he settled in New South Wales. By February 15, 1851, he was residing in Mittagong, where he applied for an Irish Famine Orphan.
Elizabeth Mackey, born on March 7, 1831, in Strahan, Tasmania, Australia, was the daughter of Edward Mackey and Ann Taylor. She was baptized on March 27, 1831, at the Wesleyan Church in Hobart. During her early years, she had connections to the workhouse in Cootehill, Cavan, or Cootehill, Monaghan, Ireland. Between February 2, 1840, and 1844, she lived at the Madras Female Orphan Asylum in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The circumstances surrounding her early life and that of her siblings remain unclear between September 7, 1836, and February 2, 1840.
Elizabeth was literate and able to read and write. On December 6, 1849, she departed from Plymouth, Devon, England, aboard the John Knox, arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, on April 29, 1850. She was part of the Irish Famine Orphan Scheme and traveled with her sister Sarah.
On July 21, 1851, Edward Comber and Elizabeth Mackey were married at the Parish of St. Philip in Sydney, with William Cowper officiating. Edward was 31, and Elizabeth was 20. They had twelve children, the first born when Elizabeth was 21 and the last when she was 41.
Edward worked as a storekeeper in Mulgoa, New South Wales, where he was recorded on May 20, 1853, at the baptism of their daughter Elizabeth. On May 5, 1857, a newspaper report placed him in Rutherford, New South Wales, after he was found wandering in the bush.
By the late 19th century, the couple had settled in Bundella, New South Wales. Elizabeth Mackey died there on May 18, 1880, at the age of 49, due to typhoid fever. She was buried the next day in Bundella. Her death was recorded in The Singleton Argus and Upper Hunter General Advocate on May 26, 1880.
Edward was recorded in the 1891 Australian Census. He later moved to Armidale, New South Wales, where he passed away on July 31, 1900, at the age of 79. His cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage and ulceration of the leg, with the illness lasting 48 hours. He was buried in the Armidale Catholic Cemetery. A newspaper article mentioning him was published in the Uralla Times on August 1, 1946.
Both Edward and Elizabeth have documented genetic lineages. Elizabeth’s maternal DNA belongs to the mtDNA haplogroup J1c2, and Edward’s maternal DNA is also recorded. Their most recent common ancestor is linked to Edward Comber and Elizabeth Mackey. Their burial locations are recorded with GPS coordinates, and Elizabeth has a FindAGrave memorial under ID 238103636. They are recognized as second great-grandparents of a descendant named Megan.