Thomas Comber (dean of Durham)

Thomas Comber (1645–1699) was an English churchman, Dean of Durham from 1689.

From a family at Barkham, Sussex, his father, James Comber, was the fourth son of John Comber, who was uncle to Thomas Comber, dean of Carlisle. His mother was Mary, daughter of Bryan Burton of Westerham, Kent, and widow of Edward Hampden. Thomas was born at Westerham on 19 March 1645; his father was driven by the war to take refuge in Flanders for four years, during which time his son was left entirely under the care of his mother. His father returned to Westerham in 1649, and in the following year Comber was placed under the tuition of the Rev. Thomas Walter. He could read and write Greek before he was ten years old.

On 18 April 1659, after some changes of school, he was admitted to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, under Edmund Matthews, B.D., senior fellow and president of the college. He studied experimental philosophy, geometry, astronomy, music, painting, and the oriental tongues, besides learning a common-place method for philosophy and divinity. His family was poor, but he procured an annual exhibition and received support from a relative of Dr. Richard Minshall, Master of the college. On 18 Jan. 1663 he was chosen scholar of the house, and three days later he was admitted to the degree of B.A.

Early in 1663 he was invited to the house of one of his preceptors, Mr. Holland, now rector of All Hallows Staining, London; and having been ordained deacon on 18 August by dispensation, he read prayers on Sundays for Mr. Holland, and studied on weekdays in the library of Sion College. Soon afterwards he became curate to the Rev. Gilbert Bennet, rector of Stonegrave, Yorkshire. He was ordained priest in York Minster by Archbishop Richard Sterne on 20 September 1664, In May 1666 he performed the exercise for his degree of M.A.; the commencement was postponed in consequence of the plague breaking out, and he was admitted to the degree by proxy. He was appointed chaplain to John Frescheville, 1st Baron Frescheville. While he was curate of Stonegrave he was invited to reside with William Thornton of East Newton, Yorkshire, and he afterwards married one of his daughters. Here he wrote theological pieces and poetry. In 1669 Comber was inducted to the rectory of Stonegrave on Bennet's resignation.

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