See also
| Husband: | Richard NEWCOMBE (1824-1881) | |
| Wife: | Sarah Payne RING (1824-1889) | |
| Children: | Walter William Richard NEWCOMBE (1856-1881) | |
| Caroline Elizabeth NEWCOMBE (1861-1879) | ||
| Edward Harry NEWCOMBE (1863-1880) | ||
| James Ring NEWCOMBE (1864-1896) | ||
| Marian Susannah NEWCOMBE (1866-1882) | ||
| Marriage | 25 Jul 1851 | Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England1 |
| Parish church | ||
| Name: | Richard NEWCOMBE2 | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | William NEWCOMBE (c. 1799-1867) | |
| Mother: | Ann HATTIN (1798-1890) | |
| Birth | Jun 1824 | Sandford, Devon, England |
| Baptism | 10 Jun 1824 (age 0) | Sandford, Devon, England |
| Census | 6 Jun 1841 (age 15) | Sandford, Devon, England3 |
| West Pidsley | ||
| Occupation | 6 Jun 1841 (age 16-17) | Male servant; Sandford, Devon, England3 |
| Enlisted (Military) | 3 Apr 1845 (age 20) | Plymouth, Devon, England |
| Military Service | frm 3 Apr 1845 to 7 Jun 1855 (age 20-31) | 7th Royal Regiment of Fusiliers for 10 years 70 days |
| He served 1 year six months in the West Indies and 2 years 2 months in North America, He embarked for Turkey on 5 April 1854. | ||
| Promoted (Military) | 6 Sep 1850 (age 26) | |
| corporal | ||
| Census | 30 Mar 1851 (age 27) | Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England4 |
| Clarence and Forehouse Barracks | ||
| Occupation | 30 Mar 1851 (age 26) | corporal; Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England4 |
| Residence | 25 Jul 1851 (age 27) | Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England1 |
| Cambridge Barracks | ||
| Occupation | 25 Jul 1851 (age 27) | Corporal, 7th Regiment of Foot; Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England1 |
| Promoted (Military) | 27 Oct 1852 (age 28) | |
| Sergeant, | ||
| Wounded (Military) | 20 Sep 1854 (age 30) | Battle of Alma |
| Medical report filed at Horse Guards on 24 July 1855: "Labours under permanent lameness from gun shot wound of the left knee received at Alma. The ball passed through the tendon close above the patella." Unfit for further military service. The Battle of the Alma (short for Battle of the Alma River) was a battle in the Crimean War between an allied expeditionary force (made up of French, British, and Ottoman forces) and Russian forces defending the Crimean Peninsula on 20 September 1854. The allies had made a surprise landing in Crimea on 14 September. The allied commanders, Maréchal Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud and Lord Raglan, then marched toward the strategically important port city of Sevastopol, 45 km (28 mi) away. Russian commander Prince Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov rushed his available forces to the last natural defensive position before the city, the Alma Heights, south of the Alma River. The allies made a series of disjointed attacks. The French turned the Russian left flank with an attack up cliffs that the Russians had considered unscalable. The British initially waited to see the outcome of the French attack, then twice unsuccessfully assaulted the Russians' main position on their right. Eventually, superior British rifle fire forced the Russians to retreat. With both flanks turned, the Russian position collapsed and they fled. The lack of cavalry meant that little pursuit occurred. The battle cost the French roughly 1,600 casualties, the British 2,000, the Ottomans 503, and the Russians some 5,000. |
||
| Military Medal | 1855 (age 30-31) | Crimean War Medal |
| Discharged (Military) | 17 Jul 1855 (age 31) | Chatham, Kent, England |
| Military Regiment | 7th Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | |
| Military Rank | Private | |
| Military Service No. | 1938 | |
| Medical History | 24 Jul 1855 (age 31) | Royal Hospital Chelsea |
| Occupation - Enlistment | Labourer | |
| Wounded (Military) | ||
| Height (Military) | 5' 7¼" | |
| Hair (Military) | dark brown | |
| Eyes (Military) | hazel | |
| Occupation | 1856 (age 31-32) | Chelsea Pensioner; Steep, Hampshire, England |
| Downgate | ||
| Census | 7 Apr 1861 (age 36) | Aldershot, Hampshire, England5 |
| Commissariat Dept, Aldershot Cmps | ||
| Occupation | 7 Apr 1861 (age 36) | foreman of works; Aldershot, Hampshire, England5 |
| Occupation | 1864 (age 39-40) | Gamekeeper; Normandy, Surrey, England |
| Census | 2 Apr 1871 (age 46) | Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Blackwater | ||
| Occupation | 2 Apr 1871 (age 46) | independent; Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Death | 15 Jan 1881 (age 56) | Waterloo, Hampshire, England |
| Freshfield | ||
| Burial | 22 Jan 1881 | Waterlooville, Southampton, England |
| Waterloo | ||
| Probate | 11 Mar 1882 | London |
| Freshfield, Waterloo, Hampshire, England The will was proved by Henry Martin Green of Havant, solicitor, the sole executor, estate valued at under £100. |
||
| Name: | Sarah Payne RING | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | - | |
| Mother: | - | |
| Birth | 1824 | Sheet, Hampshire, England5 |
| Baptism | 9 Jul 1824 (age 0) | Petersfield, Hampshire, England |
| Residence | 25 Jul 1851 (age 26-27) | Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England1 |
| Queen Street | ||
| Census | 7 Apr 1861 (age 36) | Aldershot, Hampshire, England5 |
| Commissariat Dept, Aldershot Cmps | ||
| Occupation | 7 Apr 1861 (age 36-37) | wife; Aldershot, Hampshire, England5 |
| Census | 2 Apr 1871 (age 46) | Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Blackwater | ||
| Census | 3 Apr 1881 (age 57) | Waterloo, Hampshire, England7 |
| Freshfield House | ||
| Occupation | 3 Apr 1881 (age 56-57) | independent; Waterloo, Hampshire, England7 |
| Death | 30 Mar 1889 (age 64-65) | Waterloo, Hampshire, England |
| Freshfield House | ||
| Probate | 2 Sep 1889 | London |
| Freshfield House, Waterloo, Hampshire Th will was proved by James Ring Newcombe, gentleman, of Freshfield House, the son, the sole executor. Estate valued at £23, 952 14s 10d |
||
| Name: | Walter William Richard NEWCOMBE | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 9 Aug 1856 | Steep, Hampshire, England5 |
| Downgate | ||
| Baptism | 7 Sep 1856 (age 0) | Steep, Hampshire, England |
| Census | 7 Apr 1861 (age 4) | Aldershot, Hampshire, England5 |
| Commissariat Dept, Aldershot Cmps | ||
| Occupation | 7 Apr 1861 (age 4) | child; Aldershot, Hampshire, England5 |
| Census | 2 Apr 1871 (age 14) | Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Blackwater | ||
| Occupation | 2 Apr 1871 (age 14) | scholar; Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Census | 3 Apr 1881 (age 24) | Waterloo, Hampshire, England7 |
| Freshfield House | ||
| Death | 11 Oct 1881 (age 25) | Waterloo, Hampshire, England |
| Freshfield | ||
| Probate | 22 Dec 1881 | London |
| Freshfield, Waterloo, Hampshire The will was proved by John Hayward of Stakes, Farlington, Hampshire, farmer, the sole executor. Estate valued at £1626 6s 1d. Resworn October 1882 at £1735 15s 2d. |
||
| Name: | Caroline Elizabeth NEWCOMBE5 | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1861 | Aldershot, Hampshire, England5 |
| Census | 7 Apr 1861 (age 2 mns) | Aldershot, Hampshire, England5 |
| Commissariat Dept, Aldershot Cmps | ||
| Occupation | 7 Apr 1861 (age 0) | infant; Aldershot, Hampshire, England5 |
| Census | 2 Apr 1871 (age 10) | Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Blackwater | ||
| Occupation | 2 Apr 1871 (age 9-10) | scholar; Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Death | 1879 (age 18) | Catherington, Hampshire, England |
| Burial | 18 Jan 1879 | Waterlooville, Hampshire, England |
| Waterloo | ||
| Name: | Edward Harry NEWCOMBE | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 1863 | Normandy, Surrey, England6 |
| Census | 2 Apr 1871 (age 8) | Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Blackwater | ||
| Occupation | 2 Apr 1871 (age 7-8) | scholar; Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Death | 1880 (age 17) | Catherington, Hampshire, England |
| Burial | 22 May 1880 | Waterlooville, Hampshire, England |
| Waterloo | ||
| Name: | James Ring NEWCOMBE | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Birth | 1864 | Normandy, Surrey, England6 |
| Baptism | 29 May 1864 (age 0) | Worplesdon, Surrey, England |
| Normandy in St Marks Church, Worplesdon at Wyke |
||
| Census | 2 Apr 1871 (age 6) | Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Blackwater | ||
| Occupation | 2 Apr 1871 (age 6-7) | scholar; Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Census | 3 Apr 1881 (age 17) | Waterloo, Hampshire, England7 |
| Freshfield House | ||
| Census | 5 Apr 1891 (age 27) | Waterloo, Hampshire, England8 |
| Freshfield House | ||
| Occupation | 5 Apr 1891 (age 26-27) | living on own means; Waterloo, Hampshire, England8 |
| Death | 1896 (age 32) | Catherington, Hampshire, England |
| Burial | 7 Aug 1896 | Waterlooville, Hampshire, England |
| Name: | Marian Susannah NEWCOMBE | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Birth | 1866 | Normandy, Surrey, England6 |
| Census | 2 Apr 1871 (age 5) | Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Blackwater | ||
| Occupation | 2 Apr 1871 (age 4-5) | scholar; Hawley, Hampshire, England6 |
| Census | 3 Apr 1881 (age 15) | Waterloo, Hampshire, England7 |
| Freshfield House | ||
| Death | 1882 (age 16) | Catherington, Hampshire, England |
| Burial | 15 Apr 1882 | Waterlooville, Hampshire, England |
| Waterlooville | ||
Sarah Payne Newcombe, nee Ring, inherited a significant amount of money, from her great uncle Richard Ring, a surgeon of Hambledon & Portsea. He died unmarried in 1850 but tied up his estate for 21 years so, it appears, that his ‘heir at law’ John William Ring, the brother of Sarah’s father, William Henry Ring, was deprived of any inheritance, a witness in the cases stating that they were estranged. Richard Ring’s estate comprised more than 35 properties and was reported in the press to amount to £200,000, based upon the 2016 property index this equates to £20m.
The obvious beneficiary, John William Ring died in 1865 and his only daughter had died in 1860, so the wealth he would have inherited from Richard Ring, the surgeon went largely to the daughters of his brother William. There are detailed newspaper reports about all this; between 1863-1865, there was an extraordinary claim made to change Richard Ring’s Will when a codicil purportedly written by Richard but kept secret for 12 years, allegedly upon his request, was ‘discovered’. It was not accepted by the courts, but the whole story is very interesting.
By way of background John Ring, grandfather of Sarah Payne Ring, Richard Newcombe’s (d.1888) wife, was a Yeoman farmer, and fairly well off. He died in 1815, leaving a rather complex Will, which was proved by one of the Executors, John Neale in 1816. John Ring devised that his estate was to be held in trust, some income going to his wife, and the rest to be disposed of later for the benefit of his children when they were all over 21. However, John Neale died in 1829… and the other two executors did nothing to settle the estate, so in 1837, William Henry Ring (Sarah’s father) sought, and was ultimately granted, authority to settle the estate. He’d probably only just done that when he died, in 1840.
The Chancery records have clarified that following John William Ring’s death on 13th October 1865, the four sisters - daughters of William Henry Ring, including Sarah Payne Ring, the wife of Richard Newcombe - became the co-heiresses to Richard Ring’s wealth, contingent on them being alive on 5th June 1871 and making their claim.
It is thought that Richard Newcombe, husband of Sarah Payne Ring, put together the sister’s claims; he was much the best educated and situated of the group, working at that time as a gamekeeper in Ash. We also know that he had a pension awarded by the army, having been a well-regarded soldier, with an excellent record & medal from the Crimea War. Having previously worked in the Commissariat Department at Aldershot, he was probably able to ask a few colleagues for their advice, as well as engaging a solicitor as there would have been many who would have wished to be involved in such a lucrative case!
From the 1871 census records it’s clear that the heiresses had access to funds ahead of their official inheritance date, as the occupations of the menfolk had already changed to ‘independent’, ‘annuitant’, ‘retired’, even though, at that point, they were not yet in their future large houses they were already in better accommodation than in earlier years.
How and when was the money available?
The answer appears to be via a Bill of Revivor filed on 25th Jan 1866 by which the four sisters and their husbands made their claim. It suggests that monies would have been forthcoming from later that year, under the same terms by which John William Ring had been able to obtain some of the inheritance.
At this time the three youngest children of the sisters (Elizabeth Godley didn’t have any children with her husband), Sarah, Caroline and Ann were all expecting babies when John William Ring died. Ernest Head was born just a couple of weeks later, and Marian Newcombe and Clara Holder were born while the case was being prepared and heard by the court. So, it seems unlikely that their mothers were involved very much in the process. It appears that Richard Newcombe dealt with matters with the lawyers. As previously explained, he would have been a respectable and acceptable person.
After eventually obtaining Richard Ring’s fortune, the Newcombe, Head, Holder families together with Elizabeth Ring between them sold off his residential properties mainly in Portsea and land to convert the estate into cash.
Sadly, Sarah did not get her inheritance earlier, most of her children died from TB and not one of them produced an heir to take Richard Newcombe’s line forward.
Alcoholism appears on the list of causes of death - Caroline & Richard Head, Ann Holder and her daughter Mary Ann Ring Holder - all died fundamentally of alcoholism, so it appears that not all used the money wisely.
This is part of substantial research into the Ring family carried out by family researcher Lesley Plant.
| 1 | Text From Source: 1851, Marriage solemnized at Parish church in the Parish of Portsea Island in the County of Marriage No: Ancestry.com Ashplant Family Tree media gallery When Married: 25 Jul 1851 Name and Surname: Richard Newcombe and Sarah Payne Ring Age: 37 and 36 Condition: Bachelor and Spinster Rank or Profession: Corporal, 7th Regiment of Foot and - Residence at the time of Marriage: Cambridge Barracks, Portsea Island and Queen Street, Portsea Island Father's Name and Surname: William Newcombe and William Bing Rank or Profession of Father: musician and farmer Married in the church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church, By Certificate by me, W.R.Browne, curate. This Marriage was solemnized between us, Richard Newcombe and Sarah Payne Ring in the Presence of us, Caroline Ring, Richard Head |
| 2 | www.heardfamilyhistory.org.uk. This GEDCOM is predominantly the work of Nick Heard, but it incorporates the collaborated work of many other family historians. You are welcome to use the information herein but please acknowledge the source. Every effort has been made to ensure the data is accurate, but any use you make of it is entirely at your own risk. (c) Nick Heard 2009 |
| 3 | Text From Source: Census England 1841 Address: West Pidsley Place: Sandford, Devon, England Name,Sex,Age,Occupation,Where Born Richard Newcombe,M,15,Male servant,Y John Newcombe,M,14,apprentice,Y Richard and his brother \john were both servants in the dwelling of yeoman William Lake, where there were also several young women of independent means living, including Ann Thorne and Charlotte Luscombe. There were also 6 servants. |
| 4 | Text From Source: Census England 1851 Address: Clarence and Forehouse Barracks Place: Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England Name,Relation,Condition,Sex,Age,Occupation,Where Born,Infirmity Richard Newcombe,,Unm,M,27,corporal,Sandford, Devon, England, |
| 5 | Text From Source: Census England 1861 Address: Commissariat Dept, Aldershot Cmps Place: Aldershot, Hampshire, England Name,Relation,Condition,Sex,Age,Occupation,Where Born,Infirmity R Newcombe,Head of Family,Unm,M,36,foreman of works,Sandford, Devon, England, S P Newcombe,Wife,Mar,F,36,wife,Sheet, Hampshire, England, W W R Newcombe,Son,Unm,M,4,child,Sheet, Hampshire, England, C E Newcombe,Daughter,Unm,F,2m,infant,Aldershot, Hampshire, England, |
| 6 | Text From Source: Census England 1871 Address: Blackwater Place: Hawley, Hampshire, England Name,Relation,Condition,Sex,Age,Occupation,Where Born,Infirmity Richard Newcombe,Head,Mar,M,46,independent,Sandford, Devon, England, Sarah Newcombe,Wife,Mar,F,46,,Petersfield, Hampshire, England, Walter Newcombe,Son,Unm,M,14,scholar,Sheet, Hampshire, England, Caroline Newcombe,Daughter,Unm,F,10,scholar,Aldershot, Hampshire, England, Harry Newcombe,Son,Unm,M,8,scholar,Normandy, Surrey, England, James Newcombe,Son,Unm,M,6,scholar,Normandy, Surrey, England, Marian Newcombe,Daughter,Unm,F,5,scholar,Normandy, Surrey, England, Henry Holder,Nephew,Unm,M,17,,Steep, Hampshire, England, deaf and dumb from birth |
| 7 | Text From Source: Census England 1881 Address: Freshfield House Place: Waterloo, Hampshire, England Name,Relation,Condition,Sex,Age,Occupation,Where Born,Infirmity Sarah Payne Newcombe,Head,Wid,F,57,independent,Sheet, Hampshire, England, Walter William Richard Newcombe,Son,Unm,M,24,,Steep, Hampshire, England, James Ring Newcombe,Son,Unm,M,17,,Normandy, Surrey, England, Marian Susannah Newcombe,Daughter,Unm,F,15,,Normandy, Surrey, England, There were 4 visitors.William Virgo and Flora Virgo,both 20 and married, and William Virgo, 6 months, from Wonersh Surrey, and Sarah Preston, 27, from Steep. There was also a general servant Eliza Flood, from Catherington, Hampshire |
| 8 | Text From Source: Census England 1891 Address: Freshfield House Place: Waterloo, Hampshire, England Name,Relation,Condition,Sex,Age,Occupation,Employ Status,Where Born,Infirmity James Ring Newcombe,Head,S,M,27,living on own means,,Normandy, Surrey, England, Henry Holder,Cousin,S,M,36,,,Petersfield, Hampshire, England,deaf and dumb There was a general servant, Catherine Godwin, living with them. |