Origins of the Edgcombe name.

Edgcumbe is the name of a valley leading down to the Tamar river in the parish of Milton Abbot, Devon in England. The name Edgcumbe combines the word combe, being a Celtic word for valley and, it has been suggested, Eggha, a man who dwelt there. The family can be traced back to Edgcumbe Manor, the farm which still exists in the valley, and has been in Edgcombe family ownership from the early 13th Century up until 1920.

The first recorded head of the family was William de Edgcumbe c.1210-1274, who was a landowner near Tavistock in Devon and a juror in 1274. It is thought that all Edgcombes descend from his son, John de Edgcumbe c.1240-1285.

The spelling of the name has changed over the centuries, from Egghacombe, Edgcombe, Edgcumbe to Edgecombe in the 19th Century, as well as Edgcomb and Edgecomb favoured in the USA. Since the 17th Century the descendants have spread widely throughout the world. Branches that have flourished include the early settlers of Maine and Connecticut in America, as well as New Zealand and Australia.

One notable branch of the family lived at Mount Edgcumbe near Plymouth in Devon. Since 1789 it has been the home of the Earls of Mount Edgcumbe. Their lineage there can be traced back to Sir Richard Edgcumbe who built the house between 1547 and 1552. His grandfather, the first Sir Richard Edgcumbe was knighted at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, when the family lived at Cotehele in Cornwall. They moved there in 1353. Before that, they lived at Edgcumbe, the farm in Devon whence they derive their name.  

The family history has been well documented in the Edgcombe Family Genealogy and History (EFGH) publications and by other earlier independent family researchers.
 
A list of all the project members and their known ancestry can be seen on the News page.
 
Aims of the DNA project.

The purpose of this project is to confirm a genetic relationship between Edgcombes and to verify the paper documentation. This can be acheived by testing family members from a number of different branches thus providing certain patterns of results peculiar to each branch.

Through this method we have defined an 'Edgcombe haplotype', determining the main family branch and some of it's offshoots. In addition, we have established genetically, through testing descendants from several branches, back 17 generations to a common ancestor in John Edgcombe who was born c.1430 in Edgcumbe, Devon, England.

Some project members have taken deep-clade tests and are participating in advanced SNP testing. These results will hopefully contribute to the L21 Plus project, whose members are trying to discover more about the ancient origins and migration of the L21 Haplogroup. Please see the Results section for the latest findings.

An extensive Edgcombe family tree has been produced, as well as a simplified version showing the DNA participants and how they connect. Both trees are available in PDF format and can be emailed to you at no cost. Please contact the administrator eddyedgecombe@hotmail.com for copies.
 
Types of DNA tests.
 
There are several types of Y-DNA tests and these are for males only. If you are a female you will need to have a male relative; father, brother or cousin, for example, to take the test.
The Y-DNA 12 marker test is only marginally useful. The Y-DNA 37 test will provide much more information and is ideal for comparing matches. The Y-DNA 67 test is used to further refine connections and is also worthwhile, but only if you have first established matches through the 37 marker test. There is also a recently available Y-DNA111 test but this can only be ordered if you have the Y-DNA 67marker test first.

All tests can be ordered through the Edgcombe DNA project, which will entitle you to a discount.