Comber Historical Directory

The author Jim Gracey, aged 73, born and educated Belfast;
while Sub Librarian at Linen Hall Library, became an
originator of the NI Political Collection, a founding editor
-Irish Booklore journal, & Blackstaff Press’s 1st MD.
Jim married Diane Leclercq in 1968 and they moved to
Cambridge in 1981,
they have a married son, and a granddaughter.

Jim is connected to the Comber area through the
Gracey family of Stoney Brae, Glen Road, Ballyaltikilligan,
a farming family who had been there from shortly
after 1690 and for over two hundred years until 1907.
His Grandfather James Gracey 1852-1931,
was born in Ballyaltikilligan, Comber.
Even though, or because he was the eldest son,
he soon left the farm, choosing to work in bank
branches elsewhere.
James first married Annie Smith and after she died,
he married Elizabeth Whitla from Monaghan,
who brought up the two children from the first marriage
and four of her own with James Gracey.
Jim is the youngest son of her second son
Robert Victor Gracey in James 2nd marriage,
and was born James Whitla Gracey in Belfast in 1935,
and was so named in honour of his Uncle
Commander James Whitla Gracey.
It was he who first researched the family history
in the 200 year span in Ballyaltikilligan.
The last Gracey to live out his days at Stoney Brae
was William Gracey 1819-1901,
who is buried in St Mary‘s Church of Ireland, Comber.
The tombstone has been salvaged and rests
beside the entrance gates in Comber‘s Square.

A note from the Author

What you read is frozen in time until revised,
ie it really is out of date!
Its purpose remains as trying to saving you hours
of work initially before you do your own
further research. ie at some stage you should be
 checking all the websites used eg Ros Davies website
is growing and probably has 3 years of
extra Comber information! I have had during the
last two months, many and most helpful corrections
from the busy Desmond Rainey [of the Comber
Historical Society]. That was most generous of your
precious time, thank you Desmond. I am sorry that time caught
up on us, and trust that any of your uncompleted
existing and further corrections may get incorporated
in due time. My best regards to you all and good
 luck in your family and Comber history quests,
and may some of you take over this work and continue
to extend it. If you are a blow-in, and get curious
about who you think you are and where you are
living, lets hope the sources I have used will
get you started too.
 I wonder though what that phrase blow-in makes me!

Cheerio Comber
Jim Gracey
August 2008