Comber Historical Society News

Erskine Willis outlined the story of the Abbey Stones to the October meeting of Comber Historical Society. The story relates to a strange group of stones known to the Willis family as “The Monk”. This once stood in Erskine’s garden which at one time belonged to the house called Aureen in The Square. The structure was composed of nineteen stones, some of them carved, believed to be from Comber’s old Cistercian Abbey which has now vanished. One of the carved stones was of a head, hence the nickname “The Monk”. The structure had been put together in 1931 by Tom Campbell, who was gardener of Aureen at that time. He apparently brought the stones from the Old House of the Andrews family in Castle Street.
In 2002 Erskine showed “The Monk” to Len Ball and Desmond Rainey who were just about to have their book “A Taste of Old Comber” published. It was subsequently the subject of two short documentaries by Brian Black on UTV. Two archaeologists from what was then the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS), Marion Meek and Annie Given, gave their opinion. The head was not that of a monk at all, but rather a king with a crown, and had been the keystone on either a door or window dating to the 15th century. They saw no reason why it should not have been part of Comber Abbey, but it was not an original part of the foundation, which is believed to have been built in 1199.
Erskine was keen that these stones should be made available to the people of Comber, and it was thought appropriate that they be housed in St Mary’s Parish Church which today occupies the site of the Abbey. They would therefore be returning to their original home. In the meantime EHS dismantled “The Monk” and took the stones away to their depot at Moira for cleaning and storage.
That was in 2003. In addition to finding a resting place for the stones, finance was an obvious problem. However, now in 2009, after many twists and turns to the tale, EHS (now the NI Environment Agency) found the necessary funding and took the project on board. They have recently installed the main stones in the new South Transept in St Mary’s, rather appropriately close to the Cistercian window. The smaller stones will soon join them in a suitable display cabinet, and boards will be fitted outlining the history of the Abbey and its stones.
Desmond Rainey thanked Erskine for his donation of the stones and for the interest and dedication he had shown over the years in finding a new home for them. He also presented Erskine with a small gift on behalf of Comber Historical Society for the major part he had played in organising the Norman Nevin week in May.
Our next meeting will be held on Monday 9th November at 8pm in Comber Learning Centre at 8pm. Mr. John Lennon will be presenting a film night entitled “What’s in a Name”. A visual tour of Northern Ireland This promises to be an enjoyable night as those of us who have heard John before can testify.
Visitors and members will all receive a warm welcome. A donation of £2 per meeting is sought to help with costs.