COMB-MARTIN, (Devon) on the Bristol-Channel, 149 cm. 184 mm. from London, was, for a good while, the Lp. of the Martins,
descended from Martin of Tours, a Norman Ld. who had great possessions here in the R. of Hen. I. Here is a cove for the
landing of boats. The adjacent soil not only produces plenty of the best hemp in the country, but has been famous for
mines of tin and lead; the latter of which being found, in the R. of Edw. I. to have some veins of silver, 337 men were
brought from Derbyshire to work them; and the produce was of great service to R. Edw. III. in his war with France.
Nevertheless, they were neglected till the R. of Q. Eliz. when Sir Beavis Bulmer, a virtuoso in refining metals, got great
quantities of silver from them, of which he caused 2 cups to be made, and presented the one to the Earl of Bath, and the
other, probably the least, which weighed 137 ounces, to Sir Rich. Martin lord-mayor of London. A new addit has been lately
dug here, which cost 5000 l. but the mines have not been wrought since. This manor descended from the Martins to the Lds.
Audley, from whom, for want of issue-male, it went to the crown; and K. Hen. VIII. gave it to Sir Richard Pollard, son of
judge Pollard, whose posterity sold it to the Hancocks, who procured it a Mt. on Tu. and Fair on Whitsun-M.