The life and correspondence of Andrew Combe / By George Combe.

  • Combe, George, 1788-1858.
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The life and correspondence of Andrew Combe / By George Combe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    neighbouring poor, even when economy was severely en- forced on themselves by the pressure of the times. She was the peace-maker in all misunderstandings among the numerous relatives of the family, and was relied on by them for assistance and advice in all cases of serious illness and misfortune. But the constant pressure of the cares of a large fa- mily, precluded the manifestation, on her part, of much of that sympathetic tenderness towards her children which she really felt; and hence, in their earlier years, many of them never knew the pleasure which a mother’s affec- tion sheds over the minds of the young. Her sway was one of general kindness and justice, rather than one of endearment: favouritism was unknown. Andrew, as will be afterwards seen, while he missed the sympathy of maternal tenderness in his childhood, loved and esteemed his mother when he became capable of appre- ciating her excellent qualities, and of making allowance for the circumstances in which she was placed. At the time of his marriage, Andrew’s father occu- pied the brewery of Newgrange, situated a short dis- tance from the east end of the Crosscauseway, on the road to Dalkeith. In 1780, the brewery and lands of Livingston’s Yards were purchased by him, and thither he immediately removed. Here Andrew Combe was born on the 27th of October 1797. The family subse- quently increased to seventeen children, of whom thirteen survived till 1807. Immediately after birth, Andrew was transferred to the care of Mary Robertson, wife of John Robertson, tailor in the village of Corstorphine, a woman of extraordinary vigour, liveliness, and practi- cal sense. She was in the prime of life, and Andrew prospered under her care. When he was weaned and was able to walk, she restored him to his parents; cer- tifying his condition in these emphatic terms :—“ He