Comber, a town famous for potatoes and whiskey and the designer of the SS Titanic.
St Mary’s Parish Church stands on the site of the original Comber Abbey, which was burned in the tension between the O’Neills and the Smiths in the 1570s. Some of the original carved stones are on display inside the church.
In the early 1600s Hamilton and Montgomery jointly funded the restoration of the church. However, their rivalry saw Hamilton attempt to set up a new town – New Comber – across the River Enler.
Meanwhile the the Montgomerys developed the original town, and built a grand house at Mount Alexander for their son and his bride Jean Alexander. Her father, Sir William Alexander, was tasked with settling Scots at Nova Scotia in Canada.
Overlooking the Square is a monument to Robert Rollo Gillespie, a local war hero
of Ulster-Scots descent.
The Andrews family are Comber’s most famous dynasty. Also tracing their roots
back to Scotland, the town today recalls their influence in some of the historic
buildings. John Andrews & Sons flax spinning mill is still a spectacular structure, recently converted into apartments. Just across the road is Andrews Memorial Primary School, named after Thomas Andrews the designer of the SS Titanic who was on her maiden voyage and sank with her.
Comber Early Potatoes have been recognised by European law and have
PGI status (protected geographical indication). The legal definition of a true Comber potato is that it must have been grown in the area of County Down which was once the original Hamilton and Montgomery lands!
