Crombie, Edward Rubidge,

The Crombie family, still resident in Brant county, has antecedents in England, the Isle of Man and in Ireland. Some of their earliest ancestors were active in the British military service: Richard Hedges Cradock (married in 1767) served in America, Spain, Portugal, France and the West Indies and his son, Adam Williamson Cradock, established himself in Canada for a time before returning to Dublin. One of the primary unifying links in this collection of family papers covering more than two centuries is Agnes Georgina Cradock (1839-1916) who was born in Dublin and died in Canada, dividing her life between the two countries, first marrying Henry Archdall Wood (1861) and after his death in 1874, marrying George Thomas Atkins in 1877. The Atkins family were neighbours of the Cradocks; George's father, Major Thomas Atkins, served in India before purchasing a property in West Flamborough in 1840. The elder daughter of Agnes and George, Hilda Isabelle Georgina Atkins (1878-1949), married into the Crombie family. Edward Rubidge Crombie (1874-1937), Hilda's husband, was a farmer and writer whose literary efforts form a significant part of this fonds. Their son Edward B. H. Crombie (1909-1994) married Margaret C. Reynolds (1918-2003), daughter of V. Ernest Reynolds and Estella M. Craig.