CFHS code : AS320
Parish : All Saints
Inscription : In Remembrance of JOHN CORBIN d Oct 10 1867 aged 74 also SARAH daughter of the above d Dec 21 1877 at Bishops Stortford and was there interred also THOMAS LAMBERT CORBIN d July 7 1882 aged 23 also of FANNY ELIZABETH CORBIN d April 5 189 aged 32 and of FRANCES CORBIN widow of the above d June 28 1889 aged 70.
Monument : Headstone
Above information from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
Monument
The headstone with carved cross stands under a tree, one row east of the path in the north west corner of the parish of All Saints. The carved inscription is legible on the west face but that on the east less so.
Inscription
west face
In Remembrance of JOHN CORBIN who died Oct 10 1867 aged 74 years
Also SARAH daughter of the above who died Dec 21 1877 at Bishops Stortford and was there interred
Also THOMAS LAMBERT CORBIN who died July 7 1882 aged 23 years
Also of FANNY ELIZABETH CORBIN who died April 5 1889. Aged 32 years
And of FRANCES CORBIN widow of the above who died June 28 1889 aged 70 years
east face
HARRIET CORBIN ……… 1924
Relationships – Husband, wife and four children.
John Corbin (c1792 -1867)
John was born in Cheshire, very likely to have been the son of John & Elizabeth Corbin of Shotwick. Nothing is known of his early life or why he came to Cambridge. He was married three times. We do not know anything of his first wife or if there were any children. On November 2nd 1836 he married Sophia Lambert in Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge. They moved into 41 Hills Road and had five children – Lambert (1837-1838,) Francis (b 1839), Joseph (b 1840), Emily (b 1842) and George (1844-1848). All the baptisms took place in Holy Trinity and from these records we learn that John Corbin was a police inspector. This was in the very early days of an organised borough police force which was established in 1836. By the birth of Joseph he was described as a gent George in 1844, John was described as a Yeoman.
Sadly Sophia died in 1845. She was buried in the churchyard of Holy Trinity church in the city centre but no monument has been found.
After her death her sister Frances may have helped with the care of the children as in 1849 John married her in Shoreditch, London. No record has been found for them in the 1851 census. It may be that they were abroad as their second child was born in France.
On their return to Cambridge they lived at 24 Malcolm Street, Cambridge. They had at least five children; George (b 1850) Harriett (b 1851), Sarah (b 1853), Frances Fanny Elizabeth (b 1855) and Thomas Lambert (b 1858)
Francis, John’s second child was the first to move away and the 1881 census finds him living in London with his wife Caroline and eleven children. He was a banker’s clerk.
Frances Corbin (née Lambert) (c1822- 1889)
Frances was born in Cambridge to John (a Publican) and Frances Lambert. After John’s death Frances ran a lodging house at 24 Malcolm Street, Cambridge. Her neighbours at 22 and 25 were also widows and ran lodging houses which were probably for students.
Sarah Corbin (c1853 – 1877)
Sarah was the second child of John and Sarah. She became a milliner and died at the age of 23.
Thomas Lambert Corbin (c1858 – 1882)
When Thomas died, he was living at 24 Malcolm Street, Cambridge.
Fanny Elizabeth Corbin (1855 – 1869)
When Fanny died, she was living at 24 Malcolm Street, Cambridge.
Harriet Corbin (1851-1924)
Harriet, the 2nd child of John & Frances, was born in Calais, but was a British subject. She took over the lodging house after her mother’s death. She died at 163 Chesterton Road, Cambridge and was buried here on April 25th 1924 at the age of 73.
The name was changed to Corbyn by the following generation.
[If you have any information about this family please contact us at Friendsofmillroadcemetery@gmail.com]
By Mary Naylor
sources
CFHS Transcripts of parish records
British newspaper archives
Family Search