Famous Biddlecombes

This is a very arbitrary list of 'well-known' people called Biddlecombe, and a few with related surnames. You are welcome to suggest others. If you want to suggest yourself, some information from an independent source (or its URL) will help!

Each name links to a page about the person or people concerned. Searching AltaVista or another search engine for the name shown will often find you more details.

One correspondent has mentioned "a relatively famous Biddlecombe Victorian detective living and detecting in Hampshire". If anyone has any further information about please let me know.

Name Description

Captain George Biddlecombe Author of 'The Art of Rigging'. The final edition was published in 1848, and has been reprinted since. Often referred to as the best single book on the rigging of sailing ships (but very tough going for land-lubbers!). We now own the Dover reprint [ISBN 0-486-26343-6]. The introduction tells us that George's book originated as a revision of one of the 6 volumes of an older book on rigging and Seamanship by David Steel, and that George had been in the merchant navy for many years, and afterwards became a Master in the Royal Navy.

Terry Biddlecombe UK National Hunt (i.e. 'over the sticks') jockey, who rode in the 1960s and 70s, and is now married to the trainer Henrietta Knight. He rode 60 winners at the Cheltenham Festival - a record at the time, though three other jockeys have beaten this total subsequently. Terry was a lively character - there are many stories of him going out on the town the night before a race, and the Irish Times described him as 'a man whose huge enthusiasm for the game can manifest itself rather more earthily than normal in polite society'. He taught John Hurt how to ride for his role in the film 'Champions'. Twenty-odd years ago in the UK, saying 'like the jockey' was your best chance of getting someone to spell 'Biddlecombe' correctly.

Peter and Gay Biddlecombe This Peter Biddlecombe is not one of the authors of this page. He writes humorous books about his travels abroad on business. He and his wife Gay run a vineyard (St. George's in Waldron, East Sussex), so you can obtain a bottle of 'Chateau Biddlecombe', though they're not pretentious enough to call it that.

The Biddlecombe triplets George, Tiffany and Robert, born at San Antonio Community Hospital to Shelley and George, who live in California. The birth was aparently induced by the excitement of the USC v. UCLA football game!

Biddlecombs of Downton Apparently, about 6 Biddlecombs emigrated to Canada from the village of Downton, Wiltshire, in 1836. There had been many people 'on the parish' (i.e. receiving poor relief), and an ingenious official worked out that paying for them to emigrate would be cheaper than continuing to support them. This wasn't quite as harsh as it sounds - there had apparently been good reports from previous emigrants from Downton.

C. Biddlecombe A fireman in the engine room of the RMS Titanic.

Name	Description
Captain George Biddlecombe	Author of 'The Art of Rigging'. The final edition was published in 1848, and has been reprinted since. Often referred to as the best single book on the rigging of sailing ships (but very tough going for land-lubbers!). We now own the Dover reprint [ISBN 0-486-26343-6]. The introduction tells us that George's book originated as a revision of one of the 6 volumes of an older book on rigging and Seamanship by David Steel, and that George had been in the merchant navy for many years, and afterwards became a Master in the Royal Navy.
Terry Biddlecombe	UK National Hunt (i.e. 'over the sticks') jockey, who rode in the 1960s and 70s, and is now married to the trainer Henrietta Knight. He rode 60 winners at the Cheltenham Festival - a record at the time, though three other jockeys have beaten this total subsequently. Terry was a lively character - there are many stories of him going out on the town the night before a race, and the Irish Times described him as 'a man whose huge enthusiasm for the game can manifest itself rather more earthily than normal in polite society'. He taught John Hurt how to ride for his role in the film 'Champions'. Twenty-odd years ago in the UK, saying 'like the jockey' was your best chance of getting someone to spell 'Biddlecombe' correctly.
Peter and Gay Biddlecombe	This Peter Biddlecombe is not one of the authors of this page. He writes humorous books about his travels abroad on business. He and his wife Gay run a vineyard (St. George's in Waldron, East Sussex), so you can obtain a bottle of 'Chateau Biddlecombe', though they're not pretentious enough to call it that.
The Biddlecombe triplets	George, Tiffany and Robert, born at San Antonio Community Hospital to Shelley and George, who live in California. The birth was aparently induced by the excitement of the USC v. UCLA football game!
Biddlecombs of Downton	Apparently, about 6 Biddlecombs emigrated to Canada from the village of Downton, Wiltshire, in 1836. There had been many people 'on the parish' (i.e. receiving poor relief), and an ingenious official worked out that paying for them to emigrate would be cheaper than continuing to support them. This wasn't quite as harsh as it sounds - there had apparently been good reports from previous emigrants from Downton.
C. Biddlecombe	A fireman in the engine room of the RMS Titanic.

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Editor: Peter Biddlecombe
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