Robart Cumfort was born bef. 1686. He died between 1715 and 1722 in probably.


Children of Robart Cumfort and are:
1. Benjamin Comfort, b. 1698 See Benjamin Comfort & Elizabeth Heywood
2. Robert Comfort See Robert Comfort & Elizabeth Betts
3. John Comfort
4. ? Comfort, b. UNKNOWN

Notes for Robart Cumfort:


[CFofA]
Page 2,3
Richard and Robert each appears to have left only one documentary
trace of himself. On April 26, 1699, Richard Comfert was a surety
for William Slute at Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina; and the
1698 census of Newtown (now Elmhurst), Long Island, lists Robart
Cumfort with the additional information that the family numbered six.

The presence of Samuel, Richard, and Robart in the Colonies during
the 1690’s brings to mind the "vague tradition" inserted by Orrin F.
Comfort in Amzi Wickman Comfort’s account of his family; he reported it
as coming from his uncle Edward Comfort. The family story was that
three brothers named Comfort landed at New York City and there sepa-
rated, one -- "probably Robert" -- going up the Hudson to settle
"presumably at Fishkill," the second moving into New Jersey, and the
other going south, "probably to Old Point Comfort, Virginia." Herbert
T. Comfort reported what is perhaps a variant -- that the three landed
at Point Comfort, Virginia, one settling in Virginia, one in Pennsyl-
vania, and the third in Canada. Surely, one cannot conclude from these
traditions that Samuel, Robart, and Richard were brothers, that they
came together on the _America_ to the Colonies, and that they then sepa-
rated; however, traditions changing as they do in passing orally from
one generation to the next, it is well within the bounds of possibil-
ity that about 1690 three brothers -- Robert, Richard, and Samuel
Comfort -- came to New York on the _America_ and that they then went
their individual ways -- Robert to Long Island, Samuel north, and
Richard south, the latter two staying at least long enough in New
Hampshire and North Carolina respectively to leave the known documen-
tary proof of their presence. It may be noted that Robert, Samuel, and
Richard were all names that appeared frequently among the early Ameri-
can Comforts who descended from Robart and that the Comforts were just
as prone as others of that time to repeat the names of one generation
in the next.

We have found no reason to suspect that Samuel or Richard left
any descendants; Robart, however, assuredly did, and we have strong
evidence of who some of them were. In 1715, Robert Comfort, Jr., was
named as a member of Capt. Daniel Stevenson’s Military Company of New-
town. The "Jr." of this record certainly points to Robart Cumfort as
the father of Robert, Jr.; no other Comforts appear in the 1698 census,
nor do any other records suggest that another family of Comforts was
then on Long Island. To digress in order to conclude the story of
Robart -- in 1722, when Elizabeth Betts married Robert Comfort, he is
no longer referred to as Robert, Jr.; from this, we conclude that
Robart died between 1715 and 1722.

If Robert, Jr., is accepted as the son of Robart, two more of his
sons can be identified. John Comfort of Lanesboro, Pennsylvania,
stated in his letter to his son Silas that "brothers of the name of
Comfort -- Robert, Benjamin, and John moved from Long Island." As the
Robert mentioned was John of Lanesboro’s grandfather, the evidence is
strong that Benjamin and John were also children of Robart . This con-
clusion is supported by a letter written by Thomas Jefferson Comfort
in which he says that his grandfather was Robert, "the brother of a
John who settled in New Jersey." In addition, Amzi Wickman Comfort,
Thomas Jefferson Comfort’s son, named Benjamin, John, and Thomas as
brothers of Robert. Of Thomas, more later; but the evidence strikes
us as conclusive that Robart Cumfort was the father of Robert, Jr.,
John, and Benjamin.

...

To summarize what we know and believe concerning the Long Island
Comforts -- Robart Cumfort and his family resided at Newtown in 1698.
Various records, dating between then and 1730, show Abigail, Mary,
Robert, Jr., Benjamin, and John Comfort to have lived there or in that
area, and tradition adds Thomas to the list. It seems clear that John,
Robert, and Benjamin were sons of Robart; the probability is strong
that Mary was his daughter; and there is a good possibility that Abi-
gail and Thomas were also his children.

Sources for Robart Cumfort:

  1. History: Comfort Families of America, p.2

Notes for John Comfort:


[CFofA]
Page 3
If Robert, Jr., is accepted as the son of Robart, two more of his
sons can be identified. John Comfort of Lanesboro, Pennsylvania,
stated in his letter to his son Silas that "brothers of the name of
Comfort -- Robert, Benjamin, and John moved from Long Island." As the
Robert mentioned was John of Lanesboro’s grandfather, the evidence is
strong that Benjamin and John were also children of Robart . This con-
clusion is supported by a letter written by Thomas Jefferson Comfort
in which he says that his grandfather was Robert, "the brother of a
John who settled in New Jersey." In addition, Amzi Wickman Comfort,
Thomas Jefferson Comfort’s son, named Benjamin, John, and Thomas as
brothers of Robert. Of Thomas, more later; but the evidence strikes
us as conclusive that Robart Cumfort was the father of Robert, Jr.,
John, and Benjamin.


Notes for ? Comfort:


Index
Surnames
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Copyright © 2004Stephen D. Williams

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