Frank Comyns gets several mentions recorded from the internet

He was the chair when the Old Newburians were set up

“presented by Old Boys" he said "and he knew there were plenty of Old Boys in Newbury. He would like to suggest the forming of an Old Boys club."

So it was that P.F. Davis and A.J. Freeman called a meeting on 17th October 1903 (100 years and one day ago) of Old Boys to consider the foundation of an Old Boys Society. With them were: Frank Comyns (Master and former pupil, who took the Chair), and Messrs Adey, Allee, Burns, Davies, Davis, Forster, Hayton, Hopson, James, Knight, Lemm, Metcalf, Midwinter, F W Neate, G W Neate, New, Salway, Stradling, Turner, and Willis - and with them that visionary founding father of the Old Newburians Society, Mr Sharwood Smith.”

He took a great interest in local flora and the following is from the Newbury and District field Club transactions

A summarised account of Hants and Isle of Wight  Mosses from the pen of Mr. Dixon appeared in Vol. 1 of the Victoria County History, published in 1900. At this time 210 species were recorded from the area named. It is only necessary to add that the number now (1907) on record is over, 270, to give some idea of the numerous additions. Quite lately the Isle of Wight has been carefully worked for mosses by the Rev. H. N. Livens of Newport, who during 1936-7 collected no less than 160 species, including a good many interesting species hitherto unrecorded. This list will find an appropriate place in a Natural History Guide to the Isle of Wight, to be published shortly, but the contributor has, with the permission of Mr. F. Morey, F.L.S., the Editor of the publication, allowed me to incorporate it in this enumeration. I am also indebted to the Rev. W. L. W. Eyre of Swarraton, for a list of about 8o mosses collected' in or near his parish; to my friend Mr. J. F. Rayner for numerous records from the New Forest and the Isle of Wight ; to Sir William Portal, of Laver-- stoke, who very kindly lent me the interesting moss herbarium of the late Dr. Hill, of Basingstoke, containing plants collected chiefly in that neighbourhood; and to Mr. Frank Comyns, my companion on many a bryological ramble for much. help, most ungrudingly given, in the preparation of local lists, etc. A good deal remains to be done before the Moss flora of Hants can be regarded as thoroughly worked out. Bearing …….

EXCURSION TO THE BERKSHIRE DOWNS.

SATURDAY, JULY 22ND, 1903. Directors: H. J. OSBORNE WHITE, F.G.S., AND LLEWELLYN TREACHER, F.G.S.

Excursion Secretary: W. P. 1). STEMING, F.G.S. (Report by LL. TREACHER.)

THE party arrived at Newbury about 10.30, and were met at the station by Mr. Frank Comyns, M.A. who led the way to the Museum, of which he is the Hon. Curator. Here they were joined by several local residents, and Mr. Comyns related the circumstances connected with the restoration of the Old Cloth Hall and its adaptation to the purpose of a Museum, and gave a brief description of the principal contents. The shortness of the time at their disposal prevented the members making more than a somewhat hasty inspection of the collections, but they especially noticed a fine skull, with horn-cores intact, of Bos primigenius from the peat of the Kennet Valley, teeth of the same and of other animals, horns of red deer and roebuck, nuts, etc., from the same deposit, two large neolithic flint celts from the peat, implements of bronze from local barrows, and some good specimens of ancient pottery found in, and near, Newbury. Also a small but interesting collection of local chalk fossils, presented by Miss M. Baylis, of …….

His probate shows Frank of 144 Craven road, who died 17 Mat 1947, Newbury, leaving the not inconsiderable sum of £10,956 12s 5d to his widow Mary Thomasins Comyns

Author: D Clow
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