Comber

Comber is a plantation town and owes its development to the Industrial Revolution. The town's oldest industry is the spinning mill, which dates back to 1863. In the 19th century flour-milling and distilling industries developed.

Famous residents:

Thomas Andrews (born in 1873), was in charge of the plans for the ocean liner RMS Titanic. He was travelling on board the Titanic during its maiden voyage when it hit an iceberg on 14 April 1912 and was one of the 1,517 people who perished in the disaster.

Sir Robert Rollo Gillespie (1766–1814) was born in a large house on the south side of Comber's main square. The square holds a large statue of Gillespie, unveiled on the 24th June 1845 (St. John's Day). Gillespie reached the rank of Major-General and joined an Irish cavalry regiment before campaigning against the French in the West Indies.

From 1928 to 1936, the RAC Tourist Trophy (TT) motorcar races took place on a (closed) road circuit encompassing Newtownards, Comber and Dundonald, run in a clockwise direction. The pits were still visible up until the 1960s.
Industrialist and pioneer of the modern agricultural tractor, Harry Ferguson, was instrumental in setting up the race, which was known as the Ards TT.