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As is the case with all Combs Research Family Reports, when a source is not specifically referenced herein, the source can be found via a "hot link" to the applicable Combs County of Record, Revolutionary War Pension Files, Bible Records, etc.

Jesse Combs Sr. (Elijah “8”, John Combs, Sr., Mason Combs, Sr., John Combs of Richmond, Archdale Combs of Old Rappa), born 12 Jan 1798 in Tennessee; died 6 Jan 1874 in Hazard, Perry Co, Kentucky; married 11 Jun 1821, Perry Co, Kentucky, Polly BOLLING, born 7 Dec 1801, Virginia; died in 1875 in Perry Co, Kentucky (missing source for death year?).

Jesse is documented as the son of Elijah by both his father's 1855 Perry Co, KY will and Dickey Diary Interviews. His marriage to Polly BOLLING is documented by the Perry Co, KY Groom's Index and the 1914 Perry Co, KY death certificate of their daughter, Alsey.

Jesse's birth and death dates and Polly's birth date are documented by the Jesse Combs Family Records (see below), and the locations by Perry Co, KY records. Jesse is first found in public records when he appears on the tax lists of Clay Co, KY in 1819/20. He also appeared on the 1820 Clay Co, Kentucky census, and from 1830-1870 on the Perry Co, KY census. Also note that The Combes Genealogy… includes errors in regard to the children of Jesse (see below).

Jesse Combs Family Records.

Transcribed by Combs Researcher Marilyn Hansen from copies of two original pages located in the back of the old first Marriage Book of Perry Co, Ky. Jesse Combs was the first clerk of Perry Co, KY and maintained most of the county's records. These two documents appear to match his handwriting from other documents.

Jesse Combs Family Record, Document 1 (copy of original).

Jesse Combs was Born the 12th day of January 1798.

Polly Combs was Born the 7th day of December 1801.

Manerva Combs was Born on Thursday night Between 8 & 9 o'clock the 11 day of January 1821.

Marian Combs was Born on Friday the 28th day of September 1822 between mid night (?) and day.

Sary Combs and Susan Combs was Born on Thursday the 28th day of October 1826 [1824?], Sary about 2 ours [sic] into the night, Susan about mid night.

Alsey Combs was Born on Wednesday the 16th day of May 1827 Between mid night and day.

Louisa Combs was Born on Wednesday the 27th day of January 1830 About mid night.

Josiah H. Combs was Born on Friday the 25th day of November 1831 as day broke [at day brake?].

Jesse Combs, Jr. was Born on Wednesday the 18th day of February 1836 between midnight & day.

John D. Combs was Born on Thursday the 10th [16th?] day of May 1838 about 4 ours [sic] after mid night.

Margaret [Margarett?] Combs was Born on Thursday the 3rd day of June 1841 near ?????.

Jesse Combs Family Record, Document 2 (copy of original).

MH: Document 2 appears to include more than one handwriting, none the same as Jesse's own in Document 1. It also seems to have been written after the birth of all of the children recorded on Document 1.

  1. [various numerical calculations, apparently an attempt to determine months, days and years of two-three unnamed individuals]
  2. "Jesse Combs, Jr. was Born on the 18th day of Febury [sic] 1836(?)" [lined out sentence]
  3. "Jesse Combs, Jr. was born on the 19th (?) day of Feb 1836"
  4. "John B. [sic] Combs was Born on Thirs day the 10th day of May 1838 abought [sic] four ours after Midnight'
  5. "Margret Combs was bornd on Thirs day the 3 day of June 1841"
  6. "William A. (?) was born" [lined out]
  7. "William W. Combs was Bornd on Saturday 5th day of may 1838"

MC Notes: All of the children recorded on Document 1 were issue of Jesse and Polly BOLLING Combs. William W. and John B. [sic] Combs listed on the Document 2 were not, but were somehow closely related to Jesse (See (a) Biography of Dr. Marshall E. Combs of Perry Co, KY, (b) 1860 Perry Co, KY Census (William W. in household of Jesse & Polly) and (c) 28 Sep 1855, Perry Co, KY marriage of John B. and Mary BEGLEY Combs.

Also Note: There may have been at least one additional document in addition to the above two. According to "Perry County Kentucky A History" written and published by Hazard, Ky Chapter of DAR, compiled by Eunice Tolbert Johnson, copyright 1953, extracted by Combs Researcher Debi Kendrick:

"While Jesse Combs was County Court Clerk he quaintly recorded the births and deaths of his family in the back of the first marriage license book such as:

"Louisa Combs was born Wednesday the 27th day of November 1831 at day brake

John D. Combs was born Thursday the 10th day of May 1838 about 4 ours after midnite

"Elijah Combs escaped on the 13th day of April 1847 about an hour in the night or a little upwards of an hour."

"The record also states that "Jesse Combs deceased this life on the 6th day of January 1874 at about day light."

Note that the above entry for Louisa Combs appears to be a combination of the dates of birth of Louisa and Josiah H. Combs in Document 1. Also note that Elijah Combs (Jr.) was Jesse's brother. The final entry may have been by Jesse's grandson, Ira DAVIDSON (s/o Joseph & Alsey Combs Davidson (Combs)).

Known and Possible Issue of Jesse & Polly BOLLING Combs

Note: The following listing has been based on (a) the above Family Records; (b) census and other records; the Dickey Diary Interviews, and (c) two published sources, which disagree with both each other and the above family records; i.e., The Combes Genealogy… by Josiah H. Combs, and THE BOWLINGS OF EASTERN KY by Harley Tucker Bowling. The following is a tentative listing of the children of Jesse and Polly BOLLING Combs. Only those children who appear in the Family Records are considered documented at this point.

Also Note: The Combes Genealogy… lists a Dianna Combs who is shown as having married A. C. GODSEY. No Dianna has been included here since Austin C. GODSEY is documented as having married a Mary Combs (who may have been Jesse and Polly's daughter, Marian, a.k.a. Mary Ann). The Bowlings of East Kentucky includes as a son, William W. Combs from the above Family Records. William W. was not the s/o Jesse and Polly and is not included here (See Biography of Marshall E. Combs)

  1. Manerva Combs (Jesse) was born on 11 Jan 1821.

    2. Documented as a daughter of Jesse by Family Records. According to both The Combes Genealogy… and The Bowlings of East Kentucky, Minerva [sic] was a daughter of Jesse and Polly and married Ezekiel (Zke) BRASHEAR (BRASHEARS), but The Bowlings lists her birthdate as 7 Dec 1821.

    The 1850 Letcher Co, KY census includes the household of Ezekiel BRASHEARS, age 44, Manerva, age 29 (b ca 1821), Susan DAVIDSON, age 6 and Elihu Combs, age 19 (unidentified).

    Cunagin's Annotated 1880 Perry Co, KY Census, HH#337 lists a Mary Ann [sic] BRASHEAR, age 50, with (son?) Ezekial BRASHEAR, Jr., age 18 (b ca 1858). An annotation states that Mary Ann Combs m 14 Mar 1859, Ezekial BRASHEAR, Sr., s/o Sampson and Margaret, who was killed in the Civil War ca 1863-4, and who had married #1 Nancy CORNETT, d/o Roger & Mary LEWIS Cornett; issue; Lafayette, Mariah, and Sally by Nancy, Ursula & Ezekial by Mary Ann. Note that the conflicting birthdate used by The Bowlings may indicate a second Minerva Combs.

  2. Marian Combs (Jesse) was born 8 Sep 1822.

    3. Documented as a daughter of Jesse by Family Records. According to The Bowling Family of East Kentucky, Mary Ann [sic], born 28 Sep 1822 [sic], m A. C. GODSEY. The Combes Genealogy… does not include Marian as a daughter, but instead lists a daughter, Dianna, as married to A. C. GODSEY. No Dianna appears in the Family Records, or in the 1850 Perry Co, KY Census household of Jesse and Polly; however, the 1850 Perry Co, KY census lists A. C. GODSEY, age 34, b VA, with wife, Mary, age 27 (b ca 1823), and 7 May 1853, Perry Co, KY vital statistics identify her as Mary Combs. The Perry Co, KY Groom's Index includes Austin C. GODSEY, married 20 Oct 1843. On the 1850 Perry Co, KY census, A. C. GODSEY is listed immediately above Joseph and Alice "Alsey" Combs Davidson (Marian's sister).

    Also note that, according to the Dickey Diary Interview of Matilda DUFF Lewis, her nephew, Shadrach DUFF, s/o John A. and Mary Combs Duff, married Mary Combs, a "granddaughter of Elijah Combs, Sr." Mary Combs Duff the elder was Jesse's sister. Mary Combs Duff the younger has not yet been identified.

  3. Susan Combs (Jesse) was born on 28 Oct 1826.

    4. Documented as a daughter of Jesse & Polly by Family Records. According to The Combes Genealogy…, she married John RICHMOND (not found). She is not listed by The Bowling Family of East Kentucky.

  4. Sarah Combs (Jesse) was born on 28 Oct 1826.

    5. Documented as a daughter of Jesse by Family Records. According to The Combes Genealogy…, Sarah was a d/o Jesse and Polly and married Harvey, son of James HUNDLEY. According to The Bowling Family of East Kentucky, Sarah, b. 28 Oct 1824 [sic], married James Harvey HUNDLEY. Their partial source for her marriage is probably the Dickey Diary Interview of Matilda DUFF Lewis, in which she states that Harry [sic] HUNDLEY, s/o James & Sarah Combs Hundley, m a sister of Judge Josiah H. Combs. Harvey HUNDLEY s/o James & Sarah Combs Hundley, was b 1816-1817, KY, and is married to an Elizabeth (PARSONS?) on the 1850 Owsley Co, KY Census where he is enumerated as Harvey Combs (His mother, Sarah Combs Hundley, m 2nd Claiborne Combs, and he used his step-father's surname).

  5. Alice"Alsey" (Elsie Dutch) Combs (Jesse) was born 16 May 1827 in Perry Co, Kentucky. She died on 28 Jan 1914 in Perry Co, Kentucky. She married (1) 23 Jul 1844 in Perry Co, Kentucky, Joseph DAVIDSON, born ca 1827, Virginia; d bef 1863, of Perry Co, KY; (2) bef 1863, Granville Pearl Combs (son of Squire Nicholas "Bird-Eye" Combs Jr. and Elizabeth "Betts" Combs), born 1821/22, Kentucky; died between 1895 and 1901, Perry Co, Kentucky.

    6. Documented as a daughter of Jesse by Family Records, her own death certificate and Dickey Diary Interviews. She and her first husband, Joseph DAVIDSON are on the 1850 Perry Co, KY census. On the 1870 and 1880 Perry Co, KY census enumerations (1860 not yet extracted), she is in the household of her second husband, Granville Pearl Combs. Her marriage to Joseph DAVIDSON is documented by the 1930 Laurel Co, KY death certificate of her son, Ira Jesse DAVIDSON, and her second by her Perry Co, KY obituary. The Combes Genealogy… includes her as a daughter of Jesse & Polly and lists both these marriages, but incorrectly assigns some children (research in progress, to be added here shortly). She is omitted from The Bowling Family of East Kentucky.

  6. Louisa Combs (Jesse) was born on 27 Jan 1830 in Kentucky.

    7. Documented as a daughter of Jesse by Family Records. According to The Combes Genealogy…, she married "Big" Henry FIELDS. The 1850 Perry Co, KY census includes the household of Henry FIELDS, age 23, Louisa, age 20, and Mary, age 2. They are listed in the household immediately following that of John A. and Mary Combs Duff (Jesse's sister). Henry FIELDS was the natural son of Henry Combs, Jr. by Lucy FIELDS. According to The Bowling Family of East Kentucky, Louisa, born 27 Jan 1830, was daughter of Jesse and Polly and married Henry FIELDS. The 8 Dec 1922 Perry Co, Ky DC for one Louisa (Pratt) FIELDS, widow, age 93? and 1 month, states she was born Jan 1829, the d/o of Jesse Combs and Polly Bowling. The name on the DC suggests she might have been married prior to her marriage to Henry FIELDS. Her 1900 census record states she had had 6 children with 4 living.

  7. Josiah Henry Combs (Jesse), born 25 Nov 1831 in Perry Co, Kentucky; died in 1895 in Hazard, Perry Co, Kentucky; married 9 Jul 1853 in Perry Co, Kentucky, Polly Ann MATTINGLY (daughter of Jesse MATTINGLY and Nancy BOLLING), born 3 May 1830 in present-day Leslie Co, Kentucky; died on 7 Apr 1912 in Hazard, Perry Co, Kentucky.

    8. Documented as a son of Jesse by Family Records, the 1855 Perry Co, KY will of his grandfather, Elijah Combs, Sr., and Dickey Diary Interviews. Included in the 1850 Perry Co, KY Census Household of Jesse & Polly, listed as Josiah, age 17, born KY. His wife's ancestry is documented by both her own death certificate and Dickey Diary Interviews. Both appear in Perry Co, KY census enumerations from 1860 through 1880. He is listed in The Combes Genealogy… as a son of Jesse and Polly and as husband of Polly Ann MATTINGLY. According to The Bowling Family of East Kentucky, Josiah H., born 25 Nov 1832 [sic] m Polly MATTINGLY

  8. Dr. Jesse Combs Jr. (Jesse), born 18 Feb 1836 in Kentucky; married 15 Aug 1857, Morgan Co, Kentucky, Eliza Jane LACY, born about 1838 in Kentucky.

    9. Documented as a son of Jesse by Family Records, the 1855 Perry Co, KYwill of his grandfather, Elijah Combs, Sr., and Dickey Diary Interviews. Included in the 1850 Perry Co, KY Census Household of Jesse & Polly, listed as Jesse, age 14, born KY. Jesse and Eliza are on the 1860 Perry Co, KY census, but missing in 1870 and 1880 (no more information). He is listed as a son of Jesse and Polly and as husband of Eliz LACEY in The Combes Genealogy…. According to The Bowling Family of East Kentucky, Dr. Jesse Combs, born 18 Feb 1836, married Elizabeth LACEY.

  9. John D. Combs (Jesse), born on 10 May 1838, Kentucky.

    10. Documented as a son of Jesse by Family Records, the 1855 Perry Co, KY will of his grandfather, Elijah Combs, Sr., and Dickey Diary Interviews. Included in the 1850 Perry Co, KY Census Household of Jesse & Polly, listed as John, age 12, born KY.

    He appeared on the census in 1840 in Perry Co, Kentucky. He appeared on the census in 1850 in Perry Co, Kentucky, but is missing thereafter. He is listed as a son of Jesse and Polly and as husband of Sallie TURNER in The Combes Genealogy…(no information), but is omitted by The Bowling Family of East Kentucky. He has been confused by some researchers with John B. Combs (m Mary BEGLEY - See Family Records).

  10. Margaret "Peggy" Combs (Jesse) was born on 3 Jun 1841 in Kentucky.

    11. Documented as a daughter of Jesse by Family Records. Included in the 1850 Perry Co, KY Census Household of Jesse & Polly, listed as Margaret, age 10, born KY. According to The Combes Genealogy…, Margaret had a natural son, John, b ca 1857, Perry Co, KY, by John LACY (The author's source was oral family history from his father, John Wesley Combs, b 1857, Perry Co, KY). The 1860 Perry Co, KY census HH of Jesse and Polly includes a Marg, age 19, and a John, age 2, which may be Margaret and her son, John, who may also be the John Combs, age 14 in their 1870 Perry Co, KY household. According to The Combes Genealogy…, Margaret married (apparently after 1860), James B. FITZPATRICK. According to The Bowling Family of East Kentucky, Margaret "Peggy," born 2 Jun 1841 [sic], m James FITZPATRICK (no information).

  11. Nancy Combs (Jesse), b 1843-1845, Kentucky.

    12. Not listed in Family Records. Included in the 1850 Perry Co, KY Census Household of Jesse & Polly, listed as Nancy, age 7, born KY. She may be the Nancy Combs, age 15 in the 1860 PerryCo, KY census household of Jesse and Polly, who is listed "out of age order." She is listed as Jesse and Polly's daughter by both The Bowlings of East Kentucky and The Combes Genealogy…, both of which also state that she married William FIELDS (Bowling uses 1850 Perry Census record to determine birth year). A William FIELDS is on the 1870 Perry Co, KY Census, listed as age 27, with Nancy, age 25. Not known if same.