Francis & Charity WOOD Coomes of MD, VA, Surry NC & Nelson Co KY

Updated Oct 1998 Links fixed 11 Jan 2002
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See Also Combs Counties:
Charles MD, Surry NC, Spartanburg SC; and Lincoln, Davies and Nelson KY

Francis COOMES, b ca 1726, Maryland, d 3 Aug 1822, Nelson Co KY; buried St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery; m in MD Charity WOOD; b ?, d aft 1796, probably in Nelson Co KY. They resided in first Virginia [location not known], were there ca 1767 when son, Richard, was born (1850 Nelson KY Census) and then, between 1768 and 1771, removed to Surry Co NC where Francis COONS [sic] appears on the tax lists of the newly-formed (from Rowan) county with 1 tithable.

In 1777, the Surry NC tax returns of Jabez JARVIS include "Francis COOMS Improvements::0 Vallue: 0 Negros: 0 Value: 0 Horses: 2 Value: 24 Cattle: 3 Value: 9 0:7:8 Cash in Hand: 0 Money on "Interest" 0."

In 1782, Francis COOMES is listed on the Surry NC tax list in Dyer's District with two horses and one head of cattle with a total value of 13 Pounds.

The Surry NC marriage bond of his daughter, Lydia COOMS, and Amos CRITCHFIELD was dated 27 Aug 1783. (See Below).

On August 9, 1787 Francis entered his N. C. Land Grant of 200 acres of land known as "Round Hill" located on the south side of the Yadkin River in Surry Co. NC.

On 06 Aug 1796 (Surry Co NC DBF:332) Francis COOMER [sic] sold Round Hill to John FARMER, £100, and shortly thereafter removed to Nelson Co KY where he first appears on tax lists in 1797.

The ancestry of neither Francis Combs nor his wife has been determined; however, it is possible that he was from Charles Co, MD (See that Combs County re "Round Hill" also). According to the following family traditions/histories:

(1) Extracted from "The Centenary of Catholicity in Kentucky", by Hon. Ben. J. Webb, published by Cook & McDowell Owensboro, Kentucky in 1980, Chapter XXXVIII, "The mission of Daviess County," an interview by Webb of Francis' grandson, Richard R. COOMES:

"Richard R. COOMES, whose name appears in the above list of early settlers in the county [list of pre-1831 settlers of Daviess Co. KY], is a grand son of the veteran patriarch of the Cox's Creek settlement, Francis COOMES, who died a centenarian in 1822. The history of the family, as sketched for the writer by its oldest living representative in Daviess… is sufficiently interesting to be here introduced:

"Francis COOMES, from whom one branch of the family so designated and residing in KY has its descent, was born in Maryland about the year 1722. When a young married man, he stayed away from MD and went first to VA, and afterwards to N.C. Here there were children born to him and these grew up with little, if any, knowledge of their ancestral faith. When his oldest son, Richard, father of the venerated friend whose account the writer is here quoting, reached his majority, he became dissatisfied with his surroundings in NC, and, after wandering from place to place for a number of years, finally came to KY in the year 1790. It is more then likely he fell in with some of his father's former acquaintances of MD, then on their way to the settlement on Cox's Creek [Nelson Co, KY].

"Richard COOMES was accompanied to the State and to the settlement referred to by two single sisters, Anna and Rachel COOMES, the first of whom afterwards became the wife of Walter COOMES, .... and the mother of the late Rev. Charles I. COOMES .... and the last the wife of William COOMES, who removed from Nelson to Daviess County in the year 1815.

"In 1794, or thereabouts, Richard COOMES returned to N. C. and brought back with him to Kentucky his aged father and mother, and two single sisters. One of these latter afterwards intermarried with Wilfred WATHEN, and became the mother of … Rev. John C. WATHEN. The other was married to John SPEAKS. Having still a widowed sister residing in VA, Mrs. Margaret WATHEN, he went after her a year or two later, and brought to KY herself and her two infant children. ... she was afterwards united in marriage with Zachariah AUD, of the Cox's Creek Settlement, and she became mother of ... Rev. Athanasius A. AUD,.... The death of Richard COOMES took place in 1868, at the age of eighty-eight years."

(2) From Combs Researcher Joe Lewis: Father Eugene COOMES, S.J. also stated that Francis and Charity had nine children, some born in MD, VA and some in NC. In addition to those named above, Fr. Eugene also listed "…Henry who died 1856 in Breckenridge Co. KY, Leonard, who married Mary Anastasia COOMES (daughter of William COOMES) 1800 in Nelson Co. KY, and Lydia who married a CRUTCHFIELD in NC and moved to St. Lawrence in Daviess Co. KY…"

(3) From the "History of Daviess County, Kentucky," Inter-State Publishing Co., Chicago, 1883. Reprinted by McDowell Publications, Utica, KY, 1980. p. 611:

"HILLARY F. COOMES, farmer, stock-raiser and also tobacco merchant, Knottsville, was born in this precinct [of Davies Co KY] Feb. 20, 1844. He spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, and was educated at St. Mary's College, in Marion County. He engaged in the mercantile business in Knottsville for two years, but for the past three years has been dealing in tobacco. He was married Oct. 9, 1866, to Ellenora McDANIEL, daughter of Benedict J. McDANIEL. They had six children, five living--Marietta, Elizabeth H., Minnie R., Edwin L. and Fabien. Mr. COOMES is a Catholic Knight and a member of the Total Abstinence Society. Richard R. COOMES, father of the above, was born in Nelson County, Ky., April 1, 1812, and is a son of Richard COOMES (deceased), who came from North Carolina to this State as early as 1797, while the Indians were yet here. He was on of the first settlers of Bardstown. Mr. COOMES was educated at St. Mary's College. In April, 1841, he came to this county, and was the first County Surveyor of Daviess County, elected under the new Constitution, in 1850. He established the entire boundary line of McLean County, having been appointed to that work by the Legislature."

Richard, b 14 Feb 1768, VA (1850 Nelson Co KY Census and St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery Records); d 7 Feb 1856, Nelson Co, KY; resided in Surry, NC by 1771; came to KY in 1790, returned to Surry NC in 1796 for his parents, then to Randolph Co, VA for his sister, Margaret, ca 1798; m by Catholic Priest, Nov. 26, 1799, Nelson Co, KY, Mary LIVERS (Bondsman, William LIVERS); b May 24, 1783, MD; d 5 Feb 1859, Nelson Co, KY (ibid.)

1850 Nelson Co, KY Census

page 291
#228 Richard COOMES 82 farmer Va
Mary 67 Md
Maria 45 Ky
C. 21 (m) farmer Ky

1850 Daviess Co KY Census
Pp. 362a, 362b., Enumerated the 1st day of Aug. 1850, by G. C. SEBASTIAN

236 244 COOMES Richd. R. 38 M Farmer 500 KY
COOMES Julia A. 38 F Tenn
COOMES Mary M. 15 F KY
COOMES Richd. R. 13 M KY X
COOMES Wm. I. 10 M KY X
COOMES Hillery F. 6 M KY X
COOMES Louisa J. 3 F KY

Margaret Modesta m (1) Raphael WATHEN (a.k.a. John WORTHAM?) who d ca1798 in Randolph Co, VA (now-WV). She and her two daughters, Catherine and Clotilda, were brought to Nelson Co KY by her brother, Richard; she m (2) 24 Nov 1800, Nelson Co, KY (bond), Zachariah AUD by whom she had Rev. Athanasius A. AUD.

Lydia [as Lydda COOMS] m 27 Aug 1783 in Surry Co NC (Marriage Bond) Amos CRITCHFIELD [a.k.a. CRUTCHFIELD/SCRITCHFIELD], removed to Spartanburg SC, later lived in St. Lawrence, Daviess Co KY.

27 Aug 1783 (Surry Co NC Marriage Bonds) COOMS, Lydda & CRITCHFIELD, Amos (Surry Co. N.C . Marriage Records (Marriage Bonds before 1851), Page 00022, extracted by Combs Researcher Joe Lewis)

Correction!! Apparently Amos CRITCHFIELD's name was erroneously entered when this marriage was transcribed.  Researcher BDiefen249@aol.com  sent in the following transcription from a photocopy of the original document.

A-1357 is the photcopy number found in Surry Co. on this marriage record.

"We or either of us do acknowledge to owe unto his Excellency Alexander Martin Esqr Govenor of the State of North Carolina or his Successor, the just sum of Fifty Pounds lawful Money of said State. The payment of which to be void on Condition that there shall be no cause why William Critchfield and Lydda Cooms should not be joined in Holy Matrimony. Witness our Hands and Seale 27th Day of August 1783

test Amos Critchfield
(seal)
Wm Thomas Longine James Jones Sr (seal)

Thus far, no record of Amos and Lydia CRUTCHFIELD/SCRITCHFIELD has been found in Daviess Co KY (not researched as yet).

Anna m Walter COMBES

Nov. 22, 1796 (Nelson Co, KY Marriage Bonds) Walter COMBES-Anny COMBES Bond-Benjamin GRAYSON

Walter Combs was the s/o William Combs, Sr. of Charles Co MD and Nelson Co, KY. Walter's brother, William Combs, Jr., m Anna's sister, Rachel (See next).

Rachel m William COOMES.

Sept.3, 1796 (Nelson Co, KY Marriage Bonds) William COOMES-Rachel COOMES Bond-Richard COOMES

08 May 1834 - Jun 1844 (Davies Co KY) Will of William Combs. 8 May 1834, wife Rachael, children: Charles, Mary, Elizabeth, Felix, Benedict, William Peter, Trese WALLACE, ex: Felix Combs wit: Henry & Benjamin READ (Abstracted by Combs Researcher Jean Smallwood who also provided the following:)

From "Davies County Kentucky Records #1, Marriages 1815-1848, Deaths 1852-1861, Wills 1815-1850" by Researchers:" Will of William COOMES - written May 1834 - probated Jun 1844. Wife Rachel. Daughters: Tesesy WALLACE, Mary Margaret, and Elizabeth COOMES. Sons: Charles, Felix, Benedict and William Peter COOMES

Notes: Combs Researcher Joe Lewis adds that Rachel's husband, William, was the s/o William COOMES, Sr. b in Charles Co MD, who came to KY (Harrods Station) in spring of 1775. A submission to "Kentucky Ancestors," KY Historical Society quarterly, vol. 30 #2, 1994-1995, page 79, ROSTER OF FIRST KENTUCKY ANCESTORS, submission by Researcher Henry D. Paine, includes birth dates of 13 March 1769 for William and 9 Oct 1775 for Rachel, his source unknown.

Louisa (a.k.a. Elizabeth? Winnifred?), b 4 Nov 1779, North Carolina; d 1 Mar 1868, Nelson Co, KY; m. 24 Nov 1800, Nelson Co, KY, Wilford WATHEN.

Nov. 24, 1800 (Nelson Co, KY Marriage Bonds) Louisa Combs-Wilford WATHEN Bond-Francis Combs, bride's father Married by Catholic Priest S. T. BOLIN

Note: Marriage Bond indicates that Louisa [sic] Combs m Wilford WATHEN; however, another source (?) and a marriage CD list her as Winnifred COOMES m Wilford WATHEN, 24 Nov 1800 Nelson Co KY. The records of St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery, Nelson Co, Kentucky list (adj. to each other and to Richard R. and Mary LIVERS Coomes): Wilfred WATHEN, born Nov. 27, 1774, died June 30, 1856 and Elizabeth [sic] WATHEN, born Nov. 4, 1779, died Mar 1, 1868. No other marriage has been found for Wilford WATHEN, and Combs Researcher Carol Collins reports that the Wilford WATHEN Family Bible (Filson Club) also states wife's name is Elizabeth. (Whee!)

Mary Elizabeth m John SPEAKS [Marriage Record not found]

Henry ??

Notes: Although Father Eugene reported that a Henry who d 1856 in Breckenridge Co KY was the s/o Francis & Charity WOOD Combs, Combs Researcher Joe LEWIS notes that the (only) Henry COOMS in Breckenridge Co KY was listed on the 1830 Breckenridge Co KY Census, age 50-60, and the 1840 Breckenridge census, age 60-70. He d in 1844 in Breckenridge Co KY, and was the s/o Francis Ignatius COOMES, d testate in 1817, Hardy Co VA.

Leonard

Feb.24, 1800 (Nelson Co, KY Marriage Bonds) Leonard COOMES-Anastasia COOMES Bond-Enoch COOMES Will COOMES, father of bride Married by Catholic Priest

Also note that Francis COOMS may have resided closer to Mason Combs of Surry NC than previously believed - as it now appears they were both on the south side of the Yadkin River, and numbered quite a few common associates.

To Be Continued…