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Combs Counties of Record in this report include: Old Rappahannock, Richmond, King George, Westmoreland & Stafford Cos VA, and Fayette Co, PA. Note: Combs Deed Mapping Projects in some of these Combs Counties of Record include the Gough, Kendalls and/or Prosser Families.

Note: This is not so much a report as a "1st-rough-draft placeholder" until we give our primo Combs-Kendall Researcher, author Denise Kelly Mortorff, a few spare minutes from her tremendous research on the Archdale, Combs & Kendall Families of England so that she can "do it up right."

Also, we highly recommend Denise's book "The Kendall Family History, the Life, Ancestors & Descendants of Abraham Kendall & "Millie" Ellen Gilmore," which was privately printed in 1989. This is an excellent book, wonderfully written, and still in print. (Not that we're prejudiced - the quality of Denise's research speaks for itself.) To obtain a copy, email Denise for details.

s/Denise's editor

Elizabeth COMBS was probably born between 1690 and 1700, and most likely the eldest daughter of John COMBS of Richmond, she apparently being the only one of his five known daughters who was married by 16 Dec 1716, when he included in his will: "I Doe give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth KENDALL one Cowe." (Richmond VA WB3:300)

Elizabeth's husband was William KENDALL (son or grandson of Thomas & Martha GOUGH Kendall - research in progress). The earliest record of their marriage is John Combs' will; however, a number of other records substantiate that we have the "right KENDALL."

(1) Thomas & Martha GOUGH Kendall's land was adjacent to that of John COMBS. In fact, Thomas purchased some of his acreage from John COMBS on 03 Jan 1692/3 (Richmond Co, Records, 1692-1704, p. 99)

Note: The above Thomas KENDALL appears to have been either the father or grandfather of William KENDALL (we're suffering from a surfeit of Thomas KENDALLS at the moment).

(2) William himself is first found in the records of Richmond County when he and John COMBS witness a deed between George GREEN and John KENDALL on 02 May 1709 (Richmond DB5:200-1), with William's mark a "W."

(3) On March 2, 1716-17, Thomas KENDALL of Parish of Hanover, Richmond Co., made a deed of gift to his son William KENDALL and his now wife Elizabeth of that plantation of 50 acres where said Thomas KENDALL now lives and whole personal estate to son William except what I have given to my youngest son, Samuel, provided that William live upon said plantation and maintain Thomas Kendall during his natural life…" with the deed witnessed by Isaac ARNOLD (also a witness to the will of John COMBS), George GREEN and John GREEN. (COMBS Researcher Denise Mortorff)

(4) on 09 Nov 1721, William KENDALL "of Westmoreland Co VA" deeded the 59 acres to his brother Samuel KENDALL (recorded 02 Mar 1721/2, King George Co VA DB1:59-61).

(5) On 28 Sep 1726, William KENDALL "of Stafford" sold the "28 Sep 1726 Deed. William KENDALL "of Stafford" … property they "formerly lived and inhabited" in Westmoreland County. Dated (recorded the same date, Westmoreland Co VA DB8:68-70) The deed is signed by William [his W mark] KENDALL and Elizabeth [her C mark] KENDALL.

(6) In Stafford Co VA, William and Elizabeth and their family (partially recorded, see below) re found in the records of Overwharton Parish, as is the family of her younger brother, Mason COMBS, Sr..

Side Note: Published far and wide a number of years ago was a bible record (whose original source we've been unable to locate, nor its existence to substantiate), purporting to be that of William & Elizabeth COMBS Kendall. According to this record, the family of William & Elizabeth COMBS Kendall were:

Elizabeth and William KENDALL
Samuel, b. 19 May 1695
Thomas, b 1 Aug 1697
John, b 21 Oct 1698
Richard, b 25 Dec 1699
William 4 Mar 1701
Robert 23 Jun 1703
(Josiah H. COMBS' The Combes Genealogy…, p. 123)

According to this same source, p. 27: "…William F. Boogher says that John's daughter Elizabeth married William KENDALL April 5, 1694. (She was pretty young, but they married young in those days)… Boogher's date for William KENDALL'S marriage is doubtless correct, coming from the records; it is followed by a list of William's numerous family, with the dates, month and year, of their birth…"

While the above record may be correct, it is nearly impossible for it to be the record of the William & Elizabeth COMBS Kendall family of Richmond, Westmoreland and Stafford Cos VA; to wit:

John COMBS of Richmond was not born until at least 1662, and would have been only 32 years old at most when his daughter married. Even a presumption that Elizabeth married at age 14 would make him a 17-year old husband and an 18-year old father (Brides married young; Grooms couldn't afford to!). Moreover, the above William KENDALL, whoever he was (research in progress) was not the William KENDALL who lived next door to John COMBS, and who removed with his family to Stafford Co VA; to wit:

COMBS-Kendall Researcher Denise Kelly Mortorff writes: My assumptions are that Elizabeth KENDALL was probably born no earlier than 1690-1695 probably at Richmond Co, VA. and that she is the wife of William KENDALL that lived in Stafford Co., VA in the early 1700's. There may be a valid argument that she was born 1695-1700.

There are other deed transactions and records that give info. on the KENDALL'S in Stafford Co. and associations with families the COOMBES also are associated with. The most critical point is that there appears to be only one William KENDALL in Stafford County in the early and mid-1700's in my opinion. The extant records of Stafford do not indicate the presence of more than one William KENDALL during the early years when there are several marriages of male KENDALLS (Overwharton Parish Register, Vogt's books on "Stafford County, Virginia Tithables…" and Sparacio's abstractions…). It is the Overwharton Parish Register, in conjunction with our knowledge of her father's own birth range that most assists in dating this family:

Jesse KENDALL, born 04 Nov 1740, son of William KENDALL, Jr.

Jesse KENDALL, died 18 Nov 1740

Thomas KENDALL, born 27 Mar 1742, son of William and Jemima KENDALL

George KENDALL, born 13 Jan 1744, son of William and Jemima KENDALL

James KENDALL marries at Aquia Church to Mary COFFEY on 25 February 1745.

William KENDALL marries at Aquia Church to Jemima KIRK on 10 May 1748 [sic]

George KENDALL marries at Aquia Church to Margaret KELLY on 5 June 1748.

Joshua KENDALL marries at Aquia Church to Catherine SMITH on 4 April 1749.

John KENDALL marries at Aquia Church to Catherine KEES on 9 January 1752.

Mary Ann KENDALL, born 9 Apr 1752, d/o William and Jemima KENDALL

Jess KENDALL, born 20 Sep 1752, s/o James & Mary KENDALL

Daniel KENDALL, born 1 Jan 1753, s/o John and Catherine KENDALL

Joshua KENDALL, born 27 May 1753, s/o Joshua and Catherine KENDALL

Lizy KENDALL, born 1 Apr 1754, d/o William and Jemima KENDALL

Charles KENDALL, born 7 Sep 1754, s/o John and Catherine KENDALL

Bailey KENDLL, born 8 Oct 1755, s/o James and Mary KENDALL

Nancy KENDALL, born 19 Dec 1755, d/o Joshua and Catherine KENDLL

Jeremiah KENDALL, born 6 Feb 1758, s/o William and Jemima KENDALL

Nelly KENDALL, born 11 Feb 1758, d/o Joshua and Catherine KENDALL

Elizabeth KENDALL, born 27 Feb 1758, d/o John and Catherine KENDLL

("The Register of Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co, VA, 1723-1758 and Sundry Historical and Genealogical Notes," Compiled and Published by George Harrison Sanford King Fellow, American Society of Genealogist, Fredericksburg, VA, Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1961)

Note: There were very likely other children born and married in earlier years, but the Overwharton Parish Register was not a complete record prior to 1740 (ibid.); nevertheless the above records do not "match" the bible record, and while we continue to seek the original source and owner of this record, we consider it highly unlikely that the record was for this family, which was not only in the right place, but at the right time.

Realizing there could have been daughters or other children not evident, records in another parish, etc., I believe it is a fair assumption that these children would be born in the 17-teens and 17-twenties. I would then place the mother's birth no earlier than 1690 since James on the average would be 20-25 years and would be born about 1720-25 to be in his early twenties. Therefore, this places a birth year at the earliest of 1690-95 for Elizabeth to be born to have a child when she is age 30-35, possibly late for a woman at that time; however, this allows room for earlier births of children that may not appear in the extant records. Again, the case could even be made that she was born 1695-1700. In the latter case, consideration must be given to when her father's will was dated when she was identified as being noted as Elizabeth Kendall and assuming a reasonable date of age to be married.

Jeremiah KENDALL, born 6 Feb 1758, Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co, Virginia, s/o William and Jemima KIRK Kendall, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War Pensioner. According to his pension declaration, made 8 Mar 1833, in Fayette Co, Pennsylvania, he lived in the upper end of Stafford Co, Va with his father when he enlisted in the war. (Revolutionary War Pension File S23743)

COMBS-Kendall Researcher Denise Mortorff adds that Jeremiah appears on tax lists in the late 1700s in Fayette Co PA where he lived enumerated next to a Reuben, a Briget and a Worden KENDALL. Reuben and and Warden KENDALL appear to have lived later in Nelson Co., KY. Reuben is thought to have also been a s/o William and Jemima KIRK Kendall. In Fayette Co, PA:

November 1807 Henry BOWELL, Jeremiah KENDALL, Esq, John COMBS, and Aaron JONES are bound severally and in the sum of $4336 to Margaret BOWELL (the widow) and the following children and heirs of Bazil BOWELL: Nancy wife of William COMBS, Jesse BOWELL, Thomas BOWELL, Rachel wife of William COMBS Jr. , Zadock BOWELL, Polly wife of William GADDIS, John BOWELL, Hannah BOWELL, Anna BOWELL, Bazil BOWELL, and the representatives of David BOWELL dec'd. Conditioned that the said Henry BOWELL pay unto the widow at the expiration of one year and yearly thereafter the sum of $43.36; that he pay to each of the other heirs at the expiration of one year the sum of $120.44; and that at the death of the widow he pay unto each of the other heirs the sum of $60.22 (Transcribed by COMBS Researcher Robert George from Fayette Co Orphans Court Abstracts)

John COMBS was the s/o Joseph and Ann COMBS of Fayette Co, PA. William COMBS, Sr. was his brother (h/o Nancy BOWELL) and William Jr. the s/o his deceased brother, Jesse COMBS. Several connections exist between the COMBS of Loudoun County, Virginia (at least one of whom, Capt. Joseph COMBS, was the s/o Joseph COMBS I of Stafford Co, VA) and Fayette Co, PA and Nelson Co, KY, where is also found the 1810 marriage of an unidentified Lewis KENDALL to Nancy COMBS, d/o Anna COMBS, who may have been Ann "Nancy" SIMPSON, the widow of David COMBS, d 1801, Nelson Co, KY

To Be Continued… (Yes, we're stopping right at the "Good Parts," but for now only)