Combs &c. Families of Shelby Co, IL

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Shelby County established in 1827 from Fayette County.

The first Combs currently documented for Shelby Co., IL is Jesse B. Combs. Illinois public domain land sales show that Jesse first acquired land in Shelby Co. in 1824 and was styled as being of Fayette Co, IL. He acquired 4 parcels, 80 acres each, of public domain land (townships 25 & 26) and 2 parcels, 80 acres each, of federal land (township 26). By 1829, he was listed as being of Shelby Co. The 1830 census shows Jesse B. Combs had a large family (5 sons and 5 daughters) and that he was age 50 to 60 (born between 1770-1780). One son was age 20 to 30. The earliest marriage record for a Combs in Shelby was the 06/03/1830 record for COMBS, Wesley & HUGHES MAHALA . By 1840 Jesse B. Combs was gone, and he may be the same as who appears in the 1840 Rives (Henry) Co., MO census, and the same as Jesse B. Combs whose will was probated in 1848 in Henry Co, MO for these reasons: 1) in his will, Jesse names 6 sons and 4 daughters with six of these children stating they were born in Illinois; 2) son Wesley, b. 1811, states he was born in Ky.; 3) daughter Rebecca Combs RUCKER states in her 1880 Madison Co., AR census record that her parents were born in NC; 4) records clearly show that both the Shelby Co., ILL Jesse and the Henry Co., Mo., Jesse carried the middle initial of B; 5) the Henry Co., Mo. Jesse had children born in Illinois, and a son named Wesley, and one Wesley Combs is married in 1830 in Shelby Co.; 6) Jesse B. Combs of Henry Co., Mo., had 3 children who married into the RUCKER family and one John RUCKER lived 5 doors from Jesse in the 1830 census; 7) Jesse had one son named Alfred and there was an Alfred RUCKER in Shelby Co.; and 8) no other Jesse B. Combs can be found in later Illinois records. Given the preceding facts, it seems likely the two Jesse B. Combs are one and the same. The fact that son Wesley said he was born in Ky., may be a clue that Jesse B Combs could be the Jesse Combs of the 1810 Cumberland Co, Ky. census where he was enumerated next to John JACKSON, a name we also find in early Shelby Co. land sales. This Jesse of Cumberland disappeared after 1810 and we have no other candidates for him. The fact Jesse's daughter stated her parents were born in NC may be a clue with regard to the Jesse Combs of Wilkes Co, NC who married Polly PRICE in 1801.

Later Shelby Co, IL Combs Marriages

02/26/1863 COMBS, T JOHN & GAY FRANCES A (vC/p 26)
03/04/1874 COMBS, LOVEL R & DILLBECK, MARY A (v00D/p0385)
09/24/1879 COMBS, FRANK & SMART SARAH, (v1/p 33)
07/08/1885 COMBS, A JUDSON & GREGORY, LOW A , (v1/p 157)
07/19/1891 COMBS, JOHN T & EHRISMAN, MATTIE, (v2/p 54)
12/11/1900 COMBS, J T & PORTER, LENA, (v3/p 43)

Source: Illinois State Archives Statewide Marriage Index 1763-1900

Important: All Records collected for this county may not have been added here as yet. See also the Combs Research List Archives