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St. Mary’s County, Maryland was an original county, created in 1637; however, numerous changes took place in it's boundaries (See below and Also See Earliest Combs to Maryland), making identification of some of our COMBS-COOMBS &c. Families more difficult. Note: (1) A number of Maryland's COMBS (& all var. sp.) came from Virginia (as noted in Earliest Combs to Maryland) and (2) numerous of St. Mary’s Co MD families later removed to KY, particularly Nelson Co.

The volume of records collected for this county has resulted in multiple reports, not only those linked above, but also family reports and manuscripts. The full complement of St. Mary’s-related files is:

Early Families of St. Mary’s Co, MD Who Later Settled in Westmoreland Co, VA
Combs &c. 1656-1699
Combs &c. of the 1700s
Combs &c. of the 1800s
Combs &c. Land of St. Mary’s
St. Clements Manor (Hundred)
The Fanny COMBS Gough Manuscript
Phillip COMBES & Family
Abraham COMBES & Family
Enoch COMBES & Family

Phillip COMBES is the first to appear in St. Mary’s records, in 1663 when he is hired as an overseer by Thomas GERARD of St. Clements Manor. Abraham COMBES is the second, in 1670; and Enoch COMBES the third, in 1698. Abraham came from Old Rappahannock County, Virginia where he was closely associated with the same families as one Archdale COMBS, who was probably the grandson of John and Margaret ARCHDALE Combe of London. Enoch probably came from the neighboring county of Lancaster, Virginia. From where Phillip came, we still don't know.

There are also a number of "stray" Combs in early St. Mary’s, including Simon, Christopher, Thomas and Robert, about whom almost nothing is known, although it is, of course, quite possible that all are descended from one (or more) of the above three men, and the key to all their ancestries may lie in three London parishes: England parishes; to wit:

  1. John and Margaret ARCHDALE Combs married in the parish of St. Antholin's Budge Row, but all their children were christened in St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury.
  2. Ellis COMBS, nephew of John COMBS (his father not identified), married Judith BARGER, and they were the parents of Judith, christened in St. Stephen Coleman Street, and Thomas, christened in St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury.
  3. One Ambrose COMBS married 13 Sep 1586 in St. Antholin's Budge Row, Annis CLARKE. Either he or a second Ambrose COMBS had six children christened in St. Stephen Coleman Street: Nathaniel in 1634, Phillip in 1635, Enoch (Henoch) in 1636, Prisilla in 1637, Ambrose in 1638, and Elewthelip in 1642.

And, not to be forgotten, also in St. Mary’s County were brothers, Joseph ALVEY and Pope ALVEY, Jr., sons of Pope and Mary ARCHDALE Alvey, and grandsons of Arthur and Alice ARCHDALE Alvey, the latter first cousin to Margaret ARCHDALE Combs, with whom Abraham COMBES associated in St. Mary’s.

And one day, we will relate them all! All it takes is just a few more records... or so we keep telling ourselves.

Sincerely,
The Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group

[ Intro to St. Mary’s | 1600s | 1700s | 1800s | Land | St. Clements | Combs &c. of Maryland ]