ca 1777	Combs &c. Families of Rowan Co, NC	Old Rowan ca1869

Updated Mar 1999
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Rowan County was organized from Anson Co in 1753; and the mother of more than a score of later North Carolina Counties (not to mention all of Tennessee). The first record of any Combs in Rowan Co NC is in 1768. In 1770, Surry Co NC was organized from Rowan (and Guilford to the west from Orange); and in 1776, the District of Washington (then almost all of TN), was organized from Rowan and Surry Counties. In 1777, Burke Co was organized from Rowan; Wilkes Co from Surry and the District of Washington; and Washington Co TN from the remainder of the District of Washington. In 1779, Lincoln was organized from Tryon, but in 1782, gained from Burke. In 1788 Iredell was organized from Rowan, and in 1789, Stokes from Surry. In 1790, an agreement between the State of North Carolina and the Federal Government resulted in NC's ceding land in Burke to TN, but in 1792: (1) Wilkes gained back from TN disputed land in the southwestern portion of the county; and (2) ceded land along the northern half of its eastern border to Surry. In 1791, Buncombe Co was est. from Burke & Rutherford. In 1793, Iredell gained from both Burke and Wilkes; and in 1796, Surry regained land from Stokes. In 1799, Ashe was created from the Northwestern (almost half) of Wilkes Co; and in 1815, Wilkes gained from Iredell. In 1822, Davidson Co was organized from Rowan's eastern half; and in 1833, Yancy from Buncombe & Burke. In 1836 Davie was created from northern Rowan. In 1841, Caldwell was created from Burke and Wilkes; and in 1847, Alexander from Iredell, Caldwell and Wilkes. In 1849, Forsythe was est. from Stokes; and Watagua from Ashe, Caldwell, Wilkes and Yancey. In 1850, Yadkin was created from Surry; and in 1852, Alexander gained from Wilkes. In 1859, Alleghany was organized from Ashe; and in 1869, gained additional land from Surry. These are only a few of the changes that occurred over this more than 100 year period; and during this same time (and to this day) North Carolina and Virginia disputed their border. Note: This is not at all an "official" accounting, but more on the order of a "rough-hewn research tool. Also Note: Where other counties/states/countries are mentioned below, see also the applicable Combs County for possible additional information.

In 1768, three Combs men appear on tax lists of Rowan Co, NC, as well as several Combs women "hidden" behind the surnames of their husbands:

1. Mason Combs, Sr., s/o John & Hannah (MASON?) Combs, b 1714, Richmond Co VA; d 1784, Surry Co NC; m Sarah UNKNOWN bef 1740 (probably bef 1735); resided in Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co VA; then Augusta, that part which became in 1753, Frederick Co VA, from where he appears to have come to Rowan Co NC directly (although see also Pittsylvania Co VA).

2. William Combs, s/o (1) Mason & Sarah UNKNOWN Combs, b 28 Nov 1740, Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co VA, m (probably in the 1760s in Frederick Co VA), Seth STACY, b 30 Jun 1746, Overwharton Parish, Stafford, Co VA, daughter of Simon & Judith TOLSON Stacy (Pettit)

3. Ann Combs, d/o (1) Mason & Sarah UNKNOWN Combs, b 18 Mar 1742/3, Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co, VA, m Benjamin STACY, b 07 Apr 1744, Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co, VA; also a child of Simon & Judith TOLSON Stacy (Pettit)

4. Winnifred Combs, d/o (1) Mason & Sarah UNKNOWN Combs, b 14 May 1749, Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co VA; m (1) bef 1772, probably in Rowan Co, NC, British Loyalist William RIDGE, Sr., b 1727-1734, probably in Spotsylvania Co, VA; d Aug 1780, Battle of Hanging Rock, South Carolina. (See the Rowan Co NC Estate File of William RIDGE, Sr.)

All of the above are listed on Gideon WRIGHT'S Tax List, a list covering (primarily) present-day Wilkes and Yadkin Counties; whereas,

5. James Combs was tithed by George DAVIDSON on the Tax List of John BREVARD, a list covering (primarily) present-day southern Iredell County. James Combs has not yet been identified, and it is not yet known if he was kin to Mason Combs, Sr.; however, see also later Combs-Davidsons of Russell Co, VA.

We present the following two "Combs Tax Lists" in their entirety, not only to show the "neighbors," but also because so many of the neighbors (and their descendants for years to come) played such an important part in the lives of the Combs & their in-laws, including undoubtedly Gideon WRIGHT himself, one of numerous Rowan/Surry/Wilkes British Loyalists during the Revolutionary War, including both the Combs and their in-laws - the CODY, RIDGE AND STACY Families, including (from the list of Gideon Wright), William CODY (CODEY) who m Sinai STACY, sister of William Combs and Ann Combs Stacy, and d/o Simon and Judith TOLSON Stacy (Pettit), Sr. (See Cody-Combs-Stacy Connections)

1768 Rowan County Tax List of Gideon Wright

(Rowan County, North Carolina Tax Lists 1757-1800, Annotated Transcriptions, Jo White Linn, self-published, Salisbury, NC, 1995, pp. 104-5 (CRX 222, Rowan County, North Carolina State Archives) Note: Most of this list is alphabetical by given name. The names beginning with Daniel BOON were probably "add-ons."

The Mason Combs Families are next found in Rowan's descendant county of Surry Co, NC. No further records of Combs have been located in Rowan as yet - with the exception of the Estate Files of Tory William RIDGE, Sr. (h/o Winnifred Combs), which contain significant data, both genealogical and historical, in regard to a number of the above men and their families.

1768 Rowan County Tax List of John BREVARD

(Number of names listed: 152 Corrected number of Taxables: 149)
(CRX 244, North Carolina State Archives; Rowan Co, NC Tax Lists, 1757-1800, Annotated Transcriptions, Jo White Linn, Rowan, NC, 1995, pp. 68-9)

Notes: According to an unsourced genealogy (author unknown), George DAVIDSON'S daughter, Mary, m James Combs; however, we have not yet determined the basis, nor found any further records of James Combs in Rowan or descendant counties. See also, however, William Combs of Iredell Co, NC who served in the War of 1812 in the militia company of a George DAVIDSON

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