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

Updated 13 Nov 1999
You are Our Visitor.
Please Email Additions/Correction to The Combs Research Group

Index to Combs &c. of Wilkes Co, NC

Introduction and Background

Wilkes County, North Carolina was formed in 1777 from Surry (earlier Rowan) and, some say, the District of Washington, although the boundary description doesn't include land from Virginia, and in fact Washington County (now Tennessee) was created simultaneously in the same session. The 1777 Wilkes boundaries as set forth in Annals of Tennessee, by Ramsey, were: “Beginning at the northwestwardly point of the county of Wilkes, in the Virginia line; thence with the line of Wilkes to a point twenty six miles south of the Virginia line; thence due west to the ridge of the Great Iron Mountain, which, heretofore divided the hunting grounds of the Overhill Cherokees, from those of the Middle settlements and Valleys; thence, running a southwardly course along the said ridge, to the Uneca Mountain, where its trading path crosses the same, from the Valley to the Overhills; thence south with the line of this state adjoining the state of South Carolina; thence due west to the great river Mississippi; thence up the same river to a point due west from the beginning.” The act forming Wilkes was to become effective February 15, 1778, named in honor of John WILKES, an Englishman who befriended the colonies during the Revolutionary War.

Initially the headwaters of Mitchell and Fishe rivers were in Wilkes but a bill enacted in 1792 made the area drained by these rivers a part of Surry. In 1799 Ashe county was created out of Wilkes by placing in Ashe all of Wilkes county lying beyond the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This embraced Alleghany, Ashe, and a part of Watauga counties. In 1841, Caldwell county was created from Burke and Wilkes, taking from Wilkes the upper portion of the Yadkin Valley, from King's Creek and Elkville on the west. In January of 1849, Watauga county was created out of Wilkes, Ashe, Caldwell, and Yancey counties. Laws of 1876-77 made some additional changes in lines, which gave Watauga some more land from Wilkes and Ashe.

Wilkes is in the northwestern section of the State and is bounded by Yadkin, Iredell, Alexander, Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany and Surry counties. The Blue Ridge can be seen in the west and northwest, the Brushies spread in the south and the broad Yadkin Valley forms the central area. The present land area is 754.30 square miles and the 1990 population was 59,393. Wilkesboro is the county seat.

Important! Until 1799 when Ashe Co, NC was created from Wilkes, the northern border of Wilkes County was the Virginia state line. Regular, Ongoing Major Disputes took place between North Carolina and Virginia as to where the state line actually lay, and individuals living anywhere within 20 miles of the present-day state line might live in Virginia one year, North Carolina the next and the Virginia the following. A “side effect” of this dispute was that whenever possible, residents attempted to convince tax collectors from both states that they had paid taxes to the other. In a number of instances, they were successful, meaning that in many years, individuals might go unrecorded on the tax lists of both Virginia and Surry Co NC (Typical Enterprising Americans).

The earliest Combs in Wilkes Co NC were already living in the county well before her establishment -- not only when part of Surry Co, NC, but probably when the area was still Rowan County. The following are a chronology of records for Wilkes Co except for certain land records, about which more can be found under Combs Land of Surry/Wilkes Co NC (Part of the Combs Research Deed Mapping Project) As a result, some duplication has resulted, but it was thought important to include some land records here in the chronology, too, as this helps indicate which Combs were in the county at any given time. Warning: This report, and its accompanying land report, is the beginning of our attempt to segregate what we believe to be a minimum of two, and possibly up to four, separate early Combs Families in Wilkes County.

Additional Note: There were several George Combs of Wilkes (and/or Surry Co NC), who have never been untangled. Among those would be: (1) George Combs, son of Lucretia, born 10/28/1764; (2) RW Soldier George Combs, aged aged 57 in 1818 & aged 60 in 1820 [b abt 1760-1]; (3) George Combs, aged under 21 in 1802 (born aft 1781), with only one of the above (and possibly none), Lucretia's son, “eligible” to be the George Combs who d in 1800. And the George COMER who “looks like” a COMES in 1775 Surry Co NC records with later “Wilkesians”, who may have been the George Combs who was in Wilkes NC, then Charlotte & Lunenburg Cos, VA. Of the Combs of Wilkes Co NC, Combs Research Reports have been prepared for only three thus far:

1. RW William Combs
2. Thomas Hicks Combs
3. RW George Combs (Lost Report)

Chronology of Records

Wilkes County, North Carolina was born at war, and some of the Combs of Surry and Wilkes may have been at war with each other. Certainly, some were Loyalists (Tories) and some Rebels (Patriots):

28 Jan 1778 - 10 Feb 1779. See Surry Co NC re RW Pension declaration of Elihu AYERS who describes the “Tory Territory in Surry/Wilkes/Burk/Rowan counties, and refers to the half-hanging of one William Combs. Before the end of Elihu AYERS' term of service, however, a William Combs (another? the same?) was fighting with the Rebels (Patriots) of Wilkes Co NC”

19 Jan 1779 Return of the Aid Volunteers and Drafts from Wilkes Co., Jan 19, 1779:
William COMBS, Rec'd. his Bounty of -----
John OAKLEY, "
John MORRIS, "
Abejah BICKAS, " [nb: VICKAS?]
William GRAY, "
John GRAY, "
Maj'r GRISSOM "
Behences COX, "
William WALTERS, "
William BREWER, "
Menoah CRAIS, "
William RHODES, "
Thomas WATTS, "
John THRASHER, "[See also THRASHER in Pittsylvania Co VA w/ Betsy Combs]
Robt. BOYD, "
Edward BELL, "
John MARLEN, "
Jesse HAINS, " [a.k.a. HAYNES?]
Thos' HALL, "
Jonathan HICKMAN, "
Joshua WARE, "
Lewas BALDWIN, "
Joshua TOUSON " [See Wm. Combs m Hannah TOUSSON below]
Alex'r RENARD?, "
Elijah CAY, " [Kay? Key?]
(Abstracted by C. Hammett from Roster of Soldiers from NC in the American Revolution, DAR, Durham, 1932, LOC 67-28097, GPC Reprint, Baltimore, 1988)

Notes: Was the above William COMBS the same who was son of Mason COMBS, Sr. of Stafford & Frederick Cos VA & Surry Co NC? Or his son, William Combs, Jr.? And/or the same who m Hannah TOUSSON in Wilkes in 1780 (See Below) It was a common practice during a good part of the Revolutionary War to permit “the enemy” to sign oaths of allegiance and “change sides” forthwith, another reason for believing that William the Tory and William the Patriot may have been one and the same.

31 May 1779 COMBS, John & Biddy NANCE; Jos. PORTER, Bondsman (Wilkes County Marriages, 1778-1868, Compiled by Brent H. Holcomb (975.682/H697m; and page 55, typescripts of Wilkes Co, NC marriage bonds compiled by LDS from Some Pioneers from Wilkes Co, NC, Absher, Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1989 (the latter source spells the surname POURTER))

Notes: Who was this John Combs? The son of Mason Combs, Sr.? Of William Combs, Sr.? (Probably too young to have been the son of the latter). It seems unlikely that he was the RW John Combs of Shenandoah Co VA and Lincoln, Perry & Washington Cos, KY based on both his age and the timeline created for the latter (and making this a 1^st marriage since the RW John Combs of Perry KY was married to a Margaret at the time of his Pension Application). Another possibility is that he was the son of the John Combs, Sr. believed (by oral family tradition) to have been the eldest s/o Mason Combs, Sr. Or he may have been an altogether different John Combs. Also note that Biddy may have been a.k.a. Obedience in which case, see the Bediance [sic] of the 1797 Wilkes NC Tax Lists and the Bildy [sic] of 1782 Halifax Co VA.

1776-1783 See Combs & Combs-Associated Revolutionary War Accounts of North Carolina

17 Jun - 20 Aug 1780 Soldiers who served under Capt. William Lenoir Extracted by Combs Researcher Sue Elfving from a page copied from Early Settlers of Reddies [sp?] River by Paul W. ___gory [can't read last name], published by The Wilkes County Genealogical Society, 1976, p. 44

SE Note: The use of ditto marks and capitalized surnames are mine. Memoranda found among William Lenoir's unpublished manuscripts lists the soldeirs who served under him in a number of different campaigns. These manuscripts are on file at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Listed below are names and dates of several of these expeditions showing the names of the soldiers, their rank, the number of days paid (when given) and the expeditions in which they served.

Expeditions to Ramsoners? etc. [Ransour's Mill?]
(17 June - August 20, 1780)

SE Note: It appears that both George and William COMBS were in at least one expedition with the TOUSONS, a name very close to that of TOLSON, and a family into which the COMBS in Wilkes intermarried. The above Henry CARTER is a documented Revolutionary Soldier and was the father of Philadelphia (aka Adelphia and Delphia) CARTER who married 18 Jul 1805, Wilkes, Thomas JOHNSON and later settled in Perry Co, KY (now Knott).

1777-1781 COOMBS, William or William COMBS. Michale STAIRE former widow, NC Line, applied 23 Jun 1853 Washington Co TN aged 75. William COMBS married Michal TAYLOR in Chesterfield Co VA [nb: or Charlotte VA?] on 22 Jun 1800 & she was b about the start of the Rev War & that her husband had moved there from Wilkes Co NC & sol d in Sullivan Co TN in Jun 1816 & wid m next to Michael STAIRE about 1823 & he d 30 Dec 1835 in Jefferson Co, TN (RW Pension File: W8757, BLW #14968-160-55; Virgil D. White, Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Abstract Files).

An abstract of William Combs' RW pension file prepared by the late Annie Walker BURNS from National Archives copy, and reprinted in Absher's Some Pioneers…, states: “… declaration of Michale STAIRE, former widow of William COMBS who died in Sullivan County, Tenn. 9 June 1809 where he had moved to in February 1809. In this declaration, made in Washington County, Tenn. 23 June 1853, she stated she was born at the beginning of the Revolutionary War and was reared in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Her husband, William COMBS, came from Wilkes County, North Carolina where he was overseer to James CALACOT of Charlotte County, Virginia where she married William COMBS 22^nd June (no year given). She remarried Michael STAIRE in Sullivan County, Tennessee and he died 30 December 1835… William Combs is on the returns of Wilkes County, N.C. State Comptrollers office as a volunteer to march northward 19 May 1778…”

Notes: Who was this William Combs? The half-hung Tory of 1778? The Patriot of 1779? Earlier the husband of Hannah TOUSSON? (See below) Son of Mason Combs, Sr.? Son of Mason Sr.'s son, William and his wife, Seth STACY? (See also RW William Combs of Wilkes NC, the Callico-Vaughan Families, and Randolph Co NC)

11 Feb 1779 (Wilkes Land Entry Book, 1778-1781, #829) John COMBS entered land on Bryers Branch, but his claim had been preceded by “someone else”. (Some Pioneers…, Mrs. W. O. Absher, SHP, Easley, SC, 1989)

07 Sep 1779 Ann BALTRIP & Francis HILL, Andrew VANNOY, bondsman (Typescripts of Wilkes Co NC Marriage Bonds compiled by LDS, p. 119).

Notes: See Edmond DENNEY will of Wilkes Co NC in 1801 re Baltrip-Combs, and see 1770 Surry NC re Lucretia Combs & Andrew VANNOY

18 Feb 1780 (Wilkes Land Entry Book, 1778-1781, #1632). George Combs entered 100 acres of land in Wilkes County on Mill Creek (Some Pioneers…, Mrs. W. O. Absher, SHP, Easley, SC, 1989)

25 Feb 1780 (Wilkes Land Entry Book, 1778-1781, #1645) William COMBS entered 100 acres of land on Hunting Creek adjoining James LOVE (Some Pioneers…, Absher) (See also next)

25 Feb 1780 (Wilkes Land Entry Book, 1778-1781, #1645) Reuben STANDLEY entered 100 A of land south side Hunting Creek adjoining James LOVE & John STANDLEY, but William COMBS had a better entry). (Some Pioneers…, Absher)

10 March 1780 (Wilkes WB1:42) Apprentice Bond - Benjamin CLEVELAND presiding Justice binds unto William LENIOR [a.k.a. LENOIR] orphan boy George COMBS, son of Lucresse COMBS aged 15 years 28th last October, til 21 years to learn occupation farmer: Witness: Paul PATRIK [a.k.a. PATRICK], signed Benjamin CLEVELAND and William LENIOR. (Wilkes County NC Will Book One (1778-1799) pub. by Wilkes County Genealogical Society)

Notes: On 28 Mar 1777, is found an earlier apprenticeship bond of George COMBS, s/o Lucresha [sic] in the records of Surry Co NC, as well as additional records in reference to Lucretia herself, who remains unidentified.

15 May 1780 (Wilkes Land Entry Book, 1778-1781, #1814) John COMBS entered 150 acres on a ridge between Caley's Creek and Mill Creek).

8 Dec 1780 COMBS, William & Hannah TOMSSON(?); John Combs, bondsman. (Wilkes County Marriages, 1778-1868 Compiled by Brent H. Holcomb (975.682/H697m)

Notes: Also transcribed by others as TOUSSON. See the Joshua TOUSSON of 19 Jan 1779 above who may have been the same who follows:

"Joshua TOWNSEND or TOWSON, VA Line, was born 5 Mar 1762 in Lunenburg Co, VA & & moved from there to Henry Co, the part that later became Franklin Co, VA & in 1778 he moved to Montgomery Co, VA where he lived at enlistment & afterwards moved to Madison Co, KY & in 1811 to Franklin TN [See 1812 Franklin Co TN Tax List] where he applied 27 Nov 1832… by 1841 he had moved to Northern AL (place not stated)." (RW Pension File S1730, Abstracts of Rev. War Pension Files, Virgil White)

1781 (Wilkes NC DBA-1:113-4) Between Wm. LENOIR of Wilkes and Stephen HARRIS of Wilkes… £5,100. 148 acs. both sides Fishers Creek.. bounded N by lands Robert CHANDLER.. W. by lands Jesse PORTER.. S by lands Edward HARRIS and others… Land granted Wm. LENOIR by Joseph PORTER 18 May 1780. Witnesses: Richard ALLEN, Edward (X) HARRIS and William (X) Combs. Signed Wm. LENOIR. (Wilkes Co., NC Deed Book A-1, B-1, C-1, Mrs W.O. Absher, SHP, Easley, SC, 1989, p. 7; Provided by Researcher Barbara Stacy Mathews who adds that the date was probably between Jan and 26 Mar 1781 based on other filings on near-by pages of the book)

Notes: The above William Combs not identified, but note the presence of Joseph PORTER, also a bondsman at the wedding of John & Biddy NANCE Combs in 1779; and Richard ALLEN, possibly kin to David or Nathan ALLEN(?), and Edward HARRIS whose land was adj. that of John Combs of Caleys Creek. Edward HARRIS may have been the same who m Catherine JONES on 12 Apr 1783 in Wilkes Co NC. Richard ALLEN was at various times both a Capt. during the RW and a Sheriff of Wilkes Co NC. Not known if kin to the ALLEN-MARTIN Families of the Iron Works, or to Nathaniel ALLIN who m Winnifred Combs Ridge.

03 Sep 1782 (Wilkes Co NC Marriage Bonds) Polly DENNY & John HAMMONS, William HOLBROOK, bondsman (Typescripts of Wilkes Co NC Marriage Bonds compiled by LDS, p. 106).

Notes: See Edmond DENNEY will of 1801; See Hammond Family Connections.

26 Sep 1782 (Wilkes NC DBA-1:243) Between Wm. SNODDY of Washington Co., NC [TN] and Wm. LENOIR of Wilkes… £500… 195 ac N Side yadkin River… mouth Buffalow Creek… N Bank Buffalow at falls called Mill Shoals… Elijah ISAACS corner… granted SNODDY by State. Wits: James GREENLEE, Wm. (X) Combs, Kezia (X) KING. S/Wm. SNODDY. (Wilkes Co., NC Deed Book A-1, B-1, C-1, Mrs W.O. Absher, SHP, Easley, SC, 1989, p. 14) Provided by Combs-Stacy Researcher Barbara Stacy Mathews)

29 Apr 1783 (Wilkes WB1:94) Bastardy Bond. Frankie NANCE has brought forth a girl child which is a bastard; George Combs & William Combs, bondsmen. (Wilkes Co, NC, Will Abstracts, Books One & Two, 1778-1811, Mrs. W. O. Absher, SHP, Easley, SC, 1989)

Notes: Absher's Some Pioneers… uses phrase “born without benefit of Clergy, shall not become a charge of the County.”

30 April 1783 (Wilkes NC WB1:95) Bastardy Bond. James NANCE is charged with begetting a bastard child on Judith Combs; David BURNS and John NORRIS, bondsmen. (Page 95) (Wilkes County NC Will Book One (1778-1799) pub. by Wilkes County Genealogical Society)

Notes: Is it coincidence that the above bastardy bonds were filed only a day apart, or is the second a “reprisal” for the first? See Also the Charlotte Co VA marriage of George Combs & Frances NANCE two years later on 12 Nov 1785. Given the fact that Frankie was a common nickname for Frances, the question is raised as to whether these are the same couple. If so, another question might be why they did not marry in 1783? Was George Combs already married? (Not if same as on 1782 tax list) Was Frances NANCE possibly a Mrs., not a Miss?

01 Sep 1784-01 Feb 1785 ABSTRACT of the ARMY ACCOUNTS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA LINE - settled by the commissioners at Halifax from the 1st September, 1784, to the 1st Feby, 1785 and at Warrenton in the year 1786, designating by whom the claims were receipted for respectively

No. 800 George COOMBS H. MONTFORT for G. COOMBS
(From the State Records of North Carolina, Vol. XVII, pub. 1899, USGenWeb Archives)

22 Sept 1785 (Wilkes NC DBB-1: 246) NC Grant John Combs 150 Ac. Ridge between Caleys Creek and Mill Creek… Edward HARRISES line. (Wilkes Co., NC Deed Book A-1, B-1, C-1, Mrs W.O. Absher, SHP, Easley, SC, 1989, p. 65)

07 Sep 1788 (Wilkes Co NC Marriage Bonds) Nancy DENNY & John TOWNZEN, Richard ALLEN, bondsman (Typescripts of Wilkes Co NC Marriage Bonds compiled by LDS, p. 243)

Notes: See William Combs m to Hannah TOUSSON [TOWNSEND?] in Wilkes Co NC in Dec 1780 and Edmund DENNEY will re George & Ann Combs in 1801. Also note Winnifred Combs Ridge m to Nathaniel ALLIN 22 Dec 1784 in Surry NC

23 Jun 1790 (Wilkes Co NC DBD:234) George Combs to ?? , 100 A on south fork of Hunting Creek (Some Pioneers… Absher, extracted by Combs Researcher C. Ham mett who adds: Either I don't have reference, or the above is all I have (or more books hiding in piles all over the house))

11 Sept 1790 (Wilkes Deed Book B-1, Pages 164-5) John Combs to Isaac BAKER, 125 acres, 50 pounds “Lying and being in the county aforesaid on the ridge between Caleys Creek Beginning Near Edwa HARRIS line on a Black Oak thence West fifty poles to a gum the south one hundred and twenty five pole to a sasafras sapling thence south fifty two poles to a spanish oak then West fifty pole to a gum thence South one hundred and two poles to a locust then East one hundred and seventy poles to a stake then North one hundred and fifty four poles to the Beginning.”

(The Lives and Letters of the Combs Family, 1985, Ann Krahn Combs, 601 First Avenue, Mendota, IL 61342; and Some Pioneers…, Absher)

Notes: See Also the Isaac BAKER of Dunmore/Shenandoah Co VA; and Isaac BAKER, bondsman at 1806 Sumner Co TN marriage of Abner SHOULDERS & Elizabeth Combs.

07 Oct 1792 (Wilkes Co NC Marriage Records) HULME, Elizabeth married STACY, Simon (Combs-Stacy Researcher Barbara Stacy Mathews who adds the following)

Notes: Simon STACY was the s/o Benjamin & Ann Combs Stacy, the latter b 18 Mar 1742/43, Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co VA, the d/o Mason & Sarah UNKNOWN Combs, Sr., by 1803, they were residing in Pulaski County, KY, and in 1814 were in Russell Co KY (Stated by Judge Perry M. STACY, whose Goodspeeds' interview stated he was son of Simon and Elizabeth HULL [sic] Stacy, and born Feb 1814 in Russell Co., KY. The relationship, if any, of Elizabeth HULME Stacy to William HULME of Edmund DENNEY'S will below, remains unknown.

February 18, 1793 Wilkes Co, NC Marriage Records (Courthouse). Maryann COONS married Prince William ALDRIDGE - Isaac WALKER, Bondsman, Witness - Wm. JOHNSON (Combs Researcher Vanessa Combs Church)

3 Nov 1795 (Wilkes NC Deed Book B-1, Page 490) John Combs to Hicks Combs, 25 acres, 20 pounds Described as “being part of a tract of land the said John Combs sold to Isaac Baker…” (Krahn & Absher (2))

Notes: See 1791 deed above… land on Caleys Creek. Also note that Hicks Combs appears to have paid land tax for this 25 acres in 1792

Feb 1799 (Wilkes Co NC WB1:499-50) Feb Term 1799. Inventory estate of Co. Joseph HERNDON. List of old notes on: Benjamin JOHNSON, Jesse HUGHES, John HUGHES, John GRANT, William RAGLAND, William DENNIS, William COMES (Combs), John HUNT, Luke BROWNING, Nathan HORTON, John PARR, Owen WILLIAMS, Luke ADAMS, Benjamin GREER, and William SMITH. Signed: Betty (X) HERNDON. (Wilkes Co, NC, Will Abstracts, Books One & Two, 1778-1811, Mrs. W. O. Absher, SHP, Easley, SC, 1989)

4 Apr 1799 (Wilkes NC Deed Book D-1, Page 16) Hicks Combs Grant - State of North Carolina, 25 acres, 50 shillings per 100 acres “on the Brushy Mountain. Beginning in his old line at two pines running West sixty three poles to a chesnut then south sixty three poles to a hickory, thence East Sixty three poles to a stake in said line thence North with said line sixty three poles to the beginning…”

Continued under Early 19th Century Combs &c. Records (1800-1839)
To Combs Counties (Combs &c. Records Index)