Combs &c. Families of Queens Co, Long Island, NY

Updated 10 Oct 1999 & Updated 15 Oct 1999
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Queens Co, Long Island, NY was formally established in 1683, an original county, including several townships, but most notably those of Hempstead and Jamaica. In 1898, Nassau was created from part of Queens, including Hempstead, home to Richard COMES I, and possibly(?) Newtown, home to Francis COMES I, both 17th century residents of the county, which had been settled far earlier than 1683:

Excerpted from History of Nassau County, New York by David Roberts: "… In 1614, Adriaen Block explored the coast of Long Island. He sailed around it and discovered that is was an island. He named it, in Dutch, "Lange Eylandt" and the name stuck. The later English name of Nassau Island, didn't last, but was used in 1899 for the new county created from eastern Queens County… In 1644, an English group from Connecticut, crossed the Sound. This group was able to get the approval of the Dutch government to make this settlement, which became Hempstead, the oldest settlement in present-day Nassau County. Following the Hempstead settlement, English towns were established with-in Dutch territory at Flushing, Jamaica and Gravesend. In 1650, the Dutch and English reached an agreement on a border-line between their territories. The Treaty of Hartford extended the mainland border on to Long Island from what is now Cold Spring Harbor to the Atlantic Ocean. This border exists today as the Nassau-Suffolk county line. In 1653, the English made a second settlement in present-day Nassau County at Oyster Bay, at that time inside Dutch territory. The English never really gave up their claim to Long Island and all Dutch territory in North America. In 1664, during a war between England and the Netherlands, King Charles II gave the Dutch territory to his brother James, Duke of York, later James II. James sent a fleet of 4 warships and 500 soldiers to conquer New Netherland. The Dutch quickly surrendered their colony to the English. All Long Island, including the eastern parts which were attached to the Connecticut and New Haven colonies, was annexed to the new colony of New York. Shortly after establishing the colony, the Duke of York had part of it set off as "Yorkshire." Yorkshire included Staten Island, Long Island and what is today Westchester County. A meeting was held at Hempstead in 1665 by Governor Richard Nicolls. The governor gave the various towns limited self-rule and established the "Duke's Law," a constitution and a series of laws to govern Yorkshire. Yorkshire was divided into three "ridings." These "ridings" were the fore-runners of the modern county system. The West Riding included Staten Island and part of the western end of Long Island [later Kings County and the Town of Newtown]. Westchester and the rest of western Long Island [most of present-day Queens and Nassau County] became the North Riding. The North Riding extended east to the old 1650 border line. The territory to the east of the 1650 line was established as the East Riding. The ridings were abolished in 1683, when the entire colony was divided into counties. Long Island was divided into three counties. The extreme west end, the most heavily Dutch part of the island, became Kings County, named in honor of the Duke's brother, King Charles II. The Long Island part of the North Riding, plus the Town of Newtown, cut from the West Riding, became Queens County. Queens was named in honor of the Duke's sister-in-law, Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese wife of King Charles II. Present-day Nassau County was included in Queens County and would remain so until 1899. The East Riding became Suffolk County."

The earliest Combs in Queens County is Richard COMBS I, probably b bef 1648, EN; d 1685-1698, probably in Hempstead, Queens Co, NY; m by 1672, probably in Hempstead, Queens Co, NY, Elizabeth, b by 1658, d. 11 Mar-May 1706 (??), Hempstead, Queens, Co, NY(??). Richard died 1685/1698, Hempstead, Nassau Co., NY.

Richard COMES I was first recorded in Hempstead in 1669, and was possibly the same who was recorded in Jamaica (also Queens Co) in 1676 (He may have also owned land in Jamaica, and certainly some of his descendants were in that town). Francis COMES was recorded in Newtown, listed above as Queens, but today listed under Suffolk Co, NY.

Thanks to the late Researcher George D.A. Combes, the number of records already collected for Hempstead and Jamaica are sufficient for each township to have it's own report. The following records consist of County Records with the township unknown or not stated. All identifiable Town Records for Hempstead and Jamaica can be found in their reports. A primary source for the records of Hempstead and Jamaica are extractions from a partial 1961-dated, rough draft of an unpublished 1925 Manuscript provided by Combs Researcher Hannah Friedlander and titled "Combes Genealogy" by George Davison Aylesworth Combes (1889-1941), Assisted by Clinton de Raisnes Combs (1886-1953), compiled ante 1925, Edited by Winifred Lovering Holman, S.B., F.A.S.G.; hereinafter GDAC, 1925.

Queens County Records
(Township Unknown)

1715 Queens Co, NY Militia Company of Capt. Joshua CORNELL. Members included Richart COOMBS.

(GDAC, 1925. Ref: 1896 NY State Historians Rept., Pub. 1897, 1:494)

Notes: Although the township was not named, this was probably Richard II of Hempstead. A check needs to be made regarding the required age range for Militia duty by adult males as this might further narrow Richard II's birth year range.

1756 Capt. Benjamin SMITH'S Company, included Sergeant Daniel COMES [sp.?] with his duties including taking articles from members of the Society of Friends [Quakers], due to their not bearing arms.

(ibid. Ref: Westbury Monthly Meeting Records.)

Notes: Westbury MM is in present-day Nassau (then Queens), and a Daniel was in Hempstead at this time.

9 Sep 1805 Queens Co, NY Surrogate B:43. Letters of Administration granted for estate of Daniel COMES, d intestate, to James PEARSALL; Thomas COMBES having renounced the trust.

(GDAC, 1925)

Notes: Not identified by GDAC. Possibly the Mr. COMBS who d in Jamaica in 1804?

War of 1812 Service - Queens Co, NY

14 Oct 1816 Hempstead, Queens Co, NY. Married: Benjamin COMBS & Catharine ELDRED. He served in Samuel MOTT'S NY Militia, lived in Queens Co, NY (Pension File SC-8125, Index to War of 1812 Pensions Files Vol 1, transcribed by Virgil D. White)

1820 New York State Prison Report (Extracted from submission of Linda Ogborn from records on file at the County Clerk's Office in Delhi, NY to the NYGenWeb Archives)

"A list of Prisoners' names, discharged from the New York State Prison, by Pardon and Expiration of Sentence, and also the names of those who have died from January 1, to 31st December, 1820, inclusive. Alexander Coffin, Jun., Agent of the New York State Prison."

Elizabeth COMBS, age 31, housekeeper, born Queens Co, NY, resided King Co, NY, convicted of Grand Larceny. Description: Fair Complexion, Light Brown Hair, 5' 8 in. tall, hazel eyes, sentence: 3y 1d; sentencing date: 21 Oct 1817, Expired 22 Oct 1820.

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