Combs &c. Families of Suffolk Co, NY

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The English organized a large portion of the land called New Netherland in 1664 into a jurisdiction they called Yorkshire. This new Yorkshire, like its English namesake, was divided into administrative units called ridings. All of Long Island east of Oyster Bay fell in the East Riding. The first record following is from the Court of Sessions of the East Riding. After 1683, New York was reorganized into counties, and the East Riding was renamed Suffolk County. (Combs Researcher Nancy Theodore)

Brookhaven, Suffolk Co, NY

According to An Historical Account of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, NY by Researcher Stu Hotchkiss, the settlement of Brookhaven "was first called Setauket, and the first settlement was made at Setauket (then called "Cromwell Bay"), in 1655, by a colony of immigrants from Boston, MA and vicinity. The family names of those settlers were Woodhull, Hawkins, Whitchaire, Jenner, Perring, Gibb, Satterly, Biggs, Tooker, Rogers, Fancy, Longbotham, Lane, FLOYD, Muncy, Seward, Wade, Sayler, Smith, Avery, Dayton, Davis, Frost, Thomas, Baylis, Thomson, Ward, ROE, Budd, BROOKS, WILLIAMS, Woolley, Akerly, COMBS, Waring, Mapes, Thorp, Eburne, BREWSTER, Poole, Sharpe, Burnet, Helme, Garlick, Moger, PIERCE, and WARE… The first minister was Rev. Nathaniel BREWSTER who settled here in 1655. He was a grandson of Elder William BREWSTER, one of the founders of the Plymouth colony, who came over in the May Flower, in 1620. Mr. BREWSTER died in 1690."

Nathaniel BREWSTER'S Aunt Feare BREWSTER m Isaac ALLERTON, Sr. whose sister, Sarah, m ca 1630, Plymouth Colony, John COMBE.

According to Teunis Bergen's 1876 The Bergen Family. there was a Joseph COMBS among the early settlers of Brookhaven in 1655. This has not been verified, but we do know that a John COMBS had lived and died in Brookhaven prior to 1680:

10 Dec 1679 Brookhaven (Extracted by Combs Researcher Nancy Theodore from "The Records of the Court Sessions of Suffolk County in the Province of New York, 1670-1688," transcribed by Thomas W. Cooper, Heritage Books 1993. [NT: Suffolk is part of Long Island, NY., spelling as shown]))

"Brookhaven December ye 10 1679
An Inventory of the Estate of Wm WILLIAMS Deceased
the 9th of this Instant Intestate: Imprimus
A house and home Lot Containing ten Acres of Land lying over Against Leifnt Floyds Swamp near to John COMBS his home Lot and Eight Acres of land lying near Willm SALLYERS in New Towne
Item 2 M 1/2 of brick 24 Deale boards
Credit William SALYER 3 - 8 - 6
Credit by Thomas SMITH 20s - 1 - -
Credit by Thomas GENERS 30s 1 - 10 -
Credit by Samuell BARBER 2 - 17 -
Credit by John JENERS 1 - 16 - 8
his wareing Cloaths vizt one pr of Trousers one Coat one hat two Shirts a bed & boulster and blanket and Coverled one wascoat one musquet
Credit by Jacob LONGBOTHAM 4 - 5 -
Credit by Mr BREWSTER - 17 - 6
The Aprizmet of the goods or estate of William WILLIAMS
Deceased December the 11: 1679
"Impr
A bed and boulster at - 12 -
Item A blanket at - 7 - 6
A coverlet at one pound 1- -
A wastcoat at - 6 -
A hat at 6s -
a Shirt at 4s a Coat & trusers 30s 2 - -
A Musquet at - 1 - -
8 Acres of Land at New Towne - 6 - -
10 acres of Land near John COMBS where ye house Stands 5 - -
The house at 7 - -
20 boards at 2 - -
2 Cord 1/2 bricks at 2 - -
By u Thomas HOLMES, Samuell EDSALL, John TOMPSON, The mark of Wm WI JOANES) A true Coppy p me Henry PEIRSON"

[Mr Joseph LEE requested the court to administer the estate, creditors listed as : Abram DAYTON, Mr. THOMSON, Serjent BIGS, John THOMAS, Alph DAYTON, Samuell BARDER, Thomas HELMES, John DAVIS.]

"At A Court of Sessions: held at Southold June the 7 1681: was Presented A peticon of Jane WILLIAMS, Relict and widow to William WILLIAMS…" [shows estate "aprized" at..}

NT Note: The valuation of ratable estates belonging to Brookhaven anno 1683 show Wllm SALLYER, Thomas SMITH, John "JENNONS", Thomas "HELME", Abra DAYTON, and others mentioned in the estate papers. There is no COMBS listed, of course, John having already died and his widow perhaps remarried. At any rate, no women were named on this tax list. See Also Elizabeth City/County VA re more COMBS-WILLIAMS Families.

East Hampton, Suffolk Co, NY

1675 East Hampton. "There was a John COMBS of East Hampton, NY, as early as 1675…" (Footnotes in Teunis Bergen's 1876 The Bergen Family)

Islip, Suffolk Co, NY

Newtown, Suffolk Co, NY

(once part of Queens? See Queens Co, NY)

1679 Newtown. "Francis COMBS, a cooper, was granted lands in Newtown, Long Island, to induce him to settle there and ply his trade for the convenience of the settlement…"  (Footnotes in Teunis Bergen's 1876 The Bergen Family, and also noted by George D.A. Combes)

Note: Bergen also refers to Thomas COMBS d 1724, Freehold, Monmouth Co, NJ, son of Richard COMBS I of Hempstead, Queens Co, NY, possibly implying that Thomas was the s/o Francis instead, or perhaps simply that both Long Island families were part of a Long Island to New Jersey migration.

1683 "…Francis COMES appears as grantee and as a grantor in several land transactions in Newtown and Jamaica townships." (Extracted by Combs Researcher Melinda Combs from George D. A. Combes, but not from the 1925 Manuscript)

Notes: GDAC's 1925 Manuscript makes note of the fact that in 1723, a Jamaica, Queens Co, NY. Deed. "… boundary includes "Francis COMES Children." If some of the "children" still owned land in Jamaica at that time, which? What happened to that land? Were some of the Jamaica Combs families actually descended from Francis of Newtown rather Richard of Hempstead? Was Richard Sr. of Cows Neck, Hempstead who sold land in  Jamaica in 1718 truly the s/o of Richard I of Hempstead, or was he selling property once owned by Francis?

26 Apr 1699 - 23 May 1700. Will of Francis COMES names wife, Mary, who is appointed Executrix; two sons, Francis (named as the oldest son); and Thomas; and four daughters, Elizabeth, named as the oldest daughter; Rachel, named as the second; Mary, named as the third; and Ann named as the fourth. (Extracted by Combs Researcher Melinda Combs from George D. A. Combes, but not from the 1925 Manuscript)

MC Notes: GDAC adds that "It appears from the will that these children were all minors at the date of the will,"  adding that "In " Annals of Newtown" it is stated regarding Francis COMES, that he died in 1700 and his two sons, Thomas and Francis, removed to Hopewell, [Middlesex Co] New Jersey, and that his daughter, Elizabeth, married Robert BLACKWELL, an uncle of Col. Jacob BLACKWELL of the Revolution. This is practically all we know regarding Francis COMES, (it was generally spelled) or COMBES. But considering the facts known, we conclude he was born probably around 1660, married about 1685 or later, and died 1700. The maiden name of his wife will probably remain unknown." From the 1925 manuscript (partial), GDAC writes: "Robert BLACKWELL m. an Elizabeth. Ricker, an authority, states definitely that BLACKWELL married the daughter of Francis COMES. I believe Riker [sic] knew." Clinton de Raines Combs, 1st cousin of GDAC, notes that Francis COMES who d 1700, Newtown; Thomas COMBS who d 1723, Monmouth Co, NJ; and (postulated), their brother, John COMBS, h/o Hannah, all named daughters, Rachel." Tenius Bergen also notes that Francis COMES d in 1700 and that "his two sons, Francis and Thomas settled in Hopewell, N.J." Their source is not yet known.

Ed. Note: Without a study of Jamaica land records (and probably Newtown's), it's not yet clear how it is known exactly who was on first.

Huntington

South Hampton

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