Combs &c. Families of McFarlin's Creek, Jackson Co, Tennessee & Monroe Co, Kentucky

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Tennessee-Kentucky
Border ca1824

Jackson County, Tennessee was formed from Smith County, Tennessee in 1801, and Smith in turn from Sumner County, Tennessee, one of the original Middle TN Counties, in 1799. County and State Lines were often fluid over the years, and Jackson one of the most fluid since it was adjacent to Kentucky, Indian Lands, and the Military Reservation (land reserved for NC Rev. Soldiers).

Monroe Co, Kentucky was organized from Cumberland and Barren Cos KY in 1822. Monroe Co, Kentucky was directly across the state line from Jackson County, Tennessee, and McFarlin's Creek ran through both counties/states. Border disputes between TN and KY were not ultimately resolved until ca1820 and on McFarlin's Creek, some of the Tennessee Combs &c. Families became Kentucky Combs &c. Families - without ever having moved. Often, depending on weather, river and creek levels, etc., the nearest settlement for McFarlin's Creek Families was not in the state in which they lived, thus some records can be found in the "wrong state" to this day.

The following is a beginning toward tracking the families of McFarlin's (a.k.a. McFarland's) Creek.

Early Tennessee Land Entries on McFarlin's Creek:

See Also Marriage of one Thompkins (a.k.a. Thompson?) ODELL to Abigail Combs, 3 Sep 1788, Washington County, Tennessee. See Also Marriage of John DENTON to Sarah, dau of Isaac ODELL, their daughter later marrying RW Gilbert Combs in Shenandoah Co, Virginia.

1 Feb 1817 (Tennessee Record Group 50, Book 30, pg. 533, No. 18228. Levi SPEAR .. 40 acs .. north bank of McFarland's Cr .. to include part of sd SPEAR'S improvement where he now lives that lies south of the Kentucky line. 1 Feb 1817. ("Building Neighborhoods, Jackson Co, TN Prior to 1820," Abstractions from Record Group 50, Early Land Records, TN State Library and Archives, Betty Huff Bryant, 1992, p. 173 , Reel 09)

Ed Note: Another Levi SPEAR entry the same year included his "old improvement" and referred to "McFarland's Cr . on the State Line. Also See Henry SPEARS of Augusta VA and Surry NC during same time period as Mason Combs, Sr. of Richmond, Stafford, Augusta Co, Virginia (> Frederick > Shenandoah) Cos VA & Rowan & Surry Cos NC.

Across the state line in Kentucky we have on McFarlin's Creek:

20 Feb 1804 (Cumberland KY Land Grant Book 1:231) Survey. Grantee: Daniel HEASTON (a.k.a. HESTAND?) 100 Acres, McFarlands Cr (Kentucky Land Grants, p. 446)

Ed Note: Daniel HESTAND m Esther MOSIER; his son, John HESTAND m Esther Combs; dau Mary A. HESTAND m Unknown Combs. (See KY Biography of Joshua K. HESTAND) The same date as the above survey was another for a Henry HEASTON, also on McFarlin's Creek. Other HESTAND (& var. sp.) land entries on McFarlin's Creek of Monroe Co, Kentucky include: Daniel in 1826, Abram S. in 1833, John T. in 1835, Joshua R. [sic] in 1841, Philip M. [Mulkey?] in 1850 & 1858 (2), Joshua K. in 1858,

15 Aug 1817 (Cumberland KY Land Grant Book B:701) Survey. Grantee: John Combs 50 Acres, McFarlands Cr (Kentucky Land Grants, p.509)

26 Apr 1821 (Monroe Co, Kentucky Land Grant Book U:32) Survey. 50 A. John Combs, McFarlands Cr (ibid.)

Notes: The above John Combs remains unidentified; however, see Monroe Co, Kentucky re John Combs who m Mary HESTAND.

27 May 1821 (Monroe Co, Kentucky Land Grant Book U:34) Survey. Grantee: Adar SPEAR, 50 Acres, McFarlands Cr (ibid., p.719)

Notes: See Levi SPEARS above.

30 Aug 1823 (Monroe Co, Kentucky Land Grant Book P:198) Survey. Grantee: Phillip MULKEY, 50 Acres, Fork of McFarlands Cr (ibid., p.654)

Notes: Phillip MULKEY was one of a long line of Phillip (& other) MULKEYS who were Baptist Preachers. The MULKEYS were earlier in Frontier Tennessee (as were the Dentons), and said to have arrived there from South Carolina (after having passed through VA and NC).

16 Feb 1824 (Monroe Co, Kentucky Land Grant Book R:52) Survey. Grantee: Parish SIMMS, 50 A.

Notes: One Parish & Martin SIMS were brothers of James & Bartlett SIMS of Henry (Patrick) Cos VA & early Hawkins County, Tennessee where they associated with Baptist Preacher Rev. Thomas MURRELL, step-father of Martin JOHNSON who m Sarah Combs (also found in Jackson Co, TN, but on Indian Creek). A Benjamin SIMS also entered land on McFarlin's Creek in 1833.

25 Sep 1832(Monroe Co, Kentucky Land Grant Book F-2:28) Survey. Grantee: Cornelius DENTON, 100 Acres (ibid., p. 529)

23 Jun 1837 (Jackson [sic] Co, Kentucky Land Grant Book 3:417) Survey. Wm. COMB, 35 Acres on Proctore & McFarlands Creeks (ibid.)

Notes: See John DENTON above. Also note that a John Combs entered 60 acres in Montgomery Co, Kentucky, surveyed 20 Oct 1848 with no location listed (Book 26, p. 357)

Other names found in early McFarlin Creek entries in Kentucky include: