Includes: Ball, Burton, Brown, Butler, Cammock, Catlett, Clark, Goff, Kendall, Lucas, Meador, Moseley, Payne, Slaughter, Triplett, Taylor, Triplett, Tutt, Underwood, Upton, Williamson

The earliest Combs (including var. sp.) located thus far in Old Rappa Co, VA, is Abraham COOMBE who was 1st recorded in that county on 13 Apr 1662 when he witnesses a deed for Sarah MEADOR, widow of Thomas MEADOR the Younger (Old Rappahannock Co, Va. DB Part II of 1656-1664:187-188). Abraham COOMBES was godfather of John MEADORS, Jr., son of John and Joan (Combs?) Meadors, Sr. according to a deed of gift signed by dated 11 Sep 1668. (Rappahannock Co Deed Bk 1668-1672, p. 149)

Note: John MEADORS, Sr., was son of Ambrose MEADOR of Isle of Wight (Meador Families, Bernal). These are the MEADORS who came up from Isle of Wight at the same time as the UNDERWOOD &c families, although no Combs have been found in Isle of Wight records. The MEADORS, as did the UNDERWOODS, owned land on both sides of the Rappahannock River, in particular: (1) Peumans End Run (Essex>Caroline) and (2) Willing (Totutsky) creek (Richmond/King George/Westmoreland).

No land records have been located for Abraham Combs, and the 1668 record is the last found for him in Old Rappa as at some time bet 1668 and 1670, he removed from VA to MD, where he is first found of record on 30 May 1670 in St. Mary’s Co, when Abraham COOMBE witnesses the will of Wm. TATTERSHALL. In 1679, Abraham COMB release of his headright and that of his daughter, Sarah, to Clement HILL St. Mary’s Co, MD. (Researcher Jerry Clark)

(Old Rap Co., Va DB 7:155, rec. 10 Dec 1684)

On 16 Oct 1683, “Abraham COMBE of the Province of Maryland, Gent.” gives his power of attorney to John PAYNE (godfather of Mary MEADOR, dau of John and Joan (Combs?) Meador) to execute deed of gift to Mary MEADOR, necessary due to death of John MEADOR, Jr. and his father, John MEADOR, Sr., dec'd, who is referred to in this record as the “brother-in-law” of Abraham Combs.

By Jan 1684/5, Abraham Combs is dec'd, naming dau Sarah CLARK and wife Margaret in his St. Mary’s Co, MD, will dated 26 Dec 1684. Abraham's widow, Margaret, later married James VAN RESWICK; Sarah Combs was the wife of Robert CLARKE (1650-1725 )of St. Mary’s.

(Researcher Jerry Clark)

Also in Old Rappa during much of the same time period as Abraham Combs was Archdale Combs who first appears in Virginia in the records of Stafford County on 5 Apr 1665, when he drops a suit against a Wm. BROWN

(Stafford OB 1664-1668, p. 15).

Archdale Combs sits on two Stafford Co, VA, juries later that year (ibid.), indicating he was a Stafford county land owner at the time, but no land records for him have been found in Stafford - with the possible exception of one reference to an Archibald COOMS in 1688.

(Stafford Co DB P:98-101)

Archdale Combs' (presumably the same) next appearance in the records is in Old Rappa County when on 19 Oct 1665 he witnesses a deed for James COGHILL (Old Rappahannock Co. VA. D&W 5:208). Abraham Combs, too, witnesses deeds during this time period, and on 1 Dec 1666, Abraham Combs witnessed the indenture of Rorah MAKRAH to James COGHILL, property which, on 18 Dec 1666, James COGHILL sells to Archdale Combs (Old Rap Co., Va DB Part I of 1668-1670:28-29), and which Archdale Combs later sells in turn to Francis TRIPLETT on 9 Apr 1668 (Old Rappa DB 1668-1672, pp. 29-31) (This land has been traced… none remained to Combs, first owned by Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD)

By 7 Jun 1666, Archdall COMBE had married Elizabeth _____, (see note) widow of Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD, who died in Old Rappahannock, 1661-1663. (Old Rappa. DB 3:93-94 & numerous other records). Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD was the son of Unknown and Margaret ____ UNDERWOOD, the latter marrying (2) John UPTON and (3) Thomas LUCAS. Other children of Margaret _____ (Underwood) (Upton) (Lucas) included Ann UNDERWOOD who m James WILLIAMSON (daus. married BALL & ROSIER); Mary UNDERWOOD who m Col. More FAUNTLEROY; Elizabeth UNDERWOOD who m (1) James TAYLOR, (2) Francis SLAUGHTER; (3) Col. John CATLETT; and (4) Amory BUTLER; and Sarah . Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD left known issue, a son by an earlier marriage (to Mary BURTON? MOSELEY?), Wm. UNDERWOOD, Sr. of Richmond, b 1648-9, who m Mary BUTLER, sister of above Amory BUTLER.

Note: Elizabeth Butler Underwood
She is d/o William Underwood, Senr. and his 1st wife, Mary Butler. 2nd wife: Joane_____.
Mary Butler was sister of Rev. Amory Butler, who d. in 1669. They had another brother, William Underwood, Jr.
July 22, 1663: William Underwod, s/o Wm. Underwood, Sr., appoints his Uncle, Wm. Mosely as guardian and Attorney of his father, Wm. Underwood, Sr.'s will. Wm. Underwood, Jr. was aged 14-1/2 yrs. at the time, being 20 July, 1663.

(In old Rappahannock Co., Va.; Vol.1680-1688, p.121)

ARCHDELL COMBS died in Old Rappahannock Co., Va. by 1692. He md. twice: (1st) Mary Mosely, ca. 1660 or before. She was d/o Wm. Mosely, who is named as Uncle of William Underwood, Jr. Archdell md. (2nd) to Elizabeth Butler Underwood, ca. 1662. She was widow of Wm. Underwood, Jr. of Lancaster Co. & Rappahannock Co., Va.

(The Underwoods of Virginia, by Augusta B. Fothergill)

A series of Old Rappa and Richmond deeds shows that in exchange for her thirds from estate of Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD, his relict Elizabeth, now wife of Archdale Combs, secured from her step-son, Wm. UNDERWOOD, Sr., 600 a. of land on Peumans End Run, S side Rappa, for her sons, Wm. UNDERWOOD, Jr., John Combs and William Combs. (Note: It appears that Elizabeth had earlier married another UNDERWOOD, given name unknown, by whom she had William UNDERWOOD, Jr., born 1652-1662, thus Elizabeth had at least three William UNDEWOODS in her family: her husband Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD, her step-son, Wm. UNDERWOOD, Sr., and her son, Wm. UNDERWOOD, Jr.).

The primary deeds documenting these relationships have already been collected. The deed that documents the descendants of Elizabeth _____ (Underwood) (Underwood) Combs is Richmond VA DB1:4 which specifies that Elizabeth's “thirds” (dower right) are to be secured for her sons as above noted. John Combs appears to have retained his moiety of the 600 acres on Peumans End Run, but both William UNDERWOOD, Jr. and William Combs, later sold their shares to Richard TUTT, husband of Mary UNDERWOOD, daughter of Wm. and Mary BUTLER Underwood, Sr. (Elizabeth's step-son).

In addition to Abraham, Archdale and Joane(?) Combs, and John and William Combs, the sons of Archdale and Elizabeth _____ (Underwood) (Underwood) Combs, only three other Combs are found in the records of Old Rappahannock:

  1. George COMES, whose name is found in only one Old Rappa record - on 17 Apr 1667, as a headright of Major William BALL & Mr. Thomas CHETWOOD (VA Land Patent Book 6, p. 20) The above Major Wm. BALL was probably Col. William BALL, Sr., father of William BALL, Jr., who married Margaret WILLIAMSON, niece of Col. Wm. UNDERWOOD. It is possible that the above George COMES is the same who married Anne BURTON, daughter of Richard bef 1656, probably in England. (VSLA, Somerset House references) George Combs is also quite possibly the ancestor of John and George Combs of Prince George (Amelia) VA ca 1732 .(VA Patent Book 14:486 & 1737 Amelia County Titheables), and/or the George Combs later found in Henrico Co VA.
  2. Charles Combs, who was apprenticed to John BUTLER on 7 May 1684 (Old Rappahannock OB, 1683-1686, p. 20 (27)), and who may be the same later found in the records of Essex County VA (possibly even a younger son of Archdale and Elizabeth Combs?) It is not known if the above John BUTLER was kin to Amory BUTLER and his sister, Mary BUTLER Underwood.
  3. Phillip COMBES (Comer?) who was a witness in Richmond Co VA (organized from Old Rappa. in 1690-1), on 14 Dec 1692 to a deed between John DEANE, Wm. CLAPHAM in reference to the daughters of Sylvester and Margaret (POWELL?) Thatcher (Richmond DB2:81-2(42). Margaret (POWELL?) Thatcher married next Warwick CAMMOCK, earlier landholder of the above 200 acres on Peumans End Run, and close associate and next door neighbor to John MEADOR, Sr. The above is the only Philip COMERS or Combs found in Old Rappahannock/Richmond/Essex records; however, there were at least two Philip Combs in later Westmoreland County (adjacent to what would become Richmond and later King George), of whom he may be one.

See Also the Combs County Records of Caroline, Essex, Henrico, Old Rappahannock, Richmond, Stafford and Westmoreland, VA; Charles, St. Mary’s and Talbot Cos, MD; Early Combs to VA and Maryland, and the ARCHDALE-Combs Families of England.