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Joseph Combs Sr. (abt. 1670 - aft. 1756)

Joseph Combs Sr. aka Coombs
Born about in Stafford County, Colony of Virginiamap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Husband of — married about 1707 in Stafford County, Virginia, Colonial Americamap
Descendants descendants
Died after after about age 86 in Overwharton Parrish, Stafford, Colony of Virginiamap
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Profile last modified | Created 3 Jul 2011
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The Birth Date is a rough estimate. See the text for details.

It is unlikely that Joseph is the son of John Combs and Hannah Mason. This needs further research; see Research Notes below.

Contents

Biography

U.S. Southern Colonies Project logo
Joseph Combs Sr. was a Virginia colonist.

Birth date for Joseph Combs is unknown. He was an adult in 1723 when he first appears in records on the Rent Role in Stafford County, Virginia Colony. His oldest child, John Combs, Sr., was born before 1725. Some researchers put his birth at about 1688, but he could have been born as late as about 1700. His birth place is also unknown.

The main reason for placing Joseph's birth year as early as 1688 (some before 1685[1]) is to allow him to be an early son of John Combs and his supposed first wife, Ann. For a detailed rationale placing Joseph as a son of John Combs, see the Combs Genealogy.[1] While it is accurate to say that Joseph Combs lived near Mason Combs (s/o John Combs) for a time, and other families related to the descendants of Archdale Combs, this is not sufficient to prove him a son of John and brother of Mason. It is a subject requiring more research.

Joseph appears to have lived his adult life in Stafford County. He was a wealthy man and accumulated over 2500 acres of land between 1725 and 1741 on Aquia Creek, Beaver Dam Creek, Long Branch and elsewhere. He also acquired land across the county line in Prince William County.

Marriage

Joseph possibly married about 1723 in Stafford County. The name of his wife is not found in any records extant. Some say she was Elizabeth, surname variously said to be Lawrence, Harris or Bailey. No evidence is presented for this identification. Three known children -- John (b bef 1725), Jane (b bef 1727) and Joseph the younger (b bef 1731) -- have been identified through the deeds of gift made by Joseph in 1756. There may have been others, but these three are the only ones known to have survived to adulthood.

Death & Legacy

Although Joseph did not leave a will, he did leave a series of deeds of gift to his three known children near the end of his life.[2]

  • "Indenture made Sept. 10 & 11, 1756 between Joseph Combs the Elder of Stafford and Joseph Combs the Younger, son of sd. Jos. the Elder, of Frederick Co., Va. ..." 1,000 acres "in Overwharton Parish on the north side of beaver dam run..."
  • Sept. 11, 1756. "I, Joseph Combs the Elder of Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co., Va. in consideration of natural love & affection I bear unto my son Joseph Combs the Younger of Frederick Co., Va....have granted ans [sic] sell unto Jos. the Younger all and every the Negro Slaves (10 named) togetheer with all my Smiths tools..."
  • Sept. 11, 1756. "I, Joseph Combs the Elder of Overwharton Parish, Stafford County, for love I bear unto my Son in Law John Ashby of Frederick County who married my daughter Jane... have granted my Negro man called Phill...."
  • "Indenture made Sept. 10-11, 1756 between Joseph Combs the Elder of Stafford Co. and John Combs, son of said Joseph of Prince William Co., for natural love which he hath unto his sd. son John Combs and 5 shillings, doth grant all that land on which sd. Joseph Combs dwelling plantation now is, lying and being in Overwharton Parish, Stafford County on South side of Beaver dam run ... sd. Tract containing by estimatin 1000 acs. more or less together with the mill upon sd. run ...."
  • Sept. 11, 1756. "Joseph Combs the Elder of Overwharton Parish, Stafford., for natural live I bear by son John Combs of Hamilton Parish, Prince William Co., have granted all the Negroe Slaves following (9 named) together with my Still...."
  • Sept. 11, 1756. "Joseph Combs the Elder of Overwharton Parish, Stafford County ... unto my two sons John Combs of Hamilton Parish, Prince Will Co., and Joseph Combs the Younger of Frederick County... have given all my household goods household stuff & implements of household linnen bedding brass and pewter & all my stock of horses cattle sheep & hoggs & my crop of corn and tobacco and all my debts rights & personal estate whereof I am now possessed to be equally divided between them share and share alike to take the same in common and not as joint tenants."

Timeline

  • 1723. Joseph Combs on 1723 Rent Role, Stafford County.[3]
  • "From the Stafford Co, VA rent roll for the year 1723 Returned by James Carter, July ye 18th, 1724." Combs, Jos., 243 acres, Paid 59 lbs. Tobacco. Land that was Michael JUDD'S.[4]
  • "1723 Tenders of Tobacco: Joseph Combs - with James CEED, Sofias ROGERS, Patrick BARRAWAY... 36,000 plants"[4]
  • "A-108. Henry Norman of Stafford Co. 535 A. in said Co. on Town Run adj. George Crosby, Michael Dorment. 15 Jan 1724. (Cancelled & Granted Joseph Combs, Bk. b, fo: 98."[5]
  • 18 July 1724. "From the Stafford Co, VA rent roll for the year 1723 Returned by James Carter, July ye 18th, 1724." Combs, Jos., 243 acres, Paid 59 lbs. Tobacco. Land that was Michael JUDD'S.[6]
  • 9 August 1726. A-211: "Joseph Combe of Stafford Co. 576 A. in said Co. on Acquia adj. Combe's land.[7]
  • 18 Oct 1727. Joseph Combs of Stafford Co. 535 A. on Town Run in said Co. adj. Geo. Crossby, Michael Dorment. This Deed for lands granted Henry Norman Bk. A fo. 109.[8]
  • 1738. Prince William County, Va., Rent Roll - 1738: Combs, Emmanuel; Combs, Joseph.[9]
  • 12 March 1738/9-26 March 1739: "Mar. 12, 1739. Deeds of Lease & Release. John Clark & Margaret Clark his wife of St. Mary's Par., Caroline Co., planter, to Joseph Combs of Overwharton Par., Stafford Co., planter, 14 pds. for 152 acs in Hamilton Par.... At a court Mar. 26, 1739, John Clarke acknowledged this release."[10]
  • 8 April 1741. E-242: "Mr. Joseph Combs of Stafford Co. 1343 A. in said Co. on Brs. of Acquia adj. his land, John Warner, James Butler, Jno. Green now John Rall's, George English now Mr. GBlackburn's, Robert Ashby, Thomas Barber, on Beaver Dam Br. Surv. by Mr. John Warner."[11]
  • 9 April 1741. E-243: "Joseph Combs of Stafford Co. 413 A. in Stafford Co. on Chappawamsick S. Run adj. Capt. John Lee, Richard Fristow, Samuel Timmons formerly Mr. John Cook's, Brenttown Road, Combs's land. Surv. by Mr. John Warner."[12][13]
  • 10 & 11 September 1756. Several deeds of gift to his children John, Joseph and Jane.[2]
  • Joseph died sometime after these deeds were made; the exact date is unknown.

Additional Land Transactions

Although the original deed to Joseph Combs for the above land is not extant, the following series of deeds assist in both locating the property and identifying his neighbors:

12 Sep 1711- 21 Jun 1712 (Stafford - NN Land Patent Book 4:91) George SIMSON of Stafford Co. Wrnt. 12 Sept. last. He assigned to Michaell JUDD, Jr. of said Co., half of land 21 Mar. last. Surv. by Mr. Thomas HOPPER. Grant to SIMSON & JUDD for 243 A. on Beaverdam Run of N. Runn of Ocquia Cr. in said Co. (Virginia North Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742, Vol. I, compiled by Gertrude E. Gray, GPC, Baltimore, 1987)

9 Aug 1726 (Stafford - NN Pat Bk A:211) Joseph COMBE of Stafford Co., 576 acs. in sd. county on Acquia Crk. adj. COMBE'S land. (Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742. Gertrude E. Gray)

27 Feb 1728/9 (NN Pat Bk C:195) John GREEN of Stafford 323 acs. in Stafford adj. Col. ROBINSON, Geo. WALLER, Marquis CALAMIES, Jas. BUTLER, on Beaverdam Run of Acquia. [Deed granted John EDY. GREEN neglected to pay charges, but paid before EDY had his deed. EDY'S deed cancelled. D. B. B. fo. 189.] . (Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742. Gertrude E. Gray)

7 Feb 1728/9 (NN Pat Bk B:168) John WARNER of Stafford, 225 acs. in Stafford on Long Br. of Acquia near Marquis CALMIES, on Cannons Run, on Occaquan Path. (Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742. Gertrude E. Gray)

16 Feb 1729/30 (NN Pat Bk C:25) John COOK of Stafford, 1,514 acs. in Stafford on Beaverdam Run of Acquia adj. Joseph Combs, Great Rocky Run, CARY'S line, Br. of Chappawomsick, Wm. BRENT, Mr. John LEE. (Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742. Gertrude E. Gray)

5 Apr 1730 (NN Pat Bk C:55) Thos. BARBER of Richmond Co., 161 acs. in Stafford adj. Joseph Combs on Beaverdam Br. of Acquia. (Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742. Gertrude E. Gray)

6 Jun 1731 (NN Pat Bk C:152) John COOK of Stafford Co., 1,665 acs. in Stafford on Beaverdam Run of Acquia adj. CARY'S Patent under which Geo. FITZHUGH claimed, ALLERTON'S Patent, Nicholas BRENT, John WARNER, path from CALAMEZE to COOMBS'S Mill, Joseph COOMBS. (Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742. Gertrude E. Gray)

28 Nov 1739. (Stafford NN Pat Bk ) Charles HARDING of Stafford County 269 acs. in said County, Mr. WARNER to survey. Adj. Capt. John LEE, Samuel TIMMONS now PEYTON'S, Joseph COMBES, near South Run of Chappawamsick, Brent Town Road. (Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742. Gertrude E. Gray)

28 Oct 1742 (NN Pat Bk 1 pg. 511) Isaac Breedwell: 522 acres beginning at Joseph COMBS corner, on a branch of the Beaverdam Run of Acquia adjoining Fristow, Lee &c. Northern Neck Grants E, 1736-1742, p. 511 (Reel 291)

Research Notes

Joseph Combs is probably not the son of John Combs and Hannah Mason. He is not named in the will of John Combs, dated 11 December 1716 in Hanover Parish, Richmond County, proved 7 February 1716/7. Joseph does not appear in records until 1723 in Stafford County, Virginia Colony. He does appear to have some relationship to the descendants of Archdale Combs, since one of his descendants was named Archdale.[2] This possible connection is still being researched.

It has also been suggested that Joseph was the son of William Combs, son of Archdale Combs.

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 Combs, Josiah H. Combs: A Study in Comparative Philology and Genealogy. Copyright 1976 by Norris K. Combs, Published by Norris K. Combs, Pensacola, Florida, 1976, reprinted 1979, Electronically reprinted by the Combs &c. Research Group in 1999. p 94ff
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Joseph Combs I (-ca1756)
  3. Virginia, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1607-1890 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. Original data: Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp. Virginia Census, 1607-1890. Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
  4. 4.0 4.1 The Register of Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co, VA, 1723-1758 and Sundry Historical and Genealogical Notes, Compiled and Published by George Harrison Sanford King Fellow, American Society of Genealogist, Fredericksburg, VA, Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1961. as cited on Joseph Combs I
  5. Source: #S01 Book A, P 78
  6. Combs Family
  7. Source: #S01 Book A, p 84
  8. Source: #S01 Book B, p 91
  9. #S03 Abstracts of Fauquier County, Virginia
  10. Prince William Co., VA DB D:69-72; as cited on Joseph Combs I
  11. #S01 Book E, p 133.
  12. #S01 Book E., p 133
  13. #S03 Abstracts of Fauquier County, Virginia p 73
  • Source: S01Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742. [Vol. I] [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2006. Original data: Gary, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1694-1742. [Vol. I]. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997.
  • Source: S02Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775. [Vol. II] [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Gray, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775. [Vol. II]. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997.
  • Source: S03Abstracts of Fauquier County, Virginia [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: King, Junie Estelle Stewart. Abstracts of Wills, Administrations, and Marriages of Fauquier County, Virginia, 1759-1800. Baltimore, MD, USA: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2001.

Acknowledgments

  • Thank you to the Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group for the excellent research, using primary documents, and for publishing it online.
  • WikiTree profile Combs-193 created through the import of My Ancerstors.ged on Jul 2, 2011 by Mike Snider.
  • WikiTree profile Combs-622 created through the import of RodneyTree12232012.ged on Dec 23, 2012 by Rodney Gross. * Combs-1117 was created by Liz Duffy through the import of Spannagel Macy Family Tree_2014-07-04.ged on Jul 4, 2014.
  • Profile created by Josh Baker through the import of Baker-Smouse, Black-Whitcomb 20180915 Limited to 5000_2018-09-15.ged on Sep 15, 2018.




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Joseph by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Joseph:

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Comments: 8

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Joseph is being removed as son of John Combs and Hannah Mason due to lack of evidence and conflict between his supposed date of birth and his mother's birth/marriage.
Combs-2997 and Combs-193 appear to represent the same person because: similar death date; same mother; both married to Elizabeth Lawrence
Combs-2997 and Combs-193 do not represent the same person because: There is an ongoing dispute over the parentage. One side has a firm belief and seems to have some reason they are not the same. Would suggest nothing be done about merging until proven or disproven.
posted by [Living Poole]
According to the YDNA of the descendants of Joseph, his Haplogroup is R1b and totally unrelated to the Archdale line. Archdale’s terminal SNP marker is according to mine and another tester of the Big Y is I-BZ2610.
posted by Rick Combs II
I have a DNA match with a Combs descendant of Elizabeth Harris, wife of Joseph Combs, sister of my Nathan Harris. I also have matches with descendants of their siblings, Mary, Daniel, West, and Henry Harris, children of Edward Harris.
posted by Alice Ann Fesmire
The reason that it is believed that John was married twice is because of Joseph & John Combs were born in the 1680's. If Hannah or Ann or Hannah Ann were one in the same then she was probably born before 1665. This is an on going debate, I believe there were two wives and the first must of died since he had the children and got remarried. There is a descendant of Christopher Bullock Combs who lived in Missouri that DNA tested and was a match to the Archdale line. I have traced this Christopher back to Joseph. I don't know the name of his wife but some people have Elizabeth. His son Joseph married an Elizabeth Harrison and this line was pretty fruitful.
posted by Rick Combs II
Combs-622 and Combs-193 appear to represent the same person because: similar birth date; same death date & place.
Combs-1117 and Combs-193 appear to represent the same person because: same name; birth & death data similiar

Rejected matches › Joseph Combs (abt.1820-bef.1845)