In Wilkes County, N. C. are recorded marriages of William Combs to Hannah Towson (?) 12-18-1780 and John Combs to Biddy Nance or Nantz on 5-31-1779. Stephen Combs and Barbara Allen were married in Loudoun Co., Va. and went to Wilkes County after the birth of one child, according to a History and Genealogy of the Harlan Family. About 1793 they moved on to Lincoln Co.,Ky.
At least fifteen (15) daughters of three men of the same names (with consent of their fathers) were married in Lincoln Countv, Ky., from 1798 to 1820. Two of these Combs girls were daughters of Stephen and their marriages to Harlan men are recorded. Of these three men (Combs) it seems most likely that William and John were brothers and Stephen may have been a brother or cousin or nephew.
STEPHEN COMBS is said to have gone from Lincoln to Monroe County, Ky. and the family of at least one of his sons appeared in the census records of Sullivan County, Ind., later, eleven children of Stephen Combs are named in the Harlan History and Genealogy.
WILLIAM COMBS gave consent in Lincoln County, Ky. for the marriage of a daughter Mary (Polly) to Henry Duncan 4-5-1803, and is almost certainly the William Combs who applied for a Revolutionary Pension from Bath County, Ky., in 1818. Henry Duncan signed some of the papers in this pension file furnished by National Archives, Washington, D. C. His wife is not mentioned by name but is living with him but "no children are living at home with me" he says. He had been a teacher.
JOHN COMBS, the one with whom we are most concerned in this sketch appears likely to be the one who married Biddy Nance in Wilkes County. He, also, gave consent for marriages of daughters in Lincoln County, Ky. and that he later went to Perry County, Ky. is evidenced by the statement of a granddaughter, Margaret Combs Lewis, in an interview with Rev. J. J. Dickey, at Manchester in 1898. She said that her grandfather, John Combs, lived in Perry County a number of years, then a few years in Owsley County, Ky. and later went back to Lincoln where he lived until his death. Margaret also said her grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier, of this she was sure. John Combs pension appilcation was filed from Perry County in 1825, and the last payment was made in Washington County, Ky., in 1848. His Will was recorded in Washington County 11-2-1845 and probated May 15, 1848, naming Joseph Good, "my Son-in-law" as executor. Revolutionary pension rolls show his death date as April l848.
JOHN COMBS, Jr. son of John of Lincoln, Perry and Owsley Counties, married Rebecca Combs, daughter of Mason Combs in Clay Co., Ky., 12-15-1813 and one of their sons was Meredith Combs born in 1824. John Combs, Jr. (called Jack) married a second wife in 1837. She was Mrs. Elizabeth Hunt Wi11iams, daughter of Jonathan Hunt and widow of John Williams of Clay County.
John (Jack) Combs and Rebecca are said by a descendant of his brother Benjamin, to have had a son John called "Black John" who Married Rachel Baker and also a son Samue1. One Samuel Combs marricd Cassandra Bishop in Clay Co., 11-15-1852 and a Louisa Combs who married John Burns in Estill County 9-l2-1836 with consent of her father John, could have been a daughter. Children of John and Elizabeth Hunt Combs were two sons: Granville and Squire who was blinded in both eyes in the Civil War. Granville was also a veteran of that war.
MEREDITH COMBS, son of John Jr. and first wife, married Easter Allen in Clay County, Ky. Oct. 3, 1846. Some of their children, from various sources, and possibly there were others, were: Lee Combs, who married Louisa Nantz daughter of George Nantz of Harlan Co., Ky.; Tinsley Combs who married Mary Burns; America Combs who married _____? Doyle; William who married Sophia Allen; Francis Marion Combs who married Marinda Brewer; George Combs who married Alice Baker and there was said to be a son John.
LEE COMBS, one of the sons of Meredith and Esther Combs was born in 1851 and died in 1908 in Clay County, Ky. His wife Louisa Nantz Combs was bcrn 1850 and died in 1930. All of their six sons served in the Spanish American War.
STEPHEN G. COMBS, son of Lee and Louisa Combs was born at Oneida, Clay Co., Ky., June 22, 1884 and is (still living)*. His wife was Martha Jones, a daughter ot Jefferson Jones and was born Mar. 18, 1887. She departed this life March 1., 1955.
BERT THOMAS COMBS, former Governor of Kentucky, is a son of Stephen and Martha Jones Combs. He married Mabel Hall of prestonsburg and has a daughter, Lois and a young son. Other children of Stephen and Martha Combs are: Virginia Wright Combs (dec'd); Robert Lee Combs: Louise Combs Marcum; Sarah Combs Kaufman; Ows1ey Stanley Combs; and Mary Margaret Combs Ream.
Stephen Combs stated in a letter a few years ago that his grandfather was Meredith Combs and that his father was John Combs (John Jr.)or Jack. Margaret Lewis said in the Dickey interview, previously mentioned, that her Uncle Jack had a son Meredith.
NOTES:
Margaret Combs Lewis was a daughter of Nicholas Combs, Jr.(called "Birdeye") and Elizabeth Combs, who was a daughter of John Combs of Lincoln County. The marriage of Nicholas Jr. and Elizabeth in Floyd County, Ky. 6-5-1816 is said by family tradition to have been an elopement and that they were 1st cousins. This is borne out by Margaret's statement that her grandfathers were each "one of the original 8 brothers" in Perry County. This has not been a generally accepted fact but is stated plainly by their granddaughter. Her other grandfather, father of Nicholas Jr. was Nicholas Sr. called "Danger Nick" and called by the late Dr. Josiah Combs, of Fort Worth, Texas, an unc1e of John of Lincoln.
Margaret Combs Lewis was the wife of Abijah Lewis of Leslie Co. and they were the parents of the late Judge Lou (Lorenzo Dow) Lewis of Hyden, Ky. The Dickey interview with Margaret Lewis is quoted in an old letter to her son Judge Lewis, and is in possession of Judge Lewis' daughter who lives in Berea, Ky.
Another daughter of John Combs of Lincoln County, Ky. was Nancy who married Joseph Good, heretofore mentioned as executor of John's Will. It was in their home that old John spent his last years and there died. Mrs. Ed. Diddle of Bowling Green, Ky. is a descendant of this couple and she and Mrs. Homer Biggerstaff of Berea, daughter of Judge Lewis have been of great assistance in preparing this paper.
* (Stephen G. Combs died early in 1966, age 81)