The author's Combs family research begins with the Revolutionary War soldier Philip Combs that settled in Wilkes County Georgia in the late 1700s. Philip had one known son that also served in the Revolutionary War (John) and they appear to have served in the same units together. Philip was likely from Amelia County, VA but moved to the Fairfield District of South Carolina before the Revolutionary War started, possibly as early as the 1760s.
It is important to point out that we have limited records for both SC and GA. We do have Revolutionary War records but little to no census data from 1790-1810, very few estate records and only a couple of Wills. We do have a few land bounty grants and plats for both SC and GA, some early Tax Digests (GA), 1820-1860 census data, some estate records and a few other miscellaneous records. These found records also can be a source of confusion due to their being several Philip Combs' and John Combs' born to the sons of Philip the Revolutionary War soldier. From these often conflicting and confusing documents, the author has attempted to provide a list of relationships; However, what is presented below is a theory or hypothesis which may or may not be accurate in all respects. We do have some facts but the author has made numerous conjectures based on reviewing and researching documents that were found regarding these families for the time period that they lived in SC and GA. It may all be true; some true or all false. Please do not post this information elsewhere without the author's disclaimer that it all may be incorrect: The research posted here in hopes that it will "kickstart" someone else's research and/or be of help to someone to complete the puzzle that is our COMBS ancestry.
The author found no published books that specifically dealt with our COMBS family but he did find books which were written about other families that included bits and pieces of COMBS family history. Those boos are noted below in the general notes section.
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The Combs family is likely of Scottish and Northern Ireland lineage, a variation of the name McCombs. There is so little known of our Combs ancestors even when they were in VA, SC and GA so any conclusions made about Scottish or Irish roots would be highly speculative at this point.
Amelia County, Virginia
It is highly likely that our Combs ancestors were in Virginia prior to the Revolutionary War. They were probably living in Amelia County but the author has done very little research on the Combs family of Amelia County so please visit the following websites where other researchers have done excellent work. It is worthy to point out that the author's Jackson ancestors of Wilkes County, GA were also from Amelia County, VA (Anselm Jackson married Daisy/Dorie/Dovey Combs) and it is highly likely that some of the other early settlers of Wilkes County that married Combs' men & women were from Amelia County as well (Hammock for example). These were cousins marrying cousins. It is likely that Philip married Abigail Hammock while living in Amelia County. Abigail was the daughter of Benedict Hammock, Sr. and his wife Elizabeth Lewis. Both families (Hammock & Combs) can later be found living adjacent to one another in Wilkes County, Georgia. See the author's research on the Hammock family HERE.
Fairfield District, South Carolina
We have records for both Philip Combs and his son John showing that they both served in the Revolutionary War while living in the Fairfield District. Philip at one point was a Lieutenant serving under Colonel Richard Winn.
The SC Archives has a very small file containing a 1784 pay record for a Philip Combs where Philip is paid money for himself and ".. his sons" militia service. Due to the amount of the pay (approx. 27 pounds sterling) and a later reference to "his boy", the "sons" is probably "son's" thus only 1 son. The record lists 59 days of service in 1781 at Orangeburg on horse under Colonel Winn (Richard Winn), 40 days service as a Lieutenant in 1782 at Four Holes Bridge (Charleston) and 98 days service "done by his boy" and 15 days duty on horse under the command of Major John Pearson at Edisto. This 1784 record is approved by Capt. Aramanos Liles. [1]
Philip Combs, Revolutionary War Patriot
Pay Record
(SC Archives)
Philip Combs, Revolutionary War Patriot
Pay Record
(SC Archives)
Philip Combs, Revolutionary War Patriot
Pay Record
(SC Archives)
Edward Blake and Peter Bocquet
Revolutionary War Patriots
Thomas Lehre (Col. Thomas Lehre)
At this point in the discussion of Philip's Revolutionary War service, it should be pointed out that Philip may have participated in the Revolutionary War Battle of Kettle Creek in Wilkes County, Georgia. The last name of COMBS exists in Lucien Lamar Knight's records. Philip did wind up in Wilkes County (see below) living very close to the Kettle Creek battle site.
This pay record has signed references to both Ninety Six District and Broad River. Note the following information that I found for the other names found in this record:
- Edward Blake was a much heralded Naval Officer during the American Revolution and it is likely that his son's home is now the John Blake house located on the tip of the Battery in Charleston. Today, this building appears to be the home of an architect and is worth well over $5 million dollars.
Historic John Blake home in Charleston
(58 S. Battery Street)
(Zillow) - Peter Bocquet was a Major during the Revolutionary War and the 1770 home that he built in downtown Charleston is still standing (Major Peter Bocquet, Jr.). Today, this home appears to be a mixed-use building with both business and residential occupants.
Home of Major Peter Bocquet in downtown Charleston
(95 Broad Street)
(Library of Congress) - Thomas Lehre was likely Col. Thomas Lehre who was later involved with politics in South Carolina. He was also the Sheriff of Charleston District (1798). I found the following letter in the Library of Congress written to President James Madison - note the signature on the letter appears to be identical to the signature on Philip Combs' pay record (see image above). The Library of Congress has several letters written by Lehre to Madison. Not sure of Lehre's exact standing when the letter below was written but he appears to have been a member of the SC State House of Representatives and he was heavily involved in matters of finance for the state.
Letter to President James Madison
Thomas Lehre
(Library of Congress) - Captain Aramanous Liles appears to be the brother of Major John Liles, both men were from Ninety Six District and descendants of Ephraim Liles who arrived in Virginia in the early 1600s. According to his pension file, John Liles participated in numerous battles in the southern front of the American Revolution including Stono Ferry, Hanging Rock, Cowpens and Kings Mountain.
- John Pearson was a Major under Thomas Sumter in the SC Militia during the American Revolution. He was later a Brigadier General after the war. for SC He was then elected to the SC House of Representatives and Senate. Interestingly, he is said to have been buried in a family cemetery located near Parr, South Carolina (Fairfield District at the time) which is now likely under the waters of the Parr Shoals Reservoir of the Broad River. This area is near the general area where I have determined that Philip Combs' land grant was located (almost directly southwest by a few miles).
Turning now to Philip's son John, we have the 1832 Revolutionary War pension file of a John Combs (now living in Wilkes County, GA) where he claims that while he was living in the Fairfield District of SC he entered the service about 1779 or 1780 at the age of fifteen and he was under the command of Aramanous Liles. This records notes that he was at Orangeburg, Edisto and Four Holes Bridge. This record also shows that he was born in Amelia County, Virginia. [1] This records shows that he was taken prisoner by the Tories but later released after the British had seized Charleston.
One troubling thing about this application is that he makes no mention of his father Philip. His father died before John filed for his pension but one would have thought that he would have stated somewhere that he served with his father. He was already of advanced age for the time period (70) when this application was made so he may have simply not forgotten or considered it of little importance in regards to his pension application.
John Combs' Pension Application
(revwarapps.com)
We are also fortunate the have the following record for John Combs just before he died while living in Cobb County, Georgia. This record shows that he is the same John Combs that filed for a pension in 1834 while living in Wilkes County, GA and that he moved to Cobb County four years earlier (about 1846). This document was witnessed by Philip Combs (his son). The significance of this document will become apparent elsewhere in the author's research in the identification of the descendants of John's father Philip (the Rev War soldier).
John Combs
(Fold3)
John Combs
(Fold3)
(Note: Age may not be correct - His pension file states that he was born 1764 so he was 85)
Land Records for Philip and John
From the SC Archives, we have a couple of early land plats for Combs men. The earliest record found was a 1764 land plat for a David McClaren adjoining a "Combs" man along the Saluda River near "Broad Shoal and Rocky". Another name on this plat is that of John Musgrove. John Musgrove was a noted Loyalist during the American Revolution and his land was located where the Bush River flows into the Saluda River. This gives us a point of reference for where this particular tract of land was located. Due to the creation of Lake Murray, it is hard to pinpoint the exact location of this land but it was roughly due south of the town of Newberry in the upper portion of Lake Murray. If the reader is familiar with this area, the Broad River flows just to the north of Lake Murray. At the time of the American Revolution, this was in the Ninety Six District but in 1832 the Broad River formed the border between Fairfield District and Newberry and Lexington "Districts". This plat places the home of this particular Combs man directly on the Saluda River and the "path to John Musgrove's" was near his home, possibly crossing Combs' land.
What we cannot learn from this record is whether this plat belonged to Philip Combs who later was a Revolutionary War soldier or another entirely different Combs man. If John Combs' pension application is accurate, and if John Combs was in fact the son of Philip (soldier), 1764 would have been the year that John was born in Amelia County, VA and this would be hard to reconcile with Philip (soldier) being the man that owned this tract of land. However, note the name of the surveyor at the bottom of the plat - it appears to be James or John Pearson. If it is in fact John Pearson then we may have a connection with the Major John Pearson noted above in Philip Combs' pay record and this may be Philip Combs' land. The author found a Wofford College thesis written in 1944 where a John Pearson was in fact a Deputy Surveyor in the area and also a local leader who lived on the Broad River side of the Dutch Fork.[2] So, it is highly likely that this plat is for Philip Combs or another close relative of his.
"Combs" house and land on Saluda River 1764
(SC Archives)
Now, let's look at another plat, a land grant to John Combs in 1785. This plat is for 400 acres in Ninety Six District along Beaverdam Creek where it joins the North Saluda. Again, this land is hard to pinpoint due to the creation of Lake Murray but it one looks at a current geological map, there is a Beaverdam Creek that is on the south portion of Lake Murray, a tributary of the Little Saluda. We don't know where this stream began in the 1780s but it may have been on the northside of the Saluda which would place it in the same general area as the tract above. I believe this land was awarded to John for his military service during the American Revolution and thus the same John Combs who was the son of Philip (soldier).
(SC Archives)
zCurrent map Lake Murray, Beaverdam Creek
(USGS)
General area of Combs land
now present day Lake Murray
(Google maps)
Onward to Wilkes County, Georgia
Around 1784-1785 Philip Combs moved to Wilkes County, Georgia. His son John likely followed him along with the rest of Philip's family which likely included several daughters and probably sons named Philip, James, Sterling and possibly Enoch.
We have the following early land records for Philip:
(GA Archives)
Vacant land on all sides
1787 land plat for Philip Combs, 200 acres
Adjoining his own land, Manson, John Combs, and F. Fennell
(GA Archives)
1793 land plat for Philip Combs, 200 acres
Adjoining John Combs, P. Combs, Hammock and Manson
(GA Archives)
1795 land plat for Philip Combs, 250 acres
Adjoining Micajah Williamson and Taylor Duke
Note: This is Lt. Col. Micajah Williamson the Rev War soldier and key figure in the development of Wilkes County and the city of Washington, GA
(GA Archives)
- In 1785, John Combs was the trustee for a tax record for an Amos Richardson. This Amos R. is probably the Rev War soldier that was from Loudon County, VA but later wound up in Ninety Six District of SC and then Elbert County (Elbert was formed from Wilkes in 1790).
- In 1785, there is a record for a John Combs and a Philip Combs living adjacent to Robert Hammock on Rocky Creek.
- In 1787 Philip Combs loses a suit to Moses Harris and is billed for Harris' fees.
.jpg)
1787 - Philip Combs lost court case - In 1791 John Combs sold land on Rocky Creek in Wilkes County.
- The 1st tax digest for Wilkes (1792-1794) lists John Combs with 200 acres and Philip Combs with 950 acres. The two men were living in different districts: John was in Kerr's and Philip was in Wilson's.
.jpg)
Note that Rocky Creek runs almost parallel to Upton Creek with about 4 miles of separation. Given the dates of these records, these men are probably the father and son (Philip Combs (RS) and his son John (RS)).
So, at this point in our research we have established that Philip Combs (RS) and his son John Combs (RS) (and likely their extended families) arrived in Wilkes County, GA about 1784-1785. It appears that they lived on lands along Rocky Creek which was south-southeast of the town of Washington. Following these two men and their descendants from this point is difficult because of the lack of records which is confounded by the lack of census and land records that might clarify the several Philips, Johns and other Combs men and their offspring.
NEXT:
SOME DESCENDANTS OF PHILIP COMBS, RS
MORE RESEARCH:
CENSUSES
MORE LAND RECORDS
WILKES COUNTY GEORGIA FAMILIES
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General Notes
1. Late in his research, the author discovered the out-of-print book by Thomas Daniel Knight entitled "Hammock Cousins" Hammack and Hammock Families in England and America, 1569-2010". Thomas Knight, PhD. is a former Rhodes Scholar and presently is a professor of history at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Although this book pertains mostly to Hammack/Hammock family history, it does include quite a bit of history about our shared COMBS and JACKSON families. The author found this book literally at the very end of is research and was pleasantly surprised that Thomas Knight came to the same conclusions as he did regarding Philip Combs and his descendants. This book can be found at the Georgia Archives and quite likely at other college libraries or archives locations as well.
2. There were other COMBS men living in South Carolina before 1800. Some lived near Pendleton, some in Orangeburg District and some on the Edisto River. I have not researched these Combs men. They may be related to our Combs line.
3. Regarding Robert Hammock (RS); It has been stated by other researchers that Robert Hammock married Nancy Combs; if true, she would have been the daughter of Philip Combs (RS). Robert Hammock was also from Amelia County, Virginia. The author's Jackson ancestors, who were also early settlers of Wilkes County, GA as well as being Revolutionary War Patriot soldiers, were also from Amelia County, Virginia. Also, some researchers claim that Philip married Abigail Hammock and that Philip's sister possibly married Benedict Hammock, Sr.. Thus, a complex array of cousins marrying cousins.
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Footnotes
[1] Fold3.ocm has the full pension file and revwarapps.com has a transcribed copy of his application.
[2] "Early Settlers in the Carolina Dutch Fork,1744-1760", Elmer B. Hallman, Wofford College. Note that the "Dutch Fork" is misleading - the true meaning is Deutsche or German due to the large number of German immigrants that lived in the area.
This page was created on 2/25/2025