of Delaware
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| Early Combs &c. Families of Delaware |
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Delaware was first part of Maryland with the first colonization by the British in 1637 in Maryland's original St. Mary's County. In 1642, Delaware became part of Maryland's Kent County, and in 1662, part of Talbot County. In 1666, Somerset County was established from non-county area, then Durham from Somerset and non-county. In 1673, the Dutch established courts at Upland, New Amstel and Hoarkill, and in 1677, New Amstel's name was changed to New Castle. In 1678, New Castle gained from Upland, and in 1680, St. Jones (changed to Kent in 1682) was established from New Castle and Hoarkill. In 1681, Hoarkills' name was changed to [New] Deal (changed to Sussex in 1682), and Upland abolished as a result of the establishment of Penn's Colony (Pennsylvania) when Delaware was acquired by William PENN from the Duke of York. In 1685, a Royal Decision was issued dividing Maryland and Delaware. In 1687, Kent gained from Sussex, and in 1707, Delaware, as the "three lower counties," gained self-rule from Pennsylvania. In 1760, the Maryland-Delaware line was re-defined, and in 1775, Sussex gained from Kent, Delaware's three counties extended their lines west to the Maryland line. In 1841, Kent gained from New Castle.
Note: Delaware has not been actively researched as yet. The following are records transcribed by Combs Researcher Denise Mortorff who collected these while working on another project. No more information is available at this time. See also a few additional records below.
Transcribed by Combs Researcher Denise Kelly Mortorff
Introduction: Film numbers are from the LDS Family History Center microfilm collection. Please keep in mind I was not searching directly for COMBES, so could have made errors and would strongly urge other researchers to validate this information if they believe this may be a part of their direct lineage.
Delaware, like Maryland uses the geographic grouping of the people they enumerate, first by County, and then by "hundred". Please note gaps in time may mean that the specific records for a "hundred" were lost and may not have appeared on the film, as opposed to the person being absent from the county. Sometimes the same "hundred" appeared more than once in a calendar year. I have listed repeat hundreds below as a 2nd or 3rd enumeration. The definition of "hundred" should be referred to in making assumptions about the location of a given person. People may not have moved because the count of what the hundred referenced, ie. livestock or other measure, may have changed the groups of persons that could show up in a given location depending on how closely the person placing the levy or tax followed the initial definition of hundred forward in time. In the case of Delaware, I did not see a lot of difference, if any, in groups of people showing up in differently names "hundreds" so it is possible, with the exception of forming new "hundreds", that people stayed in the same named group for the most part and may have also stayed in the same geographic area in the period I reviewed (pre-1800 for the most part). A definition of "hundred" is welcomed as a list posting. See Delaware Counties and Hundreds on the Delaware Genealogical Society website for more on Delaware Hundreds.
In this record the primary COMBES/COOMBS given names are William, Thomas, Adam, John, Joseph(?), Benjamin, Samuel; for McCOMBES Eleazer and John. The dates of evidence in Delaware cover from 1777 - 1800 and vary by county searched. Again, I would reread these films if this could be a direct lineage a person is tracing in case I missed anything. It takes me anywhere from 3-15 hours to read one of these microfilm. ND = No Date.
Location: Southernmost Delaware County today bordering Maryland Counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico and Worcester.
1790 May 31*
Kent County Delinquents
John COOMBS Collector
DKM Note: This document appears as part of item #52 and appears to have been organized into the wrong county group by mistake.
Conclusion: No other COMBES mentioned in the three films mentioned above, meaning barring my human error in reading that there were NO COMBES in Sussex County, Delaware in tax lists available from 1767-1818.
Location: Northernmost Delaware County today bordering Salem County, NJ; Delaware and Chester Counties, PA; and, Cecil and Kent Counties, MD.
DKM Note: Each entry is delineated separately so that people using the data do not assume that a person by a same name is necessarily the same person.
1777
St. George's Hundred
Thomas COOMBS
1779
Appoquiinnimink Hundred
(referred to as Appo. later in this list)
William COOMBS
St. George's Hundred
Thos COOMBS
Appo. Hundred
William Combs
St. George's Hundred
Thos COOMBS
1780
Appo. Hundred
William Combs
1780/1?
St. George's Hundred
Thomas COOMBS
1782
New Castle Hundred
Thomas Combs
St. George's Hundred
Adam COOMBS
1783
New Castle Hundred
William Combs
St. George's Hundred
Adam COOMBS
Thomas COOMBS
1784
St. George's Hundred
Adam COOMBS
Thomas COOMBS
Appo. Hundred
William Combs
1785
Appo. Hundred
William Combs
St. George's Hundred
Thomas COOMBS
1786
St. George's Hundred
Adam COOMBS
Thomas COOMBS
Appo. Hundred
John COMES
1787
New Castle Hundred
Adam COOMBS
1788
St. George's Hundred
Adam COOMB
1789
Pencard Hundred
Joseph COONS
1790
Appo. Hundred
William COOMBS
1790
St. George's Hundred
Adam COOMBS
Conclusion: Although COMBES could be in New Castle County, Delaware earlier than 1777, COMBES FIRST APPEAR IN NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DELAWARE TAX LISTS IN 1777 and ARE LAST SEEN THERE IN 1790 although the records go to 1815.
Location: Central County of Delaware bordered today by Queen Annes and Cecil County, Maryland.
Item 1
ND
Unnamed Hundred
(List 3)
Transr John COMBES from Nevr? to Dover Hundr.
Item 10
ND
Unnamed Hundred
(List 3)
Benjamin COOMBS
Item 11
1766?
Mispillion Hundred
(List 4)
Benjamin COOMBS Esqr
Item 17
ND
Murderkill Hundred
(List 2)
John COOMBES 500 acres
DKM: There is a symbol or other lettering after the "Coombes" that could represent jr/sr/esqr???
Item 57
1765
Jones Hundred
Benjamin Combs
Item 58
1765
"Jones's or Dover Hundred"
Benjamin Combs
Item 59
1766
Jones Hundred
Benjamin Combs
Item 62
1767
Murtherkill Hundred
(List 1 & 2)
Benjamin Combs
Item 63
1768
Murderkill Hundred
Benjamin Combs
Item 72
1773
Unnamed Hundred
Benjamin COOMBS
Item 81
1778
Murderkill Hundred
Benja Combs Esqr
Item 83
1779
Murderkill Hundred
Benjn Combs
Murderkill Hundred
Benjn Combs (a 2nd enumeration for same place)
Murderkill Hundred
Benjamn COOMBS (" " )
Item 85
1780
Murderkill Hundred
Benjamin COOMBS
Item 87
1781
Murderkill Hundred
Benja COOMBS Er (probably Esquire)
Murderkill Hundred
Benja COOMBS Esq (a 2nd enumeration)
Item 89
1782
Murderkill Hundred
Benjn COOMBS Esq
Item 91
1783
Little Creek Hundred
Eliazor McCOOMB
Murderkill Hundred
Benjn COOMBE Esqr
Little Creek Hundred
Eliazear McCOOMBS (a 2nd enumeration)
Murderkill Hundred
Benja COOMBS Esqr (a 2nd enumeration)
Item 93
1784
Little Creek Hundred
Eleazer McCombs
Murderkill Hundred
Benja COMBE Erex? [could be Esqr]
Item 95
1785
Murderkill Hundred
Benja COMBE
Little Creek Hundred
John McCombs
Murderkill Hundred
Benjamin COOMBE (a 2nd enumeration)
Item 97
1786
Murtherkill Hundred
Benja COOMB Esq
Little (no Creek) Hundred
John McCOOMBE
Item 99
Little Creek Hundred
John M˙COMB
[DKM: This seems to be McCOMB
1787
Murderkill Hundred
Benja COOMBE Esq
Item 101
1788
Little Creek Hundred
Eleazer McCOMB Ex
Little Creek Hundred
Eleazer McCOMB Esq (a 2nd enumeration)
Dover Hundred
John COMBES
Murderkill Hundred
Benja COOMBES Esqr
John COOMBS
Item 102
1790
Unnamed Hundred
John Combs
Murtherkill Hundred
Benja COOMB Esqr
DKM Note: Murderkill and Murtherkill Hundred may be one and the same since Delaware is known for being a Dutch settlement and the enunciated form of the word could vary. Editors note: Mutherkill was possibly Motherkill, which was consolidated with Murderkill and divided into North and South Murderkill in 1855.
Item 104
1790
Dover Hundred
______ COMB [sheet torn]
Murtherkill Hundred
Benja COOMB Esqr
John COOMB
DKM Note: (John COOMB follows Benja COOMB on the next line in the enumeration.)
Item 105
1789
DKM Note: The following quoted from the list and the implications for further research on this COMBES family.) At the end of the first two pages of delinquent tax payers it says:
"We the subscribers do hereby certify that John Coombs Collector of State Tax for the year 1789
(signed) Exd Eli COMB
DKM Note: On another list it is signed "Ecd Elo C" It is possible that the term is -- executed and the person could be an Eli COMB or an Eleazer McCOMB who shows up in the tax list in Kent County.)
Item 106
1791
Dover Hundred
Joshua McCOOMB
Murtherkill Hundred
Benja COOMBE Jur (junior)
Benja COOMBE
John COOMBE
Item 110
1793
Murderkill Hundred
Benjamin COOMB Jr. (early in list)
Benjamin COOMB (later in list)
John COOMB
Samuel COOMB
Item 112
1794
Murderkill Hundred
Benjamin COOMBS Jr. (early in list)
Benja COOMBS (later in list next to each other in order)
John COOMBS
Saml COOMBS
Item 118
1797
Little Creek Hundred
Eleazer McCOOMBS (landowner)
Item 120
1797
Murderkill Hundred
Benjamin COOMBS (land acreage 290/250/100)
Samuel COOMBE (no land)
Benjamin COOMBE Jr. (1 lott of ground)
John COOMBS heirs (land acreage 300/200 at Kerrytown)
Item 130
1798
Murderkill Hundred
Samuel COOMBE (no acres)
Benjamin COOMBS 755 acres
(Samuel and Benjamin are next to each other in the enumeration)
Lane COMBE Negros (no acres)
Roger COMBES (probably a negro since he and Lane appear at the end of the tax list in what appears to be a negro group that was enumerated)
Murderkill Hundred
(a 2nd list)
Benjamin COOMBS senior acreage of 290/250/100/106/9
Samuel COOMBE ((no acres)
Murderkill Hundred
(a 3rd list)
Benjamin COOMBE 705 acres
Samuel COOMBE (no acres)
Lane COMBE (Negroes)
Roger COMBES (same group of negroes)
Item 131
1799
Murderkill Hundred
Samuel COOMBES (some notation after his name but can't decipher)
(a 2nd list)
Item 132
1800
Murderkill Hundred
Benjamin COOMBES Deceased
Item 136
1800 Docket Duplicates of several hundreds corrected for the year.
Murderkill Hundred
John COOMBES (mins) 1430 acres [DKM: mins probably means minors]
Benjamin COOMBE 705 acres
Samuel COOMBE 363 acres
Lane COMBE (negro) 100 acres
Roger COOMBES (negro) 100 acres
DKM Note: The Benjamin COOMBE with 705 acres could be the same person being carried on the tax list until the probate is finalized or the Benjamin Jr. that appeared earlier with the jr. dropped assuming the esqr. was the one who died. I have seen both methods of enumeration.
Conclusion: COMBES APPEAR IN KENT COUNTY DELAWARE AS EARLY AS 1765 and AS LATE AS 1800. Note the film ends there and should be checked further. MC COMBES APPEAR IN KENT COUNTY DELAWARE AS EARLY AS 1783 and LAST APPEAR IN 1797. This should also be pursued further forward in time in case the hundreds were incomplete or missing. It appears that there are some probate records that could be sought for both a John and Benjamin COOMBES. Also, note the McCOMBES are probably not complete, but will at least help some researchers and direct them to an area and time frame. I was looking at "C" surnames so there could be information under "M" I completely missed.