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Allen County was established in 1824 from unorganized Territory and Randolph Co. Descendant Counties include: 1830: Elkhart from Allen and Cass; 1832: Huntington from Allen and Grant; LaGrange from Allen and Elkhart; 1835: Adams from Allen and Randolph; DeKalb from Allen and LaGrange; Fulton from Allen, Cass & St. Joseph; Noble from Allen, Elkhart and LaGrange.


From " Fort Wayne during the Canal Era" by Charles R. Poinsatte ( pub. unknown): "William Combs, a lawyer from Maine settled in Ft. Wayne [Allen Co], Ind. between 1822 -1830, and operated a saw mill there in 1848."


1830 Allen Co, IN Census Index

No Combs


5-5-1837 Allen Co, IN Marriages. COOMBS, William & EDSALL, Jane (Index to Combs Marriages of Indiana)


1840 Allen Co, IN Census Index

Wayne Twp

p 24

William H. COOMBS 1m <5; 1m 20-30; 1f 5-10; 1f 20-30;
Occupation: PROF ENG


1850 Allen Co, IN Census

(Transcribed by Combs Researcher Debi Houser)

pg 95

Ferd. COOMBS 15 M laborer Germany

Pg 96

229/232 John COOMBS 45 M baker England
Eliza 42 F England
Benjmain SAUNDENS 40 M grocer $5000 England
Joseph 9 M IN attended school within the year
William 7 M IN attended school within the year
Catherine OYES 17 F Germany
Orin? D. RODGERS 26 M clerk OH
Austin CARVIN 18 M baker OH
James HUTCHINSON 40 M none England
Thomas HUNTON 45 M none England


1860 Allen Co. Indiana Census

p. 784, 11 July 1860

Wayne Twp, Ft. Wayne PO

1010/1010 John J Combs, 63, male, [c/r occupation], b. ENG, RE=$1200, PP=$300
Eliza J. Combs, 48, female, b. ENG
Mary J. SAUNDERS, 7, female, b. IN
John PRENTICE, 40, male, Stone Cutter, b. NY
Wm McPHERSON, 25, male, Stone Cutter, b. Scotland
John CAMPBELL, 40, male, Machinist, b. Scotland
James CAMPBELL, 41, male, Carpenter, b. NY
James KLIX, 30, male, blank occupation, b. Bavaria

(Source: Heritage Quest Original Images)

SE Note: Note the Mary J. SAUNDERS in this household. Appears to be same as one living with Eliza Coombs in the 1870 census. Was she also duplicated (age 6) in the 1860 census record for Benj. SAUNDERS.


1867-70 SANDER, Mrs. Elizabeth, widow. The city/county directory for Ft. Wayne for 1867-70 shows "Sander, Mrs. Elizabeth, widow - ld oner - Cedar Creek tp - Leo P.O. -Leo & Spencerville Rd 15 mi. (submitted by Larry P. Cornwell)

SE Note: Edward SAUNDERS and his wife Elizabeth Coombe are both buried in Lindenwood Cemetery (see below). This couple can be found in both the 1841 and 1851 North Bovey, Devonshire, England census records, and appear to be same as in the 1860 Cook Co., IL census record. Edward was still living in Chicago (with daughter Louisa) per the 1870 Cook Co., IL census but the Allen Co., IN directory entry seems to Elizabeth preceded Edward to Allen Co. Perhaps there is an error in the Directory dates. Edward died in 1878 per cemetery records indicating he later joined Elizabeth in Allen Co.


1870 Allen Co. Census

p. 44/404, 15 June 1860

6th Ward, Ft. Wayne, Ft. Wayne PO

314/325 Henry DISTRICKS, 43, male, w, b. Belgium, Black Smith
Sarah J. DISTRICKS, 25 (or 35), female, w, b. ENG, Keeping House
Mary? DISTRICKS, 19, female, w, b. IN
John H DISTRICKS, 17, male, w, b. IN, Blacksmith helper, RE=$1000, PP=$100
Eliza J DISTRICKS, 16, female, w, b. IN
Peter DISTRICKS, 11, male, w, b. IN
William DISTRICTS 5 [Jacob 1 & Davids 13]
Elizabeth DISTRICTS 3/4, female, w, b. IN

(Source: Heritage Quest Original Images - very light)

SE Note: May be same as Jacob Diederick/Diddricks of the 1860 (not abstracted) and 1880 census (see below). If so, then wife Sarah J. is Sarah Jane SANDERS, d/o of ELizabeth Coombe SANDERS. Sarah J. appears to have been a second wife.

page 323, 22 Jul 1870

Third Ward

469/519 Joseph SANDERS, 29, photographer, b. IN
Mary J. SANDERS, 16, b. IN
Eliza Coombes, 52, keeping house, b. England, Re=$6500, PP=$200.

(Census Submitted by Larry P. Cornwell)

SE Note: Interesting in that Benjamin SAUNDENS [likely Saunders}, age 40, grocer, born in England, is living in the 1850 household (see above) of one John Coombes, age 45, baker, also born in England. Eliza, presumably his wife, age 42, born in England. There is also a Joseph (9) and William (9) SAUNDENS in the same household. The Joseph would be the right age to be the Joseph above. The 1860 census record (not abstracted) shows Benj. SAUNDERS with Joseph, Wm, and Mary (age 6). and it shows John and Eliza Combs with a Mary J. SAUNDERS, age 7, in their household.


1880 Allen Co. Census

Fort Wayne, ED 127

p. 738C

Jacob DIDRICKS, 55, self, male, married, b. Belgium Belgium Belgium, Blacksmith
Sarah J DIDRICKS, 35, wife, female, married, b. ENG ENG ENG
Wm E DIDRICKS, 15, son, male, single, b. IN Belgium ENG
Francis DIDRICKS, 9, son, male, single, b. IN Belgium ENG
Rosina DIDRICKS, 7, dau, female, single, b. IN Belgium ENG
Chas. DIDRICKS, 4, son, male, single, b. IN Belgium ENG
Robert DIDRICKS, 1, son, male, single, b. IN Belgium ENG

Note: Sarah J. DIDRICKS aka Sarah Jane was the daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Coombe SAUNDERS per Larry P. Cornwell.

p. 738D 18th day of Oct, 1880

Patrick HOGAN, 50, self, male, married, b. IRE IRE IRE, laborer
Margret HOGAN, 40, wife, female, married, b. IRE IRE IRE
John HOGAN, 14, son, male, single, b. IN IRE IRE
Lizzie HOGAN, 13, dau, female, single, b. IN IRE IRE
Willie HOGAN, 11, son, male, single, b. IN IRE IRE
Edward HOGAN 8, son, male, single, b. IN IRE IRE
Francis HOGAN 6, son, male, single, b. IN IRE IRE
Mary HOGAN , 5 , dau, female, single, b. IN IRE IRE
Elizabeth SANDERS, 76, other, female, widowed, b. England England England


30 June 1894 Elizabeth [Coombe] SAUNDERS died at age 90. (Source: DC see below). Buried Lindenwood Cemetery, Lot #45 with husband Edward SAUNDERS.

Elizabeth Coombe, who was born Apr 9, 1804 in North Bovey, Devonshire, England, according to the 1851 English census, and died in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana on Jun 30, 1894 at the age of 90, according to cemetery records. She married Edward SAUNDERS, who was baptised Oct 2, 1803 and died Jun 14, 1878 at the age of 75. Grace THOMPSON, a great-granddaughter, described her as a “little woman, a milliner, fine seamstress, always wore little black caps”. She likely immigrated to America in 1854 with her husband and family, the year that her 15-year-old daughter Susan Elizabeth immigrated. Grace Thompson wrote that Susan told her that she came from “Lands-End -- Southern England”. Lands-End is located in Cornwall County, next to Devon County. Grace also said that “Torquay” was “Grandmother's town”. Torquay is located in the County of Devon [Devonshire]. The ocean voyage took seven weeks.

Her death certificate, on file at the Fort Wayne - Allen County Department of Health, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802, records that Elizabeth Sanders died in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana on June 30, 1894, age 90 years. Cause of death was listed as old age. Her attending physician was G. B. Stemen, M. D. Place of burial and funeral director were not stated. The time of death was not stated, but the place of death was Aboite Township in Allen County. That also was listed as her residence. Her place of birth was listed as Plymouth, England. Other information, such as spouse and parental data, was not stated. Elizabeth was buried next to her husband in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana in lot #45, s.J. in the Lindenwood Cemetery, on Jul 2, 1894. Her birthplace was listed as England. She was 90y 2m 21d of age at death. Her son-in-law Jacob Diederich was the informant, from Aboit Township. (Submitted by Larry P. Cornwell).

From Denise Mortorff: There is an Elizabeth Coombe in a baptism record CE8042N who was christened 4/29/04, daughter of a John and Susanna COOMBE. In a column where it says “Mar” it notes Saunders. There were additional records for marriages and I believe this is the one for her. Note the change in spelling. 10/11/1825 Saunders, Edward Combe, Elizabeth Be sure to check for Saunders/Sanders births. It looks like they may have had a daughter Eliza Cumbe Saunders, and possibly other children. recognize. The last possible child born at North Bovey appears to be a William in 1825. (assuming this is your family history) (Source: Moretonhampstead History Society website (online database: North Bovey Parish Registers 1710-1920 , Moretonhampstead Parish Registers 1603-1920, Cross Chapel, Moretonhampstead (Presbyterian/Unitarian) 1672-1837 (many gaps, especially around 1740-1769 and after 1802), Moretonhampstead Wesleyan/Methodist chapel 1815-1920.) Moretonhampstead History Society

SE Note: More research is needed to determine the relationship between the John and Eliza Coombes and the two SAUNDERS family including that of Edward SAUNDERS and his wife Elizabeth Coombe.


Important: All Records collected for this county may not have been added here as yet. See also the Combs Research List Archives