The Maryland Protestant Revolution of 1689
Captain George COMBES
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On 14 May 1690, Rev. John COODE of
St. Mary's County,
Maryland, wrote of Ships Captain George COMBES who had been refused clearance from Maryland for England by Col. Henry DARNELL the year preceding:
Mr John COODE to The Secretarys of State
Maryland May 14th 1690.
May it please your Lordshipps,
I have made bold to trouble your Lordshipps by severall
Letters whereby I have fully represented the present state and
circumstances of this their Majestic's Province, Wee have
not hitherto the happiness to know the Royall pleasure
concerning us, however have to the best of our Abilities exprest
our utmost becoming duty for their Majesties' service, Our
present concernment is for the Public Saftie against the inroads
and danger wee are in of the Canada French and their Indians
who (as I have already presumed to informe your Lordshipps)
have not onely destroyed Schanagtede [Schenectedy] a Towne
neare Albany and committed a greate and Barbarous Massacre
there upon the Protestants but have since (as by advice from
Mr Jacob LEISLEIR who has the Government of New Yorke) attempted
upon New England and have killed and imprisoned aboute
ninety nine men neare Piscataway and have Burnt some
houses and have killed and captivated about seventy persons
more neare Salem, He informes moreover that the enemie
are about two thousand five hundred french and Indians and
that having taken their March from Mount-Royall towards
Albany will as is supposed attack that Place in which if they
succeed will endanger this Province and other their Majesties
Government in these parts, for prevention of which the said
LEISLEIR has sent to Virginia and this Province as well as other
neighbour Colonies for a generall communication and assist
ance, the Viginia Government at present desponds till the
arrivall of their Governor, Wee are sending messengers
thither And upon their advice will endeavour to second them
with what assistance we are able being as well for our owne
as the Generall saftie. 1
Wee doubt not his Majestie has by this time (by some of
the severall Papers wee have sent) account of our dutyfull and
humble Petitions and Endeavours for his Service, The first
wee sent were taken by the French but Captaine Thomas
EVERARD Commander of the Thomas and Susanna wee under
stand is well arrived, Who had the originall address to his
Majestic under the hands of the Representatives of the whole
Province in a full and free convention But wee doubt the said
EVERARD suffered the said address to be concealed or
intercepted by one Colonell Henry DARNALL
2
who got on board the
said EVERARD and went home with him to England a Person
the Lord Baltemore raised from the meanest condition to be
keeper of his great seale and one of the most crimminall of
any of his deputies for the many treasonable endeavors and
expressions against their Majesties and the many cruelities and
opressions committed upon their subjects of this Province of
whome and of whose behaviour in some considerable particulars
of this nature one Captain William GINNIS, Captaine
George COMBES and Captaine Robert GOODINGE can informe
who sailed home last yeare without their full clearing, the said
DARNALL refusing to signe the same with the Collector in King
William's name, with many violent and unbecoming expressions
against his Royaltie, We humbly represent that wee
shall be always ready when it shall be agreeable to the Royall
Will and Pleasure to prove and justifie what is set forth in our
Declaration (with a great deal more) not only against the
Lord Baltemore's late deputies but his Lordshipp himselfe and
humbly begg that the false insinuations and reports of his
Lordshipp or his instruments the said DARNALL whereby they
have endeavored to create a prepossession of greate Plunders
and rapins committed by the protestants upon the Papists
here may have no Credit with his Majestie or your Lordshipps
which is as false as wee shall allways be readie to answeare
our Proceedings before God and the King. Wee have onely
to Petition his Majestie would be graciously pleased to
command the speedie Bringing to tryall the murtherers of Mr John
PAINE 3 his Majestie's late
Collector who are now in Virginia.
humbly begging your Lordshipps pardon for this trouble
I subscribe
Your Lordshipps most obedient humbly devoted Servant
John COODE.
(Endorsed)
Maryland 1690.
From Mr COODE to the Secretarys of State
Captain George COMBES has not yet been further identified; however, he may well have been the same Capt. George COMBES who sailed The Palme Tree from
Virginia Colony
to Plymouth,
Devonshire,
England in 1685. As a Ship's Captain, he was likely acquainted with Major William COMBES, a Merchant of
Talbot County,
Maryland, but whether they might have been related remains unknown.
In
St. Mary's County,
Maryland, the 7 Jan 1686/7 Inventory of Robert LEE included debtor, George COMBS; and again on 20 Mar 1693/94, in the same county, a George COMBS is on the debt list of Justinian GERARD (s/o Thomas GERARD of St. Clements Manor, St. Mary's County, Maryland and Westmoreland County, Virginia).
An earlier George COMBES is found in
Baltimore County
records in 1665, transported by Richard BALL, s/o Col. William BALL of
Lancaster County, Virginia who is found with a Geo. COOMES headright in 1678.
____________________
1 Rev. John COODE of
St. Mary's County and the "Protestant Association" he led
used fears of Indian depredations to wrest control of the Maryland Government
from Lord Baltimore (Charles Calvert) during 1689. Whether the above were
real attacks or false reports has not been researched. See also
Charges and Counter Charges
3 John PAYNE was a King's Collector (appointed by COODE) and "Captain of the Foote," and the brother of Dr. William PAYNE. He was killed on 3 January 1689/90 by Col. Nicholas SEWELL, a Maryland Catholic, the son of Henry and Jane LOWE Sewell, Sr. and brother of Mary SEWELL who married George BRENT of Woodstock (Stafford County, Virginia). PAYNE succeeded King's Collector Christopher ROUSBY, whose
Calvert County will included a bequest to a John PAINE. Christopher ROUSBY was also killed by a Catholic, one George TALBOT, a relative of Lord Calvert, but supposedly in a drunken brawl (according to some witnesses). Ironically, he was the brother of John ROUSBY, first husband of Barbara MORGAN who married next Richard SMITH, Jr. (See
Barbara MORGAN Rousby Smith Goes to London).
Edited and proofed by Combs Researchers from
Archives of Maryland, Vol. VIII, Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1687/8-1693, "Letters Illustrating the History of Maryland in the Years 90," William Hand Browne, Editor, Maryland Historical Society, 1890, pp.
177-179
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