Combs &c. Families of Westmoreland Co, PA

Last updated
Please Email Additions and/or Corrections to Webmaster

Westmoreland County was established in 1773 from Bedford (est. in 1771 from Cumberland). 1781: Washington est. from Westmoreland. 1783: Fayette was established from Westmoreland and unorganized territory; and at least three Joseph COMBS lived in that part of Westmoreland which became Fayette (See also Fayette records for pre-1783-dated Westmoreland records.) 1788: Allegheny est. from Westmoreland and Washington. 1800: Armstrong est. from Allegheny, Lycoming and Westmoreland. 1803: Indiana est. from Westmoreland and Lycoming.

Note Re Fayette Co, PA: County progressions were: Cumberland from Lancaster, 1750; Bedford from Cumberland, 1771; Westmoreland from Bedford, 1773; Fayette from Westmoreland, 1783.

17 Apr 1769 - 18 Apr 1770 Mark HARDIN, 303 ½ acres located on the waters of Georges Creek in Springfield [Springhill?] Twp, Fayette County, adjoining lands of Joseph COMBS, and others. Surveyed 18 Apr 1770 on order #3084 17 Apr 1769

(Abstracted by Combs Researcher Robert George from LaFayette, Jan 1982, pg 5, Fayette County PA Warrent Bk 1)

May 1770 - 1825 Joseph COMBS, Springhill Twp. survey, 282 acres surveyed in May 1770 and is listed as "Indian Fort". It was patented in three parcels; first in 1790 to Joseph SUTTON, then in 1817 to Sarah MASTERSON, and last in 1825 to Phillip & Samuel DAVIS … See deed below for sale of part. Note: Neighboring land owners are: John HARDIN Sr., Benjamin HARDIN, Mark HARDIN, John HARDIN, Martin HARDIN, William HARVEY, James NEAL, David MORGAN, William WATKINS, & Thomas BATTIN. (all these tracts surveyed btwn. Nov. 1769 and May 1770).

(Fayette Co, PA Survey Map, Springhill Twp)

Notes: This land became part of Westmoreland Co, PA in 1773, and was included as Fayette Co. by 1783. See also the HARDIN/HARDING families in Virginia, particularly in respect to the Combs-Calmes-Hardin families of Loudoun, Stafford, Fauquier and Frederick Cos.

05 Dec 1773 - 27 Nov 1790 (Fayette Co, PA Book A, page 354, item 434)

Know all men by these presents that I Joseph COMBS of Loudan County in the colony of Virginia have bargin'd sold and by these presence do deliver to John MASTERSON of Westmoreland County in Pennsylvania, a part or half of a tract of land surveyed by ( SHORT & McLANE?) the 23rd day of May 1770 by order of survey (…torn out…) 3087 dated the 17th day of April 1769. For and in consideration of forty five pounds to me in hand paid, and with the receipt hereof I acknowledge myself fully satisfied and do warnt and defend the same from me, my heirs, executors, administrators, and from all persons that shall or may lay right claim or challenge thereson, the lord of the soul excepted, and to John MASTERSONS, his heirs and assigns the above land containing one hundred and fo (…torn…) nine acres and a half (………torn out………) according to the laws of the province as witness my hand and seal this 5th day of December 1773. s/Joseph COMBS (S.S.). Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of Jack NEALL , Abel? McPHERSON.

Fayette County: Personally appeared this day, Alexander McPHERSON before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace of Common Pleas in aforesaid county and being duly qualified according to law, on his solemn affirmation declareth that he did see the within named Joseph COMBS sign, seal and deliver the within Bill of Sale or instrument of writing as his act and (declared) he the said McPHERSON being one of the subscribing witnesses, witness my my hand & seal this 27th day of November 1790. Robert RICHEY (S.S.)

Notes: The above land became part of Fayette Co, PA in 1783. Only one Joseph COMBS, titled "Capt." and "apparently" Joseph COMBS II, s/o Joseph COMBS I of Stafford Co VA, was on the tax lists of Loudoun Co VA in 1773. He had been "of Frederick Co VA " in 1756, and was "of Loudoun Co, VA " by 1764, and appears to have been in Loudoun until at least 1790 (based on deeds and tax lists, and assuming that one Joseph COMBS didn't leave one year, only to be replaced by another the next <g>) He is also "said" to have been the h/o Elizabeth HARRISON, sister of Cuthbert (per Cuthbert's Bible Record which we are still seeking). Whether he is the above Joseph COMBS of Loudoun Co, VA remains, however, "extremely" undetermined until completion of research of both Loudoun Co, VA and Fayette Co, PA.

1778 ….From pg. 70 of 'Wileys History of Monongalia County'

……following a report concerning the provisioning of the Ranger Companies on the Frontier, Wiley writes that " the burning of the records of Monongalia in 1796 destroyed all the muster-rolls of these Ranger Companies" and the footnotes that "one paper in the posession of the West Virginia Historical Society is a pay abstract of Capt. John Whitzell's Company of Monongahala County Rangers under the command of Col. Daniel McFarland in 1778 raised around what is now Washington Co., PA" [adjacent to Fayette].The Roster includes: Samuel BROWN, John SIX, Joseph COONE, Lewis BONNELL, Jacob TEUSBAUGH, Joseph MORRIS, Benj. WRIGHT, William HALL, Phil. NICHOLAS, John NICHOLAS, Henry YOHO, John DUNCAN, Thos. HARGIS, John PROVINCE Jr., Henry FRANKS, Nicholas CROUSBER, Jacob TEUSBAUGH (again?), Abram EASTWOOD, Conrad HUR, Martin WHITZELL, Enoch ENOCHS, Jacob RIFFLE, Valentine LAWRENCE, John ANDREUER, John SMITH, William GARDINER, David CASTO, Joseph YEAGER, Phil. CATT, Geo. CATT, Matthias RIFFLE, Jacob SPANGLER, Peter GOOSEY, Philip BARKER.

(As extracted by Combs Researcher Jane McCann Walsh)

Note - Monongalia County was the Virginia split of West Augusta from Augusta County encompassing much of todays Greene, Fayette, Washington Counties in PA, as well as northern West Virginia. (still confusing). This would include some of Springhill Twp. and all of Georges Twp. in Fayette ……… Also, see 1772 Tax record above for Joseph Coon name.

20 Jan 1780 Land Grant to George BROWN on Harm Run in Southwest Pennsylvania.

Early Virginia Land Grants 1779 - 1785 in SW Pennsylvania as reported by Jane McCann Walsh.

1780 Petition for the creation of a new State of Westsylvania … According to Howard L. Leckey in his book 'Tenmile Country and Its Pioneer Families' this Petition to the Continental Congress, the original of which resides in the Library of Congress and is not dated, lists names which are suspect; however … it contains names of pioneer settlers from todays Fayette, Washington, Greene Cos, PA and Ohio & Monongalia Cos, OH; and pg. 148 of his book shows: James COOMBS, John COOMBS, & Milburn COOMBS

(Extracted by Combs Researcher Jane McCann Walsh)

1781 Westmoreland County, PA 1781. Minute Book A. Page 18.

…At a Court of General Quarter sessions of the Peace held at Hannastown for the County of Westmoreland the second Tuesday in --?-- in the year of our Lord 178(1?) Before Richard COOK Esq and his Associate Justices of the same court … Supervisors for Springhill: Joseph COMBS and Levi WELLS

(Extracted from Old Westmoreland, August, 1980, by Combs Researcher Robert L. George)

Notes: By 1783, Springhill Twp. was in Fayette Co, PA. Also note that in order to be a Supervisor that Joseph COMBS was required to be a resident of the county, and probably a landowner as well.

25 Jun 1782. Married: "John COOMBS- First son of Joseph and Ann COOMBS, - Born Nov. 5, 1754. [and] Rachel PINDELL - Only daughter of Phillip and Rachel PINDELL (his wife). Born Feb. 28, 1762; Married June 25, 1782."

(Family Bible of John and Rachel PINDELL Combs)

Notes: John COMBS above "appears" to have been the second s/o Joseph COMBS of Georges Twp., Fayette Co, PA who d in 1803 with a wife, Ann, and son, John (who lived next door)…… Note that this Joseph had a son 'first born' named Joseph?

23 Jun 1785 Westmoreland Co, PA. Married: Thomas CARR and Hannah COMBS

(Combs Researcher Marilyn Carr)

Notes: Hannah was the d/o Joseph COMBS d 1803, Georges Twp, Fayette Co, PA.

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

Return to Combs Counties