Monongalia County was established in 1776-7 from Augusta Co VA. Descendant Counties include Harrison - 1784 Preston - 1818 and Marion in 1842.

When Monongalia County was established, its northern section encompassed parts of what are today Greene and Fayette Co, PA. There were two other VA counties which were established partially in present-day SW PA --- namely, Yohogania (which no longer exists) and Ohio --- until the boundary dispute between VA and PA was settled in 1780. Thus, there were PA & VA courts and militias established with overlapping boundaries, and many who settled in SW PA considered themselves citizens of Virginia.

All of the earliest Combs/Cooms/Coombs (pre 1850) for whom we have noted records in Monongalia, VA were actually born in PA, about seven miles north of the PA-VA border; their births are recorded in the Family Bible of John and Rachel PINDELL Combs.


12 Jan 1801. Philip PINDELL to John Combs 57 acres [in the Grant District] in consideration of the love for his daughter [Rachel], wife of John Combs. Recorded in Deed Book Old Series 2 p. 235.

Rick Toothman, Monongalia County, (West) Virginia, Deedbook Records, 1784-1810 (Old Series Volumes 1-4), (Heritage Books, Westminster, Maryland, 2008), 115.

Note: See 25 Jun 1782, Fayette Co, PA marriage of John and Rachel PINDELL Combs. Also Family Bible of John and Rachel PINDELL Combs

Submitted by Jane McCann Walsh


1810 Monongalia Co, VA

P. 405
Jesse Combs: 00100-20100-00
Joseph Combs: 00100-00010-00

(US Census CD, 1810. “Real” Transcription Needed)

Note: Jesse Combs of the 1810 Census at age 16-25 would be Jesse COOMBS b. 1787 a son of John Coombs and Rachel Pindell/Pindall.
Joseph Combs of the 1810 Census at age 16-25 is very likely Jesse's older brother Joseph b. 1783 who should have been recorded as 26-45.


12 Jun 1817: Marriage record in Monongalia County, recorded in the WV Archives, which shows a Joseph COMBS m. Elizabeth PINDEL.

Note: This is most likely the marriage of Phillip COOMBS and Elizabeth PINDALL. Perhaps older brother Joseph was present as their Father (Joseph) was back in Georges, Fayette Co, PA at that date. Joseph Coombs likely had married Mary Smith by 1810 as he appears in the 1810 Census with a female in the age category for which he should also have been recorded, 26-45. This Elizabeth PINDALL COOMBS is the Widowed Elizabeth Combs of the 1850 Census of Monongalia.


A Philip Combs/Coombs (w/ both spellings) appears in an 1818-1819 court case in Monongalia County Superior Court, having been called to testify on behalf of both the plaintiffs and the defendant. A Dudley E. DENT was accused of slander, damages of $1000 were sought by Levin and Jane More, his wife. The incident reportedly took place at the town of Granville on 27 Sep 1817. That court case is summarized by Melba Pender Zinn in Monongalia Co., (West) Virginia, Records of the District, Superior and County Courts, Vol. 11: 1819--1822., (Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, MD, 2000.), pp 210-211.


1820 US Census Index, Monongalia Co, VA

Western Division

P. 048
Combs, Joseph State : VA

Joseph Combs is very likely that Joseph of the 1810 Census.


1820 Monongalia County VA Census

The number of persons within my division consisting of the Western Division of Monongalia County Virginia appears in a schedule here to annexed … by me the fourteenth day of december in the year of one thousand eight hundred & twenty. s/James D. WATSON assistant to the Marshall of the Western District of Virginia.

P. 117/684
L11 Joseph L. CUMES or CUMER 01001021100-3
L27 Joseph Combs 1000100311001

(Transcribed by C. Hammett, 1998, from NARA M:33-142)

Note: This census is in alpha order by first letter of surname, which may indicate that the above two Joseph's did not live in the same neighborhood.


04 Aug 1829 (Monongalia Co VA Grants 78:286) Philip COOMS 33 A on E side of Monongalia River.

(Combs &c. Land of Virginia)

Philip Cooms with the 1829 land grant is very likely the middle brother, Phillip, b. 1785 between Joseph and Jesse Coombs. See next.


MULTIMEDIA Grant

GRANTEE Cooms, Philip. grantee.

DATE 4 August 1829.

NOTE Location: Monongalia County.

NOTE Description: 33 acres on east side of Monongalia River.

NOTE Source: Land Office Grants No. 78, 1828-1830, p. 286 (Reel 144).

NOTE Part of the index to the recorded copies of grants issued by the Virginia Land Office. The collection is housed in the Archives at the Library of Virginia.

OTHER FORMAT Available on microfilm. Virginia State Land Office. Grants A-Z, 1-124, reels 42-190; Virginia State Land Office. Grants 125- , reels 369-.

Extracted from the VSLA Website by Denise Mortorff


1830 US Census Index, Monongalia Co VA

Western District

P. 391

Joseph Combs
1 m10-14, m40-49;
1 f5-9, 1 f15-19, 1 f40-49

Philip Combs
1 m<5, 1 m5-9, 1 m10-14, m40-49;
2 f<5, 2 f5-9, 1 f30-39.


01 Aug 1835 (Monongalia Co VA Grants 85:483) Philip COOMS 2-½ A adj. Hannah SCOTT & Jonathan TUKINOR

(Combs &c. Land of Virginia)

See next.


MULTIMEDIA Grant

GRANTEE Cooms, Philip. grantee.

DATE 1 August 1835.

NOTE Location: Monongalia County.

NOTE Description: 2 ½ acres joining Hanna Scott and Jonathan Tukinor.

NOTE Source: Land Office Grants No. 85, 1835-1836, p. 43 (Reel 151).

NOTE Part of the index to the recorded copies of grants issued by the Virginia Land Office. The collection is housed in the Archives at the Library of Virginia.

OTHER FORMAT Available on microfilm. Virginia State Land Office. Grants A-Z, 1-124, reels 42-190; Virginia State Land Office. Grants 125- , reels 369-.

Extracted from the VSLA Website by Denise Mortorff


1830 Georges Twp. [Fayette Co, PA] “…Edward COOMBS erected a wagon making shop on the Morgantown (WV) [Monongalia Co VA] road about 1830 and operated it many years before selling it to James MARTIN who then operated it for 10 - 15 years…” (Extracted from Ellis' History of Fayette County Pennsylvania… (pub.1882), page 580.)

Note: Were Edward the blacksmith of the 1820 Fayette Co., PA Tax List and this Edward the wagonmaker of 1830 one and the same? Was James MARTIN somehow kin to the Widow MARTIN who m Joseph COMBS? Also Edward doesn't appear in either Fayette Co, PA nor the Monogalia Co, VA census of 1840. Did he “operate” from afar?


1840 US Census Index

West Monongalia

P. 099
Phillip COOMS


1850 Monongalia Co VA Census

p. 292

14/15 Elizabeth Combs 51 f VA
John S. 24 m Farmer VA
Joseph G. 22 m " VA
Susanna 20 f VA
Ruhanna 15 f VA
Mary E. 11 f VA
Cisson L. 9 f VA

p. 294

41/42 Jacob P. Combs 30 m Farmer VA
Sarah 25 f VA
Martha A. 4 f VA
Amanda 2 f VA
Infant 1 f VA

(Transcribed by Combs Researcher Daryl Combs, Nov 1996 from microfilm copy)


30 May 1854 Susan Combs Silas BURNS, son of James & Ann BURNS md. 30 May 1854 Monongalia Co, VA

Note: Stepdaughter to Elisha Combs

Provided by: Thom Carlson; Submitted by Matt Combs


1860 Monongalia Co, VA Census

Series: M653 Roll: 1364

Morgantown P.O.

p. 100

2002/1949 Coombs Elisha 65 m farmer $10000 $16000 MD
Elizabeth 56 f MD
BARNES Susan 33 f MD
Silas 5 m VA
NEFF Mary 33 f MD
Coombs Elisha 20 m MD
Emma W. 14 f MD

Stewartstown P.O.

p. 133-4

2241/2181 Combs Francis A. 23 m farmer $300 MD
Hannah Combs 20 f VA
Wilbert S. Combs 2 m VA
Charles W. Combs 11/12 m VA

2245/2185 ANDERSON Wm 60 m farmer $10000 $20000 Ire
Elizabeth 35 f MD
Anne F. 12 f MD
Thomas W. 14 m MD
John C. 10 m MD
Ellen 7 f VA
Caroline 4 f VA
William 2/12 m VA
WHITSON Hannah 21 f domestic PA

William ANDERSON & Eliza Combs married in Allegany Co, MD 1845/04/07.

2248/2188 Coombs George V. 29 m farmer $5000 $1200 MD
Sarah 27 f MD
Scott 7 m VA
Flora 5 f VA
Frank 1 m VA

Provided by: Thom Carlson; Submitted by Matt Combs


1870 Monongalia Co WV Census

FamilySearch - Record Search - Pilot Site

Grant Twp

Morgantown

p. 11; 2 Aug 1870, by J. J. Thompson

87/86 Combs, Pindle 51 MW Farmer 6160 2000 WV
_____, Sarah 44 FW Keeps House WV
_____, Martha A 23 FW At Home WV
_____, Amanada 20 FW At Home WV

p. 12 (con't)

_____, John 17 MW Farm Hand WV
_____, Jesse E. 12 MW Farm Hand WV
_____, James 10 MW Farm Hand WV
_____, Franklin 9 MW Farm Hand WV

p. 16; 4 Aug 1870

123/121 Combs, Elizabeth 72 FW Keeps House 5000 2000 WV
RUBISON, Susan S. 32 FW Keeps House WV
_____, Phillip 33 MW Farmer WV
_____, Susan H? 312 WV May
Combs, Phillip 7 MW WV

Union Twp

Morgantown

p. 14; 21 Jul 1870

97/97 Combs Henry S. 50 MW Farmer 15000 2000 WV
_____, Abigal 49 FW Keeping House WV
_____, Ellie 11 FW At Home WV
_____, Lesly 20 MW Farmer WV
_____, Louisa 17 WF At Home WV
_____, Abigal 15 FW At Home WV
Stifford, Wm 20 MW Laborer WV

p. 24; 25 Jul 1870

175/176 Combs, Frank 35 mw farmer $3260 $1000 MD
_____, Hanah 31 fw keeping house WV
_____, Wilber L. 12 mw works on farm WV
_____, Charles 10 mw WV

p. 25

178/179 ANDERSON Wm 69 WM Farmer 19825 11900 Ireland **
_____, Elizabeth 45 FW Keeping House MD
_____, Thomas W. 24 MW Dry Goods Merchant MD *
_____, Anna B. 22 FW At Home MD *
_____, John C. 20 MW Farmer MD *
_____, Ellie 16 FW At Home WV *
_____, Carrie 13 FW WV *
_____, William F. 10 MW WV *
_____, Elisha H. 7 MW WV *
_____, Mary B. 5 FW WV *
Combs, Emma W. 24 FW At Home MD
Anderson, James 22 MW Farm Hand MD *

** Father & Mother of foriegn birth; * Father of foreign birth

Series: M593 Roll: 1694

p. 395

Morgantown

77/79 [the boarding house of John WALLACE]
Coombs, E. H. 30 mw doctor $700 $4000 MD
Mary M. 27 fw at home WV
Jessie B. 6 fw WV

Union Twp

Source: Thom Carlson; submitted by Matthew Combs


West Virginia State Death Records

Name: Emma W Coombs
Death date: 05 May 1934
Death place: Monongalia County, West Virginia
Gender: Female
Age at death: 88 years
Birth date: 1846
Father name: Elisha Coombs
Mother name: Elizabeth Hoffman
Reference number: v A-C p 97 [county records]

Source: Thom Carlson; submitted by Matthew Combs


Wiseman Cemetery

???? Son of Joseph Coombs (b: June 06, 1783 in Georges Twp., Fayette Co., PA d: 1840 buried in Wiseman Cemetery, Grant, Monongalia Co., WV, married Mary SMITH b: 1784 d: July 1844, buried in Wiseman Cemetery, Grant, Monongalia Co., WV

(Jane McCann Walsh, more data to come…)

Pisgah Cemetery

COOMBS Clifford P. 1888 1920

COOMBS Delbert D. 1898 1960 Ethel J. COOMBS

COOMBS Earl Wayne 1899 E & P COOMBS

COOMBS Ella D. 1880 1967 Milton W. COOMBS

COOMBS Erma C. 1864 1958 Philip K. COOMBS

COOMBS Ethel J. 1900 1933 Delbert D. COOMBS

COOMBS Infant N/D N/D buried near Ella D. COOMBS

COOMBS Infant Jan. 27, 1907 Nov. 22, 1911 buried near Ella D. COOMBS

COOMBS Milton W. 1872 1960 Ella D. COOMBS

COOMBS Naomie A. 1908 1967

COOMBS Olive (Infant dau.) 1886 E & P COOMBS

COOMBS Philip K. 1861 1936 Erma C. COOMBS

(Pisgah Church 1813, Readings taken April 21, 1996 by: “Jenny” Virginia Lea (Shaffer) - Jones, copyright 1996 You may copy for your own personal use, to any Genealogy libraries or bulletin boards, but copies may NOT be sold)


Monongalia Co, WV marriage records

Lydia Combs Israel B. Squires md. 1855

John S. Coombs Parthena Evans md. 1855

Francis A. Combs Hannah Thomas md. 1856 son of Elisha

Joseph E. Combs Charlotte E. Windsor md. 1859

Susan M. Coombs William W. Evans md. 1860

JMW Note: Susanna M. Coombs was a dau. of Phillip Coombs and Elizabeth Pindall; she married Wm. W. Evans 25 Jan 1860. Mary E., Sisson L. and John S. were also children of Phillip Coombs and Elizabeth Pindall. (Jane McCann Walsh)

E Hoffman Coombs Mary M Lazier md. 1861 son of Elisha

Mary E. Coombs Presley B. Ogden md. 1862

Sisson L. Coombs Philip M. Robison md. 1868

John S. Coombs Esther L. Smith md. 1869

Provided by: Thom Carlson; Submitted by Matt Combs