Earliest Combs &c. Families of Georgia & Index to Georgia Combs Counties

Georgia was originally settled along the coast line in the 1730s, and in 1758, separated into 8 parishes whose exact boundaries remain unknown. In 1777, the parishes were replaced by counties: Burk from St. George; Camden from St. Mary's & St. Thomas; Chatham from St. Phillip & Christ Church; Effingham from St. Matthews & St. Phillip; Glenn from St. David & St. Patrick; Liberty from St. Andrews, St. James & St. Johns; Richmond from St. Paul and Wilkes from unorganized territory to the far north of the state.

Note: Thus far we have collected a very few Early Combs &c. Georgia records, primarily military - with the majority of the GA Combs &c. Families being listed under the applicable counties. These records have been divided under the categories:

1. Index To Combs Counties of Georgia

2. Earliest Combs of Georgia

I. Earliest Combs of Georgia
Although most Combs Research to date has concentrated on Combs Families who came to Georgia during or shortly after the Revolutionary War, there were Combs in Georgia many years earlier. In fact, our earliest Combs record located for Georgia thus far was in 1736:

Excerpted from the GA GenWeb report on Fort Frederica, St. Simons Island, in present-day Glynn County, Georgia, which states (excerpted):

"During the "Trustee Period" of Georgia between 1733 and1754, General James OGLETHORPE established the first settlements in Georgia for the London Board of Trustees. King George II of England granted these trustees land in the new colony of Georgia between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers and to the Atlantic Ocean. Oglethorpe began constructing several small forts at various strategic places, staffed them with small contingents of soldiers and sent families to cultivate the land around them. Around 1736, Oglethorpe established Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island situated at the mouth of the Altamaha River. In 1742 a very large Spanish force landed on St. Simons Island and Oglethorpe withdrew his soldiers and settlers from the surrounding area into fortified Fort Frederica. He and the soldiers set out for a surprise attack and roundly defeated the Spanish in what was later called the Battle of Bloody Marsh. The Spanish pulled out of Georgia and the war between Spain and Britain was effectively ended by this last battle for territory in the New World. Georgia's boundary became the St. Marys River where it remains to this day."

The following segment of this report was extracted from a 1958 press release found in the Margaret Cate Collection at the Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia (Georgia Historical Society Collections, Margaret Davis Cate Collection, Box 5, Coll No. 997, Folder 85). The press release was part of an announcement of the of the new museum opening at Ft. Frederica on St. Simons Island, Georgia. The release included (a) a list of original settlers of St. Simons Island, (b) a list of the soldiers stationed at the Fort by General James Oglethorpe in 1736, and (c) a list of those who were both soldiers and settlers (Note: All names from b and c have been included in hopes that they may provide "clues. "

SOLDIERS
John Arskin (Erskine), John Asbell, Lt. Kenneth Baillie, Capt. George Cadogan, James Calder, Alexander Cameron, Capt. Mark Carr, Ensign Cathcart, John Clubb, William COOMBS. Lt. Philip Delegal, Jr., Lt. Philip Delegal, Sr., Lt. Paul Demere, Capt. Raymond Demere, Walter Denny, William Dobins, William Dodd, Lt. Archibald Don, Capt. George Dunbar, John Duncan, James Finley, John Finley, Donald Forbes, James Forrester, William Forsyth, John Fox, William Francis, George Frazer, William Goer, Lt. Thomas Goldsmith, James Grant, John Grant, Peter Grant, Samuel Graves, John Gray, Thomas Griggs, Anthony Hancock, John Hargrove, Edmund HAROLD [HERALD? HARRELL?], William Harper, Samuel Harrison, Lt. Co. Alexander HERON (HERRIN), John Hickey, William Hill, Sir Patrick Houstoun, Lt. Robert Howarth, James INNES, Noble Jones, John Kennedy, George Kid, Andrew Knipp-Linder, Isaac Lines, Daniel McCullum, Alexander McDonald, Norman McDonald, John McIntosh, Lachlan McIntosh, William McIntosh, Alexander McKeithen, Donald McKenzie, John McLeod, Roderick McLeod, James McQueen, Angus Mackay, Daniel Mackay, Sr., Capt. Hugh Mackay, Capt. James Mackay, John Mackay, Lt. Samuel Mackay, William Mackay, David Marlow, Lt. Thomas Marriott, Daniel Martyn, Daniel Mozoe, David Miller, George Milligan, Thomas Mills, James Munroe, Nicholas Murphy, James O'Brien, White Outerbridge, John PALMER, John PERKINS, Donald Ross, John Rutledge, Richard Scruggs, Jacob Shaw, John Shaw, Oliver Shaw, William Shrubsole, James Simpson, James Stewart, John Stewart, Sr., John Stewart, Jr., Capt. Patrick Sutherland, Lt. John Tanner, Lt. James Wall, Thomas Webb, Thomas White, John Wilson, and Lt. John Wymess.

SOLDIERS & SETTLERS
James Bruce, John Arskin (Erskine), Daniel McCullum, Henry Calwell, John Asbel, Alexander McDonald, John Calwell, Lt. Kenneth Baillie, Norman McDonald, William Carr, Capt George Cadogan, John McIntosh, John Gordon, James Calder, Lachlan McIntosh, William Thomas Harris, John Clubb, William McIntosh, Michael Havelin, Alexander Cameron, Alexander McKeithen, Thomas Higginbotham, Capt. Mark Carr, Donald McKensie, Frederick Holtzendorff, Ensign Cathcart, John McLeod, Thomas Norton, William COOMBS, Roderick McLeod, Sir Patrick Houstoun, Lt. Philip Delegal, Jr., James McQueen, John Lawrence ,Lt. Philip Delegal, Sr. Angus McKay, George McIntosh, Lt. Paul Demere, Daniel McKay, Sr., Donald Mackay, Capt. Raymond Demere, Capt. Hugh McKay, Peter Manley, Walter Denny, Capt. James McKay, Henry Meyers, William Dobins, John McKay, John PERKINS, William Dodd, Lt. Samuel McKay, Samuel Piles, Lt. Archibald William MacKay, John PRICE, Capt. George Dunbar ,David MARLOW, John Pye, John Duncan, Lt. Thomas Marriott, John Shaw, James Finley, Daniel Martyn, Archibald Sinclair, John Finley, Don Daniel Mozoe (Mozo), John Spencer, Donald Forbes, David Miller, Richard Spencer, James Forrester, George Milligan, William Spencer, William Forsyth, Thomas Mills, Thomas Sumner, John Fox ,James Munroe, James Rutherford, William Francis, Nicholas Murphy, John Rutledge, George Frazer, James O'Brien, Griffith Williams, William Goer, White Outerbridge, Lt. Thomas Goldsmith, John PALMER, James Grant, John PERKINS, John Grant, Donald ROSE, Peter Grant, John Rutledge, Samuel Graves, Richard Scruggs, John Gray, Jacob Shaw, Thomas Griggs, John Shaw, Anthony Hancock, Oliver Shaw, John Hargrove, William Shrubsole, Edmund Harold, James Simpson, William Harper, James Stewart, Samuel HARRISON , John Stewart, Jr., Lt. Co. Alexander HERON (HERRIN), John Stewart, Sr., John Hickey, Capt Patrick Sutherland, William Hill, Lt. John Tanner, Sir Patrick Houstoun, Lt. James Wall, Lt. Robert Howart, Thomas Webb, James INNES, Thomas White, Noble Jones, John Wilson, John Kennedy Lt. John Wymess, George Kid, Andrew Knipe-Linder, Issac Lines.

30 Sep 1738 (Colonial Soldiers of the South: 1732-1774. by Murtie Jane Clark. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1983, p. 1066, 1067.)

Georgia Militia, Col. James Edward OGLETHORPE'S Regiment
William COOMBS, Pvt.
(Remarks: Grants, St. Paul) list of OGLETHORPE'S Soldiers and settlers

Notes: Probably the same as above. This land later in Glynn Co, GA, where no early Combs found as yet (est. in 1777, earliest tax list checked is 1790).

1756 (Colonial Soldiers of the South: 1732-1774. by Murtie Jane Clark. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1983, p. 992.)

Georgia & South Carolina. Muster roll of Capt. Paul DEMERE'S Co of Independent Foot, on duty in SC and GA 25 Aug 1756 to Oct 24, 1756
William COOMBS, drummer, stationed "on the spot",

1759 (Colonial Soldiers of the South: 1732-1774. by Murtie Jane Clark. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1983, p. 1010-1011.)

Georgia. First Troop of Georgia Rangers, Capt. John MILLEDGE, 18 May 1759 to 18 Aug 1759; 18 Aug 1759 to 18 Nov 1759; and 18 Aug 1759 to 18 Feb 1760.
John COMB, pvt.

1766-1767 (Colonial Soldiers of the South: 1732-1774. by Murtie Jane Clark. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1983, p. 1066, 1067, 1069.)

Georgia. 2nd Troop of Georgia Rangers, Capt. James Edward POWELL, on list 1 Jul 1766 to 1 Oct 1766; 1 Oct 1766 to 1 Jan 1767 and 1 Jan 1767 to 31 Mar 1767.
William COOMBS, pvt
John COOMBS, pvt

Note: The surname is spelled "COOMBES" on the last list. All of the above may have actually been South Carolina residents rather than GA residents at the time. See Also References of RW John Combs of Wilkes Co, GA to South Carolina.

County Not Known

ca 1780 (Extracted by S.C. Hefner from Georgia Citizens and Soldiers of the American Revolution, p. 143)

4th Georgia Battalion. James COMBS, private

1787-1788 (Extracted by S. C. Hefner from The Reconstructed 1790 Census of Georgia, copyright 1985, pp. 127-128).

"Those who sustained damage from Indians Jan. 1787 - July 1788." COMBS, Jas.

Note: These James Combs may be one and the same and from Wilkes Co, GA.

bef 1783 (Extracted by S. C. Hefner from Georgia Citizens and Soldiers of the American Revolution, p. 222)

Georgia Loyalist Claims - British Public Records Office - London, England - Extract A. O. 13 - Bundle #34.
COMBE, Thomas.

Note:See also Index to Loyalist Combs