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The Origins of William Combs, Husband of Barbara Baum

William Combs was my 3g grandfather. He has many descendants and the Combs name isn't uncommon. But his origins have always been a question for me and others. He was born in Pennsylvania ca.1789, married Barbara Baum in Ross county Ohio ca. 1808, lived in Crawford county, Ohio, Buchanan county, Missouri and Madison county, Iowa, where he died in 1872.

It is common for people to trace him back to Job Combs of Shenandoah county, Virginia and Jefferson county, Tennessee. But I don't know what evidence there is for that. It seems reasonable.

 William claimed to have been born in Pennsylvania, not Virginia. But Shenandoah county was only 50 miles or so south of Pennsylvania, across the Maryland panhandle. Families were somewhat mobile. It is possible that Job Combs lived in Pennsylvania for a time, when William would have been born. But I haven't found evidence of Job Combs being in Pennsylvania. It is also possible that William was wrong about his birthplace. We really aren't very good witnesses when it comes to our own birth, but presumably he was told he was born in Pennsylvania or he remembered growing up there, neither of which seems likely if his father was Job Combs.

 The Wyandot county history published in 1884 says that William Combs and Peter Baum came to the county in 1821. William and Barbara had married in Ross county, Ohio so had been in Ohio for several years. The Baums and Combs settled in eastern Tymochtee township and western Sycamore township of Wyandot (then part of Crawford) county. William Combs was in section 1 of Tymochtee township and in adjacent section 6 of Sycamore township was a Jacob Combs. William and Jacob were neighbors, possibly as close as across the road from each other. Given how families moved together and lived close to one another, it seems possible that he could be a close relative of William, perhaps a brother. The county history says he came with his family from Virginia between 1823 and 1826.

A biography of Warner Combs of Marshall county, Illinois states that he was the son of Jacob Combs and Sarah Edwards and was born in Hampshire county Virginia in 1825. He had a sister in Wyandot county, Ohio, so this is likely the right family. And it goes on to state that his paternal grandparents were John Combs, born in Frankfort Germany, and Ellen Snell.

This opens another possibility - that William was related to his neighbor, Jacob, and was also of German origin. It also makes it easier to explain that William married into a German family, the Baums. I wonder what the name Combs was before it was anglicized from the German. More research required.

It is also possible that the biography has it a bit wrong and it was Ellen Snell that was born in Frankfort, and not John Combs. That would make sense, given the German name Snell, and still provides some German background for William.

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Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2017 at 11:21 PM

    I believe William Combs and Barbara Baum are my 3g grandparents too!
    My line is through their daughter, Christina, who married Harvey Lindsey. I'd love to know if there are any photos of them somewhere out there or any other info. Thanks! E. Ross

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    Replies
    1. Bob MesenbrinkSeptember 19, 2017 at 11:15 AM

      I would love to get a photo. Seems like there should be one around somewhere, but I haven't seen one. If anyone comes across one, or even a photo they think could possibly be William and/or Barbara, I hope they let us know. Thanks.

      Delete

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