John Coombs, I, of Plymouth

John Combs

• Migration: John was in Plymouth by October 1630
• BIRTH: By about 1607 (based on estimated date of marriage). But see "Origins" below
• DEATH: By 15 October 1646 (by which date his wife was in England, having left at least one young child behind [PCR 12:137]).
• MARRiAGE: By about 1632 Sarah Priest, daughter of DEGORY PRIEST [PCR 1:159, 12:61; MF 8:2; PM 382]. On 15 October 1646, "William Spooner came before the Governor and undertook to save the town harmless from any charge that might befall by reason of a child that Mrs. Coombs left with him when she went for England, and which he undertook to keep & provide for" [PCR 12:137]; and, on 1 August 1648, the court further ordered that "the children of the said Mrs. Combe, now being with William Spooner, that the said Spooner keep them for the present, and not dispose of them for the future, without further order from the court" [PCR 2: 13 1].
• FREEMAN: In 1633 Plymouth freeman's list, John Coombs is among those made free before 1 January 1632/3 [PCR 1 :3]; in list of 7 March 1636/7. On 3 September 1639, Plymouth court ordered that "Mr. John Combe, for being drunken, is disfranchised ofhis freedom" [PCR 1:132], and, on 5 June I644, he was readmitted to freemanship [PCR 2:71]. ("Mr. John Combe" is in the 1639 list of freemen, but his name is crossed out, accompanied by the marginal notation "Disfranchised for being drunk"; his name is then reinserted near the end of the same list [PCR 8: I73, 174].)

CHILDREN

1. JOHN COOMBS, b. say 1633; m. Boston 24 February 1661/2 Elizabeth Barlow [BVR 82]; she was widow of Thomas Barlow. (For a detailed discussion of the life of John Coombs and the marital career of his wife see TAG 46:129-34.)
2. FRANCIS COOMBS, b. say 1635; m. (1) by 1673 Deborah Morton (eldest known child b. Middleborough "about the middle of May" 1673 [MiddleVR]; 29 October 1673 will of John Morton names "daughter Deborah the wife of Francis Combe" [MD 24:135; MF 8:13]); m. (2) by about 1678 Mary (Barker) Pratt, daughter of John Barker and widow of Samuel Pratt [Gen Adv 4:31].

Origin

Robert S. Wakefield has marshalled the arguments in favor of the hypothesis that this immigrant is the John Combs baptized 13 March 1596/7 at Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, son of Francis and Jane (Pope) Combs, see: The American Genealogist Vol 71 pages 247-50 (1996). This identification however, is still considered tentative by the Great Migration Project. His origins are still considered unproven. The evidence includes a baptism record, the naming of a children with the name Francis in two generations and evidence that this John in England had left the area by the time John in New England had arrived. It is far from a solid case but is possible. If so he is the John, son of Francis Coombs, baptized on March 13, 1596/7, at Hemel Hempstead, Hampshire, but this identification remains tentative.

Plymouth Colony Records

From Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, eds., 12 volumes in 10 (Boston 1855-1861) - PCR for short below:

On 12 October 1630, "Ralfe Wallen sold to Mr. John Coombe his house, garden plot & the fences thereto belonging" [PCR 12:18]. Assessed 12s. in Plymouth tax list of 25 March 1633 and 9s. in list of 27 March 1634 [PCR I:IO, 27].

On 24 January 1633/4, "John Coomb, gent.," exchanged with Thomas Prence "thirty acres of land near unto the high cliff, [which Coombs possessed] in the right of Sarah his wife" for "thirty acres of land near unto Wynsloes stand," and paid to Prence £20 for the housing on the land he was receiving [PCR 1 :25].

On 1 July 1633, allocated mowing ground at "the watering place and thereabout" [PCR 1:14]. Allocated mowing ground on 14 March 1635/6 and 20 March 1636/7 [PCR 1 :40, 56].

On 14 February 1633/4, "Joh. Coomb, gent.," sold to John Doane "a dwelling house & misted with the inclosure & outhousing thereunto belonging, next adjoining to the late dwelling house of Godbert Godbertson, on the west side thereof, & the herring weir on the east" [PCR 1:25].

On 7 November 1636, Plymouth court granted to Tristram Clark eight acres between Phineas Pratt and widow Billington, "a portion allotted formerly to Mr. John Coombe" [PCR 1:46].

On 24 June 1639, "John Combe gent." mortgaged to Thomas Prence "all that his dwelling house and twenty acres of land ... which came by his wife," and "it is also agreed upon ... that whereas there was other ten acres of land exchanged with the said Mr. Thorn[ as] Prence which was the said Mr. Combe's mother-in-law's if the heir when he comes to his age do not legally confirm the said exchange so made that then the said ten acres shall be and remain unto the said Thomas Prence" [PCR 12:44-45].

On 3 August 1640, Plymouth court ordered that "as it appeareth by testimony of Josuah Pratt & otherwise, that the two acres of upland lying at Wellingsly Brook, on the north side of the lots given to Godbert Godbertson, were given by the said Godbert Godbertson to John Combe, gent., & Phineas Pratt, in marriage with their wives, his daughters, the Court doth confirm the said two acres unto the said John Combe & Phineas Pratt, their heirs & assigns forever" [PCR 1: 159]. On 5 August 1640, "John Combe gent. and Phineas Pratt joiner" sold to John Barnes "all those two acres of upland which they had of Goodbert Godbertson in marriage with their wives" [PCR 12:61].

On 31 December 1641, "Mr. John Combe is granted a proportion of land at the head of his ground where he now dwelleth, in consideration of a lot of land he had there formerly granted which he hath now yielded up" [PCR 2:29]. On 5 April 1642, "Mr. John Combe" sold to Mr. Thomas Prence "two acres of marsh meadow lying before the house of the said Thom[as] Prence at Joanes River" [PCR 12:78].

On 27 October 1646, Isaac Allerton assigned to his son-in-law Thomas Cushman a debt of £100 due to him from "Mr. John Combe" [PCR 2:133]. On 1 August 1648, whereas "it doth appear, that Mr. John com be was indebted to the estate of Cudbert Godberson ... which said estate was debtor a considerable sum to Mr. Isacke Allerton, merchant," who assigned the debt to his son-in-law Thomas Cushman, "a part of the increase" from the lands of "the said Combe" should be paid to Cushman [PCR 2:131-32, 3:98].

He was first mentioned in the Plymouth records when he bought a house and land from Ralph Wallen on October 12, 1630.“Mr. John Coombs, gentleman” appeared in a number of records, frequently for cases of debt. He was made a freeman of Plymouth Colony before January 1, 1632/4, but disenfranchised in September 1639 for “being drunken.” He was readmitted on June 5, 1644. Around October 15, 1646, his wife had left for England, leaving at least one child in Plymouth. No mention was made of John Coombs in this record and he had either died or left the colony before that time.

1637 - "Whereas Wm. Spooner of Colchester, in the County of Essex, by his Indenture bearing date the 27th day of March 1637, etc. hath put himself apprentice with John Holmes of New Plymouth in America, Gent, from the first day of May next after the date of said Indenture, unto the end of a term of six years, etc., now the said John Holmes with the consent of Wm. Spooner bath the first day of July assigned and set over the said Wm. Spooner unto John Coombs of New Plymouth aforesaid Gent. for all the residue of his unexpired term, to serve the said John Coombs. And the said John Coombs in the end of his said term shall give the said Wm. Spooner one comely suit of apparel for Holy days and one for working days, and twelve bushels of Indian Wheat, and a good serviceable musket, bandileers, and sword, fit for service." [PCR 2:38].

1645 - William Spooner became guardiam of John Coombs children

On several occasions he was involved in cases of debt, usually as defendant, and with judgment usually against him (1 July 1634, 4 February 1638/9, 5 March 1638/9, 27 May 1639, 5 May 1640, 5 April 1642, 6 March 1642/3, 5 November 1644 [PCR 1:30, 122, 151,2:37, 51, 7:11, 38]).

Sources

1. Robert Charles Anderson, The Pilgrim Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth Colony, 1620-1633 (Boston, MA: NEHGS, 2004) p 153 plus (see also older article in the Great Migration Begins)
2. Townsend, Wakefield and Stoner, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations Descendants of the Pilgrims Who Landed in Plymouth Massachusetts December 1620 Volume 8 Degory Priest 2nd ed. (GSMD 2008) 4-7, 13-15
3. A well documented online source
4. The Probable English Origin of Mr. John Coombs of Plymouth Colony, Robert S. Wakefield, FASG, The American Genealogist, vol. 71 (1996): pages 247-250
5. The American Genealogist 46:129-34
6. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, eds., 12 volumes in 10 (Boston 1855-1861)
7. The Mayflower Descendant
8. Anderson, Robert Charles, John Coombs: Featured Name. in The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, vol. 1: A - F, (Boston: NEHGS, 1995): pages 476-479.
9. Notes: Geneaologies in Preparation (Coombes), by The Editors, NEHGR, vol. 114 no. 4 (October 1960): page 310
10. A Roll of Arms Registered by the Committee on Heraldry Eighth Part, by NEHGS Committee on Heraldry, NEHGR, vol. 122 no. 2 (April 1968): page 94.

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All the reliable information I have seen gives UNKNOWN as the wife of John Combs, mother of Lydia Combs Miller. I doubt the veracity of the the name of either of the wives attached to this profile.