A Brief History Of Samuel Coombs, Sr. and His Descendants

By William F. Coombs, M.D.


Note from Mike: I had a small panic attack in 2015, when I realized that I could not factually link my great-great-great-grandmother Marion Coombs to her presumed parents. If Marion's father was Samuel H. Coombs, then three more generations of Coombs families can be added to the tree. More important, Marion's mother, Susan Williams, was my link to the Owsley lineage, well documented for nine more generations. At the sixth generation, there is a link to the Poyntz line, which others have traced back to William the Conqueror. This is the farthest back in time that I can trace my ancestry.

Susan Williams and Samuel Coombs share a grave site, so connecting the lines hinges upon simply connecting Marion to her parents. I assumed that I had made that connection a few years back, but upon inspection, nothing could be found, neither in the census pages, nor in the transcript of the Coombs Williams Cemetery in Larue County, Kentucky.

I scoured the internet, and came up with this document. Actually, I came up with a more original document, along with a major edit of the document, presented together.

I've taken great liberties in making yet another edit of it, removing typos, spelling and grammar errors, and generally cleaning the whole thing up. The person who posted this information admitted:

We are not certain if either of these copies of the manuscripts are the original copy. We think that they are probably old transcriptions of an original that is yet to be found by one of us at least. The Library of Congress does not hold a copy of this manuscript in its collection. We hope to continue our search for a photocopy of the original version.

Here's my edit of it all, and I'm relieved to have established the connection. The author seems to be honest and accurate, fully admitting those points he knows little or nothing about. Every family should wish that someone like him will set their relations down in print!


Samuel Coombs, Sr. and his first wife, who was a Miss Wilkes, were of English descent, and lived in Loudoun County, Virginia. After the death of his first wife, Samuel Coombs, Sr. married Elizabeth Williams, widow of Thomas Williams, deceased. He and his second wife emigrated to Nelson County, Kentucky, and located on Chaplin Creek, where they both lived the remainder of their lives. His first wife bore him ten children, viz: Samuel, Amos, Jesse, Asa, Jonah, Adin, Abigail, Mary, Sallie and Martha. All the children of Samuel Coombs, Sr., except Mary and Abigail came to Kentucky. On their journey to this State with their father they came from Virginia down the Ohio River in a flatboat and landed at the Falls of the Ohio, (now Louisville Kentucky), where there were but few houses at the time.

Samuel Coombs, Jr., son of Samuel Coombs, Sr., married Miss Polly Briscoe and settled in Hardin County, Kentucky, near the Red Mills, or what is known as the Nervin Farm. He and his wife both died in Hardin County, leaving no children.

Amos Coombs, son of Samuel Coombs, Sr., married Miss Tacy Drake of Virginia, and moved to Kentucky and settled on the Mount Place near Glendale, Hardin County, where he died, leaving four children. Their names were: Polly, Thomas, Samuel and Ura.

  • Polly Coombs, Daughter of Amos Coombs, married Israel Wilkes; they lived and died on a farm near Gilead Church in Hardin Co., which farm is now owned by Joseph Van Meter. They raised eight children: Amos, who married Parmelia Lucas, and located in Texas, Burrell, who also went to Texas, Tacy, who married James Mason and located in Indiana, Moses, who emigrated to California, Samuel, who married a Miss George and went to Missouri, and they were still living there a year or two ago, Eliza, who married Emerson Milburn of Hardin County, Kentucky and went to Illinois, Fielding, who died while young and unmarried, and Ura, who left the State, and the writer has no information as to her where abouts. Moses before going to California, married a Miss Rogers of Hardin County, Kentucky. While in California, it is said, he secured a large amount of gold, it being at the time of the development of that state for gold. He started back to Kentucky on a ship, which was lost at sea.
  • Ura Coombs, daughter of Amos Coombs, married Bennett Straughan. They lived and died in Hardin County, leaving four children, viz: Hamilton,who died young and never married, Fleming G., Samuel and Susan. All of them live near Eagle Mills, Larue County, Kentucky.
  • Thomas Coombs, son of Amos Coombs, first married his cousin, Elizabeth Coombs, daughter of Adin Coombs; he settled the farm now owned by Claiborn and Hiram Overall. His first wife left him three children, viz: Emily, Greenberry, and Isham. After the death of first wife, he sold his farm in Hardin County and moved to Henry County, Kentucky , where he married Paulina Ashburn. She bore him three children: Elvira, Evaline, and Elvoree.
    • Emily Coombs married Addison Mitchell of Trimble County, Kentucky, where they lived and died, leaving several children.
    • Greenberry Coombs married Susan Wilson of Hardin County: and they raised four daughters: the eldest married and died soon thereafter; Elvira married John Glenn; Emma married a Mr. Adams, who died leaving her a widow, and she afterward married a Mr. Cook of Warren County, Kentucky. Lillie Married Thomas Potter of Warren County.
    • Isham Coombs married Martha Cash of Hardin County; they raised twelve children, viz: Henry, the eldest, has been jailer of Barren County, Ky. for several terms, Thomas, William, Samuel, Benjamin, Richard, Gabriel, Lee, Donna, Kate, Charles and Buck, all of whom are married, except Charles. Thomas is now dead and left two children. The children of Isham Coombs are as noble a family as any family ever raised; all the men are both sober and industrious. His widow, one of the best of women, is living in Carroll County, Kentucky. Some of the children also live there, and others in Trimble, Warren and Hardin Counties.
    • Elvira Coombs married Ben Hardin, son of Col. Martin Hardin, of the noted family of Hardins in Kentucky. He lived near Nolin Station, Hardin Co, and died there about two years ago; he was a noble man and successful farmer; his widow is still living. They raised no children.
    • Evaline Coombs married LaFayette Milner of Trimble County, Kentucky. They have several children and live in Indianapolis, Indiana.
    • Elvoree Coombs married Robert Cash of Hardin County, Kentucky. He is a successful farmer and an excellent citizen. They have several children; Paulina, who married Henry Pickerel, and lives three miles west of Glendale, in Hardin County, Ella, who married Stephen Bridwell, who lives near Elizabethtown, Kentucky, John, who is married and lives in Kansas, and Thomas, Katie, Rosa and Eva are unmarried and are at home with their father.
  • Samuel Coombs, son of Amos Coombs, married Susan Williams. They died, leaving five children, viz: Nancy, Marion, Leslie, Susan, and John. Nancy first married Stephen Hardin. After his death she married James Dewitt. She bore several children by each husband, and is now dead. All of her children have gone west, except William, who lives near Gilead Church, Hardin County. Marian married William Cessna. She and her husband are both dead. They left several children, all of whom are living in Larue County, Ky. Walter married Sarah Churchill of Larue County. His widow lives near Big Spring Church in Larue County. John and Susan are living with her. John is a very energetic farmer and stock trader.

Jonah Coombs son of Samuel Coombs, Sr., settled in Henry County, Kentucky. He first married a Miss Garnett, I think. She bore him three children, viz: Hawkins, Fielding, and Martha. After the death of his first wife, Jonah Coombs married a Miss Webb. She bore him four children, viz: Lucy, William, Jesse and Asa. The family of Jonah Coombs ranked among the best in Henry County.

  • Hawkins Coombs lived and died near Indianapolis [Marion Co], Indiana. He left no children.
  • Fielding Coombs married his cousin Virlinda Coombs, daughter of Adin Coombs. He first settled on the farm now owned by Van Meter, near Glendale, in Hardin County, Ky. He afterwards removed to Henry County and later to Indiana near Indianapolis just before the Capitol was located there. He left several children, all of whom are, perhaps, dead.
  • Martha Coombs married Thomas Mitchell of Henry County, Ky. They and all their children are all dead.
    Lucy Coombs married Thomas B. Hancock. They lived and died in Henry County, leaving children, one of whom, Dr. Jesse Hancock, lived in Bedford, Trimble County, Ky.
  • William Coombs married Miss Sanford. They are both dead, leaving three children, all girls: one, Sophronia, is dead. Frances, married twice, and both husbands are dead. She and her sister Adaline, who married Dudley Shouse, live in Sulphur, Henry County.
  • Jesse Coombs married a Miss Sanford. Both are dead. They left surviving them three children, viz: William Pryor, Thomas H. and Harriet. William Pryor Coombs married a Miss Campbell and lives near Campbellsburg, Henry C, Kentucky. They have two sons, George H. and Thomas. George H. Coombs is a prominent preacher of the Christian Church, and lives in Kansas City [Clay & Jackson Cos], Missouri. Thomas, son of Jesse Coombs, married, but his wife is dead, and he lives with his brother William Pryor. Both are successful farmers and excellent citizens. Harriet Coombs, daughter of Jesse Coombs, married Joseph Shelton, an energetic farmer and trader.

Jesse and Asa Coombs, sons of Samuel Coombs Sr., settled in Jessamine County, Ky. They both died many years ago, and the writer never heard much about them. Hayden and Houston, sons of either Jesse or Asa, afterwards came to Hardin County. Hayden located in Elizabethtown and married Polly Bowling of Hart County, Ky. He did not live long, and left no children. After his death, his widow married John Young of Hart County. Houston married his cousin, Polly Hickman, daughter of Sallie and Benjamin Hickman. He lived for a number of years in Bowling Green, Warren Co., Kentucky, and was a pilot and captain on a steamboat, which ran on the Barren, Green, and the Ohio Rivers to Louisville. They raised two daughters, Martha and Mary. The writer never knew what became of them. After the death of his first wife, Houston Coombs married a widow Shafer in Louisville and died a few years ago at an advanced age.

Adin Coombs, son of Samuel Coombs, Sr., married Parmelia Williams, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Edwards) Williams of Virginia. They emigrated to Kentucky and located on Nolin Creek in Hardin County on what is known as the Slaughter Place near Red Mills. He built the first merchant mill there which burned down during the late war, but was afterwards rebuilt and called the Red Mills. In the year 1818 he sold his mill and located in Hart County, where Lanes Mill now is. He built a mill there and remained in that county until the year 1827, when he had the misfortune to get badly crippled which rendered him a cripple for life. He removed back to his lands in Hardin County in 1828 and died there in the year 1834. During his stay in Hart County and Hardin County, he was a member of the State Legislature for several terms. There were eleven children in his family, whose names were as follows: Elisha Edwards, Mary, Elizabeth, Samuel W, Vilinda, Martha, Adin, John Houston, Parmelia, Thomas Findley and William Franklin.

  • Elisha Edwards Coombs died in infancy.
  • Mary Coombs, daughter of Adin and Parmelia Coombs, was the eldest. She married John Williams of Hardin County, Ky. They raised a large family of children, all of whom are dead, except two sons, Adin and Walter, who live in Cole County Illinois. Their grandchildren are scattered over several states, a number of them being in Texas.
  • Elizabeth Coombs, daughter of Adin and Parmelia Coombs, married her cousin Thomas Coombs, whose history is given along with that of Amos Coombs and his descendants.
  • Samuel W. Coombs, son of Adin and Parmelia Coombs, located in Elizabethtown,Hardin Co, Ky. He was a fine physician and had a very lucrative practice at the time of his death, which occurred in either 1830 or 1831. He had married a widow Piper, nee Elvira Moorehead of the eminent family of Mooreheads of Kentucky. She bore him one son, Samuel W. Coombs, who lived and died in Bowling Green, Ky. He was also an eminent physician. He married and raised a large family. One son is a physician who married and raised a large family, the others filling honorable positions..
  • Vilinda Coombs, daughter of Adin and Parmelia Coombs, married her cousin Fielding Coombs, whose history is given with that of Jonah Coombs and his descendants. He first settled on what is known as the Noah English farm at Glendale, Hardin Co, Kentucky, and now owned by Van Meters. He sold out there and removed to Henry County where he remained several years, but afterwards went to Marian County, Indiana, and secured several hundred acres of land just before the capitol was located at Indianapolis which made him a snug fortune.
  • Martha Coombs, daughter of Adin and Parmelia Coombs, married William Wood Bowling of Hart County, Kentucky. He lived and died on his farm. He was a cousin of the Honorable George T. Wood, who was for a number of years Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts of Hart County. W. W. Bowling was a noble specimen of Kentucky gentlemen, honest and unassuming, and noted for his hospitality. They raised several children; one named Morgan died in infancy. Some years after the death of her husband, Martha Coombs married Bennett Straughan, a noble man and farmer of Larue County, Ky. After his his death, she returned to her son’s, Dr. Bowling’s, and died there some years later. She was one of the best and finest looking women in the land.
    • Eliza Bowling, the eldest, married William D. Lester, and they moved to Cowley County, Kansas, where he died a few years later, leaving several children.
    • Susan Bowling married a Mr. McCarthan. They left one son who is a physician and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.
    • Samuel Brooking Bowling went to Texas at his maturity. He was a promising young man, but died there soon afterward.
    • Elvira Bowling married Dr. Will Adair of Hart County, Ky. They lived at Canmer in that county. She was a kind and affectionate wife and mother. She died something over a year ago. The Doctor is still living and is a well preserved man of his age and has the name of being one of the best read physicians of the county. He also has represented his county in the legislature. They raised three children. Alexander, the eldest, is married and carries on his father’s farm. William married and died soon afterward. Their daughter Mary married James Crutcher and lives at Canmer, Hart County. Daughter Permelia married Burr Alderson of Hart County, Ky. Both are now dead. They left a son and daughter. The daughter has died, and the son, Clay Alderson, moved out of this state.
    • Richard W. Bowling, son of Martha and W. W. Bowling, a noble young man, entered the Southern Army at the beginning of the late war, and fought bravely, but fell in battle at Jonesboro,
    • William Wood Bowling also entered the Southern Army with his brother Richard, and served for some time, but was finally taken prisoner, and was confined at Camp Douglas in Chicago until exchanged just before the close of the war. He reentered the army at Richmond, Virginia,and served until General Lee surrendered. He then returned to his home, broken down in health. His father had died during his absence in the army. As soon as he regained his health, he commenced the study of medicine, graduating in the Louisville Medical University, and later in Bellevue Hospital College of Medicine in New York. He is now located in Bowling Green, Ky. and is gaining considerable reputation in his profession as a surgeon and oculist. He married Miss Ermine Doran of Hart County, Ky. She bore him four sons. The oldest, a noble young, man, died some years ago. The other three are in school.
  • Adin Coombs Jr., son of Adin and Parmelia Coombs, married Mary Frances Sanford of Henry County, Ky. They lived for many years at Canmer, Hart County, Kentucky. Their children all died in infancy. Adin Coombs Jr. practiced medicine for a few years, but being in bad health, he abandoned his profession, and turned his attention to farming. He also served as assessor of his county. He was for many years an "Elder" in the Christian Church at Canmer. "Uncle Adin," as he was called, and was universally esteemed by all who knew him, one of the best of men.
  • John Huston Coombs, son of Adin and Permelia Coombs, died while in the prime of life. He never married. He was a very handsome man, and universally esteemed by all who knew him.
  • Parmelia Coombs, daughter of Adin and Parmelia Coombs, married Jessie Alexander of Mercer Co., Ky. He removed from that locality to Pike County, Indiana, near the Wabash River, where his wife died, leaving three sons, viz: Samuel, Isaac and Adin. Samuel and Isaac served through the war on the Federal side and returned at the close of the war to their home. They are still living in that part of the state. After the death of his first wife, Jesse Alexander married again, but died shortly thereafter.
  • Thomas Finley Coombs, son of Adin and Parmelia Coombs, married Chloe Williams, They raised six children, whose names are Letcher, the eldest, who married Sarah E. Brown and lives at Tullahoma [Coffee Co], Tenn., Adin, who lives in Louisville, and is in the railroad business, Wattie, who lives in Elizabethtown, Ky., and has been City Marshall there for several years.
  • William Thomas Coombs, son of Adin and Parmelia Coombs, married a Miss Rinner of Elizabethtown, and is also engaged in the railroad service.
  • Martha Ella Coombs, who married William Kennedy of Hardin County, who lives in Louisville, and is a Carpenter.

Mary (Polly) Coombs, daughter of Samuel Coombs, Sr., married Hugh Rogers and remained in Virginia.

Abigail Coombs, daughter of Samuel Coombs, Sr., married a man named Brown. They emigrated to Ohio in the early settling of that territory and were never heard from afterward. In all probability they were captured by the Indians
who were then troublesome.

Sallie Coombs, daughter of Samuel Coombs, Sr., married Benjamin Hickman of Virginia. They Afterwards emigrated to Kentucky. They lived and died in Hardin County, Ky. They left five children. One daughter remained in Virginia. One son, Adin, moved to Putnam, Indiana. Another daughter married her cousin, Houston Coombs, whose history is already given with that of Jesse and Asa Coombs. Martha, another daughter married Joseph Wilson of Virginia. They came to Kentucky and located in Hardin County. They died many years ago, leaving several children, all of whom are dead, except Samuel Wilson, who is living in Vine Grove, Hardin County, Ky. Burrell Hickman, son of Sallie and Benjamin Hickman died while a young man in Hardin County.

Martha Coombs, daughter of Samuel Coombs, Sr., married Joseph Edwards Best in Virginia. They removed to Ky. and settled on the farm now owned by Charles Greenwell, near Red Mills, Hardin County. They died leaving but two
children, viz: Samuel C. Best, and Lloyd Best. Each of them died while young and unmarried.


Additions to the family Tree:

John H., who married Miss Shivell of Louisville, being now engaged in the grocery business in that city. ..........Letcher, Adin and Wattie served through the late war and bore the reputation of being good soldiers. All the boys are good business men. Their father was an invalid for a number of years, just prior to his death. ..........

William Franklin Coombs, son of Adin and Parmelia Coombs, and the only surviving member of the family, was born near Red Mill, Hardin County, KY on March 4, 1818. He married Martha Brown, daughter of Daniel and Martha Brown of Larue County, Ky. He is a physician and has practiced his profession for nearly forty years. A few years since he and his wife became enfeebled by age and ill health, sold their property at Nolin, Hardin County, and are now occupying rooms at their son’s, Dr. H. W. Coombs, of Goodnight, Barren County, Ky. They raised only two children, two dying in infancy. Their son married Allie Parrish of Barren County, Ky. He has been doing an exclusive practice for a number of years, and has also been giving some attention to farming. He is very popular and universally esteemed by his acquaintances.

Mary Elizabeth, daughter of W. F. and Martha Coombs, married William H. Saxby, Seventh Day Adventist preacher, and is now located in Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio. They have no children.

Dr. Horace Wintersmith Coombs has raised three children, two dying in infancy, The eldest, a daughter, Annie Lee, married W. W. Parrish. Her husband is farming extensively near Nashville, Davidson County, Tenn. William Parrish Coombs, the second child, is married and engaged in the mercantile business in Glasgow, Barren County, Ky. He married Trannie Redford of Barren County. Robert Elmore Coombs, the youngest living child, has just arrived at maturity, and last summer graduated at the University of Ohio, and is at present teaching school in the neighborhood of his father.

The above sketch contains the essential points in the family tree as well as the writer can give briefly from his knowledge and information of this large family. It may well be said of them that, while none of the family ever attained any great distinction as statesmen or soldiers, or men of letters, yet for honesty, upright dealing, and everything required to make good citizens, they could hardly be excelled by any family of like numbers. And the writer desires to state further, that he never knew or heard of any of them being guilty of any crime against the laws of the land, requiring their arrest or imprisonment. This fact in their history should be a matter of great pride to the younger members of the family.

Some branches we have had to pass over hastily owing to lack of necessary information.

Written by William Franklin Coombs, now in the 76th year of his age, and the only surviving member of the family of Adin and Parmelia Coombs.

November 22, 1893 (W.R.F. Coombs)


Mike's Notes:

In June of 2015, I realized that I could not locate anything to factually link my great-great-great-grandmother, Marion Coombs, to her presumed ancestors. If Marion's father was Samuel H. Coombs, then three more generations of Coombs families can be added to my tree. More amazing, Marion's mother, Susan Williams, was my link to the Owsley lineage, well documented for nine more generations. At the sixth generation, there is a link to the Poyntz line, which others have traced back to William the Conqueror. This is the farthest back in time that I can trace my ancestry.

Susan Williams and Samuel Coombs share a grave site, so both lines hinge upon simply connecting Marion to her parents. I assumed that I had made that connection a few years back, but upon inspection, nothing could be found, neither in the Census pages, nor in the transcript of the Coombs Williams Cemetery in Larue County, Kentucky.

In an afternoon of panic, I scoured the internet, and finally came up with this document. Actually, I came up with a more original document, along with a major edit of the document, presented together.

I've taken great liberties in making yet another edit of it, removing typos, spelling and grammar errors, and generally cleaning the whole thing up. The person who posted this information admitted:

We are not certain if either of these copies of the manuscripts are the original copy. We think that they are probably old transcriptions of an original that is yet to be found by one of us at least. The Library of Congress does not hold a copy of this manuscript in its collection. We hope to continue our search for a photocopy of the original version.

I present my edited document here, relieved to have established the connection. The author seems to be honest and accurate, fully admitting those points he knows little or nothing about. Every family should wish that someone like him will set their relations down in print!