JEREMIAH "LONG JERRY" COMBS

by Doug Epperson



My Great-Great Grandfather Jeremiah �Long Jerry�
Combs was one of the early pioneers of Perry County.

 He was born 1782 in Surry Co. North Carolina, and
died 1843 in Troublesome Creek, Perry Co. now Knott Co. 
Kentucky.  He was the son of John Jr. �Soldier� 
Combs who was one of the eight brothers who settled
in Eastern Kentucky and Margaret �Biddy� Nantz.  

John �Soldier� Combs served in the Revolutionary war.
He was reported as being with George Washington 
during that terrible winter at Valley Forge. 

Jeremiah was about 13 years of age when his Father
John, along with his seven brothers, made the trip to
settle in what is now Perry County.  Jeremiah was 
also reported to be the oldest son of any of the eight 
brothers.

Jeremiah Married Nancy Combs about 1802.   It is not
known when Jeremiah first came to Eastern Kentucky.
His father John first settled on Line Fork in what is now
Letcher County.   

The first record of Jeremiah Combs in Eastern Kentucky
lists him on the 1810 Floyd County Census (the area
was in Floyd County at that time).  He is also listed for 
tax purposes in 1820 in Floyd County as owning 200
acres valued at five dollars an acre, 2 black slaves
valued at $700, and 3 horses valued at $130.
Total value of estate $1,830.

Jeremiah settled first at the mouth of Montgomery Creek
(named for Montgomery County, Virginia, where his grandfather,
John, had lived), later on the old Jim Stacy place.  
 The best  that can be determined is that Jeremiah lived in 
what is now the present site of Vicco.  
 He lived at the mouth of Allock.  

  Just imagine what Vicco may have looked like in the early 1800�s.
 There would have been no railroad or buildings, just farmland
and a plentiful supply of fresh, clean water from Carrs Fork,
Montgomery Creek, and other streams.  Jeremiah later moved
to the present site of Sassafras. 

 He patented land a number of times on Carrs Fork and its waters, 
and became one of the largest landowners among
any of the sons of the eight brothers.  He owned 150 acres
around the present site of Vicco and 50 acres on Montgomery Creek.
He inherited 50 acres around the present site of 
Defiance, but later deeded it to his son-in-law Eligah Combs Jr. 
who married his daughter Polly Ann.  This land was later sold 
on January 22, 1854 to John J. Godsey
and became known as �The Old Godsey Place.�  

By the 1830's Jeremiah had moved over to Troublesome Creek,
about eight miles below Hindman (now Knott Co, KY).  He also
took up considerable land on that stream.

Jeremiah had 19 children. He had 14 with his first wife
 Nancy Combs, they were; 

Sampson Combs md. Elizabeth Barrett and they had 9 children.

John Lorenzo md. Polly Ann Combs dau of Shadrach Combs. 
They had 8 children.

Polly Ann Combs md. Elijah Combs Jr. son of 
General �Lige� Combs founder of Hazard.  
They had 9 children. 

William Lorenzo Combs md. Margaret Kelley 
and had 14 children.  

Wesley Combs md. Nancy Combs daughter of Nicholas 
�Birds Eye� Combs. They had 9 children.  

Sarah Combs md. Shadrach �One Eye�Stacy and had
11 children.

 Elizabeth Combs md. Massingale �Martin� Combs son
 of Mason �Mace� Combs.  They had 18 children.

 Millie Combs had about 4 children.

Jeremiah Lorenzo Combs md. Sarah Kelley and had 14 children. 

Paulina Combs md. Zachariah Campbell and had 4 children.

Nancy Combs md. Nevel Young and had 3 children.  

Celia Combs md. John S. Combs son of Jeremiah 
�Chunky Jerry� Combs.  They had 9 children. 

Margaret Combs md. Nicholas S. Combs son of 
Jeremiah �Chunky Jerry� Combs.  They had 5 children. 

Wila Myth Combs md. John Smith and had 12 children.


Jeremiah had five children with his second wife Sarah Whitely, 
they were;  

Susannah Combs md. Felix Combs son of Moses Combs. 
 They had 7 children.

Elijah Combs md. Nancy Begley and had 2 children. 
Elijah also md. Catherine Noble and had 8 children.

Nicholas �Shanghai� Combs md. Eliza Williams and had
10 children. Eliza was a first cousin to Anna Williams who
married Massingale �Birx� Combs.  

Elizabeth Jane Combs md. Leviticus Fuller and had 3 children. 
Elizabeth also md. Wilburn Patton and had 5 children.  Patsy 
Ann Combs md. Jackson G. Combs and had 7 children.

Many of Jeremiah�s descendants still live in Perry and 
Knott Counties.  As you can see by the large number of 
children and grandchildren above, Jeremiah was partly 
responsible for the many Combs in Perry County today.  

Many of the Combs who lived or still live around the 
Vicco, Happy, and Defiance area either descended from 
Jeremiah Combs or married someone who did.  

  Elizabeth, one of Jeremiah�s daughters, married
 Massingale Martin Combs, they had a son Massingale 
�Birx� combs who married Anna Williams.  
Massingale �Birx� and Anna were the parents of  
R. W. �Black Bob� Combs for whom the R. W. Combs 
School was named.  R. W. Combs was the Great 
Grandson of Jeremiah �Long Jerry� Combs

When Jeremiah died in 1843 he was living on 
Troublesome Creek.  He owned 150 acres around Vicco 
and 50 acres on Montgomery Creek.   Jeremiah�s heirs 
deeded the 50 acres on Montgomery Creek to his son 
William Lorenzo Combs.   

William Lorenzo Married Margaret Kelley and they 
once lived close to the site of the old Kodak grade 
school.  They are both buried not far from there.  

Jeremiah�s heirs also sold to Shadrach �One Eye� 
Stacy, who was a son-in-law of Jeremiah, the 150 
acres in Vicco for $500.   Shadrach Stacy had 
married Jeremiah�s daughter Sarah.  Jeremiah�s 
estate was not settled for many years because 
he had minor children.   

My great Grandfather Nicholas �Shanghai� Combs who 
was the son of Jeremiah �Long Jerry� was only about 
five years of age when Jeremiah died.

Jeremiah is buried in the Combs-Morgan Cemetery,
Emmalena, now located in Knott County Kentucky.