Thomas Miles TERRY Isaac TERRY Samuel W TERRY Benjamin Henry COMBS Miranda COMBS Elvira COMBS Mini tree diagram
Martha Patsy JOHNSON

Martha Patsy JOHNSON1,2,3,4,5,6,7

about 18021,2,3,4,5,6 - after 18805,4,6

Life History

about 1802

Born in Tennessee.1,2,3,4,5,6

31st Dec 1817

Married Thomas Miles TERRY in Floyd County, Kentucky.1,1,5,6

28th May 1820

Birth of son Isaac TERRY.6

about 1829

Birth of son Samuel W TERRY in Kentucky.8

about 1839

Married Benjamin Henry COMBS in Breathitt County, Kentucky.5

before 1839

Divorced from Thomas Miles TERRY in Breathitt County, Kentucky.3,1

about 1841

Birth of daughter Elvira COMBS in Tennessee.2

about 1841

Birth of daughter Miranda COMBS in Tennessee.2,4

Nov 1852

Death of Thomas Miles TERRY in Carter County, Kentucky.9,1,1

6th Nov 1858

Death of Benjamin Henry COMBS in Breathitt County, Kentucky.5

after 1880

Died in Jetts Creek, Breathitt, Kentucky.5,4,6

after 1880

Buried in Old Jesse Johnson Cemetery, Breathitt County, Kentucky.6

Notes

  • "I linked to your family history page in a websearch via MyHeritage.  I was looking for general information about my great-grandmother's family and I see you have Devil Jett  or Miles Terry listed and then his son Thomas Miles Terry 1787-1852. I also saw you or your page mentioned Floyd County [Kentucky].  I ... sort of think he was the man who started a new family and left my great-gm Martha Patsy Jane Terry.  ... I do not know a great deal about Devil Jett other than I find his name mysterious.  I am further descended through the Jett family and see no connection in the way back between the Terry and the Jett family of the area."
    --  Gwendolyn Andrews, Geneanet Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 11 January 2019

    -----------------------
    I am the great-granddaughter of Mary Jane Terry Jett 1877-1897. Her  family goes back to parents Miles and Luraney Johnson Terry, grandparents Isaac and Barbara Gabbard Terry, and then great-grandparents Thomas Miles Terry 1797-1852 who was married to Martha Jane or Patsy Johnson in Breathitt County.  This Thomas Miles was child of Miles B. or Devil Jet and Hannah Horton. Siblings were Rachel, Annie, Leonard, and Susanna Elizabeth.

    It is the story that this Thomas Miles [Terry] left Patsy and children and took off and remarried and had a different family up in Floyd County.  I was just trying to be sure I had right person.  I was also wondering about the name Devil Jett as I am a Jett but not sure why or what Devil Jett means.  No insult but my Grandmother said we were not that old bad Curt Jett's bunch and I know she meant the feuding and killing Curtis Jett.  I do not think he was related (well, not any more closely than us) to Devil Jet.
    --  Gwendolyn Andrews, Geneanet Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 19 January 2019
    -----------------------

    -----------------------
    Mary (Polly) & Patsy Johnson marriages 1817
    Thomas Johnson and Thomas Terry signed each other's marriage bonds on the same day.
    Bonds dated 6 February 1817.  The women's fathers' signed to give permission for the marriage.

    Thomas Johnson marriage to Mary "Polly" Johnson 13 February 1817, Floyd County, Kentucky

    Thomas Terry marriage to Martha "Patsy" Johnson 31 December 1817, Floyd County, Kentucky

    Note that the bond for Thomas and Patsy was signed 6 February 1817 (right side), and father's permission signed 4 February 1817, but the wedding was not held until 31 December 1817 (left side)

    Document courtesy of the research of Myra Ridley, Ancestry.com 23 July 2013, accessed 19 January 2019, scan edited for screen presentation format by Orville Boyd Jenkins 19 January 2019

    Original document by Charles C Wells, Annals of Floyd County, Kentucky 1800-1826 (Gateway Press, Inc, 1983)
    -----------------------

    "Thomas Terry left Martha Johnson. Both remarried. Thomas to a Mary, surname unknown. Martha, to Benjamin Combs."
    --  Anonymous comment on the profile of Thomas Terry on FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/97GQ-NN2

    An 1850 census record in Carter County, Kentucky appears to be for the Thomas Terry who was Martha Johnson's first husband with his second wife, reported here as Mary.  The location matches with a death record for Thomas Terry in Carter County in 1852.

    1850 Federal Census, Breathitt County, Kentucky, 23 August, District 1, page 32-33, Hse/Fam #244
    Thomas Terry 53 M Farmer $300 Real Estate b Virginia [b abt 1797]
    Mary Terry 40 F b Kentucky [b abt 1810]
    Samuel W Terry 21 F Laborer b Kentucky [b abt 1829]
    Leonard Terry 14  M b Indiana [b abt 1836]
    Isaac Terry 12 F b Indiana [b abt 1838]
    Elijah Terry 8 F b Indiana [b abt 1842]

    One of the sons of Thomas and Mary here is named Isaac, one of three born in Indiana.  If this is the same Thomas Terry whose first wife was Martha (Patsy) Johnson, this is Thomas' second son named Isaac.  He and Patsy had a son in 1820 whom they named Isaac.  He is linked to Martha's FAG memorial.  With the time gap, as well as location of birth, of the last three sons, it appears that Samuel is the son of Thomas' first wife, Martha Patsy Johnson, and the three Indiana-born sons are the sons of Mary.

    There are too many missing records and details to conclude at this point.  Additionally, there are many individuals among the Terry, Johnson and Combs families, of near ages with the same given names.  Along with this these families share a broad set of preferred names that kept getting used over and over, further confusing parentage in records and family memories.  And all three of these families intermarried in several generations.  So missing details in records make it difficult to discern specific relationships and parentage in several cases.

    A genealogy of the Combs lineage has details on Benjamin Combs, which mention Martha Patsy Johnson, hiss first wife.

    In the 1850 census, Martha (Patsy) was married to her second husband Benjamin Combs.  They had nine-year-old twins, so they must have married about 1839  or early 1940.

    1850 Federal Census, Breathitt County, Kentucky, 23 August, District 1, page 33, Hse/Fam #247
    Benjamin Combs 57 M Farmer $250 Real Estate b Tennessee [b abt 1793]
    Patsy [Martha Johnston] Combs 48 F b Tennessee [b abt 1802]
    Elvira Combs 9 F b Tennessee [b abt 1841]
    Maranda Combs 9 M b Tennessee [b abt 1841]

    --------------------
    Among children of John & Margaret Combs

    Benjamin Combs, born between 1787 and 1793 in (possibly Sullivan Co) Tennessee; died 6 Nov 1858, Breathitt Co, Kentucky; m
    (1) 04 Apr 1816, Clay Co, KY, Jane BROWN, b 1798-1802, TN; d bef 1842, probably in Breathitt Co, KY; m
    (2) bef 1842, Martha "Patsy" JOHNSON (who had m (1) 1 Jan 1817, Floyd Co, KY, Thomas TERRY), b 1798-1802 in TN or NC; d aft 1880, of Breathitt Co, KY.

    The first record we have for Benjamin is in Lincoln Co, KY, when, on 1 Nov. 1810, he witnessed the consent of John Combs for his daughter Sally to marry James HUNDLEY. The following day he was surety for their marriage bond. If Benjamin was a surety in 1810, he would have been at least 21 years of age giving him a date of birth prior to 1790.

    Benjamin is listed on the 1817, 1818 and 1829 Clay Co, KY Tax Lists. He has not yet been located on the 1820 Census. He is listed on the 1830 census in Perry Co, Kentucky. He is listed on the census in 1840 and 1850 in Breathitt Co, KY.

    Benjamin is named as a son of John (1761) in the Dickey Diary Interview of Margaret Combs Lewis.

    --  Revolutionary War Soldier John Combs Jr of East Kentucky (1761-1848), http://www.combs-families.org/combs/families/c-j1761.htm#benjamin
    --------------------

    A memorial on Find a Grave for a Martha Jane "Patty" Brown has linked her as a wife to Benjamin henry Combs (1893-1858), with daughters Maranda and Elvira.  The date of death 1858 for Benjamin matches with the 1860 census report for widow Martha Combs, reported in the household of her father Thomas Johnson.

    The many individuals in Breathitt County with the same or similar names in closely related families makes it seems likely that Martha Jane Brown has been confused with Martha Patsy Johnson in this FAG memorial and some genealogies, who first married Thomas Terry, then Benjamin Combs.

    There are several individuals in several generations named Thomas Johnson, Thomas Terry, Martha Combs and related family surnames, with similar ages, confusing several family identifications.  There are also instances of Johnson surnamed couples marrying each other, further confusing family identities in this tight-knit group of families int eh county.  We find similar situations in North Carolina counties as well with other family name groups.

    Further details and records of marriages and censuses, as well as deaths, will be needed to clarify some of these identities and family groups found in various genealogies.

    Patsy's brother Jesse Johnson was enumerated three houses away.

    1850 Federal Census, Breathitt County, Kentucky, 23 August, District 1, page 32-33, Hse/Fam #244
    Jesse Johnston Sr 56 M Farmer $250 Real Estate b Tennessee[b abt 1794]
    Polly [Burns] Johnston 55 F b Tennessee[b abt 1795]
    Madison Johnston 18 F b Kentucky [b abt 1832]
    Nancy Johnston 16  M b Kentucky [b abt 1834]
    - page 33 -
    Henderson Johnston 12 F b Kentucky [b abt 1838]
    Jefferson Johnston 8 F b Kentucky [b abt 1842]

    Her husband Benjamin died before the 1860 census.  Her daughters also have apparently married, since she has no children in the household.  She is in the household of her father.

    1860 Federal Census, Breathitt County, Kentucky, 12 July, District 1, P O Jackson, page 81 (scan 351), Hse/Fam #552
    Thomas Johnson 86 M  Farmer $500 Real Estate $5632 Personal Estate born Virginia [b abt 1774]
    Martha Combs 60 F $500 Real Estate $800 Personal Estate born Tennessee [b abt 1800]

    In 1880, Martha was enumerated in the household of her daughter Maranda Combs, who had married Thomas Johnson.  in that enumeration there is a woman named Martha Terry, but that appears to be a married name.  She is reported as married, but no husband is reported in the household.

    1880 Federal Census, Breathitt County, Kentucky, 14 June, Jetts Creek, District 14, page 31 (scan 587), Hse #266, Fam #270
    Johnson, Thomas W F 50 Farming KY KY KY
    Johnson, Marandy W F 40 Wife Keeping House KY VA KY[b abt 1840]
    Johnson, Daniel W F 22 Son Single Farming KY KY KY
    Johnson, Martha W F 17 Dau Single KY KY KY
    Johnson, Shelby W F 13 Son Single Farming KY KY KY
    Johnson, Fannie W F 12 Dau Single KY KY KY
    Johnson, Thomas W M 10 Son Single KY KY KY [b abt 1850]
    Johnson, Mirandy  W F 7 KY KY KY
    Johnson, Annie W F 5 Dau KY KY KY
    Johnson, Emily W F 2 Dau KY KY KY
    Terry, Martha W F 38 Boarder Married [but no husband reported] Boarder VA VA VA [b abt 1850]
    Combs, Martha W F 82 Mother-in-law Widow Boarder Old Age KY KY KY [b abt 1798]

    Some sources report Martha died after 1880.  Her memorial on find a Grave sets the year as exactly 1880.  The memorial has no photo of the gravestone.  She is buried in the same cemetery as her husband Ben Combs and his first wife Jane Brown.

    Martha “Patsy” Johnson Terry Combs
    Birth 1793
    Death 1880 (aged 86-87)
    Burial Old Jesse Johnson Cemetery, Breathitt County, Kentucky
    "Patsy" was married 1st on 31 Dec 1817 Floyd Co KY to Thomas Miles Terry; 2nd to Benjamin Combs.
    Son Isaac Terry (1820-1907)
    Parents:
    Thomas Johnson 1771-1866
    Mary Polly Burns Johnson 1778-1853
    Spouse Benjamin Henry Combs 1793-1858 (m. 1850)
    Half Siblings:
    Thomas Johnson 1829-1906
    James Madison Johnson 1832-1914
    Created by Debi Houser 22 Oct 2016
    --  Find A Grave Memorial 171689414, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/171689414/martha-terry_combs

Sources

  • 1. Geneanet Messaging
  • 2. 1850 Federal Census, Breathitt County, Kentucky
    • 23 August, District 1, page 33, Hse/Fam #247
  • 3. 1860 Federal Census, Breathitt County, Kentucky
    • 12 July, District 1, P O Jackson, page 81 (scan 351), Hse/Fam #552
  • 4. 1880 Federal Census, Breathitt County, Kentucky
    • 14 June, Jetts Creek, District 14, page 31 (scan 587), Hse #266, Fam #270
  • 5. Combs-Families.org
  • 6. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • 7. FamilySearch Comments
  • 8. 1850 Federal Census, Breathitt County, Kentucky
    • 23 August, District 1, page 32-33, Hse/Fam #244
  • 9. Kentucky, Death Records, 1852-1965

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