Griffith Coombe and His Associates Were D.C. Leaders in Early Days

The shades of several actors are at my desk and I mean to call them into these stories, but I ask them to wait a week or two. There comes to me the memory of a man of early Washington. His name is in the records of the city and his descendants and collateral kindred are numerous. This man was Griffith Coombe.

Madison Davis [R53/184], an old friend of ours, read a paper before the Columbia Historical Society, November 12, 1900, on the "The Navy Yard Section During the Life of the Rev. William Ryland." You remember Madison Davis? He filled positions in the Post Office Department, and some of you knew him when he was chief clerk to the Third Assistant Postmaster General, but most of you knew him during the years he was Assistant City Postmaster. Some of you have been to the old Davis home, No. 316 A street southeast. Well, in the paper on "The Navy Yard Section During the Life of the Rev. William Ryland" is this:

"Griffith Coombe was one of the best-known men in the early days of Washington's history. He was intimately connected, socially and otherwise with Thomas Law, Frederick May and other prominent and wealthy men of Capitol Hill and other parts of the city, and was a very successful man of business. His wife was Miss Mary Pleasonton, the aunt of Gen. Alfred Pleasonton [R42/245] of subsequent military fame.

Mr. Coombe's residence, which is yet standing (1900) -- its location being the corner of Georgia avenue and Third street southeast, was one of the first houses in Washington. It was built before the seat of Government was moved from Philadelphia, and was for many years the abode of wealth, elegance and culture. Gen. Washington is said to have dined and slept in this house. Certainly Jefferson and Madison were not strangers to its generous hospitality.

It is perhaps worthy of especial mention, from a historical point of view that when Gen. Winder and his little army in 1814 retreated before the British from the Old Fields in Maryland he came into the city over what was then called the Lower Bridge, and encamped on the plain known as the Navy Yard Common. He chose, however, for his headquarters the house of Griffith Coombe; and it was there that he received, up to the hour he left with his troops for Bladensburg, the President, the Secretary of State, Mr. Monroe; the Secretary of War, Gen. Armstrong, Commodore Tingey, Commodore Barney and many other distinguished persons. I regret to see that this old house is being allowed to go to ruin. Mr. Coombe lived to extreme old age, dying, I think, in 1845 or 1846. He was a faithful attendant at Christ Episcopal Church."

The body of Griffith Coombe was put in the Coombe family vault, Congressional Cemetery, September 16, 1845. By kindness of my friend at the cemetery lodge, Lewis B. Taylor [R89/386] the superintendent, and Miss Gertrude Shelton, I can give you the names of those whose relics where laid in the Coombe vault. The first was Mrs. Griswell (Griswold), May 5, 1829, and her child on November 20, 1829. The record follows: 1830, Maj. Thomas L. Smith’s child; 1830, Mr. Barry’s child; September 20, 1831, Mrs. Blagden; October 1, 1831, John Coyle; May 16, 1832, Mr. Jonathan Hunt; June 29, 1832, Hon. George F. Mitchell; December 6, 1832, Thomas Howard; February 9, 1833, Robert Huett’s child; November 10, 1833, Mrs. Huett; February 23, 1834, David Barry’s child; September 22, 1840, David Barry’s child; January 20, 1843, Miss Eliza Pleasanton; September 16, 1845, Griffith Coombe; August 16, 1849, James D. Barry; June 5, 1850, Robert Barry; December 22, 1856, Mary Coombe; January 15, 1860, Daniel Barry; April 22, 1860, ___ Barry (first name not given); February 3, 1867, Edward Barry; November 1, 1871, Mrs. Barry; October 23, 1869, David Barry; February 5, 1883, Dr. James A. Coombe (spelled Coombs); May 13, 1891, Ann Barry.

The remains of Jonathan Hunt, George E. Mitchell, and Thomas Howard were moved from the vault to other parts of the cemetery in 1833, and Mrs. Hanson’s children were moved in 1862 and 1864. The Coombe vault is of red brick has a sheet iron door and stands in a large grassy plot within an iron rail. Next to it is the Blagden vault.

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Griffith Coombe died Sunday, September 14, 1845. In the National Intelligencer of Tuesday, September 16, 1845, I find this: “Died – On Sunday morning last, after a protracted illness, Mr. Griffith Coombe, in the seventy-eigth year of his age. Mr. Coombe was a native of Delaware, but was one of the first and most active and enterprising founders of this city. He was long a member of the Church of Christ on Earth and died in the hope of a blessed immortality. The friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral of the deceased, from his late residence, near the Eastern Branch, at 10 o’clock this morning.

“A paper in Smyrna, Del., will please notice the above.”

In going through three issues of the Intelligencer before September 16 and the same number after that date the Rambler read notices of the death of several Washingtonians. One notice told of the death on September 9, 1845, of Henry Baldwin Bomford, “youngest son of Col. George Bomford, United States Ordnance.” Another notice was of the death of Dr. George Washington May, a native of Boston, “but the prime and manhood of his life had been spent in this city, where he practiced medicine with a high reputation.”

One notice was of the death of Mrs. Helen Nicholson, consort of Maj. Augustus A. Nicholson, of the Marine Corps. I read, too, the announcement of the death of Mrs. Mary Travers, “73 years old, a native of Scotland, but for 35 years a resident of this city.” Among the marriage notices were: “By the Rev. John P. Donelan, William P. Drury to Miss Mary Elizabeth Lanman,” and “by the Rev. S.A. Rossel, Henry Carter to Miss Susan Pentz of Baltimore.”

In turning the pages of the Intelligencer to find the date of Mr. Coombe’s death, the Rambler came on a number of things which interested him and they may interest you. Although their recital will interrupt the story of Griffith Coombe, the Rambler will give you all the information of that good man which he, the Rambler, has before he lets go the subject.

In the Intelligencer, September 26, 1845, the farm Wakefield, birthplace of George Washington, was advertised for sale. Part of the advertisement follows:

“Wakefield for Sale – I offer for sale one of the best estates on the Potomac River, containing about 1,320 acres, between 600 and 800 of which are arable and now in cultivation. The land is generally rich, black loam, interspersed with shells, and in fertility is certainly equal, if not superior, to any on the river. In one of the fields convenient to wood is an inexhaustible bed of oyster shells, which could easily be converted into lime and made useful on such parts of the estate as may not be already sufficiently supplied with this valuable manure. The buildings consist of an overseer’s house, granary and all the outhouses necessary for the use of the farm. The state is bounded on three sides by Bridge Creek, the river and Popes Creek, requiring less than the usual quantity of fencing to inclose it. It is the birthplace of Washington. Fish, oysters and wild fowl are abundant and, indeed, all the facilities of living are cheap and easily procured.

“With the estate, I wish to dispose of from 18 to 20 likely Negroes, consisting of a fair proportion of men, women, boys and children. The health of the situation may be estimated by the fact, of which I am informed, that the physician’s bill for the last 10 years has not averaged 10 dollars per annum. Apply at the office of the Baltimore American.

The name of the owner is not given, but by turning to one of the rambles on Wakefield I hand you this:

“George Washington’s father, Augustine, left the farm to his son, Augustine, who left it to his son, William Augustine Washington. The latter left it to his son, George Corbin Washington, who sold the farm in 1813 to John Gray of Stafford County, Va., who left it to his son, Atchison Gray, who sold the place to Daniel Payne. Payne took the farm in connect with other property and owed a balance of $15,000. Payne sold Wakefield, subject to this debt, to Henry T. Garnett of Westmoreland County. Garnett moved from Virginia to Alabama and sold the farm to Charles C. Jett, who tilled the land for five or six years, but did not pay the balance owed. Payne died and the farm was sold at trust sale, Payne’s executors buying it.

“The Payne estate, including Wakefield, was inherited by Daniel Payne’s daughter Betty, who in 1845 was married to Dr. William Wirt of Wirtland --- the house now owned by Paul Keefer. In 1846 Dr. William Wirt and his wife Elisabeth sold Wakefield to John F. Wilson of Anne Arundel County, Md., who gave the farm to his son, John E. Wilson, who had married Miss Betty Washington, granddaughter of William Augustine Washington, who had inherited the farm and built on it the fine brick house, still standing, named Blenheim.”

The Rambler, 20 years ago and since, carried his camera over every acre of the Washington’s Pope Creek farm, and told you all about it. He had dinner with Mr. John E. Wilson and drank whisky with him poured from a decanter which the Washington’s of Wakefield had used. ‘If that be treason.” etc. etc.

In those 1845 copies of the Intelligencer, L.J. Middleton offers for sale his farm of 125 acres “on which he now resides, beautifully situated on Rock Creek, having a commanding view of Washington and the Potomac River, and distant about 2 miles from Georgetown and 3 from the Center Market.” John A. Barirut offers for sale 45 acres formerly owned by Mr. James Williams, “Adjoining the lands of Messrs. Gales and Seaton on the Bladensburg and Baltimore road, and having a never-failing well on the property.” Jacob Payne wants to sell his “high improved farm above Georgetown in the angle of two fine improved country roads and about half a mile westward of Nathan Luffborough’s late residence. Charles J. Nourse wants to sell a 12 acre farm “south of his residence and on the heights above Georgetown, fronting on the turnpike road and running back to the lands of Joshua Peirce.” He also wants to rent the late residence of Joseph Nourse on the heights above Georgetown.

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Griffith Coombe, was a son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Coombe of Delaware and he married Miss Mary Pleasanton, daughter of Jonathan and Ruhenna Pleasanton of that State, March 28, 1792. The children of Griffith and Elizabeth Coombe were Julianna, born in Philadephia, November 14, 1793; Mary, born in Philadephia, August 2, 1799; Ruhannah born at Washington, July 15, 1802; Elizabeth, born in Washington, January 16, 1805; James Griffith Coombe, born in Washington (I have not found the date).

Julianna Coombe married James D. Barry of Washington 1811. He died in 1856 and his widow, Julianna, lived to be 77 years old. Their descendants are numerous. Mary Coombe married Rev. David Butler, and one of their daughters married Edward Barry and another daughter married Dayton Ward. Mrs. Ward is living in Washington. Mary Barry lived to be 83.

Ruhannah Coombe married Rev. Thomas Hewett. Elizabeth Coombe married Bishop George Griswold. James Griffith Coombe married Emily L. McWilliams of southern Maryland in 1840.

The children of James Griffith Coombe and Emily were George G., Mary T., Alice, Pleasanton, Thomas Rodney, Eliza Barry and Clement G. George G. Coombe married Constine Middleton of Prince George's County, and their children were Harry, Ralph, Isabelle and William A. Coombe. Harry married a Miss Powers, Belle married, first a Mr. Harris, and has two sons, James and Ralph Harris. She married, second, Clayborne Hunter. Mary T. Coombe married William Page of Virginia and has as children Mary Emily, Anne Ramsey, Elizabeth Calhoun and Charles Craig Page. Mary Emily Page married William Letler of California and they have five children, William Bidemond, Craig, Mary, Catherine and Mildred Page Ketler. Mr. Ketler died in San Francisco in 1902. William Bidemond Ketler was killed in the World War. Mildred died in 1920. The others live in San Francisco.

Ann Ramsey Page married Gordon G. Ray of Montgomery County, Md., and they live in Mount Rainier, Md. Elizabeth Calhoun Page married Joseph F. Sheirburn of Charles County, and they have five children, William Harrison, Marjorie Elizabeht, Mary Paige, Elouise and Joseph L. Edmond Sheirburn.

A son and daughter of James Griffith Coombe and Emily L. McWilliams Coombe are living in Washington. They have a number of relics associated with the family and early Washington. I am told that they have four candlesticks which were on the altar of the first Catholic Church in Washington, Barry's Chapel. Griffith Coombe, I am told built that chapel for the Barry family. Miss Elizabeth Barry Coombe has two of the candlesticks and the others are with Mrs. Gordon G. Barry.