Mary M. Coombs (b. 1777- d. 1835)
MSA SC 5496-008884
War of 1812 Claimant, Piscataway District, Prince George's County,
Maryland
Biography:
Mary Meeks Lyles was born circa 1777 in Prince George's County, MD to Col. William Lyles and his second wife Sarah Magruder. Her father, William Lyles, was a major in the lower battalion of the county militia during the Revolutionary War and who served as a justice for the court. Mary grew up at the family home Want Water with her parents and eight siblings. Horses were bred at this home, where George Washington was a frequent visitor. Mary was affectionately called Meeky by her family and close friends. On October 23, 1797, Mary Lyles married Joseph Coombs in Prince George's County and had four children, Sarah, Henry, Enoch, and Eliza. The Coombs family lived in the Piscataway and Hynson Hundreds area of Prince George's County. Sadly, Joseph Coombs died June 21, 1808, leaving Meeky a young widow with four small children.
In 1814, the British military who were at war with America invaded Maryland waters. Admiral Alexander Cochrane who commanded the British fleet issued a proclamation in April offering immediate emancipation to any person wishing to take up arms against the Americans or who wished to resettle to British territories. Sixteen enslaved people belonging to Mary Coombs escaped to the British forces. Richard "Dick" Reeves escaped from Mrs. Coombs with his wife Priscilla and their four children Priss, William, Mariah, and Millicent. Another family that fled from Coombs, were Nelly Bruce and her children James and Betty. Nelly was the wife of James Bruce, another escapee who belonged to Anthony Addison. Adeline Oliver and her young daughter Laura also ran away from Coombs. Adeline was the wife of Moses Oliver, who was owned by Mary Coombs father William Lyles. In addition to these families five other slaves (Letty, Sampson, Thomas, Nancy, and Letty, Jr.) ran away from Coombs.
Numerous enslaved people who fled from Maryland settled in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Oliver and Bruce family, along with four members of the Reeves family were found on the Halifax List. James Bruce and Richard Reeves settled on the Windsor Road in 1815. Their wives and children who also belonged to Mrs. Coombs were accounted for in a List of Blacks who were brought from the United States into Canada.
By 1820, Coombs was in possession of sixteen slaves. Coombs received at least one of these slaves from her mother Sarah M. Lyles who willed her negro woman Sally to her for the remainder of her life. According to Mrs. Lyles will Sally was to be freed at the death of Meeky Coombs. She also left her negro woman Polly to be equally shared amongst Meeky and her five sisters. However, by 1826 the number of slaves that she owned dwindled down to nine. In the same year Mary Coombs filed a claim to receive reparations for the loss of her sixteen slaves. Maryland slave owners would receive $280 for each slave that they lost during the War of 1812, if they could provide adequate documentation proving that without a doubt the British carried off their former slaves. Mrs. Mary Coombs received $4480 compensation for her loss.
Mary M. Lyles Coombs died in 1835 at the home of Charles Bowie in Prince George's County.|
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