CAMPBELL COUNTY, VA - HISTORY - Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches
			Family  Sketches - Holcombe
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                   CAMPBELL CHRONICLES and FAMILY SKETCHES

              Embracing the History of CAMPBELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA
                                  1782-1926
                                By R. H. EARLY
                              With Illustrations
                              J. P. BELL COMPANY
                           LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 1927


Holcombe

  At what time the Holcombes, of Scotch descent, came to the Virginia colony, is
not now known. Captain Philemon Holcombe, Sr., a veteran of French and Indian
wars, is recorded as rendering valuable services in 1756, the year of General
Braddock's fatal march. In 1776 he was one of the founders of Hampden-Sidney
College and one of its first officials at the time when James Madison and
Patrick Henry were among the trustees. Major Philemon Holcombe, Jr., was in the
second Regiment of General Lawson's brigade at the battle of Guilford C. H., N.
C., in 1781, being attached to the cavalry command of Colonel William
Washington; later he served under Baron Steuben, and was with La Fayette at
Yorktown and witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis. He lived at The Oaks, in
Amelia county and was known as "Colonel Holcombe of Virginia." His son, Philemon
Holcombe, Jr., married Lucy Maria, born 1756, the daughter of Thomas Anderson of
Mecklenburg county, deriving her second name from a great grandmother, Henrietta
Maria (formerly a maid of honor at the court of Austria and said to be related
to the imperial family), who, with her husband, Baron Hardeman, emigrated to
Virginia and settled in Charles City county.—Thomas Anderson Holcombe, son of
Philemon, Jr., and Lucy M. Holcombe, married Mary Royal and lived in Lynchburg.
His daughter, Eliza Holcombe, m. Walter Henderson, and their daughter, Mary
Elizabeth, m. George Henry Caperton, whose daughter, Janie Erskine, m. Massie
Warwick and lives in Charleston, W. Va.—Lucy Holcombe Pickens, daughter of
Beverley Holcombe, youngest brother of Thomas A., was for many years a regent of
Mount Vernon. Thomas A. Holcombe was one of the elders of the New School
Presbyterians, and active in the organization of the Second Presbyterian church
of Lynchburg in 183O, when Rev. Daniel L. Russell served as supply there, and
was followed by Rev. J. D. Mitchell. Mason's Hall was first used for their
religious services, then for two years a store house on Main street, between 6th
and 7th was secured and upon this lot a frame church was built, later that
building was used as a furniture store and was given the name of "the sacred
furniture shop." Their last church, known as Westminster, a brick structure at
the corner of Church and 9th streets has recently been sold and a more capacious
church built further out of the city on Floyd and llth streets. In 1815 Thomas
Holcombe conducted a boys’ school in Lynchburg, and in 1824 he was mayor of the
city. William J. Holcombe was on the board of trustees for establishing a
Lynchburg Free School, for the education of poor children, which became
incorporated in 1823, as the Lynchburg Charity School. A disturbance arising
among the Methodists in the community caused charges to be preferred against
William J. Holcombe "for endeavoring to sow dissensions in the church by
inveighing against the discipline," which resulted in the disaffected members
uniting in formation of the Methodist Protestant church in 1828. The corner
stone for their place of worship was laid upon the lot where the present church
stands, and Dr. Thomas Holcombe made the address at the dedicatory service.


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