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Rebecca Comber was born on 25 July 1761 in Cane Creek, Alamance County, North Carolina. She was the daughter of Joseph Comber and Elizabeth Hussey. Rebecca Comber married Phillip Gregg, son of Jacob Gregg and Mary (Polly) Hatcher, in 1796 in Alamance County, North Carolina. Rebecca Comber died in 1822 in Jarvis, Madison County, Illinois.

Elizabeth Hussey married Joseph Comber.

Joseph Comber married Elizabeth Hussey.

Phillip Gregg was born in 1766 in Alamance County, North Carolina. He was the son of Jacob Gregg and Mary (Polly) Hatcher. Phillip Gregg married Rebecca Comber, daughter of Joseph Comber and Elizabeth Hussey, in 1796 in Alamance County, North Carolina. Phillip Gregg died in 1816 at age 50 years.

In 1803, Jacob and Polly moved with their married children into Madison County of southwestern Illinois. "East of Seybold in the vicinity of Troy the Greggs came in 1803. In April Jacob settled one-half mile south of Troy. The next year, 1804, he settled the Baird place planted a pear tree which bore large crops of fruit for more than half a century after; in 1864 it yielded a crop which sold in Dubuque, Iowa for $125."

"Their sons Philip, Titus, John and Hermon (Harmon) settled the same neighborhood. John on the prairie not far from Robert Seybold......Philip Gregg settled the place owned by Julius A. Barnsnack; Titus Gregg and John the James Taylor's place on the west of the prairie, and Hermon Gregg settled the site of Troy. The Jarvis Township was not surveyed until 1806. Troy was originally Brookside."

Kendall goes on to say, "The Greggs were from Kentucky slow and unprogressive, and in after years grumbled at being taxed to support the free schools, and favored the introduction of slavery." (I, the researcher, have found no evidence that the Greggs were from Kentucky so this is odd. Also, after writing earlier that Jacob was "intelligent, possessing great initiative," I wonder now about the description as "slow and unprogressive.")

Kendale continues...."The reason the Greggs did not like to pay taxes for public schools is easily explained. They were Quakers and Quakers always maintained and operated their own schools. Sometimes these private schools were on their own farms and were the only schools in the vicinity as the Quakers who were zealous educators. All were educated early in life on many subjects. The Greggs were not accustomed to paying for both public an private schools. They supervised the education of their own young and thought that was sufficient."

Researcher's Note:
The earliest settlers in Madison County arrived in 1802. And in 1803 the Greggs and others, such as Robert Seybold, began to arrive. Seybold settled in Jarvis township near Troy and this must be the Seybold Kendall was referring to above.

In Illinois Genealogy Trails, Early Pioneers of Madison County, IL, Titus Gragg and Jacob Gragg are listed as Early Settlers of Troy Precinct.^1,2

John Gregg married Elizabeth Roberts. John Gregg was born on 10 December 1798 at Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee. He was a twin. He was the son of Phillip Gregg and Rebecca Comber. John Gregg died in 1852 in Dallas, Polk County, Oregon, at age 53 years.

Elizabeth Roberts married John Gregg, son of Phillip Gregg and Rebecca Comber.

Andrew Gregg was born on 30 June 1811 in Jarvis, Madison County, Illinois. He was the son of Phillip Gregg and Rebecca Comber.

Dorothy Gregg was born in 1813. She was the daughter of Phillip Gregg and Rebecca Comber.

Mary (Polly) Hatcher was born in 1744 in Troy, Madison County, Illinois. She married Jacob Gregg, son of William Gregg and Margery Hinkey, on 11 October 1764 at Cane Creek Meeting, Alamance County, North Carolina.¹ Mary (Polly) Hatcher died in 1784 in North Carolina at age 40 years.

Jacob and Polly "lived near many relatives for nearly thirty years before moving to eastern Tennessee and lived awhile in Overton and Knox Counties, Tennessee, which had been admitted to the Union June 1, 1796."¹

In 1803, Jacob and Polly moved with their married children into Madison County of southwestern Illinois. "East of Seybold in the vicinity of Troy the Greggs came in 1803. In April Jacob settled one-half mile south of Troy. The next year, 1804, he settled the Baird place planted a pear tree which bore large crops of fruit for more than half a century after; in 1864 it yielded a crop which sold in Dubuque, Iowa for $125."

"Their sons Philip, Titus, John and Hermon (Harmon) settled the same neighborhood. John on the prairie not far from Robert Seybold......Philip Gregg settled the place owned by Julius A. Barnsnack; Titus Gregg and John the James Taylor's place on the west of the prairie, and Hermon Gregg settled the site of Troy. The Jarvis Township was not surveyed until 1806. Troy was originally Brookside."

Kendall goes on to say, "The Greggs were from Kentucky slow and unprogressive, and in after years grumbled at being taxed to support the free schools, and favored the introduction of slavery." (I, the researcher, have found no evidence that the Greggs were from Kentucky so this is odd. Also, after writing earlier that Jacob was "intelligent, possessing great initiative," I wonder now about the description as "slow and unprogressive.")

Kendale continues...."The reason the Greggs did not like to pay taxes for public schools is easily explained. They were Quakers and Quakers always maintained and operated their own schools. Sometimes these private schools were on their own farms and were the only schools in the vicinity as the Quakers who were zealous educators. All were educated early in life on many subjects. The Greggs were not accustomed to paying for both public an private schools. They supervised the education of their own young and thought that was sufficient."

Researcher's Note:
The earliest settlers in Madison County arrived in 1802. And in 1803 the Greggs and others, such as Robert Seybold, began to arrive. Seybold settled in Jarvis township near Troy and this must be the Seybold Kendall was referring to above.

In Illinois Genealogy Trails, Early Pioneers of Madison County, IL, Titus Gragg and Jacob Gragg are listed as Early Settlers of Troy Precinct.^2,3

Jacob Gregg was born on 28 February 1737 in New Castle County, Delaware.² He was the son of William Gregg and Margery Hinkey. Jacob Gregg married Mary (Polly) Hatcher on 11 October 1764 at Cane Creek Meeting, Alamance County, North Carolina.¹ Jacob Gregg died circa 1828 in near Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas.²

Kendall writes that Jacob was "restless, intelligent, possessing great initiative, he went to North Carolina on a visit when young. After his return he conveyed his interest in his father's mill and sold the land to his brother Harmon June 20, 1759."

Along with the families of "Barkers, Witsons, Chandlers, Hollingsworths" he "removed by certificate to the Cane Creek Monthly Meeting fourteen miles south of Graham in Alamance County, North Carolina on October 11, 1764 and was there received by certificate on March 2, 1765 from the Kennett Monthly Meeting in Pennsylvania. He settled near his second cousin Jacob Graigg son of Richard Gregg and Ann Hadley who had moved without certificate when newly married in 1762."

"In April 1765 these cousins as Jacob Grigg Sr. and Jacob Grigg Jr. with other petitioners signed an appeal to lesson their taxes."¹


Jacob and Polly "lived near many relatives for nearly thirty years before moving to eastern Tennessee and lived awhile in Overton and Knox Counties, Tennessee, which had been admitted to the Union June 1, 1796."¹

On February 7, 1767, Jacob was disowned by the Friends Monthly Meeting.

Researchers Note:
There is nothing to explain why he was disowned or the circumstances, although I wonder if it had anything to do with taxes.¹

In 1803, Jacob and Polly moved with their married children into Madison County of southwestern Illinois. "East of Seybold in the vicinity of Troy the Greggs came in 1803. In April Jacob settled one-half mile south of Troy. The next year, 1804, he settled the Baird place planted a pear tree which bore large crops of fruit for more than half a century after; in 1864 it yielded a crop which sold in Dubuque, Iowa for $125."

"Their sons Philip, Titus, John and Hermon (Harmon) settled the same neighborhood. John on the prairie not far from Robert Seybold......Philip Gregg settled the place owned by Julius A. Barnsnack; Titus Gregg and John the James Taylor's place on the west of the prairie, and Hermon Gregg settled the site of Troy. The Jarvis Township was not surveyed until 1806. Troy was originally Brookside."

Kendall goes on to say, "The Greggs were from Kentucky slow and unprogressive, and in after years grumbled at being taxed to support the free schools, and favored the introduction of slavery." (I, the researcher, have found no evidence that the Greggs were from Kentucky so this is odd. Also, after writing earlier that Jacob was "intelligent, possessing great initiative," I wonder now about the description as "slow and unprogressive.")

Kendale continues...."The reason the Greggs did not like to pay taxes for public schools is easily explained. They were Quakers and Quakers always maintained and operated their own schools. Sometimes these private schools were on their own farms and were the only schools in the vicinity as the Quakers who were zealous educators. All were educated early in life on many subjects. The Greggs were not accustomed to paying for both public an private schools. They supervised the education of their own young and thought that was sufficient."

Researcher's Note:
The earliest settlers in Madison County arrived in 1802. And in 1803 the Greggs and others, such as Robert Seybold, began to arrive. Seybold settled in Jarvis township near Troy and this must be the Seybold Kendall was referring to above.

In Illinois Genealogy Trails, Early Pioneers of Madison County, IL, Titus Gragg and Jacob Gragg are listed as Early Settlers of Troy Precinct.^3,4 He appeared on the census of 1820 at Madison County, Illinois. Kendall notes that "Jacob Gregg was a benevolent man" as the census indicates there were six in his household and she assumes that probably the family of his son Phillip Gregg, who died in 1816, was living with Jacob.⁵