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Cullember
Colember-Culumber


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Appendix:
    There have been several suggestions as to the origin of the surname Cullumber.  For example, there is a town named Culemborg in The Netherlands which is near Utrecht.  However, I have seen no evidence that the earlier Cullumbers were from Holland or Germany.
    A more plausible theory is that the earliest Cullumber was English since the earliest record in North America found so far is for a Richard Cullumbire.  In an abstract of Virginia Land Patents, Richard Bennett, was granted 2000 acres on the Nausemond River which was due for the importation of forty persons. Richard Cullumbire was among those listed as imported.  The importation was dated 26 June 1638.  This record is, of course, for Virginia.  The next set of records for the surname Cullumber show up in Calvert County, Maryland.  The Nansemond River is near what is now Portsmouth, on the south side of the James River. However, Calvert County is on the west side of Chesapeake Bay.  That is not next door, but neither is it far away if travel was done via the waterway system.  So it is not beyond belief that there could be a connection. There must have been much coming and going between the settlements on Chesapeake Bay and the James River settlements.  And if we could find a Richard Cullumber showing up in Calvert County in the 1600's, we might justly assume a connection. As it happens, we do find Richard Cullumbers in Calvert County records, but not until 150 years later.
    Calvert County, Maryland was an original county and was formed in 1654.  It was originally called Patuxent.  Since this is a very early county, one would expect to find lovely records which could be searched for Cullumbers.  However, it is a practical impossibility to trace a clear descent among the Cullumbers found in the county because of the tragic annihilation of the records in Calvert County. Calvert County has been invaded twice by the British, once in 1780 and once in 1814. The courthouse was burnt on both occasions.  What records survived those two fires were burnt in the courthouse fire of 1882.

North Carolina: 
The surname Cullumber appears in the 1800 and 1810 U.S. censuses of North Carolina in Wilkes County.   Consequently, I have diligently searched published material for additional references to the name.  I have not found any although I have located a similar surname, Cullifer, in the state. It seems to me that the two surnames could be confused. On the other hand, I have not located Cullifer’s who have any apparent connection to the two Cullumbers in the censuses.

Census Records:
There do not appear to be any Cullumbers in the 1790 U.S. Census in North Carolina.  The published indexes do not show any names which might be Cullumber.  The 1790 census for Wilkes County survived and the handwriting on the census is clear and easy to read.  I paged the county and found nothing of interest.  There are no Cullumbers in the 1820 Wilkes County, North Carolina Census index.         

1800 U.S. Census of Wilkes County, North Carolina.
Wilkes County, NC page 32, line 10: Barbara Cullumber         00010-00100-00     
Wilkes County, NC page 32, line 1: Henry Cullumber         10100-00100-00

1810 U.S. Census of Wilkes County, North Carolina
Wilkes County, NC page 863: Barbara Cullumber             00100-00001-00

Note that Henry is not in this census.  However, there is a Henry Cullumber in the 1810 U.S. Census in Kentucky.  It is possible that Henry of North Carolina moved to Kentucky. The ages would match. 
                                                        
1810 U.S. Census of Madison County, Kentucky
Madison County, KY page 202: Henry Cullumber              20010-20010-00

Alvaretta Kenan Register, State census of North Carolina, 1784-1787, (Baltimore, Genealogical Pub. Co., 1973.) There are no Cullumbers in this. However, there are some Cullifers. 

Clarence Ratcliff, North Carolina Taxpayers 1701 to 1786, There are no Cullumbers of any spelling in this book. 

Mae R. Hayes, compiler, Wilkes County Marriages,(North Wilkesboro, North Caroline: Wilkes County Genealogical Society.)
    Volume 1: Before 1800
    Volume 2: 1800 to 1820
    There are no surnames which might be construed to be Cullumber/Colember/Cullifer.

There are several sets of abstracted tax records and state censuses which have been published. I checked   XXXXX and found no mention of any name which could be Cullumber. 

Wilkes County was created in 1777 and land and marriage records from 1778 are available. If  the Cullumber family had spent many years and several generations there, they would be expected to have left some records.  In fact, they did not. 

Jackson, Ronald Vern. Early North Carolina. 7vols. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1980–. (FHL book 973 D2jeno; computer number 121249.) Each volume is alphabetized. The names of these volumes are also listed in the Accelerated Indexing Systems fiche searches 1, 2, and 3 and in the FamilyFinder™ Index and Viewer described previously

From "Wilkes County, North Carolina, deeds 1778-1815, Vol. 2":
Title page
Index page beginning with the name Keeton
Index page beginning with the name Cockerham
Index page beginning with the name Bryer

The names Cullumber/Colember, were not listed.

* From "Wilkes County, North Carolina, deeds 1778-1815, Vol 1":
Title page
Index page beginning with the name Chapman
Index page beginning with the name Lewis

The names Cullumber/Colember, Lill(e)y, Clover were not listed.

Maryland:

Censuses:
Outside of the three census entries in Kentucky and North Carolina, the only Cullumbers in the early censuses were in Calvert County, Maryland. 

1790 Calvert County, Maryland Census did not survive.
1800 Calvert County, Maryland:
    Jeremiah Cullember page 439    00001-00101
    Nathaniel Cullember page 416    22001-00202
    Rebecca Cullember page 439        01000-41010
    Sarah Cullember page 439         00000-01101
There are no Cullembers in the 1790 Census index probably because Calvert County did not survive.  Under 10/10-16/16-26/26-45/over 45    
second column is age 10-16 which is where John should be. 
1800 [XXX 1800 has been double checked] 
Calvert County, MD page 439, line 2: Jeremiah Cullember         00001-00101-00
Calvert County, MD page 439, line 11: Jesse Cullember         32001-32010-00
Calvert County, MD page 416, line 30: Nathaniel Cullember     22001-00201-00
Calvert County, MD page 439, line 5: Rebecca Cullember          01000-41010-00
Calvert County, MD page 439, line 3: Sarah Cullember recheck this 00000-01101-00
Wilkes County, NC page 32, line 10: Barbara Cullumber         00010-00100-00     
Wilkes County, NC page 32, line 1: Henry Cullumber         10100-00100-00   

1810
Madison County, KY page 202: Henry Cullumber      20010-20010-00
Calvert County, MD page 519: George Cullember     10200-20030-00   
Calvert County, MD page 518: Jeremiah Cullumber 10001-00302-1 slave       
Calvert County, MD page 518 Thomas Cullenber     00100-10100-00
Wilkes County, NC page 863: Barbara Cullumber     00100-00001-00
Jefferson County, VA page 186: Jesse Cullumber     00100-00010-03

1820
Jefferson County, VA page 96: Matthew Cullember
Calvert County, MD page 47 Eleanor Cullumber
Calvert County, MD page 42: Hezekiah Cullumber
Calvert County, MD page 45: Sarah Cullumber        
Calvert County, MD page 49: Sofia Cullumber
St. Mary’s County, MD page 70: Joshua Cullumber   
Ross County, Ohio page 259 Concord Twp Richard Collumber 300010-10100-01 [He=26-45]

1840

Taxation:

Calvert County Rent Rolls, 1651-1776, (T.L.C. Genealogy) No Cullumbers

1782 Tax List:
Supplies of the year 1782:
Page 360:
Henry Cullember taxed on 2 horses, 8 cattle, total assessment 34, 1 male over 16, total white inhabitants 5
Jesse Cullember 3 horses, 8 cattle, total assessment 17, 1 male over 16, total white inhabitants 1
Jonathan Cullember 1 male over 16, total white inhabitants 1.
Page 349:
Bryan Cullember 2 horses total assessment 13, 1 male over 15, total white inhabitants 3
Charles Cullember, 1 horse, total assessment 10, 1 male over 16, 1 total white inhabitants.
Jeremiah Cullember 3 horses, total assessment 25, 1 male over 16, 4 total white inhabitants
Page 368:
John E. Cullember 2 horses, 2 cattle total assessment 14, 1 male over 16, 6 total white inhabitants.
Thomas Cullember 3 horses, 4 cattle, total assessment 23, 1 male over 16, 7 total white inhabitants.
William Cullember, 3 horse, 5 cattle, total assessment 29, 2 males over 16, 9 total white inhabitants.

Charles Francis Stein, A History of Calvert County. Nancy O'Conner sent me the following information from this book.  She says that there may be other Cullembers in the tax lists.  They are not alphabetical and she says she might have missed someone. 
A tax record from 1782 for St. Leonards Creek Hundred lists Bryan, Charles and Jeremiah Cullember.
Another tax record from 1782 for the Lower Hundred of the Cliffs lists Henry, Jesse and Jonathan Cullember.
A tax record from 1733 lists Thomas Cullember.

Maryland State Archives, MARYLAND INDEXES   
(Assessment of 1783, Index), 1783, Calvert County, MSA S 1437
http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/stagser/s1400/s1437/html/ssi1437e.html
Henry Cullember. CV 3rd District, p. 29. MSA S 1161-3-3    1/4/5/46
John Cullember, III. CV 2nd District, p. 15. MSA S 1161-3-2    1/4/5/46
Thomas Cullember. CV 2nd District, p. 14. MSA S 1161-3-2    1/4/5/46
William Cullember. CV 2nd District, p. 14. MSA S 1161-3-2    1/4/5/46

???? These do not agree. 
Bettie Carothers, 1783 Tax List of Maryland, Volume 1, Cecil, Talbot, Harford, and Calvert Counties, (Lutherville, Maryland: Privately Published, 1977),189.
Page 189, Third District: Jesse Cullember 6 whites, Henry Cullember 6 whites, Nathaniel Cullember 2 whites, John Cullember 5 whites, Benjamin Cullember 3 whites, Jeremiah Cullember 5 whites.
Page 177, Second District, John Cullember, the 3rd 5 whites, thomas Cullember 7 whites, William Cullember 10 whites.
[Note: Many names have the name of a tract of land after them and the number of acres int eh tract.  None of the Cullumbers have any land after their names.]

Oaths of Fidelity
Bettie Stirling Carothers, Signers of the Oath of Fidelity to Maryland during the Revolution,

Page 36: Calvert County, Maryland:
Benjamin Cullember    Charles Cullember
Henry Cullember    Jerre Cullember
Jesse Cullember    John Cullumber
Nathaniel Cullember    Richard Cullember           
William Cullenber    John Cullumber           
           
Military Records:
S. Eugene Clements and F. Edward Wright, The Maryland Militia in the Revolutionary War, (Silver Spring, Maryland: Family Line, 1987)
A Return of the Militia of Calvert County, from Maryland Historical Society, MS 1146, Box 1.
Page 147: 1777 Edward Wood, Captain:  Includes list of names in militia which includes John Cullumber and Wm. Cullumber.
Page 148: 1777 Walter Smith Captain: List of soldiers includes John Cullumber and Jeremiah Cullumber.
Page 149: 1777 Benjamin Bond, Captain: List of soldiers includes Jess Cullumber, Benj. Cullumber, and Charles Cullumber.

Henry C. Peden, Jr., Revolutionary Patriots of Calvert & St. Mary’s Counties, Maryland,  1775-1783, (Westminister, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1996), 67.
Cullumber (Cullember), Benjamin, Private, Capt. Benjamin Bond’s Co, Calvert County Militia, 1778. [Ref: J-1146, M-149]. Took the Oath of Allegiance in Calvert County in 1778 [Ref: L-36]
Cullumber (Cullember), Charles, Private, Capt. Benjamin Bond’s Co., Calvert County Militia, 1778. [Ref: J-1146, M-149]. Took the Oath of Allegiance in Calvert County in 1778 [Ref: L-36]
Cullumber (Cullember), Henry. Took the Oath of Allegiance in Calvert County in 1778 [Ref: L-36]
Cullumber (Cullember), Jerre. Took the Oath of Allegiance in Calvert County in 1778 [Ref: L-36]
Cullumber (Cullember), Jesse. Private, Capt. Benjamin Bond’s Co., Calvert County Militia, 1778. [Ref: J-1146, M-149]. Took the Oath of Allegiance in Calvert County in 1778 [Ref: L-36]
Cullumber (Cullember), John. (1) Private, Calvert County, enlisted by Lt. Nathaniel Wilson on 23 August 1776 [Ref: D-34, which listed the name as “John Cullenber”] Private, Capt. Walter Smith’s Co, Calvert County Militia, 1778 [Ref: J-1146, —148]. (2) Private,, Capt. Edward Wood’s Co, Calvert County Militia, 1778.  

PERSI References in the Calvert County Maryland Genealogy Newsletter

Volume 7, no. 6 (September 1992) page 5:
Ann Cullember, wife of John Cullumber, Calvert County, name changed to Ann Williams, 5 January 1827. John Cullember of Calvert County, surname changed to Williams.  John was born out of wedlock, his mother Mary Cullember is since dead and he hath assumed the name of Williams, married and hath a child. Mary Ann Cullember, daughter of John and Ann, of Calvert County, name changed to Williams, 5 January 182[sic]

Volume 8, no. 6 ( September 1987)
Volume 9, no. 5 ( September 1989)
Volume 11, no. 8 (November 1996)
Volume 11, no. 8 (November 1996)
Volume 11, no. 9 (December 1996)
Volume 12, no. 1 (April 1997)
Volume 12, no. 10 (September 1998)
Allen. M. Cullumber and Jas. W. Cullember very late. Same family as in Volume 13. 
Also page 8: John Buckingham married 31 January 1776 Sarah Cullember, daughter of Thomas Cullember, Jr. And Mary; Issue: Buckingham children.
Volume 13, no. 3 (June 1998) page 4:
Allen M. Cullumber, born ca. 1902, died 14 January 1981, A. A. County [Anne Arundel], married Mary Iva –, issue: Dorothy Thelma, married —Wood; Mary Ellen married —Musick; and Donald.
James William Cullember, born 1862 married ca. 1886, Margaret A. Brady.
Much on later generations.
Volume 14, no. 6 (September 1999) [Listed as 1998 in error in PERSI.], page 1-2:
Thos. Cullember, m. Alice –; issue: Elizabeth A., born 16 December 1714; Rebecca born 25 December 1717 married 19 February 1784, Cornelius Barker; Thos. Jr., born 6 April 1719; and John, born 9 January 1923[sic]. Source Christ Church Register.
Elizabeth Cullember, Jr., born 6 April 1719, died 1769, Calvert County, married Robert French, born ca. 1686, died 1758, issue: Benjamin, born 1747. Thos Cullember, Jr. Born 6 April 1719, married Mary ----, issue Sarah married John Buckingham. Benjamin French, born 1747, married 25 June 1774, Ann Gist, Issue Benjamin, Jr, born 1770; Jacob born 1774; and Daniel born 177-. Sarah Cullember, married 31 January 1776 John Buckingham: Issue: Mary, etc.  Also many French entries. 

Raymond B. Clark, Jr., An Index to Calvert County, Maryland Wills 1700-1777 and an Index to Calvert County, Maryland Wills, 1654 to 1700, (Arlington, Virginia: Privately Published, 1981). No Cullumbers in index. 

Elise Greenup Jourdan, Early Families of Southern Maryland, Volume 5, (Westminster, Maryland: Family Line, 199?), 317.
She [Mary Crompton] was also a creditor in the estate of Thomas Cullimber in Calvert County, 30 September 1745.(1&A 31.348)

Elise Greenup Jourdan, Colonial Records of Southern Maryland,
Christ Church Parish, Calvert County:
Page 84: John Buckingham married Sarah Cullember, daughter of Thomas and Mary Cullember on 31 January 1776.
Page 85: Calvert County Marriages by Rev. Francis Louder
Nathaniel Cullember married Cassandra Bowen 8 November 1788
page 81: Confirmed on Sunday 4 May 1794, by the Right Rev’d Docter Clagger, Bishop of Maryland. (Page 83) Casse Cullember.

Ailene W. Hutchins, Calvert County, Maryland Early Land Records, (Prince Frederick, Maryland: Privately Published,     )
F. 15– 26 July 1786, Nathaniel Cullember and his wife Cassandra, to Eason Edmund for £6-13-3 sold land named Neighborhood on one of the branches of Battle Creek, except that [part] already sold to John Sedwick.
F. 19 –26 July 1786, Eason Edmunds and wife, Dorothy (as one of the co-heiresses of Hezehiah Bowen) to Nathaniel Cullember and his wife Cassandra (as one of the co-heiresses of Hezekiah Bowen) interest in 27 ½ acres, Neighborhood.
F. 20 –26 July 1786, Nathaniel Cullember and his wife Cassandra, to John Sedwick for £52-7-7, 27 ½ acres, Neighborhood, on one of the branches of Battle Creek.
F. 74 – 24 November 1886, George W. Boyd to Charles H. Monnett, land called Ireland’s Hope, and run with the land lately owned by George W. Wood to intersect the land of Brooklyn Cullember and George Hardesty and with Hrdesty to intersect Hog Haunt and with Hog Haunt to the land of Washington Dorsey then west to the beginning.

Mildred Bowen O’Brien, Calvert County, Maryland, Family Records, 1670-1929, (Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, Inc., 1978).
Page 6: Christ Church Register
Thomas Collembre and Alice, his wife:
Elizabeth, daughter, born 16 December 1714
Rebecca, daughter, born 25 December 1717
Thomas, son, born 6 April 1719
John, son, born 9 January 1723

page 58: Christ Church Baptisms
Hezekiah Collumber, baptized 9 July 1846

Page 127:
Nathaniel Cullember married Cassandra Bowen, 8 November 1778

Page 131: St. James Register of southern Anne Arundel County, and/ or the West River Charge Records, involving people from Calvert County.
Cornelius Barker and Miss Rebecca Cullember were married at St. James on 19 February 1784.

Page 136: Marriages in Anne Arundel County
Edward Turner and Mary Cullember married 8 January 1784.

Maryland Archives Volume 12, page 521-2
[Cullumber’s Petition.] Original.
Headquarters, Annapolis, 1 December 1776
The Humble Petition of Thomas Culllumber in Behalf and for his two far absent children Humbly Sheweth–
That your Petitioner has two small children in Calvert County and the oldest of them not being above five and a half years old, they are incapable of doing any thing for themselves, and at the same time, most honourable Gentlemen, I am to inform you that after the death of my wife and the time of my enlistment, I agreed with a friend of mine there to take care of them for a limited time But through the frowns of Providence and the misfortunes of the world, he has fell through and reduced to the very lowest ebb of Poverty, so that, most Honourable Gentlemen, he is incapable of affording or aiding himself any support, let alone any subsistence for my two far absent infants, and without some relief, and that quickly, they must inestimably perish.  Likewise most Gracious and considerate Gentlemen I am to inform you, that the person with whom I left my poor infants, wrote me that I must go down immediately in order to provide a living for my children as he was under the necessity of going to Frederick. Therefore most honourable Gentlemen I hope you will take the low and deplorable condition of your poor petitioners two children’s situation into your most serious consideration and grant him some leave of absence or other method to provide for them and your poor petitioner shall ever be in duty bound to pray.
To Thomas Cullumber.
The honourable the Council of Safety, now sitting in the city of Annapolis, These by submission present, the Petition of Thomas Cullumber, private belonging to the Train of Artillery 2nd Maryland, Montross’s, CSJ Thursday 12 December 1776.

Robert Barnes, Maryland Marriages 1801 to 1820, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1993), 69,
Thomas Glenn married 18 July 1816, Gartha (?) Colember
This is listed as from source 17 BA 12.  Register of East Baltimore Station, Methodist Episcopal Church, Original Register on microfilm MF M412 at MSA.

Robert Barnes, Maryland Genealogies, Volume 1, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980), 273.
In Churchill family history: He [Elias de Cherchelle, son of Roger de Cherchill, still living in the time of Edward I] married Dorothy, daughter of the ancient family of the Columbers and by her had three sons. The third son was William Churchill, from whom the family of the Dukes of Marlborough spring through eight generations to Sir Winston Churchill.  (Taken from Collins Peerage, edition of 1810.)

FHL 0831292, Berkeley County, Virginia court orders 1795-1815, page 21. 
Orders of February Court 1798: 
Order to bind Cullumber
This would have been an order to bind a Cullumber as an apprentice.  No further information is in the court order book. 

VA Gazette mention of John Cullumber, deserter in Mar 1779. 

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