Thomas Coombe Sr. (97)

Election date: 1768 (Elected to the revived American Philosophical Society. Elected to the American Society in 1768.)
APS Office(s): Treasurer of the APS (1770-1779)

Thomas Coombe, Sr. (c. 1720–29 September 1799) was a Philadelphia city official and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1768. Little is known about Coombe’s early life, but much of his adult life was spent working in the service of the city, namely as the Health Officer of Philadelphia and in various positions as a collector of special duties. The income provided by these positions allowed him to live comfortably and to contribute to local institutions such as the Pennsylvania Hospital and the College Philadelphia. An enthusiastic amateur scientist, Coombe was an early and active member of the APS, serving on a number of committees, including the committee convened to observe the Transit of Venus, and publishing his own meteorological journal in a volume of APS Transactions. To further his learning he amassed a large library and acquired a number of scientific instruments including a microscope and achromatic refracting telescope. Although he was sympathetic towards England during the American Revolution, he endured no patriot reprisals because of his political discretion and advanced years. When the British occupation of Philadelphia ended in 1778, Coombe relocated to his farm, Auburn, in Chestnut Hill where he lived out his remaining years. Deteriorating mental health seems to have kept him from returning to Philadelphia society and to the APS. His son Thomas Coombe, Jr., was an APS member. (PI)

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