Thomas Collins

Personpeople/thomas-collins-1700.md

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name
Thomas Collins
aka
[Thomas Collins "Molata", Thomas Collins Sr., "old Thomas"]
sex
male
access
public
summary
The earliest known ancestor of the Collins family, first found in the Louisa County, Virginia, court in 1745 and by 1750 on a Granville County, North Carolina, tax list. Taxed in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1755 as a "Molata" on three Black tithes, he was granted 700 acres on Dial's Creek of the Flat River in 1761. Probably the father of John Collins and grandfather of Meredith Collins.
born
date
c. 1700
place
probably Virginia
basis
compiled
confidence
probable
sources
[book-heinegg-2021-free-african-americans]
note
Heinegg gives "b. say 1700," an estimate.
died
date
c. 1770
place
probably Orange County, North Carolina
basis
compiled
confidence
possible
sources
[land-grant-thomas-collins-1761]
research
research/collins-reed/Meredith_Collins_Origin_Line_Addendum.md
note
A secondary claim (Brenda Collins Dillon's research), not verified. He was alive when Gv579 was surveyed in April 1761, and a chain carrier on Gv897 in August 1763.
residences
date
1745
place
Louisa County, Virginia
basis
documented
confidence
probable
sources
[book-heinegg-2021-free-african-americans]
note
Presented in the Louisa County court in 1745; sold his Turkey Run land on the South Anna River in 1747.
date
1750
place
Granville County, North Carolina
basis
documented
confidence
probable
sources
[book-heinegg-2021-free-african-americans]
note
On John Wade's Granville County tax list; a Granville grant on the Flat River followed in 1752.
date
1755
place
Orange County, North Carolina
basis
documented
confidence
proven
sources
[tax-list-1755-orange-county-nc, land-grant-thomas-collins-1761]
note
Taxed as a "Molata" on three Black tithes; granted 700 acres on Dial's Creek of the Flat River in 1761.

The earliest proven ancestor of the Collins family. Presented in the Louisa County, Virginia, court in 1745 for failing to list a tithable, "who was probably his wife" in Heinegg's reading, and separately on 26 November 1745 for profane swearing. Sold 184 acres on Turkey Run, south side of the South Anna River, to John Powell in 1747, near Gilbert Gibson, Thomas Gibson and Sam Bunch. On John Wade's Granville County, North Carolina, tax list in 1750; a Granville grant on the Flat River at Dial's Creek in 1752, witnessed by Paul Collins, George Gibson and Moses Riddle.

Taxed in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1755 as a "Molata" on three Black tithes. Chain carrier on two neighbors' surveys on Deep Creek (Gv985, 1760; Gv897, 1763). His own grant, Gv579, 700 acres on Dial's Creek of the Flat River, was surveyed by William Churton on 13 April 1761, with George Gibson and Paul Collins carrying the chain, and granted on 13 October 1761. Its warrant (29 December 1760 in Heinegg) came three days after John Brown's warrant over the community's improvements on the Flat River.

Heinegg names four probable sons: Samuel (b. say 1724), George (b. about 1728), Thomas Jr. (b. say 1734) and John (b. say 1736). Meredith Collins was the son of John or of Samuel. Some of the family left the Flat River for the New River about 1767; Thomas may have stayed.

His wife is unknown. She was not a daughter of Moses Riddle, as older tradition says: Moses was born about 1715-25 and could not have fathered the mother of Thomas's sons. The Thomas Collins born 1713 in Hampshire, England, who married Ann Blyth, attached to this family in the FamilySearch tree, is ruled out on dates and records.

Open questions

  • Who was his wife?
  • Who were his parents? Nothing is known before 1745.
  • When and where did he die? Did he stay on the Flat River after about 1767?
  1. ---
  2. name: Thomas Collins
  3. aka: [Thomas Collins "Molata", Thomas Collins Sr., "old Thomas"]
  4. sex: male
  5. access: public
  6. summary: >-
  7. The earliest known ancestor of the Collins family, first found in the Louisa County, Virginia,
  8. court in 1745 and by 1750 on a Granville County, North Carolina, tax list. Taxed in Orange
  9. County, North Carolina, in 1755 as a "Molata" on three Black tithes, he was granted 700 acres on
  10. Dial's Creek of the Flat River in 1761. Probably the father of John Collins and grandfather of
  11. Meredith Collins.
  12. born:
  13. date: c. 1700
  14. place: probably Virginia
  15. basis: compiled
  16. confidence: probable
  17. sources: [book-heinegg-2021-free-african-americans]
  18. note: Heinegg gives "b. say 1700," an estimate.
  19. died:
  20. date: c. 1770
  21. place: probably Orange County, North Carolina
  22. basis: compiled
  23. confidence: possible
  24. sources: [land-grant-thomas-collins-1761]
  25. research: research/collins-reed/Meredith_Collins_Origin_Line_Addendum.md
  26. note: A secondary claim (Brenda Collins Dillon's research), not verified. He was alive when Gv579 was surveyed in April 1761, and a chain carrier on Gv897 in August 1763.
  27. residences:
  28. - date: "1745"
  29. place: Louisa County, Virginia
  30. basis: documented
  31. confidence: probable
  32. sources: [book-heinegg-2021-free-african-americans]
  33. note: "Presented in the Louisa County court in 1745; sold his Turkey Run land on the South Anna River in 1747."
  34. - date: "1750"
  35. place: Granville County, North Carolina
  36. basis: documented
  37. confidence: probable
  38. sources: [book-heinegg-2021-free-african-americans]
  39. note: "On John Wade's Granville County tax list; a Granville grant on the Flat River followed in 1752."
  40. - date: "1755"
  41. place: Orange County, North Carolina
  42. basis: documented
  43. confidence: proven
  44. sources: [tax-list-1755-orange-county-nc, land-grant-thomas-collins-1761]
  45. note: "Taxed as a \"Molata\" on three Black tithes; granted 700 acres on Dial's Creek of the Flat River in 1761."
  46. ---
  48. The earliest proven ancestor of the Collins family. Presented in the Louisa County,
  49. Virginia, court in 1745 for failing to list a tithable, "who was probably his wife" in
  50. Heinegg's reading, and separately on 26 November 1745 for profane swearing. Sold 184
  51. acres on Turkey Run, south side of the South Anna River, to John Powell in 1747, near
  52. Gilbert Gibson, Thomas Gibson and Sam Bunch. On John Wade's Granville County, North
  53. Carolina, tax list in 1750; a Granville grant on the Flat River at Dial's Creek in
  54. 1752, witnessed by Paul Collins, George Gibson and Moses Riddle.
  56. Taxed in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1755 as a "Molata" on three Black tithes.
  57. Chain carrier on two neighbors' surveys on Deep Creek (Gv985, 1760; Gv897, 1763). His
  58. own grant, Gv579, 700 acres on Dial's Creek of the Flat River, was surveyed by William
  59. Churton on 13 April 1761, with George Gibson and Paul Collins carrying the chain, and
  60. granted on 13 October 1761. Its warrant (29 December 1760 in Heinegg) came three days
  61. after John Brown's warrant over the community's improvements on the Flat River.
  63. Heinegg names four probable sons: Samuel (b. say 1724), George (b. about 1728),
  64. Thomas Jr. (b. say 1734) and John (b. say 1736). Meredith Collins was the son of John
  65. or of Samuel. Some of the family left the Flat River for the New River about 1767;
  66. Thomas may have stayed.
  68. His wife is unknown. She was not a daughter of Moses Riddle, as older tradition says:
  69. Moses was born about 1715-25 and could not have fathered the mother of Thomas's sons.
  70. The Thomas Collins born 1713 in Hampshire, England, who married Ann Blyth, attached to
  71. this family in the FamilySearch tree, is ruled out on dates and records.
  73. ## Open questions
  75. - Who was his wife?
  76. - Who were his parents? Nothing is known before 1745.
  77. - When and where did he die? Did he stay on the Flat River after about 1767?
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