The Collins Family

James and Peter Collins

Currently I am searching for information about the Collins line in several online databases. I have also found a few webpages that are dedicated to researching this line. I am waiting on permission to share the link/links on this blog site. (I think it is best to ask before sharing)

But, my observations suggest, as well as several other researchers, that the frequency of names found in Franklin County, North Carolina after the Revolutionary War are consistent with names found in the Isle of Wight area of Virginia prior to the war. Records suggest that these families intermarried and moved about the same time into North Carolina. 

Geographically speaking, the two areas are not that far apart. If you add in the rivers, creeks and swamps it would make sense that people would travel in this direction. It has also been suggested that sending tobacco to market was easier from this area. The name Centerville has been suggested means it was a center or crossroads for taking tobacco to market.

The land available for farming in the swampy area of the Isle of Wight was beginning to be depleted of necessary nutrients from the years of consistent farming. It was also getting crowded as more and more immigrants arrived into the area. Add into this picture, the battles of the Revolutionary War, we can probably see the reasons for families to move. 

In Franklin County, the Leonard and Collins families lived next to each other and testified for each other on pension records for the Revolutionary War. Collins children married into the Leonard family. Van Leonard witnessed the will of James Collins. 

Look for more information about these two families in the upcoming posts. 

If anyone has any information to add to my growing collection, please send it my way. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Pattie