Hi I'm very new to all of this. What are/were Melungeons? Thanks Lyn Collins lyne@theriver.com Have you considered they might have been Melungeons? Collins is one of their most common surnames. I've gathered from my reading that there was a lot of prejudice against them some places in the south once the Census began classifying them as "free persons of color." I know there are persons on this group better qualified than I to address the issue with regard to counties of origin, etc. Hal Amick