In the first part of the Collins Timeline I posted it speaks of a 1742 Orange Co. Court case which involved several members of the Saponi Indian Tribe . I placed a email to the tribal leader of the Saponi Nation and this post is his reply. I sent my self addressed stamped envelope as did several othere people but to this day we have heard nothing. Any subjections where I can go from here..... I personally believe that this John Collins is somehow connected with the COLLINS melungeons. I spoke to the historian,Wes Tauchiray,and his research on the Saponi is in the SC Historical Societyin Charleston,SC under the name of "The Wes WHITE Collection". Brenda Date: 97-08-28 20:51:08 EDT From: obsn@juno.com To: Bj04@aol.com Mecou, Greetings, We have received your e-mails. The Collins name is one of several documented Saponi surnames from the colonial period. Several so called "Mulatto" Collins families lived here in Orange County in the 1750's (See Orange County, NC 1755 tax list) along Bunches, Griffith/Griffins (another documented colonial Saponi surname) and Gibson's. These surnames were still in this area of North Carolina when the bulk of the remaining Southern Saponi returned from the VA/NC border area near the old Saponi Nation reservation/Fort Christ Anna [the Greensville/Brunswick County area of Virginia and Northhampton County, North Carolina] to resettle in Orange County, North Carolina between the 1780's and 1820. As you know, many of these kinspeople migrated with the western frontier to Western North Carolina and Tennessee where they are now known as Melungeons. IF YOU SEND US A SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE WE CAN SEND YOU MORE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION . I HOPE THIS HAS BEEN HELPFUL. Lawrence A Dunmore, III, Esquire Tribal Chairperson On Thu, 28 Aug 1997 09:54:54 -0400 (EDT) Bj04@aol.com writes: >I found a record in a Orange Co. Court record 1742 where a group of >Saponi >Indians were taken into court for stealing hogs and setting the woods >on >fire. One of the Indians was named John Collins. Can you tell me >anything >about Collins in connection with the Saponi Indinas? BJ04@aol.com I would really appreciate any help I can get with this lead...... Brenda Collins Dillon