I have been searching for the pieces of my Collins puzzle for over 30 years. I am hopeing that somebody can lend a helping hand and maybe fill in a few blanks. I have much information back as far as Meredith/Meridia Collins. I know he was born about 1760 but not the location of his birth nor his parentage. His first son was Bradley Collins born 1786 supposely Orange Co.NC to an unknown first wife. ( Bradley is not that common a first name for that time period and thus it may have bee the wife's surname??) Meredith "took up with" Mary "Polly"Holloway about 1795, the daughter of unknown parents. The couple with children of the first marriage then removed into Wilkes Co. NC then into Russell Co. Va where John W., Edward, Archibald were born before 1800. The first son returned to Orange Co. NC to marry Jane Ray in 1817 so I feel they still had ties to the county. I would welcome any help in solving my Collins mystery. Oh yes, Meredith was listed in later years as "mullato" and fpc so he might have been part black or Indian. Brenda Collins Dillon http://www.angelfire.com/wv2/dillon1944/