Bolin

I knew that name sounded familiar. There are Saponi families by the name of Bullen or Bullian. Were there any other stories in the family about Indian ancestry?

Well, Elsie, if you can trace to that John Bowling you’ll be a very rare person indeed — someone who can actually trace to a documented Saponi. I think that court case is about half the list of known Saponi.

When did your John live? Do you all still live aroun Durham? Heck, if you could trace to that John Bowling, and were part of a still existing isolate community . . . you’d be in a position a ton of folks I’ve come across would give their eye teeth for.

Are there are oral traditions in your family? Any other clues?

Rosebud, do you think it would be possible to find definite descendants of the original John Bowling hauled into court in the 1700’s for terrorizing a white man and stealing hogs?

Who is this John Bowling buried in Durham County. Is he related to you? What Bolins do you know you’re related to? Where have they been located?

Elsie, Collins/Reed/Bowling seem to stay connected. Here is a copy of a letter that connects the Reed & Collins together and it is in Indiana.Let me know if I can help.

Aug. 4, 1996

Dear Mary Lou:

I can finally answer your letter. My arm is out of the cast,

but my fingers are still stiff.

About the article I wrote years ago, I will have to make some

drastic changes. I will have to tell you that I still do not

have proof for a lot of things, but circumstantial evidence

is so convincing that I am satisfied.

To make a long story as short as I can, my Henry Howard (g

grandfather) was the illegitimate child of Amanda Collins and

Wm. S. ‘Big Bill” Howard who is written up in Fusion’s

History of Bell County (except Fusion has wrong information

on his birth date. All the census show he was not born until

1806. He was born and living on Straight Creek on one side

of Cumberland Ford (later Pineville) and Amanda lived on the

other side of Cumberland Ford where 47 Collins’ lived on

Clear Creek and Greasy Creek. These men were all within the

age to be brothers. Aaron, Henry, Sol, Levi, Isaiah, and

David. Perhaps this was your David. Apparently Abraham and

Hiram had already moved into Clay co., not too many miles

from Pineville.

One night there was a knife fight (in a waterfront town, as

my family tells it) and Big Bill was knifed and thought to be

dead. Amanda took baby Henry and fled to Clay County where

she left Henry. I have no real trace of Amanda after that.

I find Henry in the 1830 census of Abraham Collins. He is 4-5 years

old. In the meantime, all the above mentioned Collin’ have

left Knox Co., perhaps to avoid a continuing feud with the

Howards in which the mulengeon Collins’ had no legal rights.

Then in the Archives in Frankfort Ky, Clay County film 984492

tells that the 1832 term of court several men are accused in

the death of a certain Robert Wickliff. Abraham and Hiram Collins ( from line of David 1750)

are among them. Also Wm. Morris, Jr., David McCullum, and

Bradley Collins (Meredith’s son). Wm, Morris requested permission and was

given to go to Indiana to get a deposition from a Kezia

Gregory. He never returned and the trial was postponed for

two or three years and I ran out of time to follow up, but

evidently it was dropped and about 1834 Abraham decides to go

to Indiana also. He settled near this Keziah Gregory in

Martin County. He eventually bought 80 acres and when my

Henry married Abraham and Christine sold him 40 acres where

Henry raised his several children. They lived there until

all of his children except the youngest son married. The

Civil war was brooding and the racial issue was brooding. In

1856 there is a very unusual document in the court there

where Abraham is trying to prove he should not be classified

negro.

In court Abraham was allowed to question Henry Ridenour.

QUESTION by Abraham Collins. Were you acquainted with my

parents, grand parents, and great grandparents? If so state

ANSWER His great grandfather I knew well and was 1/5 African

blood. His grandmother was a native of Ireland. His father

was less than 1/16 and I never knew his blood to be

questioned and all of Abrahams relatives in the parental line

was allowed to vote and were regarded as white men.

Abraham’s mother was a Reed, of Portuguese extraction I am

informed and believe. She was a sister to James Reed and

John Reed, who are now deceased and late of Morgan County,

Indiana.

(This affidavit seems to rule out Thompsey Posting as the

mother, but there may be some connection. It is interesting

that Abraham’s wife was named Christine Poulston. POULTON-

POSTING however the clerk might want to spell it.

One of Abraham’s sisters married Ephriam Lunsford, one

married a Reed. After Christine died, Abraham lost his land

in Indiana and died at his sister’s —-Reed in Estill

county.

In 1871 Henry and Eliza Howard decided to move to Mo. Most

all the children moved to and the others soon followed as

soon as their land could be disposed of. All the children

were married except the youngest son Elsworth Howard. The

oldest son Tylghman lost his first wife and married my

grandmother in Mo. They all landed on 5 mile creek Newton

Co., Mo., at a little community called Stella-no longer in

existence. They didn’t stay there too many years until they

decided to move on to Colo. All the family went except the

oldest boy (my grandfather) Tylghman and his youngest brother

Elsworth who had married a Mo. girl.

From Ft. Collins, Colo., some decided to moved on to near

Boise, Idaho. There some of the family embraced the Mormon

religion and Henry and Eliza with one son and wife moved to

Utah to establish the town of Vernal — a Mormon community.

They had been there a short time when Henry died and is

buried there and the others went back to Idaho.

I guess this about sums up what you wanted to know. I hope

it is of some help. I will be curious to know if it opens

any doors for you. Sorry it took me so long.

Sincerely,

Mildred Middlebusher

Cr.3515 Cr. 3310

Bowring, OK 74009

Collins/Jones/Spencer/Williams/Thomas

WILLIAM3 WILLIAMS (HUGH2, JEREMIAH1) was born 1794 in Greenbrier Co. Va.., and died 1869 in Nicholas Co. WV. He married (1) REBECCA HEATERS. He married (2) ELIZABETH JONES 1818 in Kanawha Co. WV, daughter of THOMAS JONES and LAVINAH THOMAS. She was born 1796 in Greenbrier Co. WV, and died 1882 in Nicholas Co. WV.

Children of WILLIAM WILLIAMS and ELIZABETH JONES are: i. ROBERT4 WILLIAMS, b. 1818, Nicholas Co. WV; m. MIRIAM NEAL, 1839; b. 1820. ii. SENNETT WILLIAMS, b. 1820, Nicholas Co. WV; m. NELLIE NUTTER, 1841; b. 1823, Nicholas Co. WVa.; d. 1869. iii. HARRIETT WILLIAMS, b. 1822, Nicholas Co. WV; m. GEORGE N. GRAY; b. 1821, Nicholas Co. WVa.. iv. REBECCA WILLIAMS, b. 1825, Nicholas Co. WV; d. 1857, Nicholas Co. WVa.; m. DAVID S. NUTTER; b. 1825. 4. v. JOHN JONES WILLIAMS, b. 1826, Nicholas Co. WVa.; d. Bef. 1880, Nicholas Co. WVa.. vi. ALEXANDER WILLIAMS, b. 1829, Nicholas Co. WV; d. 1891, Nicholas Co. WVa.; m. ALMERINDA O’DELL; b. 1833, Nicholas Co. WV. vii. WILLIAM T. WILLIAMS, b. 1832, Nicholas Co. WV; m. MARY SIZEMORE; b. 1838. viii. SAMUEL F. WILLIAMS, b. 1833, Nicholas Co. WV; m. ELIZABETH MARY BAILES, 1856; b. 1839. ix. SHELTON PARKER WILLIAMS, b. 1834, Nicholas Co. WV; m. (1) MARY JEFFERS; m. (2) SUSAN DUNBAR; m. (3) MARY O’DELL; m. (4) CATHERINE BARRETT.

HUGH WILLIAMS & Jane Bell had daughter Melinda Williams who married Stephen TAYLOR (Crystal…your ex- mother-in-law’s line)

Stephen & Melinda Taylor was the parents of Catherine TAYLOR who I believe was mixed blood but not sure what tribe. Catherine’s daughter Fidella married my ggrandfather Richard COLLINS

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Life is a Rainbow made up of Many Different Colors…..