Individual Details

Birth

N.J. or PA or Europe

Birth

conjecture of this website:
2. William Collings witnessed the will of Abraham Elston in 1751.
3. William Collins, William Elstone and Samuel Elston were all isted as freeholders in Elizabeth Town, Essex Co., NJ as of 1 Sep 1755.
4. William Elston Collings bought land at Scotch Plains in 1768.
5. William Collins and his wife asked for a Letter of Dismission from the Scotch Plains Baptist Church as they had removed to VA. Entered into church records on 2 Feb 1780.

Religion

The Scotch Plains Baptist Church is now located in Union Co., NJ. In 1747 it was in Elizabeth Twp., Essex County. In 1747, fifteen person who lived in the Scotch Plains area petitioned the Piscataway Church for permission to organize a separate church. "Among the members as of 5 Aug 1747 were Benjamin Collins and William Collins..." (From Linnea B. Foster CGRS, Madison, NJ in letter to Connie Hackman, 2 Jun 1996.)

Note

William Collins, William Elstone and Samuel Elston were all listed as freeholders in Elizabeth Town, Essex Co., NJ as of 1 Sep 1755.

Residence

The family of William and Ann Elston Collings came from Pennsylvania to the Fromans Creek/Coxs Creek area of Nelson County in about 1780. -- From WJRose 1 June 2004:

Residence

The family of William and Ann Elston Collings came from Pennsylvania to the Froman's Creek/Cox's Creek area of Nelson County in about 1780.

Residence

William Collins and his wife asked for a Letter of Dismission from the Scotch Plains Baptist Church as they had removed to VA. Entered into church records on 2 Feb 1780.

Note

PETITION
"Memorial of May 15, 1780, signed by the inhabitants of Kentucky and Illinois and address to the Continental Congress" - Folios 247-249 inclusive. Virginia Records.
TO THE HONORABLE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.
"The Petition of a number of the true and loyal subjects of the United States of America at large most humbly Showeth.

"That your Petitioners having heretofore been Inhabiters of the different States of America Since the commencement of the contest with Great Britain for the common cause of Liberty; have ventured their lives in a wild uncultivated part of the Continent on the western Waters of Ohio called by general name of Kentucky, where they have made improvements on what they allowed was Kings Unaproprieted Lands before the Commencement of the said contest and that in the face of a Savage Enemy with the utmost hardships and in daily geopardy of being unhumanly murdered. - Your Petitioners further allowed that the Honorable Congress would allow them a Reasonable Retailation in Lands for the Services your Petitioners did, in defending and Settling, on their own expense, the Country aforesaid to the weakening of the Enemy and the Strengthening the United States whenever the common contest with Britain should be desided in favour of America. - In the full assurance of which your Petitioners Sold all their livings in the Settled parts of the continent and have removed with their wives and families and all their Effects to the country aforesaid in order to take possession of their improvements aforesaid. - But when they came found almost all their Improvements granted away by a Sett of men which acted or pretended to act under the late Act of Virginia, which act also allowed large grants without any resdenc of Settleing and improving the same. - By which means almost the whole of the lands in the country aforesaid are Engrossed into the hands of a few interested men, the greater part of which live at ease in the internal parts of Virginia while your petitioners are here with their wifes and children daily Exposed to the murders of the Savages to whom sundry of their Acquaintance have fell a sacrifice since their arrival though as yet, but a short time. Again the late Act of Virginia require your petitioners to take a new oath of Allegience to that State renouncing all other Kings, Princes, and States, and be true to the state of Virginia only, and the prospect of Military Government taking place Shortly in this place give your Petitioners the greatest apprehension of the most severe usage unless they comply with their mandates.

"Your Petitioners considering all their grievances would gladly return into the Settled parts of the Continent again but having come Seven hundred Miles down the River Ohio with the Expense of the greater part of their fortunes, find it impracticable to return back against the stream with their wives and children were they to Suffer the most cruel death.
"Your petitioners being drove to the Extremity aforesaid have but three things to choose, One is to tary in this place, take the Oath of Allegience to Virginia, and be true to that State only and also become Slaves to thos Engrossera of Lands and to the Court of Virginia. The Others is to remove down the river Ohio and land on some other part of Mexico and become Subjects of the King of Spain - And the third to Remove themselves Over the River Ohio, with their wives, children, and their small Effects remaining`; which is now in possession of the Savage Enemy to whom they are daily Exposed to murders. The Two former appearing to your petitioners to have a Tendency to weaken the United States and as it were Banish the common cause of Liberty, Humbly pray the Honorable Continental Congress to grant them liberty of taking the latter choice and remaining with their wives families and Effects to the Indian side of the Ohio and take possession of the Same in the name of the United States of America at large, where your Petitioners suppose to support themselves in an Enemys Country on their own risque and Expence, which they humbly conceive will have a tendency to weaken the power of the Enemy, Strengthen the United States at large and advance the Common cause of Liberty. - Your Petitioners further pray the Honourable Congress to allow them Liberty of making such Regulations amongst themselves as they shall find necessary to govern themselves b:-. being subject to the United States at large and no other State or power whatever. Your Petitioners humbly pray the Honorable Continental Congress to consider their case and grievances in its true light and grant them such relief as they in their great wisdom shall see. Meet. As your petitioners in duty bound shall Ever Pray.-"
Among the many signers were:
Spencer Collings - William Collings
George Crist - Thomas Collings
William Collings


NOTE: Spelling has been left as transcribed.

Note

"The humble petition of part of the inhabitants of the County of Yohogania humbly sheweth
"That your petioners labor under heavy and distressing circumstances occasioned by the extensive bounds of this county, placing the seat of justice as it now stands as remote from a great number of the inhabitants as when this district was in one county, rendering the administration of justice inconvenient, expensive and dilatory. We therefore pray that this county may be divided into two distinct counties by the river Monongahela, making two compact counties one on the east and the other on the west side of said river, and that the places for holding courts in future (?) for the said county may be fixed by a general vote of the landholders in each county and your
petitioners as in duty shall pray"
Among the signers
William Collings - George Criss
William Elston Collings - John Houghland
Zebulon Collings
NOTE: It would appear that the other William Collings on the petition would be William Elston Collings'father and the Zebulon would be William Elston's older brother known to these descendants as Zebulon "the powder maker". The signer named George Criss likely was George Crist, thought to have married William Elston's sister, Elizabeth Collings. The Houghlands also were inter-married with the Collings and the family name later showed up in Scott County.

Note

Some sources give birth in 1832, but 1824 seems to fit better. WJRose has birth in 1720 in Elston County, New Jersey.

[I think Flory meant 1732 and 1724.]

Note

The Collins' were of German origin. William E. Collins, our subject's great grandfather, was a son of foreign parents. They seem to have settled in Pennsylvania and there he married Phebe Hoagland. Their children were: Richard, married, second, Nancy Collins; Carns, married Katy Cooper; Zebulon, married Mary Gearnsy; Henry, married Miss Houghman; John, married Jane Brodie; Elizabeth, wife of Abe Richie; Sichie, married John Richie; Lydia, wife of Harper Cochran, and Mary Jane, wife of the soldier, John Biggs.