Vardeman COLLINS

   Other names for Vardeman were Varde COLLINS, Vardemon COLLINS, Vardemon Navarrah COLLINS, Vardi COLLINS, Vardiman COLLINS and Vardy COLLINS.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Note. Vardy has been called the "patriarch of the Melungeons", and has been speculated to have been one of the first settlers in the Newmans Ridge/Blackwater area. But a check of the records indicates that Vardy may not have arrived in Hawkins/Hancock Co until 1810. There were other Collins and Gibsons in S.W. VA and E. TN earlier than 1810, but I'm not sure whether they were in the Newmans Ridge/Blackwater area. He was in Wilkes Co, NC in 1790, according to the census. He was listed in the Ashe Co, NC census in 1800, and in Hawkins Co, TN in 1810. I read a reference that he was in the Wilkes Co, NC 1810 censu too, but I havent checked that out yet.

• Land, 1790-1793, NC. Vardiman Collins land grants, State of NC:
10/3/1790
8/14/1793

• Land, 1787-1795, Wilkes County, NC. #68: Apr. 9, 1787. William Morris enters 100 ac in Wilkes Co. in S side of "knew" R; border: at or near the upper end of the Flatt Shole and runs down said river; [Jacob May--lined out] transfers to Vardry Collins.
##912. Jan 2, 1795. Hillair Rousseau enters 640 ac on New River near Vardry Collins.
#1912. "1795" Vardy Collins enters 50 ac in Wilkes co on S side of S fork of New R; border: at my line above my improvement

• Tax List: possibly?, 1810, Hawkins County, TN. 1810 Capt. Looney's Co. (Creekmore 1980, 170-172):

Colings, Bengamon 901
Collings, Vardemon 1001
Collings, James 1001
Collings, Hennery 1
Gibson, Gerden 1001
Gibson, Yearby 1
Gibson, Shepard 501
Gibson, Charles 1
Gibson, Tiry 501
Gibson, Royal 1
Vallingtine Collings 1001


Gibson, Gerden1001

• Land, 1816-1821, Hawkins County, TN. 1816 Vardemon Collins, Newman's Ridge land grant from Tennessee, on land certificate issued 11 November 1790 to John Wolf by North Carolina for meritorious service in the NC line. Register's Office, Rogersville, TN, Grant Book 2, p. 140 (Price 1966, 15 n85).

1816 Vardemon Collins, land grant under assignment of a certificate issued to Elisha Neilson in 1796. Register's Office, Rogersville, TN, Grant Book 2, p. 155 (Price 1966, 15, n86).

1816, 25 April. #3772. State of TN to Vardeman Collins. Humphrey O. Johnson line; Mourning Gibson's claim (Land Papers; Grohse Papers, Reel 2).

1821 Vardiman Collins security for $200 for Tyra Gibson, who was in Jonesville, Lee Co., VA jail for non-payment of debt (Grohse Papers, Reel 4).

In 1820, we find land being granted to Vardy Collins in Hawkins County, TN. The land is situated on Blackwater between the mountain and Newman's Ridge. This land adjoins that of Jordan Gibson (daughter-in-law's father?). This part of Eastern Tennessee had a struggling economy due to being landlocked. In 1828 the first steamboat, Atlas, makes its way up the river to Knoxville. Within the next two years the businessmen of this district seek state assistance to build the railroads in search of a way to boost their economy. The 1820 census for Hawkins County, TN, lists 310 Free Persons of Color or FPC.

• Land, 1811-1837, TN. Vardiman Collins land grants, State of Tennessee:
11/5/1811 - 4/25/1816, #3772
8/14/1813 - 11/25/1816, #4067
6/19/1826, #19,622
10/1/1832, #21,408
10/12/1832, #18,248
6/27/1837, #23,226

• Deed, 1825-1843, Hawkins County, TN. Hawkins Co., TN, Deed Book 11, p. 273. James Johnson to Vardeman Collins, Registered 27 May 1825. 25 February 1825. Each of Hawkins Co., TN. $400. 75 acres situated on Blackwater Creek, part of a 300-acre tract entered by said Johnson & Moses Humphreys, beg. at a white oak and hickory on Vardeman Collins' line at the foot of Newman ridge & with said line N30 & W19 poles to two sugar trees on the bank of blackwater Creek Collins' & Gibson's corner then the same course crossing sd creek 59 poles to a white oak and Sput of Powell's Mountain thence N59E148 poles to a maple and white oak on the bank of Steep Hollow, said mountain, thence S30E 78 poles to a Stake on the ...tent line of the north wide of Newmans ridge thence 59W148 poles to the beginning. Said Vardiman Collins ...
Hawkins Co., TN, Deed Book 4, p. 369, transferred from Book 12, p. 202. James Johnson to Vardy Collins. 26 May 1828, Registered 12 March 1830. $450, on Blackwater between mountain & Numans ridge, corner Jordan Gibson, 130 acres more or less ...
Hawkins Co., TN, Deed Book 15, p. 405. George R. Stubblefield to Vardy Collins, Registered 21 May 1836. 28 July 1835. George R. Stubblefield of Claibourne Co., TN to Vardy Collins of Hawkins Co., TN. $50.00. On the waters called Black Water on the north side of Newmans Ridge, beginning on Nichol's Large survey corner north side Black Water Creek on maple turning thence with said survey line to Charles Williams' corner 220 poles to two Hickories wouth 47west from thence south 28East crossing said creek to Buck and three white oaks north of newmans ridge from thence north sixty seven East to said Nichols line, with said line to place of beginning, 50 acres more or less. George R. Stubblefield. Wit: Isham X Bigs, Morgan Collins. Ack. by oaths of Morgan Collins & Alfred Collins.
Hawkins Co., TN, Deed Book 18, pp. 571-572. Jacob Delph to Vardy Collins. 6 December 1842, Registered 27 June 1843. $80.00, 35 acres on Newman's ..., NW part of the miner tract ... cond. line said Collins & Nathaniel Houp & Jacob Delph. Wit: Martin Collins, Morgan Collins, Tyra X Gipson.

• Deed, 1825-1843, Hawkins County, TN. Hawkins County Tennessee General Index to Deeds Volume 1.
Conveyees: 1830 Collins, Vardy 4,369
1825 Collins, V 11,324
1836 Collins, V 15,405
1843 Collins, Vardie 18,100.

• Note: mentioned, 1848. Vardy was mentioned in a journalist's account of a stay at the Inn that Vardy operated in the valley between Newmans Ridge and Powells Mt, in 1840;
Littell's Living Age - No.254-31 March, 1848
The Melungens
" The doctor was, as usual, my compagnon de voyage, and we stopped at
"Old Vardy's", the hostelrie of the vicinage. Old Vardy is the "chief
cook and bottle-washer" of the Melungens, and is really a very clever
fellow; but his hotel savors strongly of that peculiar perfume that one
may find in the sleeping-rooms of our negro servants, especially on a
close, warm, summer's evening."

• Migration: Four Branches of Melungeon Tree: Hawkins County, TN. The legend of how Vardy and Shepard Gibson came to Hawkins/Hancock Co was told in Will Allen Dromgoole's "Four Branches of Melungeon Tree" (1890's)(refering to Shepard as "Buck") ;

"These two, Vardy Collins and Buck Gibson, were the head and source of the Melungeonsin Tennessee. With the cunning of their Cherokee ancesters, they planned and executed a scheme by which they were enabled to "set up for themselves" in the almost unbroken Territory of North Carolina.

Old Buck, as he was called, was disguised by a wash of some dark description,and taken to Virginia by Vardy where he was sold as a slave. He was a magnificent specimen of physical strength, and brought a fine price, a wagon and mules, a lot of goods, and three hundred dollars in money being paid to old Vardy for his "likely nigger". Once out of Richmond, Vardy turned his mules shoes and stuck out for the wilderness of North Carolina, as previously planned. Buck lost little time ridding himself of his negro disguise, swore he was not the man bought of Collins, and followed in the wake of his fellow thief to the Territory. The porceeds of the sale were divided and each chose his habitation; old Vardy choosing Newman's Ridge, where he was soon joined by others of his race, and so the Melungeons became a part of the inhabitants of Tennessee."

Some researcher believe Vardy was the son of Samuel Collins, and grandson of Thomas Collins, and descended from the Saponi Indian tribe. It's highly possible that Vardy and Peggy had other children besides the ones listed.

• See also. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/e/b/Raymond-D-Webb/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0106.html

http://www.tngenweb.org/hancock/Vardychart.htm

http://www.geocities.com/ourmelungeons/vardy.html

Vardeman married Margaret "Peggy" GIBSON, daughter of Andrew GIBSON Sr. and Unknown, in 1798 in NC. (Margaret "Peggy" GIBSON was born about 1773 in VA and died in 1870 in TN.)