Documents on Vines Collier in Virginia and his Ancestry

Collier Cousins & Jack Howard (3rd from right) at the Grave of Vines Collier, 2012

This information is made possible by Elaine Collier Neal and professional genealogist, Barbara Vines Little.  It will be presented in three posts.  The first, presented here, is a summary and the notes compiled by Ms. Little.  Later posts will present the Collier Lineage and the Collier Maternal Lineages.

Elaine Collier Neal prepared the following introduction.

For those in the family who like to verify family stories, the following pages detail the Collier lineage in Virginia with exact sources.   It can serve as a guide for those who might be interested in joining such lineage organizations as First Families of Virginia.  Barbara Vines Little, a professional genealogist, prepared the following report.  She was asked to particularly trace Vines Collier and his wife Sarah.

There are many legends surrounding the Collier family in Virginia, some of which can be supported with documentary evidence.

There is little documentary evidence of Vines Collier’s marriage to Sarah Williamson.  That portion of the family remains to be discovered.

So far, no one has found documentary proof that Vines Collier was a lieutenant in the Colonial Militia.  There are official State of Virginia documents that give his pay as an ensign, a military rank just below lieutenant.  Yes, we know his tombstone says he was an ensign and lieutenant, but that was placed years later, and maybe in error.  An ensign is an officer in the Colonial military and it is a honorable commission itself.

We post this report in hopes that other researchers will expand our knowledge of our family’s early  history and share items they uncover.   For example, Vines Collier’s Family Bible is missing.  Many researchers are also looking for the Powell Bible which might add much to the early history of Vines Collier’s family.

Elaine Collier Neal

The entire document is available for download at the following link:

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