John Forbes Collins and Aleph Butler: Part 1

John Forbes Collins

Our third great-grandfather*, John Forbes Collins, was born around 1815 in Darien, McIntosh County, Georgia.  

Shortly after the 1820 census (zoomable pdf file), his father, John, sailed the family and twelve slaves  to middle Florida (now Gadsden County) for "The Forbes Purchase".

John Sr. died in 1827.

John Collins Last Will and Testament 

On the 27th of December, 1826, the senior John Collins published his 'Last Will and
Testament' (zoomable hosted pdf file). He was:

"...weak in body but of sound and perfect memory... . 

There are seven Negros in my possession... The names of the Negros are as follows; 

First to my wife a Negress girl named Nancy. Second to my son John Forbes Collins three Negros vis. Smart, John and Jim. Third Lucinda Caroline girl named Molly. Fourth Mary Elizabeth a Negro girl named Jinny. Fifth Sarough Ann a Negro girl named Becky."

Grandpa John Collins, Sr. scrawled his "X" mark, witnessed under seal by the court.

Adelph Butler

1850  Baker County Federal Census

John Forbes Collins married Aleph Butler, born 1813 in South Carolina, and had two daughters in Florida. On the 1850 census (zoomable pdf file) his family lives in Baker County, Georgia.

On the 1850 Slave Schedule, (zoomable pdf file)  John Collins owned a fifteen year old boy.

1860 Baker County Federal Census

The 1860 Baker County Federal Census (zoomable pdf file) shows the Collins last youngest child was born about 1854.

According to the 1860 Baker County Slave Census (zoomable pdf file), Grandma Aleph owned one slave who was fugitive from the state. Her immediate neighbors, the Hills and the McMurrays, also owned a run-away slave.

Elizabeth Arissa Collins

"John F. Collins and Adelph Butler were the parents of Elizabeth Collins. Sometime after James Sr. died, John F. separated from his wife and lived in common law with Elizabeth Bryan Musgrove and her three sons David John, Charles H. and James Walter. On a trip back to visit Adelph, John F. Collins picked up his daughter for a visit with the Musgroves. Elizabeth and David fell in love and were married."

American Family Musgrove page 734 (lge hosted pdf file)

Elizabeth was known as Betty. The information about her marriage comes from her first-born daughter, Molly Musgrove.


On the 1860 Federal census (zoomable pdf file) Betty's father, future husband, mother-in-law  and brother-in-laws were living in Clinch county under the Collins surname.

According to the 1860 Slave Schedule (zoomable pdf file), the  Clinch County Collins own an eighteen year old girl.

End of Part 1

From Darien, Georgia to Gadsen County, Florida to Georgia, again; first Baker County, then to to Clinch. This is where John Forbes Collins will remain.

We'll pick up the story in the next post.

*Note: Relationships, such as grandmother, 2nd great, etc., are expressed from the perspective of the grandchildren of Willis Edgar and Carrie (known as) Mae (Merritt) Musgrove.

Terms of relationship - grandmother, uncle, aunt, cousin, etc.  - are used here generically to include  relatives such as fourth great grandfathers, great grand uncles, second cousins twice removed, etc.