You wrote;

''In the family records of Bradley's grand-daughter Polly, they were stated to be "brothers"--actually half-brothers--of Bradley and that he had to free them after his parents death. There is evidence that they were, and that their mother was actually a slave, half-sister of Isabella Hastings and likewise then a daughter of Henry Hastings Sr. Hiram born in either North Carolina or Virginia in 1792/3 named a son George Hastings Collins.''
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I believe there are many errors in your post and I will attempt to deal with them one at a time.

Every family tree at ancestry.com lists Hiram John Collins born in WILKES [later Ashe] Co., NC and Rebecca [Overton] as the parents of George Hastings Collins. You have confused the two Hirams as you have confused the two Bradley Collins.

The Hiram who named his son George Hastings Collins was the son of David Collins and Thompsie Poston/Posting NOT Andrew Collins.

From genforum posted by Jim McNulty in 2004

He went to the county clerks office in Morgan County, Indiana and found a death certificate for George H. Collins - son of- Hiram and Rebecca Collins). His father was listed as Hiram Collins -- mother was Rebecca OVERTON
http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?rebecca,o...


From Saponi Town - posted by Shirley Parham - she states Hiram Collins was son of David and Thompsie Posting -- and was married to Rebecca Overton per their SON - George HASTING Collins death certificate
http://www.saponitown.com/forum/showthread.php?p=31401#post3...

This is just ONE of the many trees that list George Hastings Collins as the son of *Hiram and Rebecca* NOT Hiram and Elizabeth REED. We know that Hiram, the brother of Abraham married to Elizabeth Reed -
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/6636700/person/-937996593

The Clay County court records state that Hiram and Abraham Collins were brothers and were *cousins* to Bradley Collins, not half brothers. I was in contact with Brenda Collins for many years and she was adamant they were 'cousins' to her Bradley, perhaps you misunderstood her email? She was a regular poster at Saponi Town - did she ever post there that they were actually 'half brothers'?

I think you may have some faulty information in your 'family notes'

Joanne