John C. Collins and his sister, Jane C. Lane, were the children of Elizabeth Collins (b. ca. 1812), a widow who also resided at Wylliesburg in Charlotte County. At the time of the 1860 Census, Elizabeth Collins was listed as head of a household that included a son, Thomas J. Collins (b. ca. 1843) and a daughter, Mary E. Collins (b. ca. 1847). The value of her real estate was listed as $900 and the value of her personal estate was listed as $7,000, a figure that may well have included some slaves. Thomas enlisted as a private in Co. G, 56th Virginia Infantry on July 12, 1861 and died (cause not reported) on March 10, 1862. His mother filed a claim for money owed him on May 12, 1862.