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Counterfeitin' Solomon Mullins of Southwest VA, Eastern KY, and WV


Solomon Mullins was the son of "Revolutionary" John Mullins. His mother's name is unproven with some descendants claiming Jennie Bailey while others claim Mollie Brandon. The Dickenson County descendants generally claim Jennie Bailey as Solomon's mother. According to Solomon's death record, he was the son of John and Jane Mullins.

Solomon was born February 23, 1782 in Broad River, North Carolina, and died August 28, 1858 in Boone Co. West Virginia. He married SARAH GREENFIELD CATHEY 1803 in NC, daughter of GEORGE CATHEY and SARAH GREENFIELD. From North Carolina, Solomon followed his brothers James "Dr. Jim" Mullins and "Holly Creek" John Mullins to Southwest Virginia.

Solomon was known as "Moneymaking Sol" and "Counterfeiting Sol" because he made counterfeit money for several years under a cliff, known as "Sol's Cliff," near Holly Creek in present day Dickenson County, Virginia. He used types or molds for striking his counterfeit coins which were made out of zinc, tin, and other metals mixed with silver. According to Isaac "Black Ike" Mullins, "Sol and grandfather [Holly Creek] John Mullins had to leave North Carolina because of making counterfeit." Later in Virginia, the government began to investigate his activities and he fled to Kentucky where he also got into trouble. Sol was indicted in both Pike County, Kentucky and Russell County, Virginia for making counterfeit. From Kentucky, he moved to West Virginia where he is listed on the 1850 Boone County, WV census. Sarah was also listed on the 1860 Boone Co., WV census.

According to Nancy Mullins (a granddaughter of Holly Creek John Mullins), "the Mullins was mixed with the Indians. I have heard it said that Grandpa John was about one-fourth Indian." John and his brothers, Solomon and Dr. Jim, had a reputation for making counterfeit money. This claim of Indian ancestry (which has not been verified), reputation for metalworking, migration from North Carolina to Southwest Virginia, and swarthy appearance have led many to conclude that Solomon and his descendants were of Melungeon heritage.

Below, I have listed the known children and grandchildren of Counterfeiting Solomon Mullins and Sarah Greenfield Cathey revealed by my research. I am sure that some descendants are missing from this list and welcome any corrections or additions that you may provide.

 

Generation No. 1

Known children of SOLOMON MULLINS and SARAH CATHEY include:

  1. ELI MULLINS, b. Abt. 1804, NC; d. 1914.

  2. SPENCER MULLINS, m. LYDIA ADKINS.

  3. PETER MULLINS, b. 1811.

  4. MARGARET A. MULLINS, m. DAVID THOMPSON.

  5. JENNIE MULLINS, m. JOE ADAMS.

  6. MATILDA MULLINS, b. 1813, KY; d. 1864.

  7. JOHN ALEXANDER MULLINS, b. Abt. 1810.

  8. DICIE MULLINS.

Generation No. 2

ELI MULLINS (SOLOMON, JOHN) was born Abt. 1804 in NC, and died 1914. He married (1) ELIZABETH SHORT January 03, 1824 in Pike Co., KY, daughter of WILLIAM SHORT and MARY BIRCHFIELD. He married (2) BETTY ROSE.

Children of ELI MULLINS and ELIZABETH SHORTT are:

  1. WESLEY MULLINS, d. November 09, 1864.
  2. JAMES S. MULLINS, b. Abt. 1829, VA.
  3. SIMPSON MULLINS, b. 1830, VA.
  4. SALLIE MULLINS, b. Abt. 1830; m. MOSES WORKMAN.
  5. CYNTHIA MULLINS, m. HENRY POTTER.
  6. SPENCER MULLINS, b. 1842.

SPENCER MULLINS (SOLOMON, JOHN) married LYDIA EVELINE ADKINS. (Information on Spencer and Isaiah was povided by Angela Walker. Thanks!)

Children of SPENCER MULLINS and LYDIA EVELINE ADKINS are:

  1. ISAIAH MULLINS married Eveline Farley.

PETER MULLINS (SOLOMON, JOHN) was born 1811. He married (1) VIRGINIA JANE MULLINS (his cousin), daughter of JOHN MULLINS and OLIVE COX about 1837. He married (2) ELIZABETH BRYANT January 14, 1874 in Logan Co., WV. Peter lived for a while on the head of Brush Creek, near Clintwood and later moved to Logan County, WV. He was living there on November 23, 1860 when he and Jane Mullins executed a deed to John P. Chase for Jane's one-twelfth interest in the real estate of her father, John Mullins.

Children of PETER MULLINS and VIRGINIA MULLINS are:

  1. VAN B. MULLINS.
  2. JOHN MULLINS.
  3. PRICEY N. MULLINS, m. MATHIAS ELKINS.
  4. OLLIE MULLINS, m. WILLIAM JONAS.
  5. JAMES B. MULLINS.
  6. ANDREW J. MULLINS.
  7. WEDDINGTON MULLINS, m. SARAH NELSON, September 06, 1876, Logan Co., WV.
  8. ALMEDIA MULLINS.
  9. SOLOMON MULLINS.
  10. BARNETT C. MULLINS.
  11. MAHULDA MULLINS, m. BARNETT CARTER. (Information on Mahulda was provided by Dru Alexander. Thanks!)

MATILDA MULLINS (SOLOMON, JOHN) was born 1813 in KY, and died 1864. She married WILLIAM VARNER JOHNSON May 13, 1830 in Pike Co., KY, son of WILLIAM JOHNSON and ALEY/SALLY TACKITT. In 1850 and 1860 Matilda and William were living in Pike County, KY where they were enumerated on the census.

Children of MATILDA MULLINS and WILLIAM JOHNSON are:

  1. DULCINA JOHNSON, b. August 14, 1830.
  2. WILLIAM HARVEY JOHNSON, b. August 21, 1832.
  3. MARGARET JOHNSON, b. November 20, 1835.
  4. SARAH GREENFIELD JOHNSON, b. January 09, 1839, Pike Co., KY; d. July 20, 1926, Pike Co., KY.
  5. TANDY JOHNSON, b. October 1839, KY.
  6. JENNY JOHNSON, b. 1842.
  7. KATHERINE JOHNSON, b. March 30, 1846.
  8. WILLIAM HENRY CLAY JOHNSON, b. March 12, 1849; m. TAMSEY J. UNKNOWN.
  9. SOLOMON JOHNSON, b. June 04, 1851.
  10. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN JOHNSON, b. January 31, 1854.
  11. DICIE JOHNSON, b. August 07, 1856.
  12. ROBERT JOHNSON, b. May 01, 1860.
  13. MARY FRANCES JOHNSON, b. March 10, 1862.

JOHN ALEXANDER MULLINS (SOLOMON, JOHN) was born Abt. 1810. He married MARGARET (PEGGY) FLEMING, daughter of BOB FLEMING and BETTY STUMBAUGH.

Children of JOHN MULLINS and MARGARET FLEMING are:

  1. MATILDA MULLINS.
  2. NELSON MULLINS, b. 1832; married CAROLINE MATILDA ELSWICK. (Information on Nelson Mullins was provided by Rebecca Wallace Elliott. Thanks!)
  3. THOMAS JEFFERSON MULLINS, b. 1839; married (1) DIADEMA SOWARDS, daughter of MOSES and LOUISA BRANHAM SOWARDS, October 20, 1858 and married (2) AMIHELA ELKINS, November 14, 1879, Logan Co., WV. (Information of Diadema Sowards contributed by Deanne Miller. Thanks!)
  4. SPENCER MULLINS m. ELIZABETH JOHNSON, daughter of JAMES and NANCY JOHNSON.

DICIE MULLINS (SOLOMON, JOHN) was born about 1813 in Floyd Co. KY. She married JOSEPH ADAMS, born January 3, 1810. (Information on Dicie Mullins and her children was provided by Thomas Adams. Thanks!)

Children of DICIE MULLINS and JOSEPH ADAMS are:

  1. ANTHONY ADAMS, b. August 4, 1849; married Pricey Ann Alifair Chapman born 1847, daughter of JOHN CHAPMAN and ELIZABETH CLARK.
  2. JOHN Q. ADAMS, b. 1837; married CHOLE GORE, daughter of JOHN GORE and MARG [--?--].
  3. RHODA J. ADAMS, b. 1843; married ANDREW D. ROBINSON.

 

SOURCES

Reference

This work may be referenced as "A Short History of Counterfeiting Solomon Mullins" compiled and edited by Martha M. Short, 2000.

Disclaimer

Although every effort has been made to present accurate information this document may contain mistakes or data that is questionable or unproven, therefore, it is strongly advised by the compiler that researchers only use this data as a beginning reference. This information is periodically updated, edited, corrected, and changed as new information comes to light. Please feel free to notify me of any discrepancies that you find in the data or if you have additional information for inclusion in this website.

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Descendants of Dr. Jim Mullins

Descendants of Holly Creek John Mullins

Mullins Family History Page

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