PART ONE

The Gloucestershire Main Line - 1450 to 1800

This is the first of four sections of this Collett family line.

It includes an Appendix for a branch of the family at Dudley

which is complementary to Part 48 – The Dudley West Midlands Line

Updated November 2024

Significant information received from brothers David and Robin Gee in 2016 seemed to suggest that the father of Thomas Collett (Ref. 1D1) was William Collett of Gloucestershire who was also credited to be the grandfather of John Collett, Thomas’ youngest son. What is known, is the aforesaid William Collett was the grandson of Thomas Colet (Ref. 18Z2), the Rector of Little Kimble, whose family line can be found in the first section of Part 18 – The Suffolk Line

Earlier contributions have been gratefully received from Sarah Ahlstrom, Simon Collett, Kelvin Parker of Christchurch in New Zealand, Brian Gregory Collett (Ref. 1R65) of Cairns in Australia, Andrew Collett (Ref. 3Q14), Marilee Rylett Magder (Ref. 1P90) of Whitby in Ontario, and Martin Davies of Stourton in the West Midlands who provided details for the three brothers Richard, John, and Isaac Collett (Ref. 1N6, N7 and N8) which has been taken forward to form Part 37 – The Oxford City Line

The starting point for this family has long been the subject of speculation, that it most likely began at Kimble or Wendover to the south of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. What is known about that branch of the family is that Henry Colet, born circa 1360, was the brother of Thomas Colet who was the Rector of Little Kimble up to 1408. Whilst Henry married and had children, no such records have been found for Thomas. However, one of Henry’s grandchildren was a Thomas Colet born at Wendover circa 1430 and, although no such record has been found, he may have had a son by the name of William, as detailed in the introduction (above). He would then have been around the right age to be the father of Thomas Colet of Over Slaughter who was born there in 1485. Having said all of this, it is also established from records at the British Library, relating to Buckinghamshire, that Thomas Colet left Little Kimble on 9^th October 1408, when he travelled to Gloucestershire, where he settled in the village of Barnsley, near Cirencester

Details of the Colet families of Kimble and Wendover can be found in Part 18 – The Suffolk Line, and Part 63 – Two Collett Families from Buckinghamshire

WILLIAM COLLETT [1C1] was born at Over Slaughter around 1454, the possible son of Thomas Colet and the grandson of Thomas Colet (Ref. 18Z2), the Rector of Little Kimble, whose family line is detailed in Part 18. The names of Thomas and Robert Colet were prevalent in the branches of the Colet family residing at Kimble and Wendover from 1360 onwards

1D1 – THOMAS COLLETT was born in 1485 at Over Slaughter

1D2 – Robert Collett was born at Cutsdean

THOMAS COLLETT [1D1] was born in 1485 at Over Slaughter in Gloucestershire and he married Alice around 1517. It was originally written here, and extracted from The Collett Saga by Margaret Chadd, that Thomas Collett was Joint Lord of the Manor of Over Slaughter with Mr Venfield, and that he was the godfather to ten children. For other references to the name Venfield see Ref.1F9 and 1F11. In October 2017 correspondence received from Peter Davies, the seven times great grandson of James Collett (Ref. 1J1), provided information that brought this into question. According details downloaded by Peter from the website www.british-history.ac.uk, the Manor of Upper Slaughter was in the hands of the Slaughter family from the 1200s to the mid-1700s, while the Manor of Lower Slaughter was held by Syon Abbey for centuries, until the dissolution of the monasteries, when it passed to the crown, which held it until 1611, when it was granted to Sir William Whitmore. It is therefore assumed that Thomas Collett and Mr Venfield have been confused with John Collett and Gyles Venfield who were the Joint Lords of the Manor of Naunton in 1608, Naunton being only three miles from Upper Slaughter, within the Slaughter Hundred, the old administrative district for that part of Gloucestershire. See Ref. 1F9 for details of John Collett, the grandson of Thomas Collett

Thomas Collett died in 1538 and his Will of 24^th March 1538 was proved in 1539 (see Will in Legal Documents). It names his wife Alice and their son Henry Collett (below) as executors. The Will, like all the Wills available to view on the Collett Family History website, has been translated into current day English. It is understood that Thomas Collett was buried in the south transept of Tewkesbury Cathedral. Alice died in 1557 and her Will dated 22^nd June 1557 (see Will in Legal Documents) included the names of all her children apart from son William and eldest daughter Marian. The Will refers to her four daughters, so it is possible that Marian may have died before reaching her fortieth birthday, although it is known that son William was alive at the time Alice made her Will. It is therefore curious why the two eldest children were excluded from the Will

Important footnote: In 2013 the website My Heritage included the names of the parents and grandparents of Thomas Collett of Over Slaughter, as placed there by John Riddle in New Zealand. It must be noted that the details are incorrect, with Over Slaughter being confused with the village of Over in Cambridgeshire. The details for Thomas Collett who was born at Over near St Ives in 1480 can be found in Part 69 – Other Cambridgeshire Families

1E1 – Marian Collett was born in 1517 at Over Slaughter

1E2 – William Collett was born in 1518 at Over Slaughter

1E3 – Henry Collett was born in 1520 at Over Slaughter

1E4 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1521 at Over Slaughter

1E5 – Alice Collett was born in 1522 at Over Slaughter

1E6 – Joan Collett was born in 1523 at Over Slaughter

1E7 – Agnes Collett was born in 1524 at Over Slaughter

1E8 – JOHN COLLETT was born in 1525 at Over Slaughter

Robert Collett [1D2] was born at Cutsdean in Gloucestershire and he died in 1544. He was referred to in the Will of 1538 of Thomas Collett (above) as ‘brother’

Marian Collett [1E1] may have been born around 1517 or before. To date no record has been found for her birth. However, the 1557 Will of her mother Alice Collett makes no reference to daughter Marion but does include a Robert Rooke who, with Anwin Matthews, received a sheep for ‘their pains’. Robert Rooke was also a witness at the signing of her Will. Almost twenty years earlier a Richard Rooke from Bourton-on-the-Water married a Marian Collett of Upper Slaughter at Upper Slaughter on 16^th January 1538. That would place her date of birth around 1517 or slightly earlier and could place her as the first-born child of Thomas and Alice Collett. The later Will of Edith Collett, made in 1597, makes a reference to Elizabeth Rooke the second daughter of Richard Rooke of Evenlode. Therefore, it seems likely that Elizabeth was the daughter of Marian Collett and Richard Rooke. Edith Collett was the second wife of Marian’s brother Henry Collett (below)

William Collett [1E2] was born around 1518 at Over Slaughter and he married (Anne) or Agnes Hanks on 26^th October 1542 at Upper Slaughter. It would seem rather curious that, following the birth of the couple’s first child, the next four children were born to William some thirty years later when Agnes would have been in her late fifties. The alternative, and perhaps more logical explanation, might be that William was married twice, first to Anne and later to an Agnes who may even have been Anne’s sister, since some of the birth records indicate the mother’s name as either Agnes or Anne Hanks. William Collett died in 1587 at Upper Slaughter after acting as sole executor of Agnes’ Will which was proved in 1587. (Over Slaughter and Upper Slaughter are different references for the same village). From this it might be concluded that William initially married Anne Hanks, with whom he had a son, and later married Agnes Hanks, the daughter of Richard Hanks who was born at Upper Slaughter around 1538. The records also show that all the later four children were born at Upper Slaughter. The list of Gloucestershire Wills includes an entry for William Collett of Upper Slaughter, a shepherd, whose Will of 1587 has the reference number 1587/269

1F1 - William Collett was born in 1543, very likely born at Upper Slaughter, but was later ‘of Stanley’

The following are the children of William Collett by his second wife Agnes Hanks:

1F2 - Edmund Collett was born in 1571 at Upper Slaughter

1F3 – Joan Collett was born in 1577 at Upper Slaughter

1F4 – Robert Collett was born in 1581 at Upper Slaughter

1F5 – Thomas Collett was born in 1584 at Upper Slaughter

Henry Collett [1E3] was born in 1520 at Over Slaughter where he married (1) Joan Hanks in 1540, the mother of all his children. After her death Henry married (2) Edith Arcolle, a lady of some wealth, who was born in Cirencester in 1520 and who died in 1597. Henry was a Yeoman of Over Slaughter and Church Warden of the Parish. He was also the sole executor of the Will of his mother Alice Collett. Henry Collett died in 1592 and was buried in the churchyard at Over Slaughter. His Will of 20^th August 1591 in the 33^rd year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, was proved in 1592 (see Will in Legal Documents)

The document named his eldest son Thomas Collett (below) as sole executor. All his children, with the exception of Henry Collett the youngest son, were named in the Will with Thomas Collett the eldest son being allow to reside in one half of the house occupied by his stepmother Edith until her death, at which time it would become his property. It also stipulated that Edith would get nothing if she did not agree to that provision. In addition, Henry’s Will also included the following bequeaths: £10 and the best bed in the house to wife Edith; ten shillings to the poor of the village; £3 of good and lawful money of England to each of seven of his eight children; and a plough and a pair of harrows to his son Anthony Collett (below). It seems likely that first wife, Joan Collett nee Hanks, died during or just after the birth of their last-born child Henry Collett (below). And it is interesting to note that the child was not mentioned in his father’s Will

Henry’s second wife Edith Collett made a Will on 18^th November 1596 which was proved in 1597 (see Will in Legal Documents) in which she bequeathed nothing to any member of the Collett family. The only Collett named in her Will was ‘Thomas - a friend’ who, with Thomas Carter, was charged with overseeing the Will. Thomas Collett was very likely the eldest of her stepsons and seems the most likely person, since he was also sole executor to her husband’s earlier Will. The bulk of her estate was shared amongst the members of her own Arcolle family, although there was also reference to the Rooke family. In addition, eight pennies were bequeathed to every poor house in Over Slaughter, and six pence to every house of the Alms folk of Stow St Edwards

WILL NOTES: Of interest is the name Robert Rooke in the 1557 Will of Alice Collett, the widow of Thomas Collett (Ref. 1D1), who was named as an overseer of her Will and who was witness to the signing thereof. That then raises the question, was Robert Rooke, the father of Richard Rooke, who married Marian Collett (Ref. 1E1), the daughter of Thomas and Alice Collett, whose daughter Elizabeth was also referred to in the 1596 Will of Edith Collett as simply Elizabeth daughter of Richard Rooke of Evenlode

1F6 – Alice Collett was born in 1541 at Upper Slaughter

1F7 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1545 at Upper Slaughter

1F8 – Thomas Collett was born in 1547 at Upper Slaughter

1F9 – John Collett was born in 1548 at Upper Slaughter

1F10 – William Collett was born in 1551 at Upper Slaughter

1F11 – Jane Collett was born in 1553 at Upper Slaughter

1F12 – Anthony Collett was born in 1554 at Upper Slaughter

1F13 – Henry Collett was born in 1556 at Upper Slaughter

Elizabeth Collett [1E4] was born in 1521 at Over Slaughter and was married there to John Bayliss on 19^th July 1546. John, and a Thomas Bayliss who may have been his father, were witnesses for the Will of Alice Collett, Elizabeth’s mother

Alice Collett [1E5] was born in 1522 at Over Slaughter and married David Anthony Taylor of Bourton on the Water. In the 1557 Will of her mother Alice Collett there is a clause specifically excluding the children of Anthony Taylor. However, later in the Will Eleanor Taylor who could be a daughter to Anthony and Alice was named as being bequeathed one sheep

Joan Collett [1E6] and Agnes Collett [1E7] were born in 1523 and 1524 respectively at Over Slaughter and one of them married Thomas Hanks the likely brother of Joan Hanks who married their older brother Henry Collett (above). An Elizabeth Hanks was bequeathed a sheep in the Will of their mother Alice Collett, so Elizabeth was probably the daughter of the couple and therefore the granddaughter of Alice Collett

JOHN COLLETT [1E8] was born in 1525 and he married (1) Marion Jakes at Broadwell just north of Stow-on-the Wold on 15^th June 1547 or 16^th June 1547, where all their children were born and baptised and where Marion Jakes was born around 1528. Under the terms of the 1538 Will of John’s father Thomas Collett, John, and all his sisters (above), but excluding Marian Collett, were bequeathed twenty shillings and ten sheared sheep (see Will in Legal Documents). John Collett of Broadwell died in 1597 and his Will was proved that same year. It was originally believed that the widow of John Collett, Marion, died ten years after her husband in 1607, but that has now been disproved, as it applied to his second wife Katherine. The recent discovery of John’s Will (see Will in Legal Documents) has provided additional information about his wife and children at the time of his death which conflicts with the list of children credited to John and his wife Marion in an earlier version of this file

The Will also referred to John’s wife as Katherine who was previously (2) Katherine Sanders who married John Collett at Broadwell on 1^st November 1582 or 11^th November 1582, Katherine having been born there in 1555. That means John’s first wife Marion, had died after the birth of their last child in 1558 and before 1582. John being married twice now makes sense of the statement in his Will about his sons ‘Henry Collett the elder’ and ‘Henry Collett the younger’ that is, one from each of his two marriages. Therefore, the revised lists of his children from those two marriages are now reproduced below, in accordance with the details extracted from his Will. In addition to his own children, the Will also included the names of two grandsons, they being Thomas and John the sons of Henry Collett the elder. It is also interesting to note that the witnesses to the signing of the Will were ‘neighbour William Wright of Broadwell and John Collett of Naunton.’ That John Collett (Ref 1F9) was the son of John’s older brother Henry Collett (above) who, at the time of his death in 1605, was referred to as John Collett of Naunton

Under the terms of the Will of John Collett, the church at Broadwell received twenty pence, and the poor of the town were to receive a strike of corn. Henry the younger son was to receive the great brass pan and iron bedstead in the nether chamber, while Anthony was to get the second-best brass pan and iron bedstead from the upper chamber upon the death of his mother Katherine. Notable absentees from the Will were John’s daughter Francis and son Robert (both from his first marriage) and Philip and Anne (from his second marriage). No later records have been found for Philip and Anne, so it seems very likely that they both had died while still very young. However, the older two children did survive beyond childhood and their adult details are included later

The following are the children of John Collett by his first wife Marion Jakes:

1F14 – William Collett was born in 1548 at Broadwell

1F15 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1550 at Broadwell

1F16 – Frances Collett was born in 1552 at Broadwell

1F17 – Robert Collett was born in 1554 at Broadwell

1F18 – HENRY COLLETT ‘the elder’ was born in 1558 at Broadwell

The following are the children of John Collett by his second wife Katherine Sanders:

1F19 – Henry Collett ‘the younger’ was born in 1583 at Broadwell

1F20 – Philip Collett was born in 1584 at Broadwell

1F21 – Anne Collett was born in 1586 at Broadwell

1F22 – John Collett was born in 1588 at Broadwell; died in 1596

1F23 – Anthony Collett was born in 1589 at Broadwell

1F24 – William Collett was born in 1589 at Broadwell

1F25 – Thomas Collett was born in 1590 at Broadwell; died in 1642

Alice Collett [1F6] was born in 1541 at Over Slaughter and was the daughter of Henry Collett and Joan Hanks. Alice later married Mr Humphries

Elizabeth Collett [1F7] was born in 1545 at Over Slaughter and was the daughter of Henry Collett and Joan Hanks and she later married Mr Haynes

Thomas Collett [1F8] was born in 1547 at Over Slaughter and was the eldest son of Henry Collett and Joan Hanks. Thomas Collett married Edith with whom he had ten children as detailed in Pedigree 2 of Margaret Chadd’s book The Collett Saga, published in 1987. Margaret Chadd and the compiler of the Collett Family History website worked together during the years from 1992 to 1997 to assemble and eventually publish a supplement to The Collett Saga. Thomas Collett of Over Slaughter, together with his brother Anthony Collett (below) were overseers, with Nicholas Perratt, of the 1603 Will of John Hules of Over Slaughter who was the father-in-law of Anthony Collett who married Elizabeth Hules (see Will in Legal Documents). Thomas Collett, who was mentioned in the 1605 Visitation, died in 1620. The record of ‘Men & Armour of Gloucestershire in 1608’ included Thomas Collett of Upper Slaughter who was described as “a subsidy man, unable in body to serve, has one caliver furnished”. Also include in the same section for Upper Slaughter were three of his sons, John, Anthony, and Paris

1G1 – John Collett was born in 1576 at Upper Slaughter

1G2 – Anthony Collett was born at Upper Slaughter

1G3 – Mary Collett was born at Upper Slaughter

1G4 – Paris Collett was born at Upper Slaughter

1G5 – Henry Collett was born at Upper Slaughter

1G6 – Elinore Collett was born at Upper Slaughter

1G7 – Richard Collett was born at Upper Slaughter

1G8 – Margaret Collett was born in 1592 at Upper Slaughter

1G9 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1595 at Upper Slaughter

1G10 – Thomas Collett was born in 1598 at Upper Slaughter; died in 1676

John Collett [1F9] was born in 1548 at Over Slaughter and was the son of Henry Collett and Joan Hanks. He married Elizabeth Venfield of Naunton in 1583. In 1591 John Collett, with his brother Thomas Collett (above) and Richard Perratt were listed as Trustees of the Lands of Upper Slaughter which were purchased and conveyed for the repair of the church and the relief of the poor. John was Joint Lord of the Manor of Naunton with Giles Venfield, who was possibly John’s brother-in-law, being his wife’s brother

The website www.british-history.ac.uk has the well-documented history of Naunton Manor from 1066 up to 1962, and includes the following extract. “In 1591 the manor passed to John Talbot, who married Eleanor, daughter and heir of Thomas Baskerville, and he sold it to Giles Venfield and others before 1608, when Venfield and John Collett were Joint Lords of the Manor. Collett's half of the manor passed to his brother Henry Collett in 1642 and, afterwards, to Anthony Collett (who died in 1719), then to Anthony's brother Henry Collett (who died in 1731). After that it then passed to William Moore (who died in 1768), whose wife Elizabeth was Henry Collett's daughter. After the death of Moore's second wife, around 1795, the estate passed to Hill Dawe, an illegitimate son of William Moore, and William Dawe was the owner from around 1807 to 1826. It was probably this estate, with the reputed manor, centred on the Manor House with the large dovecot, which William Hanks purchased from James Clark in 1857. In 1962 it was owned by Mr. G. Hanks, the great-grandson of William Hanks. Giles Venfield's moiety of the manor passed to his son Thomas in 1612, and by 1650 it had been sold to William Rogers”

On a wall inside the Church of St Peter at Upper Slaughter is a plaque dated 1792 with the heading ‘Benefactors of this Parish’ that reads as follows: “In 1594 certain land were purchased and conveyed to the trustee for the repair of the church and the relief of the poor. At the enclosure 56 acres were allotted in lieu of the said lands which are now upon lease at £56000. John Collett, Richard Perratt and Thomas Collett are the only surviving trustees. Several sums of money have at different times been given to the poor amounting in the whole £52 which is lent upon mortgage to the Trustees of the Church Estate. The interest is distributed annually. January 1789 the Reverend F T Travell conveyed by deed to the three Trustees vis the Rector of the Parish for the time being, John Collett and William Cook”

William Cook was the brother-in-law of John Humphries whose Will was made in 1771. The document also revealed that John Humphries’ daughter Mary Humphries married Thomas Collett (Ref. 14K9). It is therefore very likely that the aforementioned trustee John Collett was Thomas’ brother (Ref. 14K7) who was known as John Collett of Upper Slaughter (see Will in Legal Documents). The John Collett here, who was born at Over Slaughter in 1548, died at Naunton in 1605 and his Will was proved later that same year

Details of his children and the continuation of his line, including his Will, can be found in Part 2 - The Secondary Line from 1550 to 1775 commencing with 1F9. This is also the family line of Gordon John Collett (Ref. 3Q5) of Boston in Lincolnshire, and his son Martin who lives in Australia. From Part 2, the line continues to Part 32 – The Newfoundland & Canada Line as the family line of Max Collett, Bonnie Brown, and Natasha Young of Placentia Bay

William Collett [1F10] was born in 1551 at Over Slaughter and was the son of Henry Collett and Joan Hanks. He was married by licence to Ann Harwood of Great Rissington in Gloucestershire on 9^th November 1576 at Upper Slaughter. Very little else is known about William and Ann, except that he died in 1633

Jane Collett [1F11] was born in 1553 at Over Slaughter and was the younger daughter of Henry Collett and Joan Hanks. It was also at Over Slaughter where Jane married John Venfield of Naunton in 1573. John was the brother of Elizabeth Venfield who married Jane’s brother John Collett (above)

Anthony Collett [1F12] was born in 1554 at Over Slaughter and was the son of Henry Collett and Joan Hanks. He married Elizabeth Hules of Upper Slaughter in 1593. The marriage produced four children for Anthony and Elizabeth as detailed in Pedigree 5 of The Collett Saga and as shown in Part 14 of the Collett Family History website. Anthony Collett died on 20^th May 1627 and his Will, which was made on 8^th April 1627, was proved on 5^th July 1627. For the continuation of this family line, go to Part 14 – The John Kyte Collett Line (Ref. 14F1)

Henry Collett [1F13] was born in 1556 at Over Slaughter and was the last child born to Henry Collett and Joan Hanks. Sadly, his mother died either during the birth or shortly thereafter

William Collett [1F14] was baptised on 8^th January 1548 at Broadwell and was the first-born child of John Collett and Marion Jakes, and he later married Elizabeth Chegner at Broadwell on 29^th June 1579. His father John died in 1597 and, as the eldest son, the name of William Collett was the first of John’s children mentioned in his Will which was proved in 1597 (see Will in Legal Documents). However, under the terms of the Will he only received three pence. Thirty years later, under the terms of the 1627 Will of his cousin Anthony Collett (above), William was to be paid forty shillings each year during his life by his cousin’s son Henry Collett (Ref. 14G2)

Elizabeth Collett [1F15] was baptised on 6^th April 1550 at Broadwell and was the second child of John Collett and Marion Jakes. She married William Collins on 30^th July 1580 at Broadwell, and seventeen years later in 1597 she was a beneficiary under the terms of the Will of her father who had died in 1597. As Elizabeth Collins, she was to receive two strikes of corn and four pence for each of her children (see Will in Legal Documents)

Francis Collett [1F16] was born in 1551 at Broadwell and was the daughter of John Collett and Marion Jakes. The name Francis, spelt this way, would usually indicate a male, but the 1606 Will of Robert Currier (see details under Ref. 1F19) clearly indicates this was a female by mentioning Francis Mason as the daughter of Francis Mason (see Will in Legal Documents). Francis Collett married Edmund Mason on 1^st October 1571 at Broadwell. Rather strangely there was no reference to daughter Francis in the 1597 Will of her father John Collett who died that year. This could mean that she had died by then, thus leaving a daughter Francis Mason who was the one referred to in the Will of Robert Currier ten years later. Furthermore, the 1629 Will of John Currier (see also under Ref. 1F19) not only referred to the children of Francis Mason, but also to members of the Collett family including Francis’ half-brother Henry Collett the Younger (below) and his children, two of which were specifically named, they being Elizabeth Collett (Ref. 1G17) and Robert Collett (Ref. 1G19) (see Will in Legal Documents)

Robert Collett [1F17] was baptised on 19^th August 1554 at Broadwell and was the son of John Collett and Marion Jakes. He too, like his sister Francis (above) who may have died, was not mentioned in his father’s Will of 1597, although it is clearly evident that he was alive long after his father passed away. Robert Collett married (1) Elizabeth but from which union no children were produced, before he married (2) Alice much later in his life. It was also later in his life that he was referred to as Robert Collett of Guiting Power. All four of his children were born and baptised at Guiting Power and all from his second marriage to Alice. The dates of birth of the children indicate that Alice must have been a very young bride compared to an aging Robert, perhaps even thirty to forty years younger than her husband

1G11 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1625 at Guiting Power

1G12 – Alice Collett was born in 1627 at Guiting Power

1G13 – Edmund Collett was born in 1630 at Guiting Power

1G14 – Richard Collett was born in 1633 at Guiting Power

HENRY COLLETT [1F18] - Henry the Elder, was baptised on 4^th November 1558 at Broadwell and was the last child presented to John Collett by his wife Marion Jakes prior to her death. Following the death of his mother, his father married Katherine Sanders and their first child together was also named Henry Collett (below). From that time on the two boys were referred to as Henry the elder and Henry the younger. Henry Collett was married by licence to (1) Elizabeth Insil at Upper Slaughter on 22^nd May 1593 and accordingly to the parish register Elizabeth Insil was the daughter of John Insil. The marriage produced two sons for Henry and Elizabeth and both were named in the 1597 Will of Henry’s father John Collett, as Thomas and John, the sons of Henry Collett the elder. Sometime after the birth of the two boys, Elizabeth died leaving Henry to take a much younger second wife some years later, with whom he had a further five children

Henry Collett later married (2) Elizabeth Goodwin of Lower Dorsington in the Parish of Welford. He died in 1647 at Broadwell and his Will was proved in 1648. However, to avoid a major revision to the layout of this family line, and that of Part 4, the details of Henry Collett’s second marriage to Elizabeth Goodwin have been retained in Part 4 and it is there that the family lines of their five children are extended. Details of the children from his second marriage can be found in Part 4 - The Great Western Line from 1560 to 1950 commencing with Ref. 4F1. That is also the family line of Charles Benjamin Collett (Ref. 4N7), Chief Mechanical Engineer with the Great Western Railway who designed the Kings and Castles classes of locomotives at Swindon in the 1920s and 1930s

1G15 – THOMAS COLLETT was born in 1594 at Broadwell

1G16 – John Collett was born in 1596 at Broadwell

Henry Collett [1F19] - Henry the Younger, may also have been known as Harry, to distinguish him from Henry the elder. However, it was as Henry Collett of Westcote that he was baptised at Broadwell on 31^st August 1583 and was the first child born to John Collett and his second wife Katherine Sanders during the month of July 1583. Henry was also the half-brother of Henry Collett (above) the last child of John Collett and his first wife Marion Jakes. To separately identify his two sons with the same name at the time of his death, John Collett referred to them in his Will as Henry Collett the elder and Henry Collett the younger. And it was the younger Henry, who with his brother Anthony (below) shared half of their father’s estate with the other have being left to Henry’s wife Katherine (see Will in Legal Documents). Henry Collett married Joan Currier of Kempsford in Gloucestershire on 19^th June 1609 at Charlton Kings in Gloucestershire. Joan was the daughter of Robert and Margaret Currier – see below. All their children were born and baptised at Charlton Kings

Henry died in 1642 and his wife Joan was named as sole executor of his Will dated 3^rd November 1641 (see Will in Legal Documents). The document refers to seven of their eleven children so an assumption has been made that the missing four children had already passed away by the time of their father’s death. Second surviving son Walter Collett was the main beneficiary, inheriting all his father’s land purchased from William Hilton. The Will also states that eldest son Henry Collett had already had bestowed upon him his inheritance. For the remainder of his children: Elizabeth received all rents and profits from land at Westcote for the next five years; Walter Collett received the bedstead, furniture, ploughs and harrows and usage of the land for the next twelve years; while Joyce Collett, Sarah Collett, Joan Collett and Jane Collett each received an annual annuity for five years from the land at Westcote

The Will also set aside money to repair the church at Charlton Kings and there was a gift of three pence for each of the poor people of the village. Henry’s brother William Collett (below) and cousin Richard Wager were named as overseers of the Will. Henry Collett was buried at Charlton Kings on 13^th May 1642. In the book ‘Men & Armour of Gloucestershire in 1608' he was described as ‘husbandman of medium stature suitable for Musketeer'. Henry’s wife Joan died twelve years after her husband and her Will was proved on 22^nd August 1654. In the document, she was referred to as ‘Joan Collett, widow of Charlton Kings.’ Henry and two of his children, Elizabeth Collett and Robert Collett, were named in the 1629 Will of John Currier (see Will in Legal Documents) who was the brother of Joan’s father Robert Currier – see below. Joan Collett nee Currier died twelve years after her husband, when she passed away in 1654

Robert Currier was married to Margaret and his Will of 1606 (see Will in Legal Documents) named Joan Collett (the wife of Henry) as his daughter and to whom he bequeathed: four sheep, one cow, a corn wagon, a dung wagon both with iron band wheels, a plough, a pair of harrows with small implements of husbandry. His step-daughter Isobel Gosling, his wife’s daughter from an earlier time, received: £40 to be paid out at the rate of £10 per year but starting in the sixth year after his death, one fallow heifer and two sheep. Robert’s brother John Currier was appointed as an overseer of his Will in which John’s son William was left free land while younger son John received one bushel of barley. Curiously the name of Richard Wager appears in all three Wills and is stated as ‘cousin’ in the Wills of both John Currier and Henry Collett

1G17 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1610 at Charlton Kings

1G18 – Henry Collett was born in 1612 at Charlton Kings

1G19 – Robert Collett was born in 1614 at Charlton Kings

1G20 – Walter Collett was born in 1618 at Charlton Kings

1G21 – Margaret Collett was born in 1621 at Charlton Kings

1G22 – Joyce Collett was born in 1623 at Charlton Kings

1G23 – Francis Collett was born in 1625 at Charlton Kings

1G24 – Sarah Collett was born in 1628 at Charlton Kings

1G25 – Francis Collett was born in 1630 at Charlton Kings

1G26 – Joan Collett was born in 1633 at Charlton Kings

1G27 – Jane Collett was born in 1635 at Charlton Kings

Philip Collett [1F20] was born at Broadwell in 1584 and was the second of four children born to John Collett and his second wife Katherine Sanders. Curiously Philip and his sister Anne (below) were two of the four children of John and Katherine not to be mentioned in the Will of their father when he died in 1597. He would have been twelve years old at the time, and therefore it was previously assumed that Philip had already died prior to 1597. However, it is now known that it was in 1619 when he passed away, so why was he left out of his father’s Will?

Anne Collett [1F21] was born in 1586 and was baptised at Broadwell on 28^th August 1586, the daughter of John Collett and Katherine Sanders. Anne, like her brother Philip (above), had possibly died before 1597 since she too was not mentioned in the Will of her father who died that year, while it is now confirmed that she too passed away during 1619

Anthony Collett [1F23] was baptised at Broadwell on 7^th March 1589 and was child of John Collett and Katherine Sanders. His father died when Anthony was only eight years old and, in his Will, John Collett bequeathed that half of his estate should be divided between his two sons Henry the younger (above) and Anthony, but that is should remain in their mother’s hands until they reached the age of twenty-one. The other half of the estate went to John’s wife Katherine. Fourteen years later, when Anthony had reached the age of 21, he married Mary Perkes at Broadwell on 30^th January 1611, following which he received his inheritance. In the book ‘Men & Armour of Gloucestershire in 1608’ Anthony is listed as ‘shepherd of lower stature in the youngest age band A20’. The first child of the marriage was baptised at Broadwell, while the remainder were born / baptised at Bourton-on-Water

1G28 – Ann Collett was born in 1617 at Broadwell

1G29 – Anthony Collett was born in 1618 at Bourton-on-the-Water

1G30 – Richard Collett was born at Bourton-on-the-Water

1G31 – Thomas Collett was born at Bourton-on-the-Water

1G32 – Mary Collett was born at Bourton-on-the-Water

William Collett [1F24], whose date on birth is not known, was not named in the 1597 Will of his father John Collett. His name is included here based solely on a reference to him as an overseer of the 1642 Will of his eldest brother Harry, aka Henry Collett the younger (above), in which William was described as being the brother of the deceased

John Collett [1G1] was born in 1576 the eldest child of Thomas and Edith Collett. He married Mary and they had a son Joseph. John Collett died in 1657. In the 1608 record of ‘Men & Armour of Gloucestershire’ John Collett is listed with his father and his brothers Anthony and Paris (below) as a husbandman of Upper Slaughter

1H1 – Joseph Collett at Upper Slaughter

Anthony Collett [1G2], whose date of birth is not known, was the son of Thomas and Edith Collett and he married Mary Booch. In the 1608 record of ‘Men & Armour of Gloucestershire’ Anthony Collett is listed with his father, his brother John (above) and his brother Paris (below) as a husbandman of Upper Slaughter

Mary Collett [1G3], whose date of birth is not known, was the daughter of Thomas and Edith Collett and she married William Arcot

Paris Collett [1G4], whose date of birth is not known, was the son of Thomas and Edith Collett and he married Ann. In the 1608 record of ‘Men & Armour of Gloucestershire’ Paris Collett is listed with his father and his brothers John and Anthony (above), when he was described as a husbandman of Upper Slaughter, the son of Thomas Collett, of short stature and young age, being category A20

Henry Collett [1G5], whose date of birth is not known, was the son of Thomas and Edith Collett and he married Alice

Richard Collett [1G7], whose date of birth is not known, was the son of Thomas and Edith Collett and he married Elizabeth Tatum

Edmund Collett [1G13] was baptised at Guiting Power on 29^th August 1630 when he was confirmed as the son of Robert Collett. He attended Christ Church College at Oxford where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts on 28^th February 1659

THOMAS COLLETT [1G15] was born at Broadwell in 1594 and was only three years old when his grandfather John Collett died. In his grandfather’s Will of 1597 Thomas and his brother John (below) were listed as the sons of Henry Collett the elder and they were to receive half a guinea shared between them. Thomas Collett married Elizabeth Kingly around 1617 at Broadwell and all the children from the marriage were born and baptised at Broadwell. The youngest of his known children was only two years old when Thomas Collett died in 1642

1H2 – William Collett was born in 1619 at Broadwell; baptised there on 13^th June 1619

1H3 – Catherine Collett was born in 1621 at Broadwell; baptised there on 15^th July 1621

1H4 – Philip Collett was born in 1624 at Broadwell; baptised there on 9^th June 1624

1H5 – THOMAS COLLETT was born in 1627 at Broadwell

1H6 – Maria Collett was born in 1636 at Broadwell; baptised on 2^nd December 1636

1H7 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1638 at Broadwell

1H8 – John Collett was born in 1640 at Broadwell

John Collett [1G16] was born at Broadwell around 1596 and was named as a beneficiary under the terms of the 1597 Will of his grandfather John Collett. In that document, John, and his brother Thomas (above), received a half guinea which was to be shared between the two boys. Within the Will, John and Thomas were described as the sons of Henry Collett the elder, the deceased John Collett having another son named Henry from his second marriage. John Collett married Alice Marshall on 2^nd August 1633 at Guiting Power. He is believed to have died in 1690 and his Will as ‘John Collett Gentleman of Upper Slaughter’ was proved on 25^th November 1690

Elizabeth Collett [1G17] was born at Charlton Kings on 29^th May 1610 and it was there that she was baptised on 8^th June 1610. She was a beneficiary under the terms of the 1641 Will of her father Henry Collett, her mother Joan Collett nee Currier being the sole executor of the Will

Henry Collett [1G18] was born at Charlton Kings where he was baptised on 13^th September 1612, the son of Henry Collett and Joan Currier. Henry married Edith around 1634 at Charlton Kings and known as a Yeoman of Charlton Kings. All of Henry’s and Edith’s children were born and baptised at Charlton Kings. In his father’s Will of 1641, he was referred to as already having received his heritance prior to the death of his father Henry Collett. Henry died in 1669 and his Will dated 5^th January 1669 was proved in 1670 (see Will in Legal Documents). In the Will he names his best friend, John Collett of Cheltenham as an overseer of the Will. Henry’s wife Edith and his children Margaret Collett, Henry Collett and Robert Collett were all referred to in the Will. It is therefore assumed that the other two children had already passed away. The property was divided 50/50 between his wife Edith and his eldest daughter Margaret. Eldest son Henry Collett received the furniture, while youngest son Robert Collett received a one-plank bed with bed sheet, cushion, and blankets. The aforementioned John Collett of Cheltenham appeared in the 1672 Hearth Tax records as having seven hearths, indicating the ownership of a substantial property. In the year 1637 he was living at Charlton Kings where his son Robert Collett was baptised on 4^th January

1H9 – Margaret Collett was born in 1639 at Charlton Kings

1H10 – Edith Collett was born in 1641 at Charlton Kings

1H11 – Henry Collett was born in 1643 at Charlton Kings

1H12 – Edward Collett was born in 1646 at Charlton Kings

1H13 – Robert Collett was born at Charlton Kings

Robert Collett [1G19] was born at Charlton Kings and was baptised there on 30^th October 1614, the son of Henry Collett and Joan Currier. It is assumed that he died before 1641 as he was not referred to in his father’s Will of that year. He was however mentioned in the 1629 Will of John Currier. It therefore seems likely that he died approaching his twenty-fifth birthday and was not even married before his death in 1639. The Will of ‘Robert Collett Yeoman of Westcote’ was proved on 4^th July 1639 which probably corresponds with Robert’s father Henry owning land at Westcote

Walter Collett [1G20] was born at Charlton Kings where he was baptised on 14^th March 1618, the son of Henry Collett and Joan Currier. Apart from his elder brother Henry, Walter was the only other surviving son of Henry Collett to be named in his Will of 1641

Margaret Collett [1G21] was born at Charlton Kings and baptised there on 2^nd April 1621, the daughter of Henry Collett and Joan Currier. The lack of any reference to Margaret in her father’s Will in 1641 probably indicates that she had died by then

Joyce Collett [1G22] was born at Charlton Kings and it was there that she was baptised on 24^th October 1623. She was one of the children of Henry Collett to be named in his Will of 1641

Francis Collett [1G23] was born at Charlton Kings where he was baptised on 28^th January 1625. The fact that the next child born to Henry Collett and Joan Currier was also named Francis probably indicates that Francis suffered an infant death prior to 1630

Sarah Collett [1G24] was born at Charlton Kings where she was baptised on 3^rd May 1628 and was one of seven surviving children of Henry Collett and Joan Currier to be named in her father’s Will in 1641

Francis Collett [1G25] was born at Charlton Kings and it was there that he was baptised on 12^th July 1630. However, it would appear he suffered a childhood death as he was not referred to in the 1641 Will of his father Henry Collett

Joan Collett [1G26], whose date of birth is not known, and the daughter of Henry Collett and Joan Currier and was a beneficiary under the terms of her father’s Will in 1641

Jane Collett [1G27] was born at Charlton Kings where she was baptised on 16^th November 1635. She was one of seven surviving children of Henry Collett to be named in his Will of 1641

Ann Collett [1G28] was born on 20^th June 1617 and was baptised on 9^th July 1617 at Broadwell, the eldest child of Anthony Collett and his wife Mary Perkes

Anthony Collett [1G29] was baptised at Bourton-on-Water on 12^th February 1618. He married Mary of Great Dorsington around 1660. He died in 1686 and his Will was proved in 1687. The couple’s four known children were born and baptised at Dorsington near Welford-on-Avon

1H14 – Dorothy Collett was born in 1660 at Dorsington

1H15 – Thomas Collett was born in 1663 at Dorsington

1H16 – Richard Collett was born in 1666 at Dorsington

1H17 – Mary Collett was born in 1668 at Dorsington; baptised there on 3^rd July 1668

Joseph Collett [1H1], whose date of birth is not known, was the son of John and Mary Collett. He married Mary with whom he had a son Edmund

1I1 – Edmund Collett

THOMAS COLLETT [1H5] was baptised on 28^th October 1627 at Broadwell and he married Elizabeth around 1660. It is understood that he moved to Westcote five miles south of Broadwell, once he was married, to manage the land there which had been owned by his great uncle Henry Collett (the younger). And it was at Westcote that all of the couple’s children were born and baptised. Thomas’ wife Elizabeth, who was born in 1630, died during 1701, and was followed four years later by Thomas who was buried at Westcote following his death on 2^nd October 1705

1I2 – FRANCIS COLLETT was born in 1661 at Westcote

1I3 – Sarah was born in 1662 at Westcote; baptised there on 21^st February 1662

1I4 – Ann was born in 1667 at Westcote; baptised there on 24^th October 1667

1I5 – Margaret Collett was born in 1670 at Westcote

Elizabeth Collett [1H7] was born at Broadwell where she was baptised on 12^th April 1638. It would appear that she never married and that she died in 1701

John Collett [1H8] was baptised on 29^th July 1640 at Broadwell. He married Aymer circa 1664. All of the children were born and baptised at Westcote

1I6 – Richard Collett was born in 1665 at Westcote; baptised there on 28^th March 1665

1I7 – Margaret Collett was born in 1666 at Westcote; baptised there on 5^th October 1666

1I8 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1667 at Westcote; baptised there on 5^th October March 1667

1I9 – Aymer Collett was born in 1668 at Westcote; baptised there on 17^th September 1668

1I10 – Walter Collett was born in 1669 at Westcote; baptised there on 21^st March 1670

1I11 – Joseph Collett was born in 1671 at Westcote; baptised there on 21^st March 1672

Margaret Collett [1H9] was born at Charlton Kings and was baptised there on 29^th September 1639. She was just one of three children to be named in her father’s Will of 1669

Edith Collett [1H10] was born at Charlton Kings and it was there that she was baptised on 14^th November 1641. However, she may have died prior to 1669 since there was no mention of her in her father’s Will produced that year

Henry Collett [1H11] was born at Charlton Kings and that may have taken place around 1639 from his stated age at the time of his death. What is known was that he was baptised at Charlton Kings near Cheltenham on 6^th November 1643, where he also later married Elizabeth on 20^th March 1669. Elizabeth was considerably younger than Henry having born in 1651 and she died on 17^th August 1724 aged 73. The couple’s three daughters were all born and baptised at Charlton Kings, as was Henry’s base-born son Henry, who was born two years before his marriage to Elizabeth. Henry Collett, who was known as a Gentleman of Tewkesbury, died on 29^th September 1712 aged 73 and was buried at St Catherine's Chapel in Tewkesbury Abbey. In his Will dated 14^th January 1712 (see Will in Legal Documents) he was referred to as a yeoman of Charlton Kings. The Will was drawn up in the tenth year of the reign of Our Sovereign Lady Anne Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland. The Will was proved on 26^th May 1716 and mentions his wife Elizabeth and their three daughters Joyce Collett, Elizabeth Collett and Sarah Goodrich nee Collett, but makes no mention of any sons or his two younger daughters

The details of his children and the continuation of his line can be found in Part 5 – The Tewkesbury Line from 1630 to 1960 commencing with Ref. 5I7

Edward Collett [1H12] was born at Charlton Kings and was baptised there on 20^th October 1646. As there was no reference to him in his father’s Will of 1669, it has been assumed that Edward had died before then

Robert Collett [1H13], who was born at Charlton Kings but whose date of birth is not known, was referred to as ‘Robert son of Henry Collett’ in his Will of 1669

Dorothy Collett [1H14] was born at Dorsington around 1660 where she married Thomas Hemming on 21^st October 1684

Thomas Collett [1H15] was baptised at Dorsington on 11^th October 1663 where he married Susanna Roberts on 12^th July 1687

Richard Collett [1H16] was baptised at Dorsington on 1^st February 1666 where he married Anne, and where all of their children were born and baptised

1I12 – Thomas Collett was born in 1702 at Dorsington; baptised there on 5^th March 1702

1I13 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1706 at Dorsington; baptised there on 3^rd April 1706

1I14 – Anne Collett was born in 1708 at Dorsington; baptised there on 23^rd October 1708

1I15 – William Collett was born in 1714 at Dorsington; baptised there on 6^th June 1714

FRANCIS COLLETT [1I2] was baptised on 21^st September 1661 at Westcote. He married Susannah Sanders of Kempsford in 1685. His occupation was that of blacksmith working at The Old Forge in Kempsford. Susannah, his wife, was born at Kempsford on 17^th January 1654, the daughter of Edward and Sybil Sanders. She was buried at Kempsford on 4^th October 1728 followed by Francis who was buried there on 17^th December 1729. His Will of 19^th November 1729 was proved on 24^th May 1736. All of their children were born and baptised at Kempsford but only sons James Collett and Leonard Collett, and daughter Sarah Collett were referred to in their father’s Will. It must therefore be assumed that daughter Deborah Collett had died prior to the making of the Will. Henry Collett, his only other son, is known to have died earlier in 1716. The Will is of vital importance to the continuation of this family tree because it verifies what was, before its discovery, the missing link spanning between two generations. Within the Will the main beneficiary was Francis’ grandson Francis Collett (Ref. 1K10) - the son of Henry Collett (Ref. 1J2) - who was also named as the whole and sole executor of the Will

Grandson Francis was an orphan and had been taken in and brought up by his grandfather Francis Collett. That happened following the death of his father Henry Collett when he was only five years of age. His mother Mary Collett had already died shortly after his birth. Francis Collett (the grandfather) therefore taught the young Francis his trade as a blacksmith and hence it was logical that he should pass the business onto him. Through the Will the young Francis Collett, then aged 18 years, inherited the dwelling house, furniture, household goods, the blacksmith’s shop and tools, new and old iron, the penthouse, coal-house, Barn Garden and Backside (the backyard) which comprised The Old Forge at the corner of the High Street and Wharf Lane in Kempsford

The reason the Will took six and a half years to go through probate, probably stemmed from it being contested by the three surviving members of Francis’ family, all of whom received only a pittance. Each of them, sons James Collett and Leonard Collett, and daughter Sarah Newport nee Collett, received just one shilling of lawful money of Great Britain. The Will was signed by Francis before witnesses William Edwards, William Leveridge and Charles Cowley. On the day it was proved, the following statement was added. “This Will was proved the twenty-fourth day of May in the year of Our Lord 1736 before the worshipful Sir Henry Pomice, Knight Doctor of Law, Vicar General in Spirituals of the Right Reverend Father in God, Martin by Divine Permission Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Gloucester and of his Episcopal Convistory official principal Lawfully Constituted by Francis Collett sole executor and so forth to whom and so forth after having first sworn well and faithfully to administer to the said Will and also to exhibit an inventory and render an account and so forth”

1J1 – James Collett was born in 1686 at Kempsford

1J2 – HENRY COLLETT was born in 1688 at Kempsford

1J3 – Leonard Collett was born in 1690 at Kempsford

1J4 – Sarah Collett was born in 1692 at Kempsford

1J5 – Deborah Collett was born in 1695 at Kempsford; baptised there on 11^th March 1695

Margaret Collett [1I5] was born at Westcote around 1670. She never married and died during childbirth in 1690, following which she was buried at Westcote on 11^th April 1690. Three days later her base-born son was baptised at Westcote, although he too died before reaching his second birthday in 1692, and was buried on 11^th March 1692 at Westcote with his mother

1J6 – Thomas Collett was born in 1690 at Westcote; baptised there on 14^th April 1690

James Collett [1J1] was born at Kempsford in September 1686 and was baptised there on 21^st October 1686. He married Elizabeth Haynes of Kempsford on 31^st March 1714 at Kempsford. Referred to as James of Whelford, he was buried at Kempsford on 3^rd October 1742. Elizabeth, his wife, was baptised on 20^th June 1687 at Kempsford and was buried there on 17^th January 1738. All of their children were baptised at Kempsford, although it is likely that they may have been born at Whelford, there being no church or chapel at Whelford until the latter part of the nineteenth century

1K1 – Robert Collett was born in 1715 at Whelford

1K2 – Mary Collett was born in 1716 at Whelford

1K3 – a Collett daughter was born in 1718 at Whelford; baptised at Kempsford on 29^th April 1718

1K4 – James Collett was born in 1719 at Whelford

1K5 – Dinah Collett was born in 1721 at Whelford

1K6 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1722 at Whelford

1K7 – John Collett was born in 1724 at Whelford

1K8 – Sarah Collett was born in 1726 at Whelford

1K9 – Susannah Collett was born in 1729 at Whelford

HENRY COLLETT [1J2] was baptised on 18^th March 1688 at Kempsford, where he married Mary in 1709. Mary died shortly after giving birth to their only child and was buried at Kempsford on 27^th July 1711. Her husband Henry Collett died five years later during 1716. Once orphaned, their son Francis spent his early years living with his grandparents Francis and Susannah Collett until their deaths in 1729 and 1728, at which time he inherited the family blacksmith business. More details on this can be found under Francis Collett (Ref. 1I2)

1K10 – FRANCIS COLLETT was born in 1711 at Kempsford

Leonard Collett [1J3] was Born during 22^nd June 1690 at Kempsford and it was there that he married Susannah Wiggins on 29^th December 1715 and it was there that all of their children were baptised. Leonard died in 1751 and was buried at Kempsford on 17^th December 1751. His wife Susannah had died twelve years earlier and was also buried at Kempsford on 4^th August 1739

1K11 – Jane Collett was born in 1716 at Kempsford

1K12 – Mary Collett was born in 1718 at Kempsford

1K13 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1720 at Kempsford

1K14 – Henry Collett was born in 1722 at Kempsford

Sarah Collett [1J4] was baptised on 28^th December 1692 at Kempsford. She married John Newport on 4^th October 1722 at Kempsford. All of their children were born and baptised at Kempsford and they were Elizabeth Newport (baptised on 1^st September 1723), Rachel Newport (baptised on 17^th September 1725), John Newport (baptised on 13^th November 1727), Susannah Newport (baptised on 7^th December 1729), and a second John Newport (baptised on 14^th June 1733)

Robert Collett [1K1] was very likely born at Whelford, following which he was baptised at Kempsford on 13^th June 1715, the eldest child of James Collett of Whelford. And it was there that he was buried on 11^th August 1790. No record has been found to confirm whether or not he ever married. It seems possible that he did not, and that he shared his life with his unmarried sister Mary Collett (below)

Mary Collett [1K2] was born at Whelford but was baptised at Kempsford on 25^th September 1716, the eldest daughter of James Collett of Whelford. She was 70 when she was buried at Kempsford on 6^th June 1786. The parish burial record noted that she was a ‘single woman of Whelford’

James Collett [1K4] was baptised on 10^th November 1719 at Kempsford and was buried there three months later on 12^th February 1720

Dinah Collett [1K5] was baptised on 12^th March 1721 at Kempsford. She later married John Holyoak at Fairford on 6^th July 1760

Elizabeth Collett [1K6] was baptised on 27^th November 1722 at Kempsford, the daughter of James and Elizabeth Collett. She never married and it was also at Kempsford where she died on 7^th March 1786 at the age of 63

John Collett [1K7] may have been born at Whelford or Kempsford during May 1724 and was baptised at Kempsford on 28^th June 1724. It was also at Kempsford that he married (1) Mary Smith on 27^th July 1755, and was later buried there on 1^st May 1808. It now appears that John lost his wife around the time of the birth of their son James, who may also have died at that same time. The records at Kempsford indicate that John Collett, a widower, was married there on 20^th October 1761 to (2) Mary Francis just about nine months before the birth of John’s second child Elizabeth. All of his children were baptised at the parish church in Kempsford, although it is established that son Robert was born at nearby Whelford, most likely where the family was residing, and therefore possibly where all of the children were born

1L1 – James Collett was born in 1756 at Whelford; baptised at Kempsford on 6^th June 1756

The following are the children of John Collett by his second wife Mary Francis:

1L2 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1762 at Whelford

1L3 – Ann Collett was born in 1764 at Whelford

1L4 – Sarah Collett was born in 1766 at Whelford

1L5 – Robert Collett was born in 1767 at Whelford

1L6 – William Collett was born in 1769 at Whelford; baptised at Kempsford on 25^th January 1770

1L7 – Martha Collett was born in 1771 at Whelford

1L8 – Michael Collett was born in 1772 at Whelford; baptised at Kempsford on 10^th October 1772

1L9 – Mary Collett was born in 1773 at Whelford

1L10 – Hannah Collett was born in 1777 at Whelford

1L11 – Catherine Collett was born in 1779 at Whelford; baptised at Kempsford on 13^th June 1779

Sarah Collett [1K8] was baptised on 14^th May 1726 at Kempsford and was buried there on 9^th August 1730 within a few days of her year-old sister Susannah (below)

Susannah Collett [1K9] was baptised on 8^th June 1729 at Kempsford where she was buried on 16^th August 1730 one week after her four-year old sister Sarah (above)

FRANCIS COLLETT [1K10] was baptised on 8^th July 1711 at Kempsford and was an orphan from the age of five, his mother having died in 1711 and his father in 1716. Francis was raised by his grandparents Francis and Susannah Collett (Ref. 1I2) until their deaths in 1729 and 1728 respectively. Francis’ occupation was that of blacksmith, a trade he had learned from his grandfather Francis Collett and from whom he inherited the family business. The ‘smithy’ operated from The Old Forge in Kempsford which was situated at the corner of High Street and Wharf Lane. The Old Forge was still there in the early 1930s as shown in the picture below

The discovery of the marriage certificate for Francis Collett and Catherine Cowling in Dean’s Wiltshire Marriage Bonds confirmed the details as follows. Francis Collett, a blacksmith of Kempsford in Gloucestershire, married Catherine Cowley, of Highworth near Swindon in Wiltshire, at Highworth on 11^th June 1735, the marriage being witnessed by bondsman Joseph Titchener, a tailor of Highworth. Catherine’s ancestors were stonemasons who had moved to Kempsford from Oxford to build the church tower in the 1300s, from when they had permanently settled in the village. All of the children of Francis and Catherine were born and baptised at Kempsford

It took almost seven years to resolve and prove the Will of Francis his grandfather, which eventually happened on 24^th May 1736. The delay may have been due to the Will being contested by Francis’ three surviving children each of whom only received one shilling, while his grandson inherited the family business and all the property that went with it. Francis (the younger) died in Kempsford having lived there all his life and was buried there on 1^st September 1768. He died before making a Will, so a Bond of Administration dated 9^th August 1769 (see Bond in Legal Documents) was taken out by his eldest son Henry Collett in order to dispose of his property. His wife Katherine, who was baptised at Kempsford on 8^th October 1713, died on 29^th October 1768 and was buried there barely two months after her husband. The details for Katherine Cowlings’ family can be found in Part 10 - Other Branch Lines commencing with the reference 10H1/Cowling. The Bond of Administration states that it was drawn up jointly by Edward Harris and Henry Collett for Francis Collett his late father deceased, to make a true inventory of all his goods, chattels and credits. The Bond had to be produced within a period of approximately twelve months in order to comply with the stipulated expiry date of the last day of August 1770. Within the text of the Bond reference was made to an Act of Parliament entitled ‘An Act for the Better Settling of Intestate’s Estates’ made in the Two and Twentieth and Three and Twentieth years of the reign of Our Late Sovereign Lord King Charles the Second

1L12 – Henry Collett was born in 1735 at Kempsford

1L13 – Lawrence Collett was born in 1737 at Kempsford

1L14 – Mary Collett was born in 1739 at Kempsford; baptised there on 27^th August 1739

1L15 – James Collett was born in 1741 at Kempsford

1L16 – Margaret Collett was born in 1743 at Kempsford

1L17 – Francis Collett was born in 1745 at Kempsford; baptised there on 5^th May 1745

1L18 – ROBERT COLLETT was born in 1747 at Kempsford

1L19 – Thomas Cowling Collett was born in 1752 at Kempsford

Jane Collett [1K11] was baptised on 6^th February 1716 at Kempsford, where she married William Lukes on 6^th December 1747

Mary Collett [1K12] was born at Kempsford where she was baptised on 10^th October 1718, and where she was later married to William Hill of Kempsford on 31^st July 1743

Elizabeth Collett [1K13] was baptised on 4^th September 1720 at Kempsford, where she married clerk Robert Church on 7^th February 1748. All of her children were born and baptised at Kempsford and it was there that she buried on 25^th May 1795. The children were Mary Church (baptised on 11^th January 1748), Leonard Church (baptised on 26^th November 1750), Rachel Church (baptised on 3^rd December 1752), Elizabeth Church (baptised on 1^st December 1754), Robert Church (baptised on 28^th May 1757), Susannah Church (baptised on 18^th March 1759), and Henry Church (baptised on 22^nd February 1761). This is the family line of Jane Mettler whose husband, Alex kindly supplied valuable details of the Wills of many of the Collett family during the late 1990s. It is also the line of Mick Coggins of Rothwell in Northamptonshire, the five times great grandson of Elizabeth Collett and Robert Church, through their eldest daughter Mary Church. Mick’s late father John Bernard Coggins was buried at Ramsgate in 1985, while his cousin John Francis Coggins was buried at Coventry on 15^th April 2011, his funeral being attended by his brother-in-law of Alex Mettler and the aforementioned Mick Coggins

Henry Collett [1K14] was baptised on 2^nd October 1722 at Kempsford, where he married Mary Cooper of Kempsford on 10^th October 1747. In the Kempsford parish register at the time of his marriage he was referred to as ‘Henry Collett of Fairford’. He was buried at Kempsford on 16^th July 1808, while his wife Mary was buried there a few years earlier on 1^st April 1797. All of their children were baptised at Kempsford

1L20 – Aaron Collett was born in 1748 at Kempsford

1L21 – Mary Collett was born in 1756 at Kempsford; baptised there on 6^th September 1756

1L22 – Anne Collett was born in 1759 at Kempsford; baptised there on 24^th June 1756

1L23 – Henry Collett was born in 1761 at Kempsford

Elizabeth Collett [1L2], who was referred to as Betty, was born at Whelford and baptised at Kempsford on 8^th August 1762, the eldest child of John Collett and his second wife Mary Francis. She later married Richard Arnold on 18^th June 1789. She was his second wife, Richard having previously been married to Jane Harvey in 1782, but who died a few years later in 1786. Elizabeth and Richard had two daughters, Sarah Arnold and Margaret Arnold, and a son John Arnold (1791-1851). Son John married an Elizabeth around 1824 and their son William Arnold married Ann Hill. In the next generation, William and Ann’s daughter Elizabeth Arnold (1853-1932) married Joseph Bunker (1841-1934) and their daughter Lilly May Bunker (1882-1921) married George Edward Gay (1884-1954). George Edward Gay was the grandfather of Les Durham of Bagnaria in Italy. And it was Les who kindly supplied confirming information regarding this Collett family.

Ann Collett [1L3] was born at Whelford and baptised at Kempsford on 11^th February 1764, the third child of John and Mary Collett. She later married Robert Hewer, who was the 4x great grandfather of David Cook. It may be of interest that Henry Collett of Sherborne (Ref. 9M6) married Jane Hewer in 1849, and it is known that her family had connections with the Meysey Hampton area, near Kempsford. There was also a connection between the Hewer family and the Bowne family of Stow-on-the-Wold, which is again interesting since William Collett (Ref. 56L3) of Upper Slaughter married Susannah Bowne of Northleach in 1792

Sarah Collett [1L4] was baptised on 9^th February 1766 at Kempsford, the daughter of John and Mary Collett. Sadly, around the time of her seventeenth birthday, she died at Kempsford, where she was buried on 14^th February 1783

Robert Collett [1L5] was born at Whelford in March 1767 and was baptised at Kempsford on 12^th April 1767 the son of John and Mary Collett. He married Anne Constable by banns at Kempsford on 21^st September 1789, as confirmed by the Bishop’s Transcript. At the time of his death, he was referred to as Robert Collett of Whelford when he was buried at Kempsford on 30^th April 1859. Anne was buried at Kempsford on 3^rd March 1839 at the age of 70. Her death was confirmed in the census of 1841, when widower Robert Collett had a rounded age of 70 and the only person living with him in Whelford was his grandson Henry Collett, the base-born son of Robert’s youngest daughter Mary Collett. According to the next census in 1851 for the Kempsford area, Robert was described as a widower at the age of 83 and a farmer of eight acres who had been born at Whelford. It was there also, where all of his children were born, although they were all baptised at nearby Kempsford

1M1 – Isaac Collett was born in 1791 at Whelford

1M2 – Sarah Collett was born in 1793 at Whelford

1M3 – Robert Collett was born in 1796 at Whelford

1M4 – Hannah Collett was born in 1798 at Whelford

1M5 – William Collett was born in 1802 at Whelford

1M6 – Mary Collett was born in 1804 at Whelford

1M7 – John Collett was born in 1807 at Whelford

1M8 – James Collett was born in 1808 at Whelford

Martha Collett [1L7] was baptised at Kempsford on 19^th May 1771, the daughter of John and Mary Collett. She never married but gave birth to a base-born daughter who was also born at Kempsford

1M9 – Mary Collett was born in 1793 at Kempsford

Mary Collett [1L9] was born at Kempsford, where she was baptised on 28^th November 1773, the daughter of John and Mary Collett. It seems unlikely that she was only sixteen when she married, although it is very curious that it was at Kempsford that a Mary Collett of that parish married Richard Arnold of Fairford by licence on 18^th June 1789, as detailed in the Bishop’s Transcript for Kempsford. That must be an error, because it was Mary’s older sister Elizabeth who married Richard Arnold on that day

Hannah Collett [1L10] was baptised at Kempsford on 2^nd February 1777, the penultimate child of John Collett and his second wife Mary Francis. In early 1799, it was discovered that unmarried Hannah was expecting the birth of a child. The shame and pressure that brought to a family in a small community was immense, and resulted in the expectant mother being served with a removal order, dated 23^rd January 1799, “as a person likely to become a financial burden to the parish”. It was for that reason that she was living in Cricklade, just across the county boundary into Wiltshire, when she gave birth to a base-born son. Hannah Collett was twenty-two-years old when she gave birth to John Collett, who was baptised on 30^th June 1799 at St Sampson’s Church in Cricklade, when just the name of Hannah Collett was recorded as the parent. However, an unverified source claims the father of her son was Thomas Muldock (1774-1850). Three years after that, and most likely with her son being raised by her parents, Hannah Collett married John Eggleton at Kempsford on 23^rd May 1802. The known children of John and Hannah, baptised at Kempsford, are: Rachel Eggleton who was baptised on 19^th June 1814; Daniel Eggleton who was baptised on 20^th June 1819; and Mary Ann Eggleton who was baptised on 26^th September 1819 who, it seems likely was born earlier and was baptised when she was a few years old. Also, the parish register for Mary, only named Hannah Eggleton as parent, perhaps indicating that John Eggleton had died between June and September 1819. The death of Hannah Eggleton, nee Collett, was also recorded at Kempsford during 1820, while John Eggleton, who was born in 1762, died nine years after being made a widower during 1829

1M10 – John Collett was born in 1799 at Cricklade, Wiltshire

Henry Collett [1L12] was born at Kempsford during November 1734 where he was baptised on 13^th December 1735, the first-born child of Francis Collett and Catherine Cowling. His occupation was that of blacksmith like his father Francis and previous generations of his family. He married Sarah (Frances) Lawrence of Bourton on the Water by licence on 16^th January 1769, less than three months after the deaths of his parents. Sarah was born during 1743. It would appear that Henry, who having sought a Bond of Administration (see Legal Documents) following the death of his father who left no Will, moved away from Kempsford and took up residence at Bibury where he continued in the family trade as a blacksmith. He was referred to as Henry Collett of Bibury in various subsequent records and that would appear to be the earliest reference to a Collett living in Bibury. It was at Bibury that Henry Collett died on 1^st April 1799. Following his death his widow Sarah Collett married Edmund Stone on 5^th November 1800 at Bibury. Edmund, who was born in 1750, died two and a half years later on 22^nd June 1803 as inscribed on the gravestone of Sarah’s first husband Henry Collett. Sarah Stone, formerly Collett nee Lawrence, was buried there on 14^th August 1810, as inscribed on the same headstone. All of the children came from her marriage to Henry and all of them were baptised at Bibury. Even though it is understood from later records that the couple’s eldest child was born at Bibury, it may be that the family moved to Bibury shortly after he was born, and that may be the reason why no baptism record for him has been found there

1M11 – Giles Collett was born in 1770 at Bibury

1M12 – Catherine Collett was born in 1772 at Bibury

1M13 – Sarah Collett was born in 1776 at Bibury

1M14 – Mary Ann Collett was born in 1779 at Bibury

1M15 – Henry Collett was born in 1783 at Bibury

Lawrence Collett [1L13] was born in July 1737 and was baptised on 5^th August 1737 at Kempsford, the second child of Francis Collett and Catherine Cowling. It was also there, as Laurence Collett, that he married Mary Edwards on 25^th March 1759 who gave birth to his first child within the next five months. Once again, he was recorded as Laurence Collett the father of Rachell, when she was baptised in 1761. All of their children were born and baptised at Kempsford and it was there where Lawrence was buried on 12^th June 1811. Mary died at Kempsford nearly twenty-two years after her husband when she was 92 and was buried with him on 17^th March 1833. In 2014, unverified information noticed on the internet suggests that Lawrence’s wife was Mary Day, rather than Mary Edwards, which is possible only an assumption based on the second forename of the couple’s third child

1M16 – James Collett was born in 1759 at Kempsford; baptised there on 29^th August 1759

1M17 – Rachel Collett was born in 1761 at Kempsford

1M18 – William Day Collett was born in 1763 at Kempsford

1M19 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1765 at Kempsford; baptised there in September 1765

1M20 – Rachel Collett was born in 1769 at Kempsford

1M21 – Walter Collett was born in 1771 at Kempsford

1M22 – Catherine Collett was born in 1773 at Kempsford

1M23 – Lawrence Collett was born in 1774 at Kempsford

1M24 – Lawrence Collett was born in 1775 at Kempsford; baptised there on 5^th August 1775

1M25 – Thomas Collett was born in 1778 at Kempsford

1M26 – Mary Collett was born in 1780 at Kempsford; baptised there on 9^th March 1780

1M27 – Edith Collett was born in 1782 at Kempsford; baptised there on 10^th February 1782

Mary Collett [1L14] was born in 1739 at Kempsford, where she was baptised on 27^th August 1739, the third child and eldest daughter of Francis and Catherine Collett. At the age of 25 unmarried Mary Collett of Kempsford discovered she was with-child after an entanglement with a so far unnamed male, resulting the birth of her base-born son Thomas Cowling Collett in the latter half of 1764. It was the parish baptismal records at Kempsford which confirmed that Thomas Cowling Collett, bastard son of Mary Collett, was baptised there on 26^th September 1764

1M28 – Thomas Cowling Collett was born in 1764 at Kempsford

James Collett [1L15] was born at Kempsford towards the end of 1740 and was baptised there on 28^th February 1741, where he died and was buried on 17^th April 1742

Margaret Collett [1L16] was born at Kempsford on 2^nd February 1742, where she was baptised on 13^th March 1742. It was there also that she died at the age of four-years, and where she was buried on 18^th April 1746

ROBERT COLLETT [1L18] was born at Kempsford and baptised there on 8^th February 1747, another son of Francis Collett and Catherine Cowling. He later married Mary Tackley at Liddington on 8^th September 1769, with the marriage details confirmed within the Bishop’s Marriage Bonds for Wiltshire, as follows: Robert Collett, aged 21 and bachelor of Kempsford in Gloucestershire, married Mary Tackley, aged 21 and spinster of Liddington in Wiltshire, on 8^th September 1769, the marriage being witnessed by bondsman Robert Pigot of Chiseldon. The marriage bond does not make it clear where the marriage ceremony took place but, thanks to Dennis Collett who recently visited the Wiltshire & Swindon Archive in Chippenham, it has been discovered in the parish records there that the wedding took place at Liddington. All of the children of Francis and Mary were born and baptised Kempsford. Robert Collett died in 1777 and was buried at Kempsford on 4^th May 1777. After his death, Mary gave birth to two base-born children, the first by Joseph Bunce, a local blacksmith, the second by an unknown individual

1M29 – John Collett was born in 1770 at Kempsford

1M30 – Henry Collett was born in 1772 at Kempsford

1M31 – JOHN COLLETT was born in 1774 at Kempsford

1M32 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1777 at Kempsford

The following are the two base-born children of widow Mary Collett:

1M33 – William Collett was born in 1778 at Kempsford; baptised there on 16^th October 1778

1M34 – Judith Collett was born in 1782 at Kempsford; baptised there on 10^th February 1782

Thomas Cowling Collett [1L19] was the last child born to Francis Collett and Catherine Cowling, who was born at Kempsford during the month of September in 1752. It was there also that he was baptised on 7^th October 1752 and where he died within six-months of being born, following which he was buried on 14^th February 1753

Aaron Collett [1L20] was baptised on 24^th July 1748 at Kempsford. He married Anne Habgood at Latton near Cricklade in Wiltshire on 5^th April 1774, and his occupation was that of blacksmith. In 1790 he was churchwarden at St Swithun’s Church in Leonard Stanley, just south-west of Stroud, where all his children were baptised, and where he was buried on 15^th April 1832. Aaron’s wife Anne was baptised at Latton on 20^th October 1754, the daughter of William and Susanna Habgood who owned and lived at the Habgood Manor, adjacent to the parish church in Latton. One of the witnesses at their wedding was William Waine who, five years earlier, had married Anne’s sister Sarah Habgood. Aaron and Anne both signed the register in their own hand. Like her late husband, Anne Collett nee Habgood was also buried in St Swithun’s churchyard almost a year after he passed away, when she was laid to rest with him on 8^th March 1833. The adjacent Banns of Marriage in the church register inn 1774, is very interesting as it was for the union of William Jock and Susanna Stockwell, who made her marked, while one of their witnesses was James Habgood. Interesting, because one Hannah Stockwell married William Collett (Ref. 2N8) at Bibury in 1834

1M35 – Aaron Collett was born in 1775 at Leonard Stanley

1M36 – Anne Collett was born in 1778 at Leonard Stanley

1M37 – Mary Collett was born in 1780 at Leonard Stanley

1M38 – Miriam Collett was born in 1781 at Leonard Stanley

1M39 – William Collett was born in 1783 at Leonard Stanley

1M40 – James Collett was born in 1785 at Leonard Stanley

1M41 – Susannah Collett was born in 1787 at Leonard Stanley

1M42 – Sarah Collett was born in 1789 at Leonard Stanley

1M43 – Thomas Collett was born in 1790 at Leonard Stanley

1M44 – Charles Collett was born in 1792 at Leonard Stanley

1M45 – Hannah Collett was born in 1794 at Leonard Stanley

Henry Collett [1L23] was baptised at Kempsford on 6^th December 1761, the youngest child of Henry Collett and Mary Cooper. Although not yet proved that it was this Henry Collett, but a Henry Collett married Elizabeth Shaw at Kempsford on 5^th November 1792

Isaac Collett [1M1] was born at Whelford and was baptised on 3^rd July 1791 at nearby Kempsford, the eldest child of Robert Collett and his wife Anne Constable. Sadly, it was also at Kempsford that he was buried on 1^st January 1794 when he was only thirty months old

Sarah Collett [1M2] was born at Whelford and was baptised at Kempsford on 3^rd September 1793, the second child of Robert Collett and Anne Constable

Robert Collett [1M3] was born Whelford on 15^th March 1796, but was baptised at Kempsford on 15^th May 1796. It was also at Kempsford where Robert married Mary Trotman on 28^th November 1817. He was referred to as Robert Collett of Whelford when he was buried at Kempsford on 20^th November 1858. That, and subsequent census records, indicate that Robert and Mary lived in Whelford, where all of their children were born. However, as there was no church in Whelford (the Chapel of St Anne’s in Whelford was only opened in 1864), the people from the hamlet had to be baptised, married and buried at ceremonies conducted in the nearby parish church at Kempsford. It was in Whelford that the family was recorded on the day of the first national census in 1841. On that day the couple’s eldest son William was already living in nearby Fairford, while the two eldest daughters were also absent on that census day. Robert and Mary both had rounded ages of 45, with the six children still living with them listed as Richard Collett and Jane Collett, who each had a rounded age of 15 years, John Collett who was 13, Isaac Collett who was 10, Charles Collett who was eight and Joseph Collett who was six years of age

Nine years later, Mary Collett, Robert’s wife, died and was buried at Kempsford on 1^st November 1850, aged 57 years, where all her children were baptised, for the reason given above. According to the 1851 Census, Robert Collett, aged 54, was an agricultural labourer and a widower living at Kempsford with sons Isaac Collett aged 20, and Joseph Collett who was 16, both agricultural labourers, together with his daughter Sarah Ann Collett who was nine years old, all four of them having been born at Whelford. Towards the end of the decade the death of Robert Collett was recorded at Cirencester. However, there are two deaths recorded there, neither giving the age of the deceased. The first of them was during the fourth quarter of 1858 (Ref. 6a 250), the second during the second quarter of 1859 (Ref. 6a 216). The Trotman name occurs again in Part Three – The Chedworth Line (Ref. 3N9)

August 2022 – thanks to Jonathan Leyland, who kindly provided a copy of the marriage certificate for Jane Collett, daughter of Robert Collett of Whelford and Kempsford, we now know that Jane Collett married William Lucker in 1847. Prior to this, and recorded here as Anne (Jane) Collett [1N5] she was incorrectly married to William Curtis in 1849 as Anne Collett, who was not the daughter of Robert Collett. So, where there was once Anne (Jane) Collett, we now have Jane Collett

1N1 – Sarah Collett was born in 1818 at Whelford

1N2 – William Collett was born in 1820 at Whelford

1N3 – Mary Ann Collett was born in 1822 at Whelford

1N4 – Richard Collett was born in 1824 at Whelford

1N5 – Jane Collett was born in 1826 at Whelford

1N6 – John Collett was born in 1828 at Whelford

1N7 – Isaac Collett was born in 1830 at Whelford

1N8 – Charles Collett was born in 1833 at Whelford

1N9 – Joseph Collett was born in 1835 at Whelford

1N10 – Sarah Ann Collett was born in 1841 at Whelford

Hannah Collett [1M4] was born at Whelford and was baptised on 20^th May 1798 at Kempsford, where she was also buried less than two years later on 22^nd July 1800

William Collett [1M5] was born at Whelford and baptised at Kempsford on 23^rd May 1802. He married Hannah Dixon at Kempsford on either 21^st September 1825 or that same day but in 1828. Sometime after they were married the couple moved to Highworth, near Swindon, where their first two children were born, before finally settling in Fairford around 1838, where their third child was born. According to the Fairford census in 1841, William Collett had a rounded age of 35, his wife Hannah had a rounded age of 30, when their three children were named as Fanny Collett who was 10, Clara Collett who was four and Cornelius Collett who was two years of age. Every member of the household was incorrectly recorded as having been born in Gloucestershire. It was virtually two years after that day, when the couple’s son suffered a childhood death at the age of four years. Hannah again expecting the birth of her fourth child, another son, who was given the same name in remembrance of his deceased brother. The 1851 Census for Fairford listed the couple as William Collett, aged 50 and a carpenter of Kempsford, and his wife Hannah Collett, aged 42 and a laundress born in London. Living there with them were their four children, daughters Frances Collett aged 19, and Clara Collett aged 14, both of them employed as laundresses and both of them born at Highworth, their son Cornelius Collett who was seven and their daughter Elizabeth Collett who was five years old, and both of them having been born at Fairford. Three years later, and at the age of only 17, daughter Clara Collett died at Fairford, her premature death recorded at nearby Cirencester (Ref. 6a 198)

By 1861 the family was still living at Milton Street in Fairford where William was 59 and a carpenter, and Hannah was 52 and a laundress. William’s place of birth was then given as Whelford and that would correspond with that of his father, who was referred to as Robert Collett of Whelford. Only two of their children were living with the couple at that time, and they were Cornelius Collett, aged 17, and his sister Elizabeth Collett who was 15. On that occasion Cornelius was working as an apprentice plumber. It was five years later that the death of William Collett, at the age of 64, was recorded at Cirencester (Ref. 6a 197) during the third quarter of 1866. Following his passing, his widow travelled north to the Hartlepool suburb of Throston in County Durham where, in 1871, Hannah Collett from Middlesex was 62 and a laundress, was described as the mother-in-law of head of the household, Joshua Wiltshire, the husband of Hannah’s eldest daughter Frances. Six years after that day, the death of Hannah Collett, nee Dixon, was recorded at Hartlepool (Ref. 10a 73) during the fourth quarter of 1877, when she was 67

1N11 – Frances Collett was born in 1831 at Highworth

1N12 – Clara Collett was born in 1836 at Highworth

1N13 – Cornelius Collett was born in 1839 at Fairford

1N14 – Cornelius Collett was born in 1843 at Fairford

1N15 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1845 at Fairford

Mary Collett [1M6] was born at Whelford and baptised on 12^th January 1804 at the parish church in Kempsford. She was the youngest daughter of Robert Collett and Anne Constable. Around the time she was nearly eighteen years of age, Mary fell pregnant with a son who was born during the summer of 1822. It would appear that the child was raised by Mary’s parents at Whelford, which was where he was recorded with his grandfather Robert Collett in the census of 1841. Nearly four years after her base-born son was born, Mary Collett married Thomas Jordan on 28^th February 1826. Thomas had also been baptised at Kempsford on 20^th September 1801, and was the son of Thomas and Ann Jordan. The children of Mary and Thomas were all born at Kempsford and by 1841 Thomas’ family was living at Dunfield in Kempsford, when he himself was not with his wife and three children on that occasion. Mary had a round age of 40, while her children were Harriet Jordan who was 12, Elizabeth Jordan who was nine, and Edwin Jordan who was one year old. Her son Josiah Jordan was also missing from the family group that day

By 1851 the two eldest children had left the family home in Kempsford, when the family comprised farm labourer Thomas Jordan who was 49, Mary Jordan who was 47, Josiah Jordan who was 17, Edwin Jordan who was 11, and Robert Jordan who was six. Every member of the household was said to have been born at Kempsford. After a further ten years, it was at Furzey Hill in Kempsford that Thomas, aged 60, and Mary, aged 58, were living with just their youngest child Robert Jordan who was 16. In 1871 the couple’s ages were incorrectly record as 73 for Thomas and 71 for Mary and on that occasion for the first time, their place of birth was recorded as Whelford. Just over three years later, the death of Mary Jordan, nee Collett, was recorded at Cirencester (Ref. 6a 249) during the last three months of 1874, when she was actually 71. Fourteen years after that, the death of Thomas Jordan, aged 88, was recorded at Cirencester (Ref. 6a 259) during the first quarter of 1889

1N16 – Henry Collett was born in 1822 at Kempsford

John Collett [1M7] was born at Whelford, perhaps as early as 1805, and it was at Kempsford that he was baptised on 10^th February 1807. He later married Mary Maria Ferris at St Mary’s Parish Church in Cheltenham on 18^th April 1835. Mary, who was referred to as Maria in all the national census records, was born in 1814. Once married the couple settled in Whelford, where all of their children were born, although it is acknowledged that all of the children were baptised at the parish church in Kempsford. By June 1841 the marriage had produced the first two children for John and Maria, they being sons Edwin Collett who was four and (Frederick) Alfred Collett who was only one year old and recorded simply as Alfred, even though his birth was recorded under his full name. Curiously the next child was also named Frederick, from when his older brother of the same name was known as Alfred. In 1841 the family was residing at Horcott, just west of Whelford, when John and Maria had rounded ages of 30 and 20 years respectively while, in reality, they would have been nearer 34 and 26. Over the next ten years two further sons were added to the family and John’s occupation on the birth certificate for son Frederick was stated as being that of a carrier. The certificate also revealed that Maria had registered the birth at Fairford, six days after Frederick Collett had been born

In the next census of 1851 John’s age was given more accurately as 45, when his occupation was confirmed as being that of a carrier. His wife Maria was 37 and both of them were confirmed as having been born at Whelford. Three of their children were living with them and they were Edwin Collett aged 15, Frederick (Alfred) Collett who was 11 and (Charles) Robert Collett who was three years of age and died later that year, all of them born at Whelford. The couple’s third son Frederick Collett, who would have been seven years old, was absent from the family home that day, but was back living with the family in 1861. In addition to the family, niece Hannah Collett, aged 16 and a servant from Whelford, was also staying with the family on the day of the census in 1851, Hannah (Ref. 1N23) being the daughter of James Collett, John’s younger brother (below). Just over four months after the census day that year, the couple’s youngest son Charles Robert Collett died, and he was followed eight months later by his mother Maria Collett who died at Whelford and was buried in the parish churchyard at Kempsford on 31^st March 1853 at the age of only 39. By 1861 the family was still living at Whelford but, by then, widower John Collett was 53 years of age and still working as a carter/carrier. Living with him were his three surviving sons Edwin Collett who was 24, (Frederick) Alfred Collett who was 21, and Frederick Collett who was 17. Completing the household was boarder and housekeeper Emma Maslin who was 29 of Whelford. She was the eldest daughter of John’s brother James Collett (below) and was described as the niece of John Collett, who had with her, two of her Maslin children, Jane and Charlotte

Ten years later the details within the 1871 Census confirmed that John was 66, that he had been born at Whelford, where he was still living, and that he was still employed as a carrier. Living with him at Whelford were his two unmarried sons Edwin Collett aged 35, who was an agricultural labourer, and Alfred Collett aged 31, who was a carrier presumably working with his father. Both sons were recorded as having been born at Whelford. Living with them again, as housekeeper, was widow Emma Maslin aged 40 and of Kempsford, who was John’s niece. With her were her children Elizabeth Maslin, Clara Maslin who was 11, Ernest Maslin who was seven, Louisa Maslin who was six and Angelina Maslin who was five years old, and all of them born at Whelford. There was little that had changed over the next ten years since, in the 1881 Census for Kempsford, John Collett, at the age of 76 was still a carrier, who still had living with him his two unmarried sons, Edwin Collett who was 45 and Alfred Collett who was 41, all of them recorded as having been born at Kempsford on that occasion. Still living with them was John’s niece, the widow Emma Maslin, aged 49, who was still performing the role of housekeeper for the three men. It is now established that John Collett died eight years later when he was 84, his death recorded at Cirencester (Ref. 6a 261) during the first three months of 1889

1N17 – Edwin Collett was born in 1836 at Whelford

1N18 – Frederick Alfred Collett was born in 1840 at Whelford

1N19 – Frederick Collett was born in 1843 at Whelford

1N20 – Charles Robert Collett was born in 1848 at Whelford

James Collett [1M8] was born at Whelford but was baptised at Kempsford on 3^rd July 1808, where he later married (1) Elizabeth Tyrrell on 18^th August 1830. All of their children were baptised at Kempsford although they were born at nearby Whelford. At the time of the first census in 1841 the family comprised James Collett and his wife Elizabeth, both with a rounded age of 30, together with their five children Emma Collett aged 10, Eliza Collett who was eight, Hannah Collett who was six, Job Collett who was three and Timothy Collett who was just one year old. It would appear that James’ wife Elizabeth died after the birth of their last child, during the following year and, that sometimes after that sad event, James married (2) Susannah with whom, it would seem, he had no further children. Certainly by 1871 James, aged 62, was married to Susannah, who was 55, and by then the couple had left Gloucestershire and instead were leaving at Highworth in Wiltshire. Living there with them was James’ youngest daughter Ruth and her base-born child Elizabeth Collett. By the time of the census in 1881 James was a hurdle maker at the age of 72, when he was living at Hampton Hill Farm House in Highworth with his wife Susannah, aged 65. James gave his place of birth as Whelford, while Susannah said she was born at Wanborough near Swindon. It would appear than Susannah died during the 1880s because, by 1891, James Collett was back living alone at Whelford, where he was recorded as being 83 years old

1N21 – Emma Collett born in 1831 at Whelford

1N22 – Eliza Collett born in 1833 at Whelford

1N23 – Hannah Collett born in 1835 at Whelford

1N24 – Job Collett born in 1837 at Whelford

1N25 – Timothy Collett born in 1840 at Whelford

1N26 – Ruth Collett born in 1842 at Whelford

Mary Collett [1M9] was born at Kempsford in 1793 and was the base-born daughter of Martha Collett and an unknown father. She survived for only a very short while and was buried at Kempsford on 8^th November 1793

John Collett [1M10] was the base-born son of Hannah Collett who later married John Eggleton at Kempsford in 1802. He was born at Cricklade in Wiltshire, where he was baptised on 30^th June 1799. John Collett turns out to be the 3x great grandfather of Jonathan Leyland from North Wales, who made contact in 2020, and helped to develop this otherwise unknown branch of the family. In his younger days, John may have been raised by his grandparents John Collett and Mary Francis, his second wife, freeing up Hannah to marry John Eggleton and start a family together. At some time later, John moved north to Warwickshire and, at the age of twenty-four, he married Ann Webster on 28^th February 1824 at Alderminster, five miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon. At that time, Alderminster was recorded as being in the county of Worcestershire, as confirmed by the census in 1841 when every member of their family was recorded as born within that county, except head of the household John Collett, who had not. In a later census, his place of birth was confirmed as Cricklade in Wiltshire.

For the continuation of the family of John Collett and Ann Webster

go to the Appendix at the end of this file

Giles Collett [1M11] was born or was baptised on 29^th June 1770, following the marriage of his parents Henry Collett and Sarah Lawrence at Bourton-on-the-Water in January 1769. The baptism records for all of his younger siblings have been located at Bibury, so it is possible that Giles was born prior to his parents settling in Bibury. It was also at Bibury on 17^th April 1797 that Giles Collett was married by licence to Elizabeth May Gregory with whom he is known to have the eight children listed below, who were all baptised at St Mary’s Church in Bibury. Brian Collett, the Collett Family History webmaster, visited Bibury on 29^th August 1991 and saw the graves of Giles and Elizabeth Collett, but at that time he had not connected them to this, his own family line. It is now thanks to Kelvin Parker from Christchurch in New Zealand, that we know he is part of this Collett family. The records at the Gloucestershire Records Office in Gloucester reveal that Elizabeth May Collett nee Gregory, aged 53, died at Bibury on 10^th May 1827, and she was buried there on 14^th May. It was just over six years later that Giles Collett, aged 64, who died on 14^th June 1833, was buried with his wife on 21^st June. In addition to this, all of the baptism dates for their children were also obtained during the visit to the Gloucestershire Records Office in 1991

1N27 – Barbara Collett was born in 1799 at Bibury

1N28 – Giles Lawrence Collett was born in 1801 at Bibury

1N29 – Isabel Collett was born in 1803 at Bibury

1N30 – Francis Collett was born in 1804 at Bibury

1N31 – Catherine Collett was born in 1806 at Bibury

1N32 – Henry Collett was born in 1808 at Bibury

1N33 – Frances Collett was born in 1812 at Bibury

Sarah Collett [1M13] was born at Bibury, where she was baptised on 27^th May 1776. She never married and died at Bibury, where she was buried there on 26^th August 1819 at the age of 43

Mary Ann Collett [1M14] was born at Bibury in May 1779 and was baptised there on 3^rd June 1779. It was also at Bibury where she married John Sessions on 24^th April 1802. All of their children were born and baptised at Bibury, and they were James Sessions, who was baptised on 18^th June 1802, Sarah Sessions, who was baptised on 16^th January 1804, John Sessions, who was baptised on 14^th August 1808, and George Sessions who was baptised on 2^nd February 1812. George was married twice, the second time on 4^th May 1847 to Caroline Stratton of Holborn Saint Andrew, and he died twenty-nine years later during 1878. This is the family line of Elizabeth Jack of Longlevens in Gloucestershire

Henry Collett [1M15] was born at Bibury during October 1783 where he was baptised on 5^th November 1783. It was originally thought that he married Ann Fletcher at Somerford Keynes in Gloucestershire on 14^th January 1808. However, according to Margaret Chadd in her book The Collett Saga, Anne Fletcher of Somerford Keynes, who was born on 9^th May 1784, married Henry Collett (Ref. 2M18) of Notgrove who was baptised there on 13^th February 1786. Details of the family of Henry Collett and Anne Fletcher can be found in Part 2 - The Secondary Line from 1775 to 1870, commencing with the Ref. 2M18

Rachel Collett [1M17] was baptised at Kempsford on 21^st September 1761 and was the eldest daughter and second child of Laurence Collett and his wife Mary Edwards. Tragically, she survived for less than three months, when she buried at Kempsford on 8^th December 1762

William Day Collett [1M18] was baptised at Kempsford on 11^th November 1763, the third child of Lawrence and Mary Collett. At some time in his later life, he married and had at least one child, Henry Collett. By the time of his death, at the age of 64, he was residing in a property on Crown Street in the Hackney area of London, and it was at St Leonards Church in Shoreditch that he was buried on 2^nd April 1828

1N34 – Henry Collett was born around 1790

Rachel Collett [1M20] was born at Kempsford, where she was baptised on 2^nd April 1769. She was given the same name as the first daughter born to Lawrence and Mary Collett, who had died within three months of her birth. According to the Bishop’s Transcript, it was on 20^th October 1789 that Rachel Collett married Thomas Peard by banns at Kempsford

Walter Collett [1M21] was born at Kempsford in 1767, where he was baptised on 16^th July 1771, the son of Lawrence and Mary Collett. On moving to London, he married Mary Marshall at St Saviours Church in Southwark on 30^th July 1800, the bride being the daughter of John and Sarah Marshall. Once married the couple settled in South Wales. Details of the family of Walter and Mary and the continuation of this line can be found in Part 53 - The South Wales Branch Line, commencing with the reference 53M1

Lawrence Collett [1M23] was born at Kempsford where he was baptised on 12^th August 1774. He only survived for a very short time and died an infant death

Thomas Collett [1M25] was baptised at Kempsford on 12^th April 1778. Kempsford lies about twenty miles east of Norton in Wiltshire to which there is virtually a straight road running between Cricklade (near Kempsford) to Malmesbury (near Norton), which would enable easy passage between the two settlements. Although not yet proved, it seems very likely that Thomas married Elizabeth who was born in 1783. The place of their wedding has not yet been determined but, it is known that a Thomas and Elizabeth Collett were the parents of children born at Norton in the early 1800s. If this eventually proves to be true, then the continuation of this family line is as depicted in Part 44 – The Malmesbury District Line

John Collett [1M29] was baptised on 10^th September 1770 at Kempsford, where he was buried one month later on 14^th October 1770

Henry Collett [1M30] was born on 2^nd April 1772 and was baptised at Kempsford on 27^th April 1772, the second son of Robert Collett and his wife Mary Tackley. His was a tragic family with his older brother John (above) and younger sister Elizabeth (below) having both died very young and before Henry reached five years of age, shortly after which his father died. In addition to those sad events, his mother became a loose woman after the death of her husband and all of these may have been a contributing factor in Henry eventually deciding to leave Gloucestershire for a new life in London, where he married Elizabeth Woods on 31^st December 1798 at St Mary’s Church on Marylebone Road in the City Borough of Marylebone. Shortly after they were married the couple left the City of London and settled at Harefield in Middlesex, where all of their children were born. For the continuation of this family line, go to Part 41 – The Middlesex Harefield Line

JOHN COLLETT [1M31] was baptised at Kempsford on 16^th May 1774. He married Elizabeth (Betty) around 1798 or 1799 at Cricklade in Wiltshire. John, who was a labourer, was buried on 1^st December 1849 at St Peter's Church in the village of Siddington near Cirencester. Their first child, Lydia, was born at Cricklade before the family settled in Siddington, where the other members of the family were all born

1N35 – Lydia Collett was born in 1799 at Cricklade

1N36 – James Collett was born in 1801 at Siddington

1N37 – James Collett was born in 1802 at Siddington

1N38 – Henry Collett was born in 1805 at Siddington

1N39 – Betty Collett was born in 1808 at Siddington

1N40 – JOHN COLLETT was born in 1811 at Siddington

1N41 – Thomas Collett was born in 1813 at Siddington

1N42 – Dinah Collett was born in 1816 at Siddington

Elizabeth Collett [1M32] was baptised at Kempsford on 23^rd March 1777, where she was buried on 13^th May 1777. That was just nine days after her father Robert Collett was also buried there

Aaron Collett [1M35] was born at Leonard Stanley during January 1775 and was baptised there on 5^th March 1775, the eldest child of Aaron Collett and his wife Anne Habgood. He was a carpenter and wheelwright and he married Sarah Stephens on 12^th April 1798 at Stonehouse, where all of their children were born and baptised. According to the 1851 Census, Sarah was a widow living at the home of her son Martin Collett and his family, in the village of Ham, south of Gloucester in the Vale of Berkeley, near to the River Severn. Aaron Collett died on 2^nd February 1835 and was buried at Stonehouse on 8^th February 1835 at the age of 59. His Will and Codicil (see Will and Codicil in Legal Documents) made on 19^th and 29^th January 1835 respectively named all of the surviving children. In the Will Aaron’s eldest daughter Nancy Collett inherited two cottages at Stonehouse. And it was at nearby Wheatenhurst that Aaron’s widow Sarah Collett was living with her youngest son Martin and his wife in June 1841, when she was recorded with a rounded age of 70. Aaron’s brother-in-law John Stephens was one of the joint executors of the Will, but on 11^th November 1842 (see Letter of Administration in Legal Documents) as the sole surviving executor he renounced this, leaving widow Sarah Collett nee Stephens and her son Martin Collett to take over responsibility for carrying out the long-term objectives contained within the Will (see Adcon Cum Testo Annexo in Legal Documents). Sarah Collett the widow of Aaron Collett died on 20^th August 1857, aged 86

1N43 – Nancy Collett was born in 1799 at Stonehouse

1N44 – Sarah Collett was born in 1802 at Stonehouse

1N45 – John Collett was born in 1804 at Stonehouse

1N46 – Martha Collett was born in 1806 at Stonehouse

1N47 – Hester Collett was born in 1809 at Stonehouse

1N48 – Martin Collett was born in 1813 at Stonehouse

Anne Collett [1M36] was born at Leonard Stanley during February 1778 and was baptised there on 15^th March 1778, the daughter of Aaron and Anne Collett. It was also at Leonard Stanley that she married William Huntley on 8^th May 1803

Mary Collett [1M37] was born at Leonard Stanley, either at the end of 1779 or during the first few days of 1780. It was there also that she was baptised on 30^th January 1780 and, where twenty-two years later, she married John Golding on 2^nd September 1802

Miriam Collett [1M38] was born at Leonard Stanley in 1781, where she was baptised on 8^th September 1781. It was also at Leonard Stanley that she married John Church on 13^th April 1802. John was very likely the grandson of Elizabeth Collett (Ref. 1K13) and Robert Church

William Collett [1M39] was born at Leonard Stanley in 1783 and was baptised there on 11^th May 1783. He was still at Leonard Stanley when he married Sarah Watts on 16^th November 1802. William was a timber decker by trade and the family lived at Bownham Cottage in Minchinhampton, where all of their children were born. The witnesses to the marriage were William’s sister Susannah Collett (below) and Sarah’s father Daniel Watts. Daniel’s name also appears as a witness to other entries in the register, so he is likely to have been the church warden or connected to the church in some other way. As an example, see the marriage of William’s son George Collett who was married there thirty-two years later in 1834, when once again Daniel Watts was named as a witness. Sarah Collett nee Watts was born at Rodborough and was baptised on 12^th September 1784 at Leonard Stanley, where she was buried in 1816 at the relatively young age of 33. William Collett also died that same year and was buried at Leonard Stanley on 20^th October 1816. Their deaths and that of their youngest son Joseph around the same time, perhaps indicates the occurrence of a tragic accident or a serious illness within the family. Some records show that the family was living at Rodborough at the time of their passing. See also Part 10 – Other Branch Lines for more details of the Watts family

1N49 – Harriet Collett was born in 1803 at Minchinhampton

1N50 – Ann Collett was born in 1805 at Minchinhampton

1N51 – John Collett was born in 1807 at Minchinhampton

1N52 – William Collett was born in 1809 at Minchinhampton

1N53 – Sarah Collett was born in 1811 at Minchinhampton

1N54 – George Collett was born in 1813 at Minchinhampton

1N55 – Joseph Collett was born in 1815 at Minchinhampton

The aforementioned references to the Watts family and Minchinhampton are subjects that requires further research, since it was there in 1848 that Caroline Ruth Watts was born, who was married to William Collett (Ref. 2O6) of Bibury in 1866.

James Collett [1M40] was born at Leonard Stanley in 1785, where he was baptised on 18^th September 1785, the son of Aaron and Anne Collett. It was also at Leonard Stanley that he married Hannah Land on 5^th June 1808, and there where James and his family lived up to around 1818. And it was there that his first four children were born and baptised before the family moved to nearby Woodchester, where James and his wife lived for the rest of their lives. After the family had moved to Woodchester the baptism records for the couple’s last four children, for some reason, gave the parents’ names as James and Elizabeth Collett, rather than James and Hannah Collett. Originally it was thought that James may have been widowed and had re-married, but the existence of Hannah in the census of 1851 proved that not to be the case. See latest information below

James Collett died in 1830 when he was around 45, following which he was buried at Leonard Stanley on 14^th April 1830 where the parish register referred to him as James Collett of Woodchester. Although no record of his wife Hannah (or Elizabeth) has been found in the census of 1841, it was as Hannah Collett, aged 63 in 1851, that she was living at Selsey Road in Woodchester with her unmarried daughter Susanna Collett, when she was described as a widow, a pauper, and a former laundress. Curiously when Hannah Collett died, she was not buried with her late husband at Leonard Stanley, instead she was buried at Woodchester on 9^th December 1852, at the age of 65 years

Thanks to Diane Fussell from Tamatea, Napier in New Zealand, who supplied a copy of the death certificate for James’ daughter Elizabeth, it is now known that James Collett was a wheelwright, the same occupation as his three brothers Aaron (above), and Thomas and Charles (below). However, upon the death of daughter Elizabeth Collett in 1881 she was described as the daughter of wheelwright James Collett and Elizabeth Moss, rather than Hannah or Elizabeth Land. It is of further interest that Hannah Land who was baptised at Leonard Stanley on 26^th October 1787, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah Land, also had a sister Elizabeth Land who was also baptised at Leonard Stanley on 8^th November 1785. That therefore raises the question, did James first married Hannah and later her sister Elizabeth, who was Elizabeth Moss through marriage by then

1N56 – William Collett was born in 1808 at Leonard Stanley

1N57 – Thomas Collett was born in 1811 at Leonard Stanley

1N58 – John Collett was born in 1814 at Leonard Stanley

1N59 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1817 at Leonard Stanley

1N60 – Edwin Collett was born in 1819 at Woodchester

1N61 – Joseph Collett was born in 1823 at Woodchester

1N62 – Caroline Collett was born in 1926 at Woodchester

1N63 – Susannah Collett was born in 1829 at Woodchester

Susannah Collett [1M41] was born at Leonard Stanley during 1787 and was baptised there on 3^rd August 1787, the daughter of Aaron and Anne Collett. Thanks to Joyce Gedye in New Zealand, the great great great granddaughter of Susannah, we now know that Susannah married Charles Tanner on 3^rd March 1808 at the village church in Standish, two miles north of Stonehouse. Charles was born at Stonehouse on 23^rd February 1792. Susannah and Charles lived at Charlton Kings near Cheltenham where their children were born. In 1841 the family at Charlton Kings was recorded in the census that year as Charles and Susannah Tanner, with three of their children. They were Julia Tanner aged 15, Theresa Tanner aged 13 and Charles Tanner who was 11. Both the ages for Charles and Susannah were rounded to 50 years and 45 years, when Susannah would have been 53 and Charles would have been 48

Her age was more accurately represented in the census of 1851, when she was still living at Charlton Kings. It was as Susan Tanner, aged 63, that she was recorded with her three children, who were then described as Julia Tanner who was 25, Harriet Tanner who was 23 - who was surely Theresa Tanner, and Charles Tanner who was 21. Susan’s husband, Charles Tanner, was 58. In both 1861 and 1871 Susannah was living with her married daughter Julia Wallis and her husband George Wallis at their home at 8 Union Street in Cheltenham. The census of 1861 listed the couple as Charles Tanner who was 71 and Susannah Tanner who was 73. It is understood that Charles Tanner died during the first quarter of 1866, leaving Susannah as a widow aged 83 still living at 8 Union Street with her daughter in 1871. No trace of Susannah Tanner nee Collett has been found after that time and it is believed that she may have died on 12^th November 1878 when in her early nineties

Susannah’s daughter Theresa Tanner, who was born at Charlton Kings in 1828, married William Edge of Pedmore, near Halesowen, who emigrated to New Zealand shortly after their wedding day. They eventually settled at Waikaka where they built a hotel, which is still standing today and in very good order. Two of Theresa's direct descendants, who are in their eighties, are still living at Waikaka in 2012, where they are still fit and able enough to shear their sheep

Sarah Collett [1M42] was born at Leonard Stanley during February 1789, and was baptised there on 8^th March 1789. Sarah was in her mid-twenties when she married William Thomas at Leonard Stanley on 8^th October 1815. The marriage ceremony was part of a double wedding with her sister Hannah Collett (below)

Thomas Collett [1M43] was born at Leonard Stanley during April 1790, where he was also baptised on 3^rd June 1790, and where he also married Ann Antill on 25^th October 1812. Seven of their eleven children were born and baptised while the couple was living at Leonard Stanley. It was not long after the birth of their seventh child, who was baptised at Leonard Stanley, that the family moved the five miles north to Haresfield, just south of Gloucester, and it was there that Ann presented her husband with a further four children. It is interesting that their seventh child Edward, later gave his place of birth as Haresfield, perhaps not knowing he had moved there from Leonard Stanley when he was still very young. And it was also at Haresfield that the family was living when the first national census was conducted in June 1841, when the residential note for them stated they were residing ‘in the street P B’. The census return listed the family at that time as Thomas Collett aged 50, Ann Collett aged 53, George Collett aged 18, Thomas Collett aged 13, Jane Collett aged 11, Samuel Collett who was nine and John Collett who was eight years old. Also living apart from the family at that time, but still living within the same area registration was Thomas’ unmarried daughter Mary Collett who was 25. Two of the couple’s older children, Charles and Elizabeth, together with missing son Edward, were recorded residing at Coln St Aldwyns, where Thomas was living ten years later, as was his son Charles, who married Eliza just after the census day in 1841

Two years later, on 5^th October 1843, Thomas’ wife Ann died and was buried at St Peter’s Church in Haresfield on 11^th October 1843 at the age of 55. One month later, Ann’s young son Thomas died at the age of 15 years, and was buried with his mother in the grounds of St Peter’s Church in Haresfield. Thomas remained living at Haresfield after the death of his wife and was still living there at the time of the census in 1851. By that time the only one of his children still living with him was his youngest son John, who was 17. Thomas Collett of Leonard Stanley was described as a widower and a wheelwright of 60 years of age. Not long after 1851 it would appear that Thomas left Haresfield, when he moved east, some twenty miles to settle in Coln St Aldwyns, close to the villages of Hatherop and Quenington. The move was very likely to do with the fact that his son Edward was living in Hatherop at that time, while another son, Samuel, was living in Coln St Aldwyns on the occasion of the census in 1851 who, later that same year, moved to Quenington where he lived until he emigrated to New Zealand in 1858. According to the next census in 1861, widower Thomas Collett, aged 70 and from Leonard Stanley, was in lodgings at Coln St Aldwyns. The only other difference from the previous census was that on that occasion his occupation was stated as being that of a carpenter. It was just under seven years later that Thomas Collett died on 8^th January 1868 at Tuffley, a suburb of Gloucester, following which his death was recorded at Gloucester (Ref. 6a 331) during the first three months of 1868. The Collett family headstone at St Peter’s Church in Haresfield, having previously included Ann Collett, wife of Thomas, a carpenter, and their young son Thomas, had the name of Thomas Collett added, which confirmed he died on 8^th January 1868 at the age of 77

There follows a brief outline regarding two of the sons of Thomas and Ann who ended up in New Zealand where, a little while later, two of the couple’s grandsons joined them there. New information about one of the grandsons has been kindly provided by Kelvin Parker of Christchurch in 2014. The first of the sons to sail to New Zealand in 1840 was Henry Collett who had married his first cousin Elizabeth Collett and they were one of the earliest families to settle in Petone, where Collett House is still a local landmark. Henry brought the skills of a wheelwright to the colony and later took up farming. His family of ten carried on his professions and spread throughout the lower districts of the North Island. The next to make the long journey was their son Samuel Collett in 1858. He was a carpenter and he and his family settled in Christchurch where he built many houses and prominent buildings before taking his family to Waimate where he carried on building and renovating, and also diversified into undertaking and soft drink manufacturing.

The couple’s third son George Collett had a son, their grandson Thomas Collett, who was born at Eastington and he too was a carpenter and joiner like his father, but until 2014 nothing was previously known about him after his family had moved to Cheshire in 1871 without him. The new details of his short life supplied by Kelvin confirm that he arrived in Otago during 1875, with his wife and two daughters, and settled in Dunedin where several other Collett families had also made their home. The last of the four was their grandson Edward William Collett, the son Thomas and Ann’s son Edward and his second wife Mary Anne Bracknell. Edward William was born in Ireland and was listed as a farm labourer on his arrival at Lyttelton in 1876. It was in Akaroa near Lyttelton that he settled and it was there that he was married and raised his family. There is a very interesting link between these two grandsons, insofar as the aforementioned Thomas Collett from Eastington died at Dunedin in 1877, where he was buried, and in the same grave buried with him less than nine months later was four-months old Susan Harris, the daughter of Alexander Joseph Harris and Mary Ann Pearce of Union Street in Dunedin. It is possible that Susan Harris from Ireland, the wife of Thomas Collett (below), was related to the much younger Susan Harris, since the two Thomas Colletts were first cousins

1N64 – Ann Collett was born in 1813 at Leonard Stanley

1N65 – Mary Collett was born in 1815 at Leonard Stanley

1N66 – Charles Collett was born in 1817 at Leonard Stanley

1N67 – Henry Collett was born in 1818 at Leonard Stanley

1N68 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1820 at Leonard Stanley

1N69 – George Collett was born in 1822 at Leonard Stanley

1N70 – Edward Collett was born in 1824 at Leonard Stanley

1N71 - Thomas Collett was born in 1828 at Haresfield

1N72 - Jane Collett was born in 1830 at Haresfield

1N73 – Samuel Collett was born in 1832 at Haresfield

1N74 – John Collett was born in 1833 at Haresfield

Charles Collett [1M44] was born at Leonard Stanley during March 1792 and it was in the following month that he was baptised there on 15^th April 1792, the youngest son of Aaron Collett and his wife Anne Habgood. Charles was still in Leonard Stanley twenty-five years later, when he married the much younger Sarah Edmunds on 9^th September 1827. Charles' sister Hannah Collett (below) married Sarah’s brother John Edmunds. All of the children of Charles and Sarah were born and baptised at Leonard Stanley, with their first two children being born while Sarah was still a teenager. By June 1841 Charles and Sarah had already suffered the infant death of their son William. The census return for Leonard Stanley that year recorded the family as Charles Collett, with a rounded age of 45, who was a wheelwright, Sarah Collett who had a rounded age of 30, James Collett aged 16, Aaron Collett aged 12, Charles Collett aged 11, Anthony Collett who was eight, Sarah Collett who was six, Ann Collett who was four and Miriam Collett who was ten months old

From the census details it might perhaps be assumed that none of the couple’s children were baptised during the first few months of their lives, particularly their eldest son, who appears to have been around three years old when he was baptised. Furthermore, it is highly likely that Sarah was with-child on the day of the census since, sometime after the sixth of June and before the first of November 1841 she presented her husband with their last known child. Ten years later in 1851 the only member of the family seemingly still living within the Stroud & Stonehouse registration district was Sarah Collett who was 42. No other member of her family has been located anywhere in Great Britain. The census that year placed her as a married house-servant living and working at the home of Samuel S Marling, aged 40, a manufacturer of woollen cloth, in the Ebley area of Stonehouse, when her place of birth was recorded as Ardington near Wantage in Berkshire. It is also interesting that she was described as being either blind, deaf, and/or dumb

New information received in November 2011 from Andrew Collett (Ref. 3Q14) gives the reason why Sarah was not living with her family in 1851. Towards the end of 1841 her husband and the older sons sailed to Canada and arrived at Prince Edward Island that same year. It was then twenty years later that Charles Collett died on Prince Edward Island on 13^th December 1861. Perhaps it was the fact that his wife was disabled in some way that prevented her from following her family to Canada. Either that or the Sarah Collett who was 42 in 1851 was not the wife of Charles Collett

Once in Canada, Charles fathered another child, his youngest daughter Susannah who was named in his Will on 1861. The baptism records for Prince Edward Island included the birth of Susannah Collett at Lot 29, Upper Westmorland around 1847, to a single parent named as Charles Collett. That raises the question, did Charles from England take a second younger wife after he settled there, since he would have been around 55 years old when the child was born. It was also at Lot 29 that the Collett family was living around the time of the death of Charles Collett senior towards the end of 1861 or during the first five months of the following year. The Will of Charles Collett of Summerside was made on 29^th October 1861 and was proved on 10^th June 1862. Within the Will there was no mention of a wife, the main beneficiary being his son Charles Collett junior who inherited the plot of land in Summerside which had been purchased from Jonathan Weatherby on 9^th June 1855. Only five other children of Charles Collett senior were named in the Will and they were his daughters Susannah Collett, Sarah Goldsmith, Ann Beers, Miriam Gould and Mary Chaswell – see Will in Legal Documents. The same document also referred to Charles Collett senior being the maker of cart saddles

1N75 – James Collett was born in 1824 at Leonard Stanley

1N76 – Aaron Lot Collett was born in 1828 at Leonard Stanley

1N77 – Charles John Collett was born in 1829 at Leonard Stanley

1N78 – William Collett was born in 1832 at Leonard Stanley

1N79 – Anthony Collett was born in 1832 at Leonard Stanley

1N80 – Sarah Elizabeth Collett was born in 1834 at Leonard Stanley

1N81 – Anne Collett was born in 1836 at Leonard Stanley

1N82 – Miriam Collett was born in 1840 at Leonard Stanley

1N83 – Mary Matilda Collett was born in 1841 at Leonard Stanley

1N84 – Susannah Collett was born in 1847 at Lot 29 Upper Westmorland

Hannah Collett [1M45] was born at Leonard Stanley in September 1794. Just over a month later she was baptised at Leonard Stanley on 26^th October 1794, the youngest child of Aaron Collett and Anne Habgood. It was just after her twenty-first birthday that she married John Edmans at Leonard Stanley on 8^th October 1815. John’s surname had various spellings in the following census returns, although on the occasion of the baptism of six of the couple’s nine known children, listed below, it was again recorded as Edmans, with three as Edmunds. Hannah’s wedding day was also the same day that her sister Sarah Collett (above) was married, and therefore it is highly likely that it was a double wedding celebration. Their children were all baptised at Leonard Stanley, the baptism for the first of them was recorded there just four months after John and Hannah were married. The nine children were Miriam Edmans (baptised on 4^th February 1816), Susannah Edmunds (baptised on 22^nd March 1818), Ann Edmunds (baptised on 14^th April 1820), Charles Edmans (baptised on 25^th August 1822), John Edmans (baptised on 25^th March 1827), Sarah Edmans (baptised in January 1829, who died on 1^st March 1829), Jorada Edmans (baptised on 11^th April 1830), James Edmans (baptised on 8^th April 1832) and William Edmunds baptised on 16^th March 1834)

One other child may have been born into the family since, according to the census in 1841, an Aaron Edmond aged one year was one of the five children living at Leonard Stanley with widow Hannah Edmond who was 45. At that time in her life, Hannah and her children were staying at the home of her married daughter Ann Axford nee Edmond. Where her husband was that day, has not been determined. Ann’s husband was Reuben Axford, whom she had married at Leonard Stanley on 4^th July 1840, and was very likely already expecting the birth of their first child Aaron Axford. The older four children of Hannah Edmond were Charles aged 20, John aged 15, James aged 10 and William who was seven. Tragically during second quarter of 1842, the death of Charles Edmond was recorded at Stroud. Nine years later, in the census of 1851, John Edmonds, aged 58 and from Frocester in Gloucestershire, and his wife Hannah who was 56, were living at ‘The Street’ in Leonard Stanley with just their youngest son James who was 19. Hannah was listed as being a laundress, John was a carpenter, and son James was an agricultural labourer. Just a few properties away from the family home, and also in ‘The Street’, was Hannah’s son William who was a lodger at the home of Charlotte Lusty, while it was only eight years later that his death was recorded at Stroud during the third quarter of 1859, two years after the death of John Edmond was recorded there in the second quarter of 1857

Four years after losing her husband, Hannah Edmonds was 66 and working as a storeman at a nearby silk works, although under status she was recorded as being married. On that day she was staying with her married son James and his wife Elizabeth at Seven Waters in Leonard Stanley, where also staying was Elizabeth Lynn from Woodchester who was eight years old and described as the niece of James Edmonds. After a further ten years, the Leonard Stanley census in 1871 identified the widow Hannah Edmonds as 76 and living with her married daughter Ann Axford and her husband Reuben Axford from Roade in Somerset, and their five of their nine known children. Three after that the death of Hannah Edmonds nee Collett was recorded at Stroud (Ref. 6a 212) during the last three months of 1874 when she was 80 years old

APPENDIX

Please note, the early family name was Collett, but when a section of the family

took up residency in Lincolnshire, they were recorded as Collitt. It becomes more

interesting when one family later returned to Dudley, where they were once again Collett.

It would therefore appear to be that Collett became Collitt north of The Wash and on the east

side of England, such as in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and County Durham, which may simply be

the result of the interpretation of the local dialects and the way the name sounded to those recording it

John Collett [1M10] was the base-born son of Hannah Collett [1L10] of Kempsford who married John Eggleton at Kempsford in 1802. He was born at Cricklade in Wiltshire, where he was baptised on 30^th June 1799. It transpires, from information in the 1799 Bastardy Record and other records around that time, that Thomas Mulcock, a son of William and Grace of Kempsford, aged 25 and the widowed husband of the late Mary Edwards, to whom he was married at Stratton St Margaret on 7^th February 1797, a labourer of Stratton St Margaret, near Swindon, was the father of the bastard son of Hannah Collett, a spinster of Cricklade St Sampson, who was recorded as the child’s mother. John Collett turns out to be the 3x great grandfather of Jonathan Leyland from North Wales, who made contact in 2020, and helped to develop this otherwise unknown branch of the family which, previously, was included as an appendix in Part 48 – The Dudley West Midlands Line. In his younger days, John may have been raised by his grandparents John Collett and Mary Francis, his second wife, freeing up Hannah to marry John Eggleton and start a family together.

John Collett, a bachelor, and Ann Webster, a spinster, were married on 28^th February 1824 at the Church of St Mary & The Holy Cross in Alderminster, Worcestershire, forty miles south of Dudley Wood. The couple signed that church register with the mark of a cross, as did one of the witnesses, Richard Cogbill, the other witness being Elizabeth Taylor who signed her name. At the reading of the banns over the previous three weeks the bride and groom were referred to as being “of this parish”. John and Ann Webster were the maternal 3x great grandparents of Jonathan Leyland who was a major contributor to the global Collett Family History website www.collettfamilyhistory.net

Most of the children of John and Ann Collett were born at Dudley in Worcestershire and were baptised there at the Church of St Thomas. Baptism records have been found for eight of their ten children; Martha, Mary Ann, Urias (a form of Uriah), John, William, Thomas, Hannah, and John. However, the couple’s first child, and a honeymoon baby, was baptised at Shipston-on-Stour on Christmas Day 1824. It is also worth noting, that in some cases, their baptisms took place many months after they were born

The Dudley census conducted in 1841, recorded the family living at Dudley Wood as John Collett who was 40 and a labourer, Ann Collett who was 35, Mary Collett who was 14, William Collett who was eight, Hannah Collett who was six, John Collett who was two, and Daniel who was one-year-old. Two further children seemingly were added to the family in 1844, perhaps twins, and all ten of them were born within the Dudley area, which includes the district referred to as Bowling Green, midway between Cradley Heath and Rowley Regis

No record of the family has been found in 1851, and it was around eighteen months before the next census day in 1861, that the death of Ann Collett was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 35) during the last three months of 1859. Her passing was confirmed in the Dudley Newtown census of 1861, when John Collett from Cricklade was a widower at 61, who was working as a farm labourer. Living with him that day, were four of his children, but the next name on the census return was that of daughter-in-law Mary Ann Collett from Dudley who was 33 and a washer woman, possibly also the housekeeper for her elderly father-in-law. John’s three children were his married son William Collett who was 28, unmarried Daniel Collett who was 21, and Elizabeth Collett who was 17, all three of them born at Dudley. Also living with John and his family in 1861, was his married daughter Hannah Raybould, with her husband James Raybould and their two young children, Martha and Sarah Ann Raybould

During the mid-1860s our John Collett may have been the John Collett described as ‘an old man of miserable appearance’ attending court and charged with cutting down birch in Salt Well Wood, not far from Dudley Wood. The case was reported in two local newspapers, the Birmingham Daily Gazette on 26^th April 1864 and the Birmingham Daily Post two days later

Under the headline Damaging the Foliage at Salt Wells Wood, the report read as follows: “At the Public Office on Monday, before Captain Bennitt and Mr Barrs, John Collett (as described above) was charged with having wilfully damaged and cut some birch in the wood at Salt Wells, the property of the Earl of Dudley. He was seen to commit the offence on Thursday last, and as such conduct is becoming a great nuisance, and considerable injury is thereby done, the Earl of Dudley has given orders to prosecute in every case which can be proved. The defendant said he was very sorry and very poor, and had not had a bed to lie upon for two years. The Bench remanded the case until Wednesday to see if anything could be done for him.

What the outcome was is not known, but by 1871 John Collett was 71 (given as 61) and a railway labourer when he was a boarder at the High Street, Rowley Regis, Dudley, home of his married daughter Hannah Raybould and her family. When asked for his place of birth he gave that of his late wife, that being Shipston-on-Stour, perhaps because he was reluctant to give the correct information, apropos his age. Hannah’s family comprised husband James and their three children Martha, Sarah, and Betsy. Completing the household was William Collett aged seven years, Hannah’s niece and therefore the son of one of her six brothers, his father being William Collett who was made a widow when George William Collett was born at Dudley in 1864

Two years after that census day, the death of John Collett was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 156) during the third quarter of 1873, when he was 73 years of age. The death certificate confirmed the following details. John was an agricultural labourer who died at 85 Dudley Wood in Dudley on 9^th August 1873, when the cause of death was 'senile decay', and the informant of his death was his next-door neighbour Elizabeth Ness of 87 Dudley Wood who was present when he passed away. The 1871 census confirmed she and her husband and their six children. Curiously, the adjacent four properties were all unoccupied, maybe because the next eight dwelling were recorded as ‘falling down’. Perhaps it was after repairs or restoration works were completed that John was able to move into 85 Dudley Wood

1n1 – Martha Collett was born in 1824 at Alderminster

1n2 – Mary Ann Collett was born in 1826 at Dudley

1n3– Urias Collett was born in 1829 at Dudley

1n4 – William Collett was born in 1832 at Dudley

1n5 – Thomas Collett was born in 1834 at Dudley

1n6 – Hannah Collett was born in 1835 at Dudley

1n7 – John Collett was born in 1838 at Dudley

1n8 – Daniel Collett was born in 1840 at Dudley

1n9 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1844 at Dudley

1n10 – John Charles Collett was born in 1844 at Dudley

Martha Collett [1n1] was born towards the end of 1824 at New Street in Shipston-on-Stour later in the same year that her parents John Collett and Ann Webster were married at Alderminster, just north of Shipston. It was also at Shipston-on-Stour where Martha was baptised on 25^th December 1824 at St Edmund’s Church. The church’s record of the event confirmed the family was residing at New Street and that her father was working as a labourer. Martha Collett was described as a minor when she married James Freeman Green at St. Thomas' Church in Dudley on 29^th October 1843. James, of full-age was a bachelor boatman and the son of James Green, deceased. Martha was confirmed as the daughter of John Collett, a labourer, when the bride and the groom were residents of Dudley Wood. The witnesses were Thomas Freeman and Elizabeth Freeman who signed the register with the mark of a cross, as did James and Martha

During their first four years together, Martha gave birth to two children, Jane Green at Dudley Wood, and James Green at Brierley Hill Dudley. Sadly, prior to the couple’s fourth wedding anniversary, Martha Green nee Collett died at Dudley Wood on 13^th June 1847 at the aged of only 22 years, on 23^th June 1847 at Dudley Wood, when she was confirmed as the wife of labourer James Green. The informant of her passing was her mother Ann Collett, who was also present when she died. The cause of her death was Ovarian Dropsy 3 months Certified. Forty-six days after the death of Martha, her sister Mary Ann Collett (below) married widower James Freeman Green

Mary Ann Collett [1n2] was born at Dudley Wood in 1826 and was baptised there at St Thomas’ Church on 18^th March 1827, another daughter of John Collett from Cricklade and his wife Ann from Alderminster. She was first recorded as being 14 years old in the census of 1841, when she was still living with her family in Dudley. Around the end of 1845 or at the start of 1846, unmarried Mary Ann Collett gave birth to a base-born daughter, Harriet who was later baptised at St John’s Church in Wolverhampton on 10^th December 1847 after Mary Ann had been married for four months. It was almost exactly six years after the 1841 Census when she married widower James Freeman Green at the Church of St Thomas in Dudley on 8^th August 1847. James had previously married Mary’s older sister Martha Collett (above) during the autumn of 1843, with whom he had three children prior to her premature death in the summer of 1847

Not long after they were married Mary Ann gave birth to two children with James, only one of whom was living with the couple in 1851. The Wolverhampton census that year identified the couple living at Sedgley as James Green head of the household who was 27 and employed as a day labourer, and Mary A Green from Dudley Wood who was 24 and a chain-maker from Dudley. Living with them were two of James’ three children by his first wife Martha, plus their second child. They were Jane Green who was six, and James Green who was three, Mary Ann’s niece and nephew, and Thomas Green who was one year old and born at Dudley Wood. He was baptised at Coseley on 25^th May 1850, the son of James and Mary Ann, when his date of birth was recorded as 23^rd April

The earlier birth of Hannah Green took place on 6^th June 1848 who was also baptised at Coseley on 2^nd July 1848 and confirmed as the first child of James and Mary Ann Green. Where she was 1851 is still not known. Ten years later, the enlarged family was residing 3 Cross Street in Cannock Road, Wolverhampton, in 1861. In error James was recorded as James Fleming Green, rather than Freeman, when he was 38 and a timber labourer whose birth place was not disclosed, and Mary Green his wife was 33 and born at Dudley. The children still living with them were Jane who was 17, James who was 15, Thomas who was 11, William Green who was seven, Mary Green who was two, and Mary Green who was one year old. Visiting the family was Elizabeth Collett aged 17, a chain-maker from Dudley, who was the sister-in-law of James Freeman Green and the great-great-grandmother of Jonathan Leyland, the eventual wife of John Griffin, the parents of Eli Griffin

The family move to 11 Cannock Road, Wolverhampton during the next decade, where they were living in 1871. The census that year listed James Green as 50 and a boatman from Birmingham, Mary Ann from Dudley Wood as 45, “daughter” Harriet Green as 26 and a galvaniser. All the younger children had been born at Wolverhampton, and they were William Green as 17 and a boatman, Mary A Green who was 12, Henry Green who was ten, Emma Green who was eight, John Green who was six, Alice Green who was four, and Clara Green who was two years of age. Completing the family were two granddaughters, the two children of Harriet Green. Phoebe Collett from Dudley Wood was four, and Sarah Collett from Wolverhampton was two years old

The birth of Harriet Green, the daughter of Mary Ann Green, when she was unmarried Mary Ann Collett, can be one of two options; the first at Wolverhampton (Ref. xvii 351) during the first three months of 1846, so she was nearly two years old when she was baptised at Wolverhampton on 10^th December 1847, or more likely that for Harriet Collett at Dudley (Ref. xviii 256) during the last three months of 1844. The reason for saying this is, that on 12^th October 1873 Harriet Collet (sic) married William Reader at St. George's Church in Wolverhampton, when William Reader was a blacksmith aged 28 years and the son of John Reader, a whitesmith. On the other hand, Harriet Collet was 29 years and named as the daughter Mary Ann Collett, making her Mary Ann’s base-born daughter, three years prior to her wedding with James Freeman Green. Both the bride and the groom were residing at Bath Street in Wolverhampton. The witnesses were G H Baugh and Jane Green, the latter almost certainly Harriet’s cousin and the eldest daughter of Martha Collett and James Freeman Green, when William Reader, Harriet Collet, and Jane Green, all signed the register with the mark of a cross

By 1881 Harriet had given birth to two sons, when she and William were residing at 42 Gough Street in Wolverhampton. The family group that day also included Harriet’s base-born daughter Phoebe Ann Collett (otherwise Phoebe Reader) who was 15. Head of the household William Reader was 34 and an unemployed labourer from Swansea, Harriet Reader from Wolverhampton was 32, William Reader was eight, and John Reader was six, both born in Wolverhampton.

On the day of the next census in 1881, the Green family was recorded at 11 Hill Street in Wolverhampton. James Green, aged 59 and from Birmingham, was working as a general labourer, his wife Mary A Green from Dudley was 56, and the children still living with the couple were, Henry who was 21 and a general labourer, Emma who was 20 and a labourer at the local ironworks, John who was 16 and a boatman working on the nearby canal, and Alice and Clara who were 13 and 12 respectively, who were still attending school. Four months later Mary Ann Green, nee Collett, died on 23^rd August 1881 on Stafford Road at the age 54 when the cause of death was a liver complaint and dropsy. The death record confirmed she was the wife of James Green, a carter, with her eldest niece/step-daughter Jane Powner nee Green) present at her passing.

Phoebe Ann Collett [1px] had been born Dudley Wood on 11^th September 1866 with her birth then registered at Dudley (Ref. 6c 133) during the fourth quarter of 1866. It was over two years later she was baptised at St Mary’s Church in Wolverhampton on 4^th April 1869, when the church record reported that she was the daughter of a supposed father named Collett and a mother named Harriet. Her presumably base-born sister Sarah Collett [1py] was recorded in 1871 as having been born at Wolverhampton, where her birth was registered (Ref. 6b 565) during the first three months of 1871, hence why she was two months old at the time of that year’s census. Tragically, Sarah would have been approaching her first birthday, when her infant death was recorded at Wolverhampton (Ref. 6b 357) during the first quarter of 1872

Phoebe Ann was four years of age and born at Dudley Wood according to the census in 1871 when she was described as a granddaughter living at 11 Cannock Road in Wolverhampton with 50-year-old boatman James Freeman Green from Birmingham and his wife Mary Ann Collett from Dudley Wood who was 45. Living with the couple was another granddaughter; However, Phoebe’s younger sister, Sarah Collett, was NOT two years old as per the census return, but was two months of age. Completing the family group were the eight children of James and Mary Ann, the eldest of whom was Harriet Green aged 26, the mother of Phoebe and Sarah Collett

Phoebe Ann Collet (sic) as above, married Edward James on 19^th May 1890 at the Church of St Mary & St James in Great Grimsby. Edward James was 23 years old, a fisherman, and the son of blacksmith William James. Phoebe Ann Collett, also 23, had no stated father or mother recorded on the marriage register. Both were of 99 King Edward Street in Grimsby, while the witnesses were John Ernest Robertson and Kate Walsh. The marriage was recorded at the Lincolnshire Caistor register office (Ref. 7a 1352), but that same year, and under three months after their wedding day, the following incident was reported in the Hull Daily Mail on 29^th July 1890

“Edward James, fisherman, was charged with assaulting his wife, Phoebe Ann James, who said when she went home her husband struck her in the face. She had been married 11 weeks, and had had five black eyes in that time. The Defendant said his wife stopped out till 11.30 at night. The Complainant said she asked her husband to go to Curry’s with her, but he would not. Fined 13 Shillings and 6 Pence, including costs.” The couple was living together for the census of 1891, but had Phoebe’s parents living with them at 99 King Edward Street in Grimsby. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was Phoebe Ann James who was recorded as the head of the household at the age of 25, the house keeper of a lodging house. Her husband Edward James, 25, was a fisherman, William Reader was 48 and a whitesmith, Harriet Reader was 47 and a hat box maker, and their son was John Reader aged 16 and a hat box maker. Every member of the household, apart from Edward, were born in Wolverhampton

Curiously, one month later, when Harriet Reader, nee Collett, of 99 King Edward Street, her age was 45 years when she was buried at the Church of St Mary & St James on 4^th May 1891, the wife of journeyman white smith William Reader. Her daughter Phoebe was present at her death. As regards her daughter, she was only married for seven years, when Phoebe Ann James, nee Collett, died at the age of 31 in 1897. Five years prior to that though, Phoebe Ann James was mentioned in a police report in the Stamford Mercury on 1^st May 1892, when the Grimsby Borough Police recorded that “Phoebe James was summoned by Louisa Barratt for assault – case dismissed”

Two weeks later she was mentioned again in the Stamford Mercury on 14^th May 1892, in another Grimsby Borough Police report, as follows: “Annie Siddall, single, of Shipman’s Buildings, King Edward Street, and Katherine Smith, living in the same neighbourhood, were charged with assaulting Elizabeth Cummings on the 31^st ult. The Chief Constable (Mr Pickersgill) stated that the complainant had said another woman named Phoebe James had bribed to summon the two defendants. He had inquired into the matter, but did not think such was the case. He was of the opinion that the defendants had assaulted the complainant. Mr J Barker said he appeared for the defendants. Mr Bloomer, who appeared in another case of assault for James, said his client denied having bribed Cummings. The magistrate thought it would be better to hear the assault case against James first. – Phoebe James of 99 King Edward Street, was then charged with assaulting Annie Siddall on 31^st ult. The Chairman said James had been before the Court 15 times, Siddall 23 times, and Smith 12 times. The cases would be dismissed.

A quartet – Kate Smith was charged with using obscene language in King Edward Street on 31^st ult, and Phoebe James, Annie Siddall, and Margaret Brannan, were charged with obstructing the highway at the same time and place. P C Alcock said Smith was using very foul language, and the other defendants were all fighting. Smith was fined 21 Shillings (One Guinea) or one month, and the other defendants 13 Shillings, each including costs”

Later that same year, on 23^rd September 1892 and again in the Stamford Mercury, the report stated that “Fighting – Kate Smith, and Phoebe James were charged with fighting in King Edward Street. The street was full of people watching the fight. Fined 12 Shillings or 14 days.” The saga of King Edward Street continued into 1893, when the Hull Daily Mail included the following item on 24^th July 1893 under the headline Sad Effect of Drink: “P S Pawson reports the death of Thomas Lynagh, aged 33 years, a single man and a fisherman, residing at Fourteen House, King Edward Street North. It appears that the deceased had been drinking very heavily for a week since he came up from sea. On Friday, about 11.45 p.m., he went to bed, and was at that time very drunk, and was found dead in bed the next morning, about ten o’clock, by John Ryan, a labourer, who lodges in the house, which is kept by a woman named Phoebe James, as a common lodging-house. An inquest will be held at the New Inn”

Over one year later, the next item was printed in the Hull Daily Mail on 6^th September 1894 with the headline Singular Conduct of a Complainant: “At the Grimsby Police Court this morning Annie Siddall and Katherine Smith were summoned for assaulting Elizabeth Cummings. The case was adjourned from Monday, as the complainant said a woman named Phoebe James had induced her to summon the defendants, and had given her money for that purpose. The Chief Constable now stated that as the result of inquiries made by him, he found Mrs James had lent the complainant the money, but it was at her request. The Complainant did not appear, and P S Moore said he had seen her wandering about the River Head during the early hours of this morning. The case was adjourned, the Mayor directing that the complainant should be required to attend”

The rearranged proceedings were reported four days later in the Hull Daily Mail on 10^th September 1894 as follows Annie, Kate, and Elizabeth – A Lively Trio: “At the Grimsby Police Court today, Annie Siddall and Kate Smith were summoned for assaulting Elizabeth Cummings. The case had been adjourned as the prosecutrix did not appear at the last Court. The Chief Constable stated that he was of the opinion the defendants had assaulted the complainant, but she would not admit it. Mr Barker, for the defendants, said there was no proof of the assault, and he asked that the summons be dismissed. Phoebe James was next charged with assaulting Siddall, and Mr Barker, in this instance, appeared for the complainant and Mr Bloomer for James. On 31^st ult., the complainant was watching a disturbance, when the defendant came up, put herself into a fighting attitude, and struck the complainant a violent blow in the face, knocking her down. Another woman then came up and kicked her. She was covered with blood

From the cross-examination by Mr Bloomer, it appeared the whole of the parties before the Court had been fighting. The defence was that owing to the previous row, Siddall and James quarrelled. The bench dismissed the summonses. Kate Smith, Annie Siddall, Phoebe Jamesm and Margaret Brannan were next charged, the former with using obscene language, and the others with fighting. The parties had indulged in a proper scrimmage in King Edward Street, and the Bench fined Smith One Guinea for the obscene language, and the other three 13 Shillings each”

One week later a more serious charge was discussed at the Grimsby Police Court, and was reported in the Hull Daily Mail on 17^th September 1984, with the alarming headline Immoral Houses: “A charge of keeping a brothel was preferred at the Grimsby Police Court this morning against Phoebe James, a married woman, of King Edward Street. Sergeant Clark gave evidence of visiting the house and what he saw there to justify the charge, and added that lately reports of men having been robbed on the premises had been received. P C Sharman corroborated, and a man named Richards also gave evidence as to the character of the house. Defendant, amid tears, protested her innocence. The Mayor said the case had been conclusively proved, and the Bench had determined to make an example of the defendant. She had been before the Court 17 times for various offices, and therefore nothing was to be said in favour of her character. She would be committed to prison for six weeks with hard labour”

By now Phoebe Ann James was so well-known, by the local community that she was referred to using only her christian name in the headline printed in the Hull Daily Mail on 11^th March 1895 as More Sinned Against Than Sinning – Phoebe to Change Boxes: “Phoebe James, of King Edward Street, turned up at the Police Court this morning in answer to a charge of having assaulted a young woman named Mary Derkin. From the Complainant’s story it appeared Phoebe went to Derkin’s house for a man named Forman. He was not there, and afterwards the defendant caught her by the hair, struck her five or six times, and kicked her. The Defendant denied this, and said the complainant’s brother kicked her all over the body, whilst the complainant held her head with her boot. Inspector Scott said he thought there was a deal of truth in this statement, as Mrs James had been murderously attacked, and the Bench, in dismissing the summons, granted a summons to Mrs James against the man alleged to have committed the assault upon her”

The row between the two women continued when, just three days later, the headline in the Hull Daily Mail on 14^th March 1895 read as Brutal Assault at Grimsby – Let Us Double Bank Her - Hard Swearing: “At the Grimsby Police Court this morning Phoebe James, of King Edward Street, who on Monday last, was the defendant in an alleged assault case which was dismissed, now occupied, by the direction of the Bench, the position of prosecutrix again James Derkin, who was charged with assaulting her on the 8^th inst. Mrs James said that she went into the Britannia public house to inquire for a man, when the defendant began interfering, and finally kicked her three or four times on the body. The landlady got hold of him just when about to take a running kick at her. The witness got into the street, but the defendant, who had followed her, knocked her down, and called out to his sister to put her foot on the complainant’s head three times, and got hold of a quantity of the complainant’s hair, and lifted her up by it. She was bruised all over in consequence of the assault. The sister on Monday last charged the witness with assaulting her, when the Bench dismissed the case

Corroborative evidence having been given, Mr J Barker junior, who appeared for the defence, submitted that Derkin had nothing whatever to do with the matter, although he was present at the time of assault. He called Mrs Webb, of Burgess Street, who said that on the day in question she saw a man strike Mrs James, but it was not the defendant, as he never touched her. In reply to Inspector Scott, the witness said she had told him (Scott) that the latter part of the assault drew such a crowd that she was unable to see who struck the complainant. Eliza Day, a servant at the Mariners’ Tavern, said that whist cleaning the windows she heard a row, and so went to the back gate. The witness saw a man strike and kick the complainant, but it was not the defendant. It was a man name George Forman. Another witness, named Mary Derkin of Burgess Street, sister of the defendant, who was also at the Britannia when the disturbance took place, said her brother did not kick the complainant. She (witness) was fighting with Phoebe James at the time, and was the person who summoned Mrs James last Monday. The Bench said they were satisfied the assault had been committed and imposed a fine of one guinea or one month”

After a further four months, Phoebe was once again in the news, with an item in the Stamford Mercury on 31^st July 1896, with the headline Inclined to Pugilism: “Phoebe James was charged with assaulting Emma Twidale of Alexandra Road on July 22. The evidence of the complainant and her witnesses was to the effect that the defendant struct Mrs Twidale in the mouth. The assault was the result of a quarrel about a man. The defendant said she only caught hold of the complainant’s hands and did not strike her, but the Mayor reminded her that she was rather a pugilistic character and fined her one guinea or one month for fighting in a public place”

Another four months passed and she was back in Court, as confirmed in the Hull Daily Mail of 3^rd December 1896 under the headline Assaults: “Charles McDonald, an out officer of the Board of trade, brought a case of assault at the Borough Police Court this morning against James F Hernshaw, a steward. A fine of one guinea was imposed. A story of a “row”, in which five parties appear to have been actively engaged on the 28^th ult., was related to the Grimsby magistrates this morning. There were three distinct charges, and it was decided to deal with each separately. Joseph Hull was the first defendant, and he was charged by Elizabeth Brown (for whom Mr Bloomer appeared) with the assault. Phoebe James, who was also represented by Mr Bloomer, next charged William Hull with an assault at the same time and place. The magistrates considered each case proved and inflicted a fine of one guinea, or one month’s imprisonment in each case. Brown was then made the defendant to a charge of a similar nature brought by Annie Watson. The plaintiff alleged she was assaulted in the New Inn by the defendant on Saturday night, but owing to her statement being uncorroborated the charge was adjourned to allow fresh evidence to be called”

Two months later, the Eastern Morning News for Hull, dated 9^th February 1897, ran an item headed Paraffin Lamp Fatality: “An inquest was held at the Grimsby Hospital yesterday afternoon upon the body of Phoebe Ann James, aged 31 years, married, late of No. 192, King Edward Street, who died on Friday, as the result of burns received by the breaking of a paraffin lamp. William Reader [William was Phoebe’s stepfather], of No. 192 King Edward Street, lodging-house keeper, identified the body, and said that he was in the room when the accident happened on the 23^rd of January. The deceased was in the act of lifting a lighted paraffin lamp from the table to the chimneypiece, when the reservoir holding the oil struck against the chimneypiece and broke. The oil ran over her clothes, and her apron caught fire first, the flames spreading all over her clothes. Her face and head were badly burnt. The witness tried all he could to extinguish the flames, but did not succeed until the woman was terribly burnt. The deceased was married, but living apart from her husband, who was at Hull. Dr Andrews, house-surgeon at the hospital, said the deceased was admitted into that institution on Saturday night, the 23^rd ult., suffering from burns, but recovered somewhat, until 5^th inst. On that date there was a clot of blood passing from the arm to the heart and then to the lungs, and in the passage the patient died. The primary cause of death was burns. The Jury returned a verdict of Death from burns, which were received accidentally”

Phoebe Ann James, nee Collett, of 192 King Edward Street, aged 31 years, died on 5^th February 1897 and was buried in the churchyard of St James' Church at Great Grimsby on 10^th February. Her death was recorded at the Lincolnshire Caistor register office (Ref. 7a 434)

Urias Collett [1n3] was born at Dudley in 1829, and was baptised at St Thomas’ Church on 27^th December 1829, the eldest son of John and Ann Collett. Urias is another version of the name Uriah. No further record of Urias or Uriah, has been located after that time, and he was not living with his family in 1841

William Collett [1n4] was born at Dudley in 1832 and was baptised at St Thomas’ Church on 14^th April 1833, another son of John and Ann Collett. He was eight years old in June 1841, when living with his family at Dudley Wood, although no record of the family has been found in 1851. The marriage of William Collett and Ann Williams took place at the Church of St Thomas in Dudley on 2nd May 1858, Ann being the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Williams, who was also baptised at St Thomas’ Church, on 7^th June 1829. Fifteen months earlier, when William’s sister Hannah (below) married James Raybould at the end of January in 1857, it was William Collett and Ann Williams who were the witnesses who made their mark with a cross. By the time of the census in 1861, William Collett from Dudley was 28 and a chain-maker, his wife was said to be Mary Ann Collett who was 33 and from Dudley, who was working as a washer-woman. On that day, the childless couple was staying at the Dudley Newtown home of William’s widowed father John Collett from Cricklade, a farm labourer, and two younger unmarried siblings, Daniel who was 21 and Elizabeth who was 17, both also employed as chain-makers. Also listed in the census, and living at the adjacent dwelling, was William’s younger married sister Hannah Raybould (below), with her husband and their two children

No further record of the couple has been found after that time, although it was their son George William Collett who was born in 1863/64, who was living with William’s younger married sister Hannah Raybould in 1871, when her nephew William Collett was seven years old, who continued to live with her right up to her death in 1902. No death of the child’s father has been positively identified, but there was a recording of the death of an Ann Collett within that area of the country during the third quarter of 1864 (Ref. 6b 11), which would coincide with the her of her son

1o1 – George William Collett was in 1864 at Dudley

Thomas Collett [1n5] was born in 1834 at Dudley and was baptised on 29^th March 1835 at St Thomas’ Church. He was not recorded with his family at Dudley Wood in 1841, and therefore may not have survived

Hannah Collett [1n6] was born on 1^st December 1835 at Dudley but was not baptised until she was nearly four years old, when she was baptised at Thomas’ Church on 1^st September 1839 in a joint ceremony with her baby brother John (below). She was another daughter of John and Ann Collett, who was six years old in the Dudley census of 1841, when she was living there with her family. No census records for Dudley are available for 1851, while it was six years later that Hannah Collett, the daughter of labourer John Collett, married James Raybould, the son of boatman James Raybould senior, at St Mary’s Church in Wolverhampton on 26^th January 1857. The two witnesses were Hannah’s older brother William Collett (above), and his future wife Ann Williams. All four of them signed the marriage register by making the mark of a cross. The residing address for both the bride and the groom was said to be Cannock Road, with the event recorded at Wolverhampton (Ref. 6b 24). James was born at Rowley Regis, but baptised at the Church of St Thomas in Dudley on 30^th November 1834, the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Raybould. In the Newton (Dudley) census of 1861, Hannah, and her husband, together with their two children, were staying at the home of Hannah’s widowed father John Collett from Cricklade, where her brother William was also living with his wife Mary Ann. James Raybould was 25 and a labourer, Hannah Raybould was 26, Martha Raybould was five, and Sarah Ann Raybould was three years old. All four of them had been born at Dudley

By 1871, the family was living at Rowley Regis where James was 36 and a railway banksman (at a coal pit), Hannah was 35 and employed as a charwoman, Martha was 14 and a chain-maker, Sarah A Raybould was 12 and still attending school, when Betsy Raybould was just four years of age. All four females at the property were confirmed as having been born at Dudley, with James born at Rowley Regis. Recorded with the family that day, was Hannah’s orphaned nephew William Collett from Dudley, who was seven years old. He was George William Collett the only known child of Hannah’s old married brother William Collett and Mary Ann Williams. During the following decade, James and Hannah left Rowley Regis and moved north to Barrow-in-Furness, taking their daughter Sarah and their nephew William with them, where they were all living together in 1881. James Raybould was 45 and a labourer at the iron works, Hannah Raybould was 44 and a laundress, Sarah Raybould was 22 and a general labourer, and George William Collett was 17, an unemployed cab driver. The later death of James Raybould was recorded at Barrow-in-Furness (Ref. 8e 595) during the last three months of 1889, when his age was recorded in error as 50 years. As a result of being widowed, it was just Hannah and her nephew who were still living in Barrow-in-Furness at Buccleuch Street, where ‘Hanny’ Raybould was 54 and still working as a laundress, and George W Collett was 24 and a bachelor who was working as a general labourer. It was the same situation in 1901, by which time Hannah was 64 and a washerwoman, and her nephew George William was 37 who was a carter and a general labourer. The property on Buccleuch Street, must have been sizeable, because five members of the Glaze family were staying at the address, plus Hannah’s granddaughter M A Farm who was 13 and born at Barrow, and Jane Freeman from Scotland who was 37. Twelve months later, the death of Hannah Raybould was recorded at Barrow register office (Ref. 8e 564) during the second quarter of 1902, when she was 68 years old

John Collett [1n7] was born on 3^rd December 1838 at Dudley, where he was baptised in a double christening service with his much older sister Hannah (above) on 1^st September 1839 at the Church of St Thomas. He was three years old in the June census of 1841, when his family was living in Dudley. With no census apparently available for the Dudley area in 1851, it was five years later that the marriage of John Collett and Ann Maria Willitts was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 16) during the last quarter of 1855. By 1861, the marriage of chain-maker John aged 23 and Maria aged 24, had produced two children for the couple. They were Uriah Collett who was four, and one-year-old Ann Collett who, it would appear, was named after her mother, whose name changed between Maria and Ann in subsequent census records. Over the following ten years, a further three more children were added to the family. So, by 1871, chain-maker John and his wife Ann M Collett were both listed as being 33 and living with them in Rowley Regis, were Uriah who was 14, Ann who was 11, Thomas who was four, David who was two, and Elizabeth who was under one year. Every member of the family on that occasion, was recorded as having been born at Dudley. Sometime within the next two or three years the family left the West Midlands and moved to Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, where their next two children were born and where the family was living in 1881

According to the Gainsborough census conducted in 1881, the family was recorded with the Collitt spelling of the surname. The census return placed the family living at 37 Waterworks Street and, living next door at 39 Waterworks Street, was their eldest son Uriah Collett and his family. John Collett of Dudley Wood was a chain-maker aged 44, and his wife Maria Collett of Netherton was 45. Their children were confirmed as sons Thomas Collett aged 14 and David Collett who was 12, and daughters Elizabeth Collett aged 11, Ellen Collett who was six, and Florence Collett who was four. The birthplace of the first three children was said to have been Newtown in Dudley, while the last two were born after the family had moved to Gainsborough. The house at Waterworks Street must have been a fairly large property since, boarding with the Collett family was the family’s eldest daughter Ann Darley, her husband Harry, and their first child. Within the next ten years, John and Ann Maria, and the younger members of the family, left Gainsborough and returned to Dudley, and they were residing within the Bowling Green area of Dudley in 1891. John Collett, a chain-maker, and his wife Ann, were both 53, daughter Elizabeth was 20, Nellie was 16, and Florence was 14

Staying with the family that day, was Lizzie Collett (Ref. 1pz) who was 17 and from Staffordshire, who was described as the granddaughter of John and Ann. However, there was no such child in this family line, and therefore she may have been related to Ann Maria Willitts, rather than John Collett. Nine months prior to the end of the century, the death of John Collett was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6c 130) during the second quarter of 1899, when he was 61 years old. No trace of widow Ann Maria Collett, or her family, has been found in 1901, although it is established that married son David Collett had returned to Dudley, where he was living with his wife and their first two children in 1901

1o2 - Uriah Collett was born in 1856 at Dudley Wood

1o3 - Ann Collett was born in 1859 at Bowling Green, Dudley

1o4 - Thomas Collett was born in 1866 at Newtown, Dudley

1o5 - David Collett was born in 1869 at Newtown, Dudley

1o6 - Elizabeth Collett was born in 1871 at Newtown, Dudley

1o7 - Helen Collett was born in 1875 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

1o8 - Florence Collett was born in 1877 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

Daniel Collett [1n8] was born at Dudley in 1840, with his birth recorded there (Ref. xviii 16) during the second quarter of that year. He was another son of John Collett and Ann Webster, and was around twelve months old on the day of the Dudley census in 1841. With no census record found for the family in 1851, by 1861, Daniel Collett from Dudley was one of three children still living at the family home in Dudley, with their widowed father. As with many members of the family, twenty-one-year-old Daniel Collett of Dudley was working as a chain-maker. Just over one year later, the marriage of Daniel Collett and Lucy Stevens was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 8) during the second quarter of 1862. Their marriage produced a number of children, although not all of them survived. By the time of the next census in 1871, the couple and their young family were residing at Bowling Green, near Dudley. Daniel was 31 and a chain-maker, Lucy was 32, and their three children were Alice Collett who was six, Catherine Collett who was four, and Ellen Collett who was just one-year-old. After a further ten years, according to the next census in 1881, Daniel Collett was 40 and a chain-maker, who was living at 36 Bowling Green, just south of Dudley, with his wife Lucy who was also 40 years of age. On that occasion, the three children living there with them were Annie Collett who was eight, Adeline Collett who was five, and Wilfred Collett who was ten months old. Every member of the household was said to have been born at Bowling Green

During the following year, the names of both Daniel and Lucy appeared in the local newspaper, the Dudley & District News on 11^th November 1882, the article reproduced here from the section on Court Notices, under the headline “Wife Beating – Daniel Collett chain-maker of Dudley Wood, was charged with assaulting Lucy Collett, his wife. The complainant said that on the 6^th inst., the defendant laid hold of her by the hair on her head, and bumped her head against the wall, and otherwise illtreated her. He had frequently beaten her, but she had never summoned him before. The defendant pleaded guilty. The Bench thought this a very bad case, and sentenced the defendant to one month’s hard labour without the option of a fine. The defendant, on leaving the dock, coolly thanked the Bench”

It was at Bowling Green, that the family was still living in 1891, by which time their daughter Alice, absent in 1881, had returned to the family home. Chain-maker Daniel Collett was 51, his wife Lucy was 52, and their three daughters were Alice Collett who was 26, Annie Collett who was 18 and Adelaide who was 16. Completing the family was their son Wilfred Collett who was ten years old. Daniel Collett died during the last decade of the old century and, in the census of 1901, his widow was recorded at 27a Bowling Green at Netherton within the parish of Dudley St Andrews. Lucy Collett from Dudley was 60 years of age and a chain-maker, who was working at home. The only member of her family still living there with her was her son Wilfred who was also another chain-maker aged 20. Mother and son were still together ten years later, when they were living at Court 1, No 3 Mouse Sweet Lane, Old Hill, midway between Cradley Heath and Rowley Regis. Lucy Collett was head of the household at the age of 72, who was described as an old age pensioner and a British Subject. Her unmarried son Wilfred Collett was 30 and still working as a chain-maker. Recorded as visitors, two younger people, Harriet Mallin aged 15, a small chain-maker, and her brother Arthur Mallin, who was eight years old, both born in Dudley, were listed at the property with Lucy and her son. In fact, Harriet, and Arthur, were Lucy’s grandchildren, two of the children of her married daughter Catherine Mallin, nee Collett. Just under thirteen years after that census day, the death of Lucy Collett, a widow, was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6b 84) during the first three months of 1924, when she was 86 years old. No record of the death of her husband has been found

1o9 – Alice Collett was born in 1864 at Bowling Green, Dudley

1o10 – Catherine Collett was born in 1867 at Bowling Green, Dudley

1o11 – Ellen Collett was born in 1869 at Bowling Green, Dudley (Ref. 6c 78) Q4

1o12 – Ann Collett was born in 1872 at Bowling Green, Dudley (Ref. 6c 15) Q4

1o13 – Adeline Collett was born in 1874 at Bowling Green, Dudley

1o14 – Wilfred Collett was born in 1880 at Bowling Green, Dudley

Elizabeth Collett [1n9] was born at Dudley in 1844 and may have been the twin sister of John Charles Collett (below). Her birth was recorded at Dudley (Ref. xviii 27) during the first three months of that year. Her mother died near the end of 1859, leaving 17-year-old Elizabeth working with her widowed father as a chain-maker with whom she was still living at Dudley in 1861. In addition to her brother Daniel (above), Elizabeth’s older married brother William and his wife were also visiting or staying at the house. Eight years after that day, the marriage of Elizabeth Collett and John Griffin was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 80) during the second quarter of 1869. Once married, the couple settled at Corngreaves Road in Rowley Regis where their first child was born and where the three of them were living in 1871. Despite having a new born baby to care for, Elizabeth Griffin was 26 and still working as a chain-maker. John Griffin from Old Hill was 22 and a chain-maker, and baby Annie L Griffin was nine months old and did not survive. Two more children were born at Old Hill, before the family moved to Flintshire and the town of Saltney (now part of Chester), where two further children were born. It was at 2 Bridge Terrace in Saltney where the larger family was living in 1881. John Griffin was 32 and a labourer at an oil refinery, Elizabeth was 35, John J Griffin was seven, Thomas E Griffin was six, Elizabeth A Griffin was three, and May Griffin was ten months old. Two more children were born at Saltney, before the family returned to Dudley, where they were living in 1891, at 39 St Giles Street

On that occasion, John was 44 (sic) and a chain-maker, Elizabeth was 47, John was 17 and a general labourer, Thomas was 15 and a boiler maker, Elizabeth was 13, May was 10, and Delilah was seven. The two older children were said to have been born at Rowley Regis, while the four younger ones had been born at Stonebridge in North Wales, which was a reference to Saltney, where they were actually born. John Griffin, who had been born in 1849, died a terrible death on 18^th March 1896 at the age of 47, and passed away at Guest Hospital, Dudley. He was a labourer living at St. Giles Street, Netherton, Dudley, when the cause of his death was an “Accidental death from injuries caused by being crushed by a girder which the deceased was helping to raise by means of a jack. He lived about 12 hours after the accident.” The Death Certificate was received from E. Percy Jobson, Coroner for Staffordshire, an inquest was held on 20^th March 1896, with his passing registered on 21^st March 1896.

The Gloucester Journal of 21^st March 1896 published a report of the accident, as follows: “While assisting to unload an iron girder from a boat at Netherton Ironworks, near Dudley, a man named John Griffin was killed. The ‘jack’ slipped, Griffin was caught between the girder and the boat, and two horses had to be employed before he was released”

The later death of Elizabeth Griffin, a widow, was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6c 71) during the third quarter of 1903, at the age of 57. Two years earlier, the Dudley census of 1901 identified widow Elizabeth Griffin, aged 60, living at Union Street in Netherton, with four of her children. They were Thomas from Cradley Heath who was 26 and a coal miner and hewer, May from Saltney who was 21, as was Delilah Griffin who was 17 and a chain-maker, and Eli Griffin who was 15 and already working on the canal as a boatman. Completing the family was Elizabeth’s grandson, Luther J Mullett who was three years of age and born at Netherton. John Griffin and Elizabeth Griffin (nee Collett) were the maternal great-great-grandparents of Jonathan Leyland, via her son Eli Griffin (1886-1971) and his wife Sarah Ann Hughes (1887-1964), and their son John Thomas Griffin (1911-1979) and his wife Elsie May Nixon (1915-2002). And it was Jonathan who helped to create this new branch of the Collett family

John Charles Collett [1n10] was born in 1844 at Dudley, his birth recorded there (Ref. xviii 34) during the first three months of that year, just after that of his seemingly twin sister (above). He was baptised there at St Thomas’ Church on 27^th February 1844, the last child born to John Collett from Cricklade and Ann Webster from Alderminster. No details of the whereabouts of him or his family have been found during the research of the census of 1851, while eight years later his mother died. After that, his father hit hard times and ended up in court in Dudley in 1864 charged with damaging birch trees on the estate of the Earl of Dudley. What happen to John during that time has never been discovered, or where he was in 1861 and 1871, when other members of his family were still residing in the Dudley area. It was therefore previously thought that he may have died young

However, it is now established that he was 79 years old when he died, prior to which he was a married man, possibly with children of his own. Apart from his birth and baptism recorded, the next occasion when he appeared alive and well was in the Ireland census of 1911, by which time he was a widower. On that day he was recorded as John Charles Collett from Dudley who was 67 years old, having no stated occupation, living at the home of John Butterfield from Dublin who was 58, his wife Mary Jane who was 50, and their six youngest children. The relationship of John Charles Collett to John Butterfield was recorded as father-in-law, making his late wife one of John and Mary Jane’s eldest daughters, who would have been many years young than John Charles when they were married

Eleven years later, the death of John Collett was recorded at the Dublin South register office during the second quarter of 1922 when he was 79

George William Collett [1o1] was at Dudley Newtown either at the end of 1863, or just after the start of 1864. His birth was registered at Dudley during the first quarter of the latter year, the only known child of William Collett and Ann Williams (or Mary Ann according to the 1861 Census). Whilst his parents were listed in the 1861, it is very likely that he was made an orphan not long after he was born. When that happened, he was taken in by his father’s younger married sister Hannah Raybould who, together with her husband and their two young children, were living with George’s parents at Dudley Newtown in 1861. Very likely because of the close relationship between Hannah and her brother William, it seemed obvious that Hannah and James Raybould should take into their family baby George. That situation was confirmed in the next four census returns from 1871 through to 1901

On the first occasion in 1871, George was recorded with the Raybould family living at Rowley Regis as William Collett from Dudley who was seven years old and described as nephew. After a further ten years, nephew George William Collett from Dudley was 17 and an unemployed cab driver residing at Buccleuch Street in Barrow-in-Furness, the home of James Raybould and his wife Hannah Raybould, the former Hannah Collett. Completing the family group was their 22-year-old Dudley born daughter Sarah Ann Raybould who was a general labourer. By the time of the next census in 1891, George W Collett was again confirmed as the nephew of Hannah Raybould with whom he was still living at Buccleuch Street in Barrow-in-Furness, but as a widow after the passing of husband James eighteen months earlier. Both said to have been born in Worcestershire, with George then working as a labourer. It was the same situation in 1901, with nephew George William Collett being 37 and a carter and a general labourer, who was still living with his elderly aunt, passed away just over one year later

George William Collett died on 8^th June 1927 at the age of 63 and was buried at Barrow-in-Furness Cemetery & Crematorium, when his death was recorded at Lancashire register office (Ref. 8e 943). Sixteen years earlier, and again at Barrow-in-Furness, the marriage of George W Collett and Elizabeth A Bispham was recorded there (Ref. 8e 1835) during the second quarter of 1911. The later death of Elizabeth A Collett was also recorded at Lancashire register office (Ref. 8d 335) in 1937 when she was 63 years old

Uriah Collett [1o2] was born at Dudley Wood in 1856, the eldest son of John Collett and Ann Maria Willitts, and another member of the family of chain-makers. His birth was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 10) during the last three months of 1856, and was four years old in 1861. On leaving school, he took up the family trade of a chain-maker and, in the Dudley census of 1871, at the age of 14, he was living with his family at Rowley Regis. It was only two years later that he became a married man, when Uriah Collett and (Johanna Ashman was married at Rowley Regis on 12^th August 1873. The event was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 99) during the third quarter of 1873, when Uriah, the son of John Collett, was approaching seventeen years of age. Johanna was the daughter of Richard Ashman and was born at Cherry Orchard, Old Hill, like Bowling Green, lying midway between Cradley Heath and Rowley Regis. It was also at Old Hill, that the couple initially settled, and where their first child was born not long after their wedding day. Perhaps because of the embarrassment that may have caused the wider Collett family, Uriah, Joanna, and their daughter, together with Uriah’s parents, and the rest of the family, all moved to Gainsborough in Lincolnshire around that same time. Once settled in Gainsborough, Joanna presented Uriah with ten more children, although not all of them survived. It was at Gainsborough that the three eldest children of Uriah and Joanna Collett were baptised on 21^st April 1877, the same day that four of Uriah’s younger siblings Thomas, David, Elizabeth, and Helen, were also baptised there. By 1881, the family was residing on Waterworks Street in Gainsborough, right next door to the home of Uriah’s parents and his younger siblings at 37 Waterworks Street, both families listed under the Collitt spelling of the surname. Uriah and his family were recorded at 39 Waterworks Street, where Uriah from Dudley Wood was 24 and a chain-maker, like many other members of the Collett family. His wife Johanna was 26, and their four children on that day were Elizabeth aged seven years, John Henry who was five, Ann who was two, and Sarah J Collett who was under four months old. It should be noted that their children were baptised some years after they were born, with Elizabeth, John, and Richard, baptised together on 21^st April 1877. More children were later baptised at Gainsborough on 30^th September 1882 and 12^th December 1885, they being daughters Sarah Jane and Maria Collett

According to the following census in 1891, the Collitt (sic) family was living at 10 Hawksworth Street, in Gainsborough, just a stones-throw from the River Trent. Uriah was 34 and a chain-maker and a manager at a local ironworks. His wife Johanna was 36 and born at Cherry Orchard, and the six children recorded with the couple were John Henry Collett 15, Sarah Jane Collett 10, Eliza Collett who was eight, Maria Collett who was six, and Uriah Collett who was three, and Thomas Collett who was only a few months old. Missing from the family list that day was eldest daughter Elizabeth who had left home by then, and daughter Ann (two in 1881), whose birth was recorded at Gainsborough (Ref. 7a 347) during the third quarter of 1878. It seems very likely that she was Lily Ann or Lillian, since her death as Lillian Collett, aged three years, was recorded at Gainsborough (Ref. 7a 446) during the last three months of 1882. Furthermore, the couple’s eldest son Richard did not survive and died when he was only six months old and shortly after he was baptised on 21^st April 1877. Two further baptisms took place during the 1890s, the first being that of Amy Collitt whose birth was recorded at Gainsborough (Ref. 7a 59) during the second quarter of 1895, who was then baptised there at Holy Trinity Church on 15^th October 1895, prior to her premature death on 19^th December that year. The second baptism was for Thomas Collitt on 16^th February 1896, when he was around five years old. All the baptisms of their children gave the parent’s names as Uriah and Joanna or Johanna Collett or Collitt

During the next decade, the family left Hawksworth Street and, by 1901, had moved the short distance to nearby 28 Hickman Street, still in Gainsborough, where they were living in 1901. On that occasion, Uriah was continuing his work as a chain-maker, at the age of 44, when both he and his wife Johanna, aged 46, were said to have been born in Dudley. Four children and a grandchild were living there with them, and they were Uriah who was 13, Thomas who was 10, and Dorothy A Collitt who was five, plus married and widowed daughter Sarah Jane Close who was 20 and granddaughter Frances Sophia Close aged one year, who had also been born at Gainsborough. Two other daughters were living and working together, nearby in Gainsborough, and they were Eliza (Liza) Collitt who was 18, and Maria Collitt who was 16, both of whom were employed as general domestic servants.

During the next ten years, Uriah was given a promotion at the iron foundry where he worked as a chain-maker. It was the Gainsborough census of 1911 that described him as Uriah Collett from Newtown, whose was 54 and an iron manager. His with Johanna from Cherry Orchard was 56, and the four other members of the household were unmarried John Henry who was 34, Uriah who was 23, Dorothy Adelaide who was 15, and granddaughter Evelyn Close, who was eight years old and the daughter of Sarah Jane. All four of them were confirmed as having been born at Gainsborough. Two years later, the death of Uriah Collett was recorded at Gainsborough register office (Ref. 7a 112) during the second quarter of 1913, when he was 56 years old. It is interesting to note, that from the time he was born, up until the day he was married, his surname was recorded as Collett but, after settling in Lincolnshire, the family name was recorded as Collitt in every census return and again at the time of his passing. Curiously, the first five children were baptised under the Collett spelling of the name, with the later children recorded as Collitt

1p1 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1873 at Old Hill, near Rowley Regis

1p2 – John Henry Collett was born in 1875 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

1p3 – Richard Collett was born in 1877 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

1p4 – Ann Lillian Collett was born in 1878 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire; died in 1882

1p5 – Sarah Jane Collett was born in 1881 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

1p6 – Eliza Collett was born in 1883 at Gainsborough

1p7 – Maria Collett was born in 1885 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

1p8 – Uriah Collett was born in 1887 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

1p9 – Thomas Collett was born in 1891 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

1p10 – Amy Collett was born in 1895 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire; died in 1895

1p11– Dorothy Adelaide Collett was born in 1895 at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

Ann Collett [1o3] was born at Bowling Green in Dudley, near the end of 1859 or early in 1860, with her birth recorded during the first three months of 1860 (Ref. 6c 71). She was one-year-old and eleven years of age in the Dudley censuses of 1861 and 1871. A few years later her family left the West Midlands for Lincolnshire, where they settled in the town of Gainsborough and it was there that Ann met her future husband. It seems likely was it was during the first half of 1880 that Ann realised she was with child. She eventually married the child’s father but it is not known whether that took place was before or after the birth of the child. What is known is, Ann returned to Dudley, perhaps out of embarrassment, since it was there that her son was born in June 1880. By April 1881 Ann and was married to Harry Darley who was from Brigg in Lincolnshire. With no home of their own the couple, and with their nine-month-old baby John W Darley, they spent the first few years of their life living at the home of Ann’s parents. The 1881 Census confirmed that Ann Darley was 21 and that she had been born at Bowling Green in Dudley. She and her husband Harry, who was four years older at 25, and their son John, were lodging at 37 Waterworks Street in Gainsborough with John and Maria Collett. No occupation was given for Harry Darley

Thomas Collett [1o4] was born at Newtown, Dudley, at the end of 1866 or the beginning of 1867 with his birth recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 208) during the third quarter of that year. For whatever reason, Thomas and three of his four following siblings were not baptised when they were infants, instead, and following a move to Lincolnshire when Thomas was around seven years of age, it was at Gainsborough that the three of them were baptised on the same day, when Thomas was nearly 12 years old. However, one month prior to their baptism, the youngest child in the family was baptised on her own. Maybe it was that event, which reminded their parents that the four older children had not been baptised. It was at Rowley Regis, near Dudley, that Thomas was four years old in the census of 1871. Having moved to Gainsborough during the following year, it was five years later that Thomas, David, Elizabeth, and Helen were baptised together on 21^st April 1877, with the three eldest children of their older brother Uriah (above). One month earlier, their youngest sibling Florence (below), had been baptised there on 29^th March. Four year later, the Gainsborough census in 1881, identified the family living at 37 Waterworks Street, when Thomas Collett was 14 years old. Ten years later, according to the Gainsborough census in 1891, Thomas Collett from Worcestershire was 24 and a chain-maker who, by then, was a married man. His wife was Annie E Collett from Nottinghamshire was also 24, when the childless couple was residing at Providence Place in the town. It was two years earlier, when the marriage of Thomas Collett and Annie Elizabeth Hayes was recorded at Gainsborough (Ref. 7a 278) during the second quarter of 1889. Annie was the daughter of Joseph and Eliza Hayes of East Retford. Not long after they were married, and before they had any children, Thomas Collett died, leaving his widow to return to East Retford to live with her widowed mother Eliza, and Annie’s two younger brothers. Annie Elizabeth Collett was 33 years old, with no stated occupation and, it was twelve months earlier, at Gainsborough register office (Ref. 7a 354), that the death of Thomas Collett was recorded during the second quarter of 1900, when he was only 31 years old

David Collett [1o5] was born in 1869 at Newtown, his birth recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6a 38) during the second quarter of that year. He was the fourth child of John Collett and Ann Maria Willitts He was two years of age in the Rowley Regis census of 1871, and a year after that, the family moved to Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, where David was 12 in 1881 and living at 37 Waterworks Street. For some reason, David was only baptised at Gainsborough when he was eight years old, in a joint ceremony with three siblings on 21^st April 1877. Although absent from the family home at Gainsborough in 1891, it is possible that he had already returned to Dudley by then. It was towards the end of 1896, when the marriage of David Collett and Rose Esther Whitehouse was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6c 328) during the last three months of that year. Rose, who was also born at Dudley, had presented David with two children by the time of the census in 1901, although their first son was born in 1900 and died that same year. The birth of John William Collett was recorded later at Dudley (Ref. 6c 284) during the third quarter of that year, his death also recorded there during the third quarter (Ref. 6c 277) of 1902. David Collett from Dudley was 29 (sic) and a chain-maker, residing at Mouse Street in Dudley with his young family. His wife Rose E Collett was 25, daughter Florence Collett was two years old, and John W Collett was around nine months old, all three confirmed as having been born at Dudley. Ten years later, the enlarged family was living at 40 Garratts Lane in Old Hill, near Rowley Regis, just south of Dudley. The census that year confirmed that David Collett from Newtown was working as a chain-striker at the age of 42 and had been married to Rose for fourteen years. The census return also confirmed that four of their five children were still living. David’s wife was described as Rose Esther Collett from Cradley Heath who was 35 and a chain-maker ‘working at home’, who was already pregnant with her next child. Their four surviving children were listed as Florence Collett who was 12 and at school, as was Tom Collett who was eight, Mary Ann Collett who was six, and Beatrice May Collett who was three. Tom and Beatrice had been born at Old Hill, their births recorded at Dudley register office, with Mary Ann born at Round Oak

Three more children were added to their family, one later that same year, and two later children, who were born after the end of the Great War. That perhaps shows that David was away from home for many years, as a soldier with the British Army. The births of all three children were recorded at Dudley register office, when the mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Whitehouse. The first of them was Bertha Collett (Ref. 9c 99) during the third quarter of 1911, next was David L Collett (Ref. 6b 65) during the fourth quarter of 1918, and the last was William H Collett (Ref. 6b 144) during the third quarter of 1920. His youngest child was 17 years of age, when the death of David Collett was recorded at Rowley Regis register office (Ref. 6b 28) during the last quarter of 1937, when he was 68

1p12- Florence Collett was born in 1898 at Dudley

1p13 - John William Collett was born in 1900 at Dudley; died in 1902

1p14 - Thomas Francis Collett was born in 1902 at Old Hill, Rowley Regis

1p15 - Mary Ann Collett was born in 1905 at Round Oak, Dudley

1p16 - Beatrice May Collett was born in 1907 at Old Hill, Rowley Regis

1p17 - Bertha Collett was born in 1911 at Dudley

1p18 - David L Collett was born in 1918 at Dudley

1p19 - William H Collett was born in 1920 at Dudley

Elizabeth Collett [1o6] was born in 1871 at Newtown, her birth recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 241) during the third quarter of the year. However, she was not baptised until after the family had moved to Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, by which time she was nearly six years old. Elizabeth and three of her siblings were baptised together at Gainsborough on 21^st April 1877. She was 11 years of age on the day of the Gainsborough census of 1881, when the family was living at 37 Waterworks Street, when her place of birth was confirmed as Newtown. No further record of her has been found after 1881

Helen Collett [1o7] was born in 1875 at Gainsborough where her birth was recorded during the third quarter of that year (Ref. 7a 29). It was there also that she was baptised on 21^st April 1877 in a joint ceremony with her three older siblings. Ellen was six years old in the Gainsborough census of 1881, when living at 37 Waterworks Street with her family. On completing her education, and as Nellie Collett, she was 16 in the Gainsborough census of 1891, by which time she was working with her father as a chain-maker

Florence Collett [1o8] was born in 1877 at Gainsborough, with her birth registered there as Flory Collett (Ref. 7a 123) during the second quarter of the year. Her birth was register just after she was baptised there as Florence Collett on 29^th March 1877, the last child of John Collett and Ann Maria Willitts. Why she was christened one month before her four older siblings seems odd, when those four were baptised at Gainsborough on the same day, 21^st April 1877. It may have been that single event, reminded John and Ann Maria that their older children had not been christened, or perhaps it was a suggestion made by the clergyman who conducted the ceremony for their youngest child. The family was residing at 37 Waterworks Street in Gainsborough on the census day in 1881, when Florence was four years old

Alice Collett [1o9] was born near the end of 1864 at Bowling Green, following which her birth was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 17) during the first three months of 1865. She was the first-born child of Daniel Collett and Lucy Stevens, and was six years old in the Bowling Green census of 1871. Her family was recorded at 36 Bowling Green in 1881, although sixteen-year-old Alice was absent that day. That was because she had already left school and was working as a general servant at the Yardley, Birmingham, home of the Lear family. Alice returned home sometime later, and was still living at Bowling Green with her parents in 1891, when she was 26, by which time she was earning a living as a chain-maker. Two years later, the marriage of Alice Collett was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 149) during the second quarter of 1893.

Catherine Collett [1o10] was born in 1867 at Bowling Green, the birth recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 345) during the second quarter of 1867. Catherine was four years old in the Bowling Green census of 1871 and, just as with her older sister Alice, Kate was not living with her family at 36 Bowling Green in 1881. Instead, she too was a general servant, aged 14, employed at the Yardley home of the large Garrard family from London. Just over eight years later, the marriage of Catherine Collett and Joseph Mallin was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 330) during the fourth quarter of 1889. Joseph Whitehouse Mallin was baptised at Rowley Regis on 1^st August 1865, the son of William and Mary Ann Mallin. By the time of the next census for the Bowling Green area, Kate Mallin was 23 and her general labourer husband Joseph Mallin was 22, when they were awaiting the birth of their first child. Over the following fifteen years, Kate presented Joseph with a total of seven children. In 1901, Joseph Mallin was 32 and a general labourer, Kate Mallin was 33 and employed as a chain-maker, when their five children were Beatrice Alice Mallin who was nine, Joseph Mallin who was seven, Harriet Mallin who was five, Harry Mallin who was two, and Anne E Mallin who was not yet one-year-old. Two more children were added to their family during the next few years, although two of their seven children were staying with Kate’s widowed elderly mother Lucy Collett on the day of the census of 1911. The census that year recorded the Mallin family within the Dudley and Rowley Regis registration area as Joseph who was 42, Kate who was 43, Alice (previously Beatrice) who was 19, Joseph who was 17, Harry who was 12, Annie who was 10 and Wesley Mallin who was five years old. It was their daughter Harriet, who was 15 and a small chain-maker, and their son Arthur Mallin who was eight years old who were visitors at the home of 72-year-old Lucy Collett at Court 1, No 3 Mouse Sweet Lane, Old Hill in Netherton. The death of Joseph Whitehouse Mallin was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6b 33) during the quarter of 1933, when he was 67. The later death of Catherine Mallin was recorded at Rowley Regis register office (Ref. 6b 149) during the last three months of 1942, at the age of 75

Wilfred Collett [1o14] was born on 25^th May 1880 at Bowling Green, Dudley, his birth recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6c 9) during the third quarter of that year. He was the only son and last child born to Daniel Collett and Lucy Stevens. He and his family were living at 36 Bowling Green (Road), when Wilfred Collett was said to be ten months old. After a further decade, the family was still there when Wilfred was recorded within the St Andrews district of South Dudley as being 10 years old. Wilfred’s father died during the 1890s since, in the March census of 1901, Wilfred Collett was 20 when he was living at 27a Bowling Green in St Andrews, Dudley, with his widowed mother Lucy Collett. Both were working at home as chain-makers and both had been born in Dudley. Wilfred was still not married by 1911, when he was 30 and still living with his elderly mother, but at Court 1, No 3 Mouse Sweet Lane, Old Hill midway between Cradley Heath and Rowley Regis, where he continued to work as a chain-maker – but ‘working away from home’. Two young visitors to the house were Wilfred’s niece Harriet Mallin, who was 15 and working alongside Wilfred making small chains, and her brother Arthur who was eight, they being two of the children of Wilfred’s older sister Catherine Mallin, nee Collett. The death of Wilfred Collett was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 9b 3) during the last three months of 1969, when he was 89 years old

Elizabeth Collett [1p1] was born in 1873 at Old Hill, near Rowley Regis, the eldest child of Uriah Collett and Johanna Ashman. It was after her family moved to Gainsborough, that she was baptised there on 21^st April 1877 with her two brothers John Henry and Richard. During that same ceremony, four of Elizabeth’s Collett grandparent’s youngest children were also baptised, and they were Thomas, David, Elizabeth, and Helen, who were living in the adjacent dwelling. Elizabeth was seven years old in 1881, when she and her family were living at 39 Waterworks Street in Gainsborough, next door to her Collett grandparents at 37 Waterworks Street. Ten years later it was at 10 Hawksworth Street in the town that her family was recorded although, by then, Elizabeth was no longer living there with them. The later marriage of Elizabeth Collett and Thomas Holmes took place at Gainsborough on 23^rd October 1894, and recorded at Gainsborough (Ref. 7a 294). Elizabeth was 20 years old and the daughter of Uriah Collett, and Thomas was 23 and the son of Thomas Holmes senior. Thomas was born at Bole in Nottinghamshire, and by 1901 had three children living with him and his wife at Albert Terrace on Trinity Street in Gainsborough. Thomas from Bole was 28 and a machine moulder labourer working in an iron foundry. Elizabeth was 27, and their three Gainsborough born children were Thomas Uriah Holmes who was five, Amy Holmes who was two, and John Henry Holmes who was only a few months old. Three more children were added to the family during the first decade of the new century, but only five of their six children were still living with the couple in 1911. Machine moulder Thomas was 38, Elizabeth was 37, Amy was 12, John was 10, Harry Holmes was eight, William Holmes was three, and Arthur Holmes was one year old. Within the next three years, Elizabeth gave birth to her last two children, with Walter Holmes born on 19^th July 1912, who was baptised a Gainsborough on 3^rd August 1912, followed by Cyril Holmes who was born on 29^th October 1914, and baptised at Gainsborough on 14^th November 1914. In both cases, they were confirmed as the children of Thomas Holmes and Elizabeth Collett

John Henry Collett [1p2] was born at Gainsborough in 1875, his birth recorded there (Ref. 7a 180) during the third quarter of that year, the eldest son of Uriah and Joanna Collett. It was there also that he was baptised on 21^st April 1877 with his sister Elizabeth (above) and brother Richard (below), together with four other members of his extended Collett family. They were Thomas, David, Elizabeth, and Helen, four of the youngest five children, of John Henry’s Collett grandparents. As John H Collitt, he was five years old in the census of 1881 when living in the family home at 39 Waterworks Street in Gainsborough while, after leaving school, John Henry was 15 years of age and a boiler maker’s labourer, still living with his family in 1891, but at 10 Hawksworth Street in Gainsborough. Although absent from the family home in 1901, unmarried John Henry Collett was 34 and a machine packer at an iron foundry in 1911 when, once again, he was living with his parents on the day of the Gainsborough census in 1911, two years prior to the death of his father. That meant his father was still alive to see his eldest son eventually become a married man. It was just under a year from the census day, that the marriage of John Henry Collett and Rosetta Warriner was recorded at Gainsborough register office (Ref. 7a 52) during the first three months of 1912. They were married for just eight years, having no children, when the death of John Henry Collitt was recorded at Gainsborough (Ref. 7a 64) during the first three months of 1920, when he was only 44 years of age. Rosetta Collitt, a widow, died in 1955, her death recorded at Scunthorpe register office (Ref. 3b 56) during the first quarter of the year, when she was 74

Richard Collett [1p3] was born at Gainsborough in 1877, where he was also buried that same year, another son of Uriah and Johanna Collett. His birth was recorded there (Ref. 7a 196) during the second quarter of the year, and his death was also recorded at Gainsborough (Ref. 7a 261) during the last quarter of the year. In between those two events, Richard Collett was baptised at Gainsborough with his two older siblings, Elizabeth, and John Henry, on 21^st April 1877 and was therefore around six months when he passed away, following which he was buried there on 5^th October 1877

Sarah Jane Collett [1p5] was born at Gainsborough in Lincolnshire during 1881, the fifth child of Uriah and Johanna Collett. Her birth was recorded there during the first quarter of that year (Ref. 7a 146) and on the day of the census that year, she was only a few months old. It was over eighteen months after she had been born, that Sarah Jane Collett was baptised on 30^th September 1882. Nine years later, the family was residing at Hawksworth Street in Gainsborough, when the surname was recorded as Collitt, with Sarah J Collett being 10 years of age. Sarah was approaching her eighteenth birthday when she married (1) Frank Francis Close, their wedding recorded at Gainsborough register office (Ref. 7a 85) during the last quarter of 1898. Their marriage produced one child for the couple although, very tragically, Frank died before the child was born, the death of Frank Close recorded at Gainsborough register office (Ref. 7a 369) during the first quarter of 1899, at the age of 22. Two years after losing her husband, and in the Gainsborough census of 1901, Sarah and her daughter were recorded with Sarah’s Collett family at 28 Hickman Street. Sarah J Close was 20 years of age when her daughter Frances Sophia Close was one-year-old, both born in Gainsborough, although Frances was just two weeks away from her second birthday, having been born on 13^th April 1899, and later baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 21^st October 1900. Whether through struggling to cope with losing her husband after such a short while, Sarah may have had a casual relationship with another man, with whom she gave birth to a second daughter

That second, base-born child, was Evelyn Matthew Close, whose birth was recorded at Gainsborough register office (Ref. 7a 232) during the third quarter of 1902, the daughter of Sarah Jane Close. Evelyn was subsequently raised by Sarah’s parents, with whom she was living in 1911. On that day Evelyn Close was eight years old, the granddaughter of Uriah and Johanna Collett, the family living within the Gainsborough parish of All Saints. Having been a widow for over five years, the marriage of Sarah Jane Close and (2) Frederick Goodhand took place at Gainsborough during the third quarter of 1904 (Ref. 7a 144). The couple then settled in the Lincolnshire village of Worlaby, north-east of Scunthorpe, where all their seven children were born. Of her earlier two children, it was only Frances who was taken into Sarah’s new family where, in 1911, she was named as Frances Goodhand. On that day Frederick Goodhand of Worlaby was 33 and a labourer working on a farm, Sarah Jane was 31, Frances was 11, Mabel Amelia Goodhand was five, Frederick Goodhand was four (bapt 4/4/1907), Frank Goodhand was three (25/7/1908), Violet Goodhand was two (bapt 18/7/1909), and Charles Henry Goodhand, who had only just been born and was not yet named in the census return, who was baptised on 8^th May 1911

Two more children were added to the family, and they were Elsie Goodhand, who was baptised on 25^th October 1912, and Hilda Goodhand, who was baptised on 7^th November 1913. All the children they were baptised at Worlaby when their mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Collett. Sadly, daughter Elsie was only six years of age when she died, her passing recorded at Gainsborough register office (Ref. 7a 6) during the last three months of 1918. Just prior to that loss in her life, Sarah saw her eldest children Frances Sophie Close married to Alfred Horner in Gainsborough near the end of 1917. It was twenty-four-years later that the death of Sarah Jane Goodhand, formerly Close, nee Collett, was recorded at Gainsborough register office (Ref. 7a 55) during the last quarter of 1944, when she was 63 years old

Eliza Collett [1p6] was born at Gainsborough in 1883, where her birth was recorded (Ref. 7a 184) during the first three months of 1883, another daughter of Uriah and Joanna Collett. She was eight years old in the census of 1891, when Eliza Collitt and her family were recorded at 10 Hawksworth Street in Gainsborough. Ten years later, and as Liza Collitt, she was 18 and working as a domestic general servant, one of four servants employed by Bernard Pumfrey, a hotel proprietor and joiner, and his wife Jennie, at their property on the Market Place in Gainsborough. Another of the four servants, was Eliza’s younger sister Maria (below). On the day that Eliza was married she gave her age as 20, when in fact she was still 18 as it was only five months later, and on 5^th August 1901 at Gainsborough, that she married Walter John Burton, the son of John Burton, when Eliza’s father was confirmed as Uriah Collitt. Over the following eight years, Eliza gave birth to a son and a daughter, both born at Gainsborough, where they were also baptised. John Richard Burton was born on 12^th August 1906 and baptised on 25^th August that year, who died in Lincoln during 1979. while Mabel Burton was born on 15^th December 1909, but was not baptised until 4^th March 1910. No record of the family has been found in 1911

Maria Collett [1p7] was born at Gainsborough in 1885, where she was baptised on 12^th December 1885 at Holy Trinity Church, the seventh of the eleven known children of Uriah Collitt and Johanna Ashman. She may have been born at 10 Hawksworth Street, in Gainsborough, where the family was living in 1891, when Maria was six years old. She was not recorded with her family in Gainsborough in 1901 and that was because Maria and her sister Eliza (above) were working alongside each other, as domestic general servants at the Market Place hotel of Bernard Pumfrey and his wife Jennie in Gainsborough, when Maria was 16. However, at the end of the following year, Maria Collett and George Leachman were married at Gainsborough on 27^th December 1902. George was 20 and the son of John Leachman, while Maria was 18 and confirmed as the daughter of Uriah Collett. The death of Maria Leachman was also recorded at Gainsborough (Ref. 7a 774) during the last three months of 1928, when she was 43. It may be of interest that on 4^th December 1928, an Ann Maria Leachman was buried in Gainsborough, who was most likely the former Maria Collett

Uriah Collett [1p8] was born in 1887 at Gainsborough, where his birth was recorded (Ref. 7a 8) during the third quarter of that year. He was three years of age in the census of 1891, when the family was living at 10 Hawksworth Street in Gainsborough, where he may have been born. By 1901, the family was living at 28 Hickman Street, when Uriah was 13 in the Gainsborough census that year. After completing his education, Uriah joined his father at the local iron foundry where he was the manager, with Uriah working as a blacksmith’s striker in 1911 at the age of 23. No record has been found to suggest that Uriah ever married, instead he was only 31 years old when his premature death was recorded at the Derbyshire Hayfield register office (Ref. 7b 76) during the first three months of 1919, Hayfield being just north of Chapel-en-le-Frith. During the First World War, Uriah Collett served as Private 2261 with 1^st Lincolnshire Regiment 5^th Battalion

An item was published in the Stockport Observer on 14^th March 1919 under a headline “Former Soldier’s Death – At Gainsborough, on Thursday, the funeral took place of Uriah Collitt a former patient at Newtown Auxiliary Military Hospital. A local lady took an interest in him, and when he was discharged as incurable, she was the main means of getting further medical aid for him, and he appeared to be permanently cured. He then came to reside in Disley, but died last Sunday from the effects of influenza” Disley lies seven miles south-east of Stockport in Cheshire

Thomas Collett [1p9] was born on 7^th January 1891 at 10 Hawksworth Street in Gainsborough, where he was living with his family on the day of the census that year. His birth, as Thomas Collitt, was recorded at Gainsborough (Ref. 7a 103). However, like many members of this branch of the Collett/Collitt family, his baptism was delayed until he was older, being five years old when he was baptised at Holy Trinity Church in Gainsborough on 16^th February 1896. By the time he was 10 years of age, he and his family were living at 28 Hickman Street in Gainsborough, and ten years after that, he may have been with the military based abroad, since no record of him has been found in Great Britain. Later in his life, he was residing within the Scunthorpe area of Lincolnshire, where his death was recorded (Ref. 3b 28) during the first quarter of 1959 at the age of 68. Once again, his surname was recorded at Collitt

Dorothy Adelaide Collett [1p11] was born at Gainsborough in April 1895, and was baptised there at Holy Trinity Church on 16^th January 1896, the last child of Uriah Collett from Dudley and Johanna Ashman from Cherry Orchard. Her birth was recorded at Gainsborough register office (Ref. 7a 60) as Dorothy Adelaide Collitt, and as Dorothy A Collitt, she was five years old in the Gainsborough census of 1901, when she and her family were residing as 28 Hickman Street in the town. She had left school by 1911, when Dorothy was 15 and with no stated occupation, still living with her parents in Gainsborough. Exactly two years later, the marriage of Dorothy Adelaide Collitt and Frederick W V Wiseman was recorded at Gainsborough register office (Ref. 7a 26) during the second quarter of 1913. The children of Frederick William Vincent Wiseman and Dorothy Adelaide Collett were all baptised at Gainsborough and they were: George William Destoray Wiseman on 4^th October 1913, born on 18^th September; Frederick Ronald Wiseman on 17^th June 1916, born on 14^th February 1915; Cecil Wiseman on 28^th February 1916, born on 7^th February; Vincent Wiseman on 1^st January 1918, born on 30^th December 1917; Francis Leonard Wiseman on 18^th February 1920, born on 10^th February; and Doris Joanna Wiseman on 4^th June 1921, born on 17^th May that year. The mother’s maiden-name in each case was recorded at Gainsborough register office using the Collett and Collitt spelling. The later death of Frederick William Vincent Wiseman was recorded at Woolwich register office (Ref. 1d 29) London, during the third quarter of 1940, when he was 48 years of age

Florence Collett [1p12] was born on 11^th July 1898 at Dudley, where her birth was recorded (Ref 6c 309) during the third quarter of the year. She was the first-born child of David Collett of Dudley who had only recently returned from being with his family in Gainsborough, and who had married Rose Esther Whitehouse in 1896, following his return from Lincolnshire. It is likely that Florence was born at Mouse Street in Dudley where she was living with her family in 1901, at the age of two years. No long after that census day the family moved to Rowley Regis where they were living in 1911, when 12-year-old Florence was attending school. The later marriage of Florence Collett and Joseph B Rollason was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6b 103) during the first three months of 1921. Their marriage was blessed by the birth of four children, whose births were recorded at Dudley, when the mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Collett. They were Doris M Rollason in 1921, Gladys I Rollason in 1924, William B Rollason in 1928, and Leonard Rollason in 1932. Forty years after giving birth to Leonard, the Joseph and Florence were still living in the Dudley area, with the death of Florence Rollason nee Collett recorded there towards the end of 1972, when she was 84. Joseph Bert Rollason was born on 18^th February 1895 and, nine months after being widowed, his death was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 9b 97) during the summer of 1973

Thomas Francis Collett [1p14] was born at Old Hill, Rowley Regis, perhaps at the end of 1902 or early in 1903, with his birth recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6c 21) during the first quarter of 1903. He may have been born at Mouse Street in Dudley, before the family moved to 40 Garratts Lane in Old Hill, where they were living in 1911, when Tom Collett was eight years old. Thomas F Collett was 31 when his marriage to Elsie M Hiatt was recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 6d 148) during the last quarter of 1934. Their first three children were born at Rowley Regis, while it was at Birmingham that their last child was born. On all four occasions, the mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Hiatt

1q1 – Maureen H Collett was born in 1936 at Rowley Regis (6b 4 – Q2)

1q2 – Shirley M Collett was born in 1938 at Rowley Regis (6b 8 - Q4)

1q3 – Douglas D Collett was born in 1941 at Rowley Regis (6b 123 - Q4)

1q4 – Thomas C Collett was born in 1943 at Birmingham (6d 84 – Q3)

Mary Ann Collett [1p15] was born at Round Oak, Dudley in 1905, with her birth recorded at Stourbridge register office (Ref. 6c 86) during the second quarter of 1905. She was living with her family 40 Garratts Lane in Old Hill, Rowley Regis on the day of the census in 1911. Sixteen years later, the marriage of Mary Ann Collett and Owen W Owen was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6b 39) during the first quarter of 1927. Near the end of that same year, the birth of their daughter Dorothy J Own was recorded at Dudley (Ref. 6b 71) and she may have been their only child

Beatrice May Collett [1p16] was born on 8^th November 1907 and probably at 40 Garratts Lane in Old Hill, Rowley Regis, where the family was living in 1911. She was another daughter of David Collett and Rose Esther Whitehouse, whose birth was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6c 265) during the third quarter of the year. As Beatrice May Collett, she was said to be three years old in the Rowley Regis census of 1911, and it was sixteen years after that, when the marriage of Beatrice May Collett and Edward Lowe was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6b 55) during the second quarter of 1927. Each of their three children were born in a different place, but in all cases, the mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Collett. They were Iris D Lowe whose birth was recorded at Dudley nine months after they were married, Barbara A Lowe who birth was recorded at West Bromwich in the summer of 1935, and Gladys G Lowe who birth was recorded at Rowley Regis during the summer of 1937. Beatrice May Lowe, nee Collett, was 78 years old when her death was recorded at Dudley register office during the month of May in 1986. It was eight years earlier, that the death of Edward Lowe was also recorded there, early in 1978, when his date of birth was confirmed as 11^th February 1905

Bertha Collett [1p17] was born in 1911 at 40 Garratt Lane in Old Hill after the census that year, with her birth recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 9c 99) during the last three months of the year. She was another daughter of David and Rose Collett who was nearly 22 years of age when she married Francis Simeon Northall at Dudley (Ref. 6b 100) during the third quarter of 1933. Within just a few short months of their wedding day, Bertha gave birth to the first of their two sons, when Francis Thomas Northall was born at Dudley on 9^th November 1933, who died at Sandwell, Staffordshire, during November 1995. The couple’s second son was Gordon Richard Northall and he was born at Dudley on 22^nd October 1937, and he also died at Sandwell, but two years earlier, during May in 1993. Bertha Northall herself, suffered a premature death, when her passing was recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6c 112) during the first quarter of 1943, when she was 31 years of age, and when her youngest son was only six years old. Her husband had been born on 7^th October 1907 and was 67 when the death of Francis Simeon Northall was recorded at Dudley during the spring of 1975

David L Collett [1p18] was born in 1918 at Dudley towards the end of the year, his birth recorded there (Ref. 6b 65) when his mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Whitehouse. It was after the Second World War, that the marriage of David L Collett and Joan E Bonner was recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 6d 62) during the second quarter of 1946. Over the next ten years, Joan gave birth to two sons and a daughter at Rowley Regis, each birth confirming that the mother’s maiden-name was Bonner. The birth of David Collett was recorded during the last three months of 1947 (Ref. 9b 100), the birth of Jennifer Collett was recorded during the fourth quarter of 1952 (Ref. 9b 110), and the birth of John Collett was recorded during the third quarter of 1956 (Ref. 9b 136).

1q5 – David Collett was born in 1947 at Rowley Regis, Dudley

1q6 – Jennifer Collett was born in 1952 at Rowley Regis, Dudley

1q7 – John Collett was born in 1956 at Rowley Regis, Dudley

William H Collett [1p19] was born at Dudley in 1920, the last child of David Collett and Rose Esther Whitehouse, his birth recorded at Dudley register office (Ref. 6b 144) during the third quarter of that year. He was 22 when he married Gladys E Madeley, their wedding day recorded at Meriden register office (Ref. 6d 56) during the first quarter of 1943.

Maureen H Collett [1q1] was the first of the four children of Thomas Francis Collett and Elsie M Hiatt, and was born at Rowley Regis in 1936. Her birth was recorded there (Ref. 6b 4) during the second quarter of the year, and she later married Gordon F Taylor at Birmingham in 1956, where the event was recorded (Ref. 9c 76) during the first three months of that year

Shirley M Collett [1q2] was born in 1938 at Rowley Regis where her birth was recorded (Ref. 6b 8) during the last quarter of the year. She was 20 years of age when her marriage to Frederick Knight at Birmingham where the event was recorded (Ref. 9c 82) in the last three months of 1958. Shirley and Fred had four children with the births of three of them recorded at Birmingham register office, the second at Meriden register office. They were Patricia F Knight in 1960 (Ref. 9c 8), Petula A Knight in 1962 (Ref. 9c 114), Robert P Knight in 1965 (Ref. 9c 134), and Tangina Jane Knight in 1967 (Ref. 9c 99)

Douglas D Collett [1q3] was born at Rowley Regis in 1941 with his birth recorded there (Ref. 6b 123) during the fourth quarter of the year. He was 30 years old when his marriage to Marilynne J Billingham was recorded at Birmingham (Ref. 9c 109) towards the end of 1971. They day two daughter who were both born at Birmingham where their births were recorded, and where their mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Billingham. The first child was Wendy Jane Collett born in 1974 Ref. 9c 20) at the start of the year, and Helen Louise Collet born in 1975 (Vol. 32 29) during the spring of that year

Thomas C Collett [1q4] was born in 1943 at Birmingham where his birth was recorded (Ref. 6d 84) during the third quarter of the year. He was the last child born to Thomas and Elsie Collett and he later married Patricia C A Smith in 1965, their wedding recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 9c 50) during the third quarter of the year