PART THIRTY-ONE

The Wiltshire Somerset Line 1550 to 1850

Updated September 2024

This is the first of two sections of this family line

This is the family line of Ian King of Plymouth whose great-great-grandmother was Sarah Elizabeth Collett (Ref. 31O44) and Carol Lyn Davis from Fort Worth in Texas whose mother was Barbara Jean Collett (Ref. 31R35), their line indicated by the names in capital letters. It was the information generously provided by Carol in 2014 that resulted in her family line being established here in Part 31 when, prior to this, it was included in Part 44 – The First Broughton Gifford Line.

Previously this line started with William Collett (Ref. 44K7) whose family, dating back to 1595, can now be found in Part 44 – The First Broughton Gifford Line.

However, new information received from Brian Townsend during 2011 indicated that this family line had earlier ancestors living within the village of South Wraxall near Bradford-on-Avon, where this line of the Collett family now starts. Furthermore, the details provided by Brian have now been fully validated by the details received from the aforementioned Carol Lyn Davis. It is also of interest that Part 44 also includes another contingent of the Collett family of South Wraxall, butcher John Collett (Ref. 44K12), his wife Hester Little, and their seven children. The members of their family were confirmed by the Wiltshire parish records which have been transcribed by the Wiltshire Family History Society, with copies of the Collett entries generously provided by Stephen Carpenter in 2019.

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All of the locations referred to in this family line, such as South Wraxall, Bradford-on-Avon, Bradford Leigh, Atworth, Box, Monkton Farleigh, Walcot in Bath, Frankleigh in Bradford, and Melksham, all lie within a few miles of each other

In addition to the Colletts of South Wraxall listed in this family line (and in Part 44), many others with a South Wraxall connection have been found during the research. So, for completeness, and for future reference, in the hope that they might one day be included in the main body of one of the family lines, the so far unconnected Colletts of South Wraxall have been placed in two appendices at the end of this file. Appendix One focuses on one family, that of Thomas Collett who was born at South Wraxall in 1819, while Appendix Two includes details of unplaced South Wraxall Collett families taken from the various census records.

This family line also leads to Llanelly and Abertillery in South Wales where other Colletts were also living from the time of census that was conducted in 1881.

Within the Wiltshire Wills Index at Sarum (Salisbury) are five Colletts of South Wraxall, four of them husbandmen and one a broad-weaver. The first was for Richard Collett, dated 13^th January 1539, which mentioned his wife and their eldest son John Collett. Next was John Collett, who may have been the son of Richard, whose Will was dated 26^th December 1584, another husbandman. The third of them was John Collett (Ref. 31G1) and made on 4^th May 1620, while the fourth was for William Collett made in 1632. The last of them was for Thomas Collett (Ref. 31I1), the broad-weaver, made on 13^th September 1671. Some Inventories were also listed, and they were for John Collett dated 9^th February 1548 and Anthony Collett in 1602, as were two Bonds, for William Collet (above) in 1633 and John Collett in 1650. The 1620 Will of John Collett (Ref. 31G1) is very interesting as it mentions a Thomas Batten, the Batten and Collett families being united many years after, through the marriage of Jonathan Collett (Ref. 31L9) and Betty Batten in 1778. In addition to that, the wife of John Collett was also still alive, as were at least six of his children. They were named as John, Anthony, Thomas, Richard, Margaret and Elizabeth. His son Anthony was also one of the executors of the Will. It is thanks to the aforementioned Carol Lyn Davis that we now have these details.

John Collett [31G1] is the earliest member of the family with a link to South Wraxall, that being his son John who was baptised there on 14^th January 1588. The only other child, recorded in the parish records at South Wraxall, was Joan Collett who was baptised on 15^th September 1593. John the elder would have possibly been born during the 1550s into the 1560s. The Wiltshire land records include the name of John Collett who was a freeholder of land at South Wraxall during the sixteenth century. It is therefore very likely that it was his Will that was made on 4^th May 1620.

31H1 - John Collett was born around 1587 at South Wraxall

31H2 – Anthony Collett (executor of his father’s Will of 1620)

31H3 - Joan Collett was born around 1593 at South Wraxall

31H4 – Thomas Collett

31H5 – Richard Collett

31H6 – Margaret Collett

31H7 – Elizabeth Collett

THOMAS COLLETT [31G2] was another member of the family who lived at South Wraxall, where he married Joan Saunders on 21^st February 1589. It would therefore be logical to conclude that Thomas was the younger brother of John Collett (above), who may have been born during the 1560s. Of the three sons listed here, only the eldest has been confirmed as the son of Thomas Collett, although it is also highly likely and William and John were the brothers of Thomas the younger

31H8 - Thomas Collett was born around 1590 at South Wraxall

31H9 - William Collett was born around 1595 at South Wraxall

31H10 - John Collett was born around 1600 at South Wraxall

Thomas Collett [31H38 was born around 1590 and may well have been the older brother of William and John Collett of South Wraxall (below). According to the Bishop’s Transcripts for South Wraxall the baptism of Thomas Collett, the son of Thomas Collett, was recorded at South Wraxall on 17^th July 1623, while the later baptism on 14^th November 1627 for Elizabeth Collett, the daughter of Thomas Collett, described him as a parish clerk. During the following year the death and burial of Margery Collett, the daughter of Thomas Collett was recorded at South Wraxall on 26^th April 1628. The Will of Thomas Collett of South Wraxall was signed on 9^th July 1650

31I1 - Thomas Collett was born in 1623 at South Wraxall

31I2 - Margery Collett was born in 1625 at South Wraxall

31I3 - Elizabeth Collett was born in 1627 at South Wraxall

William Collett [31H9] was born around the end of the sixteenth century, another son of Thomas Collett, and likely brother of Thomas (above) and John (below). William and his wife Hannah were both buried at St James’ Church in South Wraxall. According to the Bishop’s Transcripts it was during 1626 that William Collett was married at South Wraxall, although the actual date and the name of the bride were not recorded. His son Thomas, who was likely named after William’s father, was baptised at South Wraxall on 27^th May 1627. It is understood that the marriage produced a number of other children, including Jonathan Collett, who was later referred to as Jonathan Collett of Monkton Farleigh

William Collett was a husbandman who was buried at South Wraxall on 23^rd March 1672. His Inventory was drawn up on the eleventh day of September 1672 by William Watts and Bartholomew Groome, which was signed off on seventeenth day of October that same year. It was seven years later that his widow passed away, following which she was buried there on 11^th April 1679, when she was described Anna Collett, a widow. The Inventory for Hannah Collett, clothier of South Wraxall, was drawn up on April the fourteenth in 1680 by William Gibbons and William Moxam and was signed off by them three days later on the seventeenth day of April

31I4 - Thomas Collett was born in 1627at South Wraxall

31I5 - Jonathan Collett was born in 1630 at South Wraxall

JOHN COLLETT [31H10] was very likely a brother to Thomas and William Collett (above), and therefore the third son of Thomas Collett, the elder. John was probably born around 1610 and was confirmed as the father of John junior upon his baptism at South Wraxall in 1632, when his wife’s maiden-name was recorded as Joan Millard

31I6 – JOHN COLLETT was born in 1632 at South Wraxall

Thomas Collett [31I1] was baptised at South Wraxall on 17^th July 1623, the son of Thomas Collett and his wife Joan Millard. At the time of the birth of his third son, Thomas was a carpenter (as was his cousin John - below) whose wife was also Mary. The couple’s three sons were all baptised at St Peter’s Church in Monkton Farleigh, where their father was later buried whilst, only nine months after being widowed, Mary was buried at South Wraxall. At the time of writing his Will, three years before he died and dated 13^th September 1671, Thomas Collett of South Wraxall, was a broad-weaver. It was on 24^th March 1674 that Thomas Collett, a carpenter, was buried at Monkton Farleigh, but at South Wraxall that his widow Mary Collett was buried on 31^st December 1674

31J1 - William Collett was born in 1651 at Monkton Farleigh

31J2 - John Collett was born in 1654 at Monkton Farleigh

31J3 - Robert Collett was born in 1657 at Monkton Farleigh

Jonathan Collett [31I5] was born at South Wraxall around 1630, the younger of the two known sons of William and Hannah Collett. Later in his life, he was referred to as Jonathan Collett, yeoman of Monkton Farleigh, when he was instrumental in producing the Inventories for John and Mary Collett (below)

31J4 - Jonathan Collett was born around 1660 at Monkton Farleigh

JOHN COLLETT [31I6] was baptised at South Wraxall on 24^th March 1632, the son of John Collett and Joan Millard. His marriage to Mary produced seven children, all identified below. John was a carpenter and a churchwarden of South Wraxall and his Inventory, and that of his wife, was drawn up with the help of Jonathan Collett, a yeoman of Monkton Farleigh - most likely his cousin (above), and Thomas Godwyn of Ford Farm, following his death and burial at South Wraxall on 19^th February 1698. John’s Inventory was made on 5^th April 1698 and signed off on 16^th May 1698. It was also on 5^th April 1698 that the Inventory of his wife Mary was made, which stated they were living at Monkton Farleigh at that time in their lives

The seven children of John Collett, carpenter of South Wraxall, were all named in his Will made on 10^th February 1697. They were his married daughters Mary, Sarah, Jane and Elizabeth, each of whom received one shilling, his son John who received four acres of first lands, his unmarried daughter Dorothy who inherited the house, orchard, garden and barkside of Thomas Chambers, while his wife Mary was bequeathed six pounds every year for the rest of her natural life, with their son Thomas receiving the rest and the residue of his estate. The Will was signed by John Collett and witnessed by Thomas Garstain, John Little and Mary Gibbins and was proved on 16^th May 1698, the same date as his Inventory, while the sole executor was named as his son Thomas. It has been assumed, that the order of the children named in the Will was also the order in which they were born

31J5 - Mary Collett was born around 1654 at South Wraxall

31J6 - Sarah Collett was born around 1656 at South Wraxall

31J7 - Jane Collett was born around 1658 at South Wraxall

31J8 - Elizabeth Collett was born around 1660 at South Wraxall

31J9 – THOMAS COLLETT was born around 1662 at South Wraxall

31J10 - John Collett was born around 1664 at South Wraxall

31J11 - Dorothy Collett was born around 1666 at South Wraxall

William Collett [31J1] was born at Monkton Farleigh in 1651, where he was baptised on 25^th November 1651, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Collett

John Collett [31J2] was born at Monkton Farleigh in 1654, another son of Thomas and Mary Collett who was baptised at Monkton Farleigh on 7^th August 1654

Robert Collett [31J3] was born at Monkton Farleigh in 1657 and was baptised there on 27^th June 1657, the last son of Thomas and Mary Collett, his father described as a carpenter

Jonathan Collett [31J4] was possibly born around 1660, or later, at Monkton Farleigh, the son of Jonathan Collett a yeoman of Monkton Farleigh. After marrying Anne, the couple settled in Monkton Farleigh where their three daughters were born and baptised

31K1 - Mary Collett was born in 1694 at Monkton Farleigh

31K2 - Elizabeth Collett was born in 1696 at Monkton Farleigh

31K3 - Abigail Collett was born in 1698 at Monkton Farleigh

Mary Collett [31J5], who was very likely born in the 1650s and probably at South Wraxall, was the first-born child of John and Mary Collett. As with all of her siblings (below), no record of her birth or baptism has been found. At the time of the death of her father during February 1698, she was named in his Will, made in 1697, as his loving daughter Mary, the wife of Samuel Flower, who received one shilling

Sarah Collett [31J6], who was very likely born in the 1650s and probably at South Wraxall, was another daughter of John and Mary Collett, although no birth or baptism records have been found. At the time of the death of her father in early 1698, Sarah was named in his Will as his loving daughter Sarah, the wife of Richard Escourt, who received one shilling

Jane Collett [31J7], who was very likely born in the 1650s and probably at South Wraxall, was yet another daughter of John and Mary Collett. At the time of the death of her father in 1698, she was named in his Will, made in 1697, as his loving daughter Jane, the wife of Cornelius Broad, who received one shilling

Elizabeth Collett [31J8], who was very likely born in the late 1650s and probably at South Wraxall around 1660, was the fourth child of John and Mary Collett. At the time of the death of her father in 1698, she was named in his Will, as his loving daughter Elizabeth, the wife of Thomas Hillier, who received one shilling

THOMAS COLLETT [31J9] was born at South Wraxall around 1662 one of the seven children of John and Mary Collett. Upon the death of his father in 1698, Thomas - as executor of his 1697 Will, received the rest and residue of the estate of carpenter John Collett, his house, lands, leases, tenements, goods and chattels, moneys and debts. All of his six siblings were also beneficiaries under the terms of the Will. Within two years of losing his father, Thomas Collett, a carpenter of South Wraxall, married Elizabeth James, of South Wraxall, at Monkton Farleigh on 26^th November 1699. Elizabeth was born in 1664 and presented Thomas with five children, with only two of them named in the later Will of Thomas Collett. Also, by the time he made his Will, he had been a widower for two years, following the death of Elizabeth Collett who was buried at South Wraxall on 20^th October 1726. After almost three years after her passing, Thomas Collett died at South Wraxall, where he was buried with his wife on 14^th September 1729. His Will, made and signed by him on 7^th October 1728, was proved at Salisbury (Sarum) on the ninth day of May in 1731. The Will is transcribed below

“In the name of God amen, I Thomas Collett of South Wraxall in the Parish of Bradford in the County of Wiltshire, carpenter, being of sound and proper mind and memory do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary one guinea. Then I give unto my son-in-law William Blathly five shillings. Then all the rest and residue of my goods and chattels, lands, tenements and farmhouse, whatsoever and wheresoever I give and bequeath unto my son John Collett and him the said John Collett I do make and ordain be sole and only executor of this my Last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have now unto set my hand and seal the seventh day of October in the second year of the reign of our sovereign lord King George the Second over Great Britain”

An article published in the Trowbridge Chronicle on 10^th January 1880 provided details of the Church of St James at South Wraxall. One section of the article made a reference to Thomas Collett who was the churchwarden in 1769, the same year that the six bells in the church tower were re-cast. It is therefore possible that he may have been a descendent of Thomas Collett of South Wraxall (1662-1730)

31K4 – JOHN COLLETT was born in 1700 at South Wraxall

31K5 - Mary Collett was born in 1701 at South Wraxall

31K6 - Elizabeth Collett was born in 1703 at South Wraxall

31K7 - Sarah Collett was born in 1704 at South Wraxall

31K8 - Elizabeth Collett was born in 1706 at South Wraxall

John Collett [31J10] was born at South Wraxall around 1664, the younger of the two sons of the seven children of John and Mary Collett. Just as with all of his siblings, no record of his birth or baptism has been found. The only evidence that he, and his six siblings, were the children of John and Mary is through his father’s Will of 1697, in which John Collett, his son, received four acres of land. With no mention of a wife, it must be assumed that he was not married before 1697, unlike his four older sisters whose husbands were named in the Will

Dorothy Collett [31J11] was born at South Wraxall around 1666, the last child of John and Mary Collett. She appears not to have married prior to the death of her father since, in his Will of 1697 she was a beneficiary, referred to as follows. “My unmarried daughter Dorothy to inherit my house, orchard and garden called Rainbows, occupied by tenant Thomas Chambers”

Mary Collett [31K1] was born at Monkton Farleigh in 1694, where she was buried on 26^th May 1695. It is likely she was the eldest of the three daughters of Jonathan and Anne Collett

Elizabeth Collett [31K2] was born at Monkton Farleigh in 1696, and it was there that she was baptised on 25^th March 1696, another daughter of Jonathan and Anne Collett

Abigail Collett [31K3] was born at Monkton Farleigh in 1698, the third and last known child of Jonathan and Anne Collett, who was baptised at Monkton Farleigh on 7^th June 1698

JOHN COLLETT [31K4] was born at South Wraxall, where he was baptised on 6^th November 1700, the eldest child of Thomas Collett, a carpenter, and his wife Elizabeth James. John was also a carpenter and a wheelwright and it was at South Wraxall that he married Elizabeth Field, also of South Wraxall, in 1730. Their marriage produced a total of ten children, although only nine of them were named in the Will of John Collett. The year after they were married, John’s father passed and, within his Will, was a bequeath to John’s sister Mary (below), with all the rest and residue of the estate (goods, chattels, lands, tenements and farmhouse), passing to son John Collett. John was also the sole executor of the Will

At the time of the baptism of his fourth child, daughter Mary, John Collett was a parish clerk, and was a churchwarden when his daughter Jane was baptised at South Wraxall. In addition to this, the fact that his two youngest children were baptised at South Wraxall, when John would have been fifty, may suggest that his wife was much younger than John. Either that or Elizabeth was also the name of a second wife. It is also very interesting that around that same time those two children were born, “the lease of land, some 39 acres, from Thomas Long Esq, at a yearly rent of £40 was leased for three years in February 1750 to John Collett and Thomas Collett”, the latter being John’s eldest son

Just over ten years later, the Will of John Collett, wheelwright and carpenter, signed by him, was made on 29^th March 1761. Five years later, John Collett was buried at South Wraxall on 4^th June 1766, following which, his Will was proved at Salisbury on 5^th December 1775, when his son Jonathan Collett of Corsham and Thomas Spencer of Little Chalfield were named as Trustees. His widow Elizabeth was present at the proving of his Will, while it was ten years later that she passed away at the age of 80. Her Will, made on 7^th February 1778, was proved on 19^th April 1785 by her son Jonathan Collett who was duly sworn in at Winkfield, the sole executor. Elizabeth had signed the Will by making the mark of a cross

The following children of John Collett were recorded in his Will, each of them receiving one shilling. They were Thomas, William, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Bridget, Mary, Jane, Anne and Eleanor. The remainder of his estate was inherited by his wife Elizabeth. Within the later Will of Elizabeth Collett, the following children and grandchildren were specifically named. Sons Thomas and William and daughters Elizabeth and Bridget – each receiving five shillings. The grandchildren of her late daughter Mary Gearish by her husband Edward Gearish, plus the grandchildren of her late daughter Jane Pillanger by her husband William Pillanger – each receiving one shilling. Her daughter Ann Cottle, the wife of James Cottle, received ten pounds, while daughter Eleanor received five pounds. The remainder of her estate, including several pieces and parcels of freehold ground at South Wraxall, were inherited by her son Jonathan. The Cottle name also features on two further occasions in this family line with the marriages of William Collett and Ellen Cottle in the 1840s and Mary Arabella Collett and William Augusta Cottle in 1872

31L1 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1733 at South Wraxall

31L2 - Thomas Collett was born in 1735 at South Wraxall

31L3 - John Collett was born in 1737 at South Wraxall

31L4 - Bridget Collett was born in 1739 at South Wraxall

31L5 - Mary Collett was born in 1742 at South Wraxall

31L6 – WILLIAM COLLETT was born in 1744 at South Wraxall

31L7 - Jane Collett was born in 1746 at South Wraxall

31L8 - Ann Collett was born in 1748 at South Wraxall

31L9 - Jonathan Collett was born in 1750 at South Wraxall

31L10 - Eleanor Collett was born in 1752 at South Wraxall

Mary Collett [31K5] was born at South Wraxall in 1701, the second child of carpenter Thomas Collett and Elizabeth James, and was baptised at South Wraxall on 11^th November 1701. She was named in her father’s Will of 1731, by which time she was married to William Blathly, with Mary receiving one guinea and son-in-law William bequeathed five shillings

Elizabeth Collett [31K6] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 3^rd March 1703. Tragically, it was later that same year that she was buried at South Wraxall on 22^nd July 1703, the daughter of carpenter Thomas and Elizabeth Collett

Sarah Collett [31K7] was born and baptised at South Wraxall on 18^th May 1704, another daughter of carpenter Thomas and Elizabeth Collett. No mention of her, either as married or unmarried, was included in her father’s Will of 1731. No mention of her, either as married or unmarried, was included in her father’s Will of 1731

Elizabeth Collett [31K8] was born and baptised at South Wraxall on 19^th September 1706, another daughter of carpenter Thomas Collett and Elizabeth James, who again was not a beneficiary under the terms of her father’s Will in 1731

Elizabeth Collett [31L1] was the eldest child of carpenter John and Elizabeth Collett and was baptised at South Wraxall on 16^th September 1733. Elizabeth was around twenty-two years old when she married George Morris by licence at South Wraxall on 30^th December 1755. The two bondsmen for the licence were Thomas Collett, most likely Elizabeth’s brother (below), and George Morris who deposited £100. Elizabeth’s father’s Will of 1761 provides the proof of her marriage into the Morris family. In the document, John Collett, wheelwright and carpenter, bequeathed one shilling to his daughter Elizabeth Morris

Elizabeth was widowed when her husband died, while the Will of George Morris, made in 1784, named only his wife and two minor children Walter Morris and Ann Morris. By that time the couple’s older daughter Charlotte Morris, who was baptised at South Wraxall during 1764, was married at South Wraxall in 1782. She was the ancestor of the wife of Duncan Pierce who provided this new information in 2016. It is interesting to note that the only son of Elizabeth’s brother William Collett (below) was a widower when he married Ann Morris in 1791. Ann had been born at Lower Wraxall in 1771 and was very likely the minor child mentioned in the 1784 Will of George Morris

Thomas Collett [31L2] was born at South Wraxall and was the eldest son of John and Elizabeth Collett. He may have been a few years old when he was baptised at South Wraxall on 7^th August 1735, since he must have been at full-age to join his father as co-lease holder of 39 acres of land belonging to Thomas Long Esq, at a yearly rent of £40, for a period of just three years from February 1750. Sometime during that decade, Thomas Collett was married to Ann, with whom he had ten children who, according to the parish records, were all born and baptised at South Wraxall. Thomas Collett was 82 when he died at South Wraxall, where he was buried on 16^th June 1817, while his widow was buried with him four years after on 27^th January 1822, when Ann Collett was 84

31M1 - Thomas Collett was born in 1761 at South Wraxall

31M2 - Bridget Collett was born in 1763 at South Wraxall

31M3 - Elizabeth Collett was born in 1765 at South Wraxall

31M4 - Ann Collett was born in 1767 at South Wraxall

31M5 - Simon Collett was born in 1769 at South Wraxall

31M6 - Harry Collett was born in 1772 at South Wraxall

31M7 - Betsy Collett was born in 1774 at South Wraxall

31M8 - Mary Collett was born in 1776 at South Wraxall

31M9 - Jenny Collett was born in 1778 at South Wraxall

31M10 - Mary Collett was born in 1780 at South Wraxall

John Collett [31L3] was born at South Wraxall, where he was baptised on 31^st July 1737, the third child of carpenter John Collett and his wife Elizabeth. Recorded within the parish registers at South Wraxall are two burials for John Collett, one of which applies to this John, the other his father. No age was indicated on either entry but, knowing that his father only made his Will in 1761, it is the early date which must apply to John junior. This therefore means that this John Collett was buried at South Wraxall on 12^th November 1759, when he would have been only twenty-two years old

Bridget Collett[31L4] was born at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 15^th July 1739, another daughter of carpenter John and Elizabeth

Mary Collett [31L5] was born at South Wraxall and baptised there on 14^th March 1742, another daughter of carpenter John Collett by his wife Elizabeth. It was also at South Wraxall that Mary Collett married Edward Gearish on 11^th July 1761. Upon the death of her widowed mother in 1785, the grandchildren of Elizabeth Collett, including the children of her late daughter Mary Gearish, by her husband Edward Gearish, each received one shilling

WILLIAM COLLETT [31L6] was born at South Wraxall, where he was baptised on 10^th June 1744, another son of carpenter John and Elizabeth Collett. It was on 12^th September 1764 at St James’ Church in South Wraxall that William Collett, aged 22 and a carpenter from Wraxall, was married by licence to Jane Spencer, aged 30 and a widow, also of Wraxall. Both the bride and the groom were described as residing in the Chapelry of Wraxall, while the first bondsman was John Chivers junior, a schoolmaster from Melksham. As far as can be determined, the marriage only produced two sons, although only one of them survived. William senior was mentioned in the Will of his father in 1775, when he received one shilling, whilst it was five shillings that he received following the death of his mother three years later

Unlike his brother Jonathan (below), who took over the family’s carpentry business from his father, no Will has been found for William Collett, nor would it appear that William was ever involved in the family carpentry business. Instead, William may have taken up the occupation of a butcher, which was carried on by his only surviving son and namesake. No birth or baptism record has been found within the South Wraxall parish records for his son Jonathan, where he was buried on 21^st April 1780, when he was confirmed as the son of William Collett and Jane Spencer

31M11 – WILLIAM COLLETT was born in 1767 at South Wraxall

31M12 – Jonathan Collett was born in 1780 at South Wraxall; died in 1780

Jane Collett [31L7] was born at South Wraxall in 1746 and it was there also that she was baptised on 3^rd August 1746, a daughter of carpenter John Collett and Elizabeth Collett. Jane was only eighteen years of age when she married William Pillanger at Christ Church in Bradford-on-Avon on 31^st March 1764. Their marriage produced issue, each of whom received one shilling through the Will of Jane’s widowed mother in 1785, the Will including a reference to her grandchildren, the children of her late daughter Jane Pillanger, by her husband William Pillanger

Ann Collett [31L8] was born at South Wraxall, perhaps towards the end of 1748, where she was baptised on 25^th April 1749, another daughter of carpenter John Collett. When she married James Cottle at South Wraxall on 15^th September 1777, Ann was curiously described as a spinster of South Wraxall who was only 23. Her husband was described as bachelor James Cottle of Box, who was 21 and a carpenter. Did Ann say she was younger than her years, or was 23 an error in transcription for 28. Upon the death of her widowed mother, Ann was named in her Will, as her daughter Ann Cottle, the wife of James Cottle, who was to receive ten pounds

Jonathan Collett [31L9] was born at South Wraxall, possibly in 1750, where he was baptised on 1^st July 1751, the son of carpenter John Collett and his wife Elizabeth. According to the parish records for St James’ Church in South Wraxall (pictured below), Jonathan Collett was 26, single and a carpenter of that parish, when he married Betty Batten, aged 25 and spinster of that parish, on the 23^rd March 1778. The first bondsman was George Morris, a yeoman of South Wraxall. Betty was Elizabeth Jane Batten

An alternative source, within the Wiltshire parish records, suggests that Jonathan and Betty were married at Bradford-on-Avon, where their last five children were baptised, when Betty was the name of their mother. The couple’s first three children were born at South Wraxall, where the first and third were baptised to Jonathan, a carpenter, and Elizabeth Collett. The missing baptism record, not found at South Wraxall, is that of the couple’s eldest son Jonathan Collett. Their younger son James, was buried at South Wraxall nearly three years after he was baptised at Bradford and, two years after that, the couple’s teenage daughter Mary, was also buried at South Wraxall.

However, just over ten years later, when Jonathan Collett, the elder, passed away, around the age of 58, he was said to be living in the hamlet of Bradford Leigh, within the parish of South Wraxall and two miles south of that village

Following the death of his father John Collett around 1774-75, bachelor Jonathan Collett received one shilling under the terms of the Will proved at Salisbury on 5^th December 1775, plus a half share in the family’s carpentry and wheelwright business. Then, following the death of his mother three years later, he was named as Jonathan Collett the sole executor of her estate, and inherited several pieces or parcels of freehold land in South Wraxall, plus the rest and residue of her goods, chattels, rights and effects of her estate. Jonathan died after 24^th March 1808, since that was the day the last Will and Testament of Jonathan Collett, a carpenter of Bradford Leigh, was made, the document later proved at Salisbury. The document was signed that day with his full name, when the two witnesses were John Batten, a relative of his wife, and Edward Luxford

Thanks to Carol L Davis we now have a copy of the 1808 Will of Jonathan Collett, a transcribed copy of which can be found in Legal Documents on the Collett website. Mentioned in the Will are his wife Elizabeth Collett, his son John Collett, and his three daughters Jane Collett, Ann Collett and Elizabeth Wiltshire - the wife of Thomas Wiltshire. As regards his four remaining children, two are known to have died young, but why the other three surviving sons Jonathan, William and James were not mentioned, remains a mystery

31M13 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1779 at South Wraxall

31M14 – Jonathan Collett was born in 1780 at South Wraxall

31M15 – Mary Collett was born in 1781 at South Wraxall

31M16 – Jane Collett was born in 1783 at South Wraxall

31M17 – John Collett was born in 1787 at South Wraxall

31M18 – Ann Collett was born in 1788 at South Wraxall

31M19 – William Collett was born in 1790 at South Wraxall

31M20 – James Collett was born in 1792 at South Wraxall

31M21 – James Collett was born in 1795 at South Wraxall

Eleanor Collett [31L10] was born at South Wraxall around 1752, the last child born to John and Elizabeth Collett. Whilst no birth or baptism record has been found for Eleanor, her existence in the family has been provided by her inclusion in the 1761 Will of her father, when she received one shilling – as did all of her siblings, and then again in the 1778 Will of her mother, when she received five pounds. It seems highly likely that she never married, since the premature death of Eleanor Collett took place at South Wraxall in 1779, where she was buried on 3^rd June 1779

Thomas Collett [31M1] was born at South Wraxall and baptised there on 15^th June 1761, the first-born child of carpenter Thomas Collett and his wife Ann. Thomas married Mary S Watson on 29^th July 1784 at Holy Trinity Church in Bradford-on-Avon. All of their children were born and baptised at South Wraxall. Another son may have been Harry Collett whose later occupation was also that of a carpenter at South Wraxall. The only reason for querying his baptism at South Wraxall on 4^th June 1786, was that his father Thomas Collett, whose wife was Mary, was recorded as a smith, as it was for his other ten children, rather than a carpenter. Thomas Collett died at South Wraxall in 1831, where he was buried on 31^st July 1831, when he was described as being a former parish clerk, a position also taken on by his youngest son Thomas. Thirteen months after being made a widow, Thomas’ wife passed away at the age of 71, following which she was buried with Thomas on 31^st August 1832

Because of the conflict with his occupation and that of his assumed father, written about above, another Harry Collett was baptised at Melksham on 21^st August 1786. He and his sister, Ann Collett baptised at Melksham on 22^nd May 1782, were the children of yeoman Joseph Collett. So, once again, there was no hereditary link to Harry being a carpenter. Therefore, there is still no validation that Harry was the son of Thomas or Joseph

31N1 – Hannah Collett was born in 1785 at South Wraxall

31N2 – Harry Collett was born in 1786 at South Wraxall

31N3 – William Collett was born in 1787 at South Wraxall

31N4 – Hannah Collett was born in 1789 at South Wraxall

31N5 – Rachel Collett was born in 1791 at South Wraxall

31N6 – Thirza Collett was born in 1793 at South Wraxall

31N7 – Anna Collett was born in 1796 at South Wraxall

31N8 – Mary Collett was born in 1799 at South Wraxall

31N9 – Harriet Collett was born in 1801 at South Wraxall

31N10 – Thomas Collett was born in 1802 at South Wraxall

31N11 – Bridget Collett was born in 1805 at South Wraxall

Bridget Collett [31M2] was born at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 9^th February 1763, the eldest daughter of Thomas, a carpenter, and Ann Collett. Almost five months later she died and was buried at South Wraxall on 1^st July 1763

Elizabeth Collett [31M3] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 14^th April 1765. She was another daughter of Thomas and Ann Collett, who was nineteen years old when she died, when she was buried at South Wraxall on 23^rd June 1784

Ann Collett [31M4] was born at South Wraxall, another daughter of carpenter Thomas Collett and his wife Ann. It was also at South Wraxall where she was baptised on 13^th March 1768

Simon Collett [31M5] was born at South Wraxall during 1769, where he was baptised on 18^th December 1769, the second son of Thomas and Ann Collett

Harry Collett [31M6] was born at South Wraxall and baptised there on 15^th November 1772, another son of carpenter Thomas Collett and Ann. He was thirteen years of age when he died and was buried at South Wraxall on 1^st February 1786. The burial record confirmed that his father was Thomas Collett senior, a carpenter

Betsy Collett [31M7] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 11^th December 1774, another daughter of Thomas and Ann Collett, when her father’s occupation was confirmed as that of a carpenter. She was four years old when she died, and was buried with her sister Bridget at South Wraxall on 12^th April 1779, where their sister Elizabeth and brother Harry were later buried in 1784 and 1786 respectively

Mary Collett [31M8] was baptised at South Wraxall on 9^th June 1776 and was not yet four years old when she died. She was buried in the family grave at South Wraxall on 7^th March 1780, where two of her older siblings had already been laid to rest by then, and where two more were buried during the next six years

Jenny Collett [31M9] was baptised at South Wraxall on 1^st March 1778, the ninth child of carpenter Thomas Collett and Ann Collett

Mary Collett [31M10] was baptised at South Wraxall on 27^th August 1780, the last child born to carpenter Thomas Collett and his wife Ann

WILLIAM COLLETT [31M11] was born at South Wraxall in 1767, the only known child of William Collett and Jane Spencer and was baptised there on 5^th June 1767. It was around 1787 when he was first married, that marriage lasting less than four years, leaving widower William Collett free to marry Ann Morris at South Wraxall on 6^th October 1791. Ann had been born at Lower Wraxall in 1771 – see earlier details regarding the marriage between Elizabeth Collett (William’s aunt) and George Morris who were married at South Wraxall in 1755, whose daughter Ann Morris was named as a minor in her father’s Will of 1784

New information, kindly provided by Carol Lyn Davis in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2014, confirmed that George, Thomas and William were indeed the sons of William Collett by his second wife Ann Morris. However, it has always been believed that William had a total of twelve children from his two marriages, while only ten of the, both to William and Ann, are listed below. The majority of the baptism records confirm that William was butcher, when all ten children were baptised at South Wraxall

William Collett of South Wraxall, a butcher, died at South Wraxall, where he was buried on 29^th June 1829, at the age of 62. His widow Ann Collett, nee Morris, passed away during the following years, presumably before 1841, since no record of her has been found in the census that year

31N12 – John Morris Collett was born in 1794 at South Wraxall

31N13 – George Collett was born in 1796 at South Wraxall

31N14 – Charles Collett was born in 1798 at South Wraxall

31N15 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1801 at South Wraxall

31N16 – Thomas Collett was born in 1802 at South Wraxall

31N17 – Harry Collett was born in 1803 at South Wraxall

31N18 – William Collett was born in 1805 at South Wraxall

31N19 – Ann Collett was born in 1808 at South Wraxall

31N20 – Charlotte Catherine Collett was born in 1810 at South Wraxall

31N21 – Jane Collett was born in 1812 at South Wraxall

Elizabeth Collett [31M13] was born at South Wraxall nine months after her parents, Jonathan Collett, a carpenter, and Betty Batten, were married there. She was their first-born child and was baptised at South Wraxall on 31^st January 1779, as Betty Collett, when her mother was recorded as Elizabeth Collett, rather than Betty Collett, which was how she was described for the baptism of her five youngest children at Bradford. It was on 24^th August 1804 when Elizabeth Collett, of Bradford, married Thomas Wilshere, a farmer of South Wraxall. The first bondsman was Uriah Aust, a wool-sorter of Bradford. Four years later, the contents of the 1808 Will of her father, Jonathan Collett, a carpenter of Bradford Leigh, confirmed that she was the wife Thomas Wiltshire, both of whom were still alive in March that year, with Elizabeth receiving the sum of Twenty Pounds

Jonathan Collett [31M14] was born at South Wraxall, either at the end of 1779, or early in 1780, and was the eldest son of Jonathan Collett and Betty Batten. He later married Jane Collett at St Nicholas’ Church in Winsley, near Bradford-on-Avon, on 27^th November 1809. The couple’s eldest child was also given his grandmother’s maiden-name. He and, his five younger siblings were all baptised at South Wraxall, when their father Jonathan was described as a labourer of Upper Wraxall. It was in 2013 that the discovery of Jane Collett in the census of 1841, confirmed she was a pauper and a widow, with a rounded age of 60, who was residing at White Hill, off Woolley Street, in Bradford-on-Avon. Living there with her were her two youngest children, George Collett who was 17 and Harriet Collett who was 14, both of them born in Wiltshire and both of them employed as farm servants

His absence from the census in 1841, means that labourer Jonathan Collett may have passed away sometime between 1826 and 1841, although no record of his death has yet been found. The later record of the marriage of his youngest son George Collett, in 1847, stated that his father, Jonathan Collett, was a shepherd

31N22 – John Batten Collett was born in 1811 at South Wraxall

31N23 – Mary Collett was born in 1813 at South Wraxall

31N24 – Caroline Collett was born in 1816 at South Wraxall

31N25 – Anna Collett was born in 1819 at South Wraxall

31N26 – George Collett was born in 1822 at South Wraxall

31N27 – Harriet Collett was born in 1826 at South Wraxall

Mary Collett [31M15] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 25^th February 1781, the daughter of labourer Jonathan Collett and his wife Elizabeth. Mary was sixteen years old when she died at Bradford Leigh and was subsequently buried at South Wraxall on 27^th August 1797, where she was confirmed as the daughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth Collett

Jane Collett [31M16] was the fourth child of Jonathan Collett and Betty Batten, but first one not born at South Wraxall. It was on 12^th October 1783 that she was baptised at Bradford-on-Avon when, for the first time, her parents were named as Jonathan and Betty Collett. When her father made his Will in 1808, unmarried Jane Collett was one of only four of his eight children named therein, each of them to receive Twenty Pounds

John Collett [31M17] was another child of Jonathan and Betty Collett, who was baptised at Bradford-on-Avon on 12^th February 1786. He was around twenty-two when his father died, following which, John Collett was one of the four siblings, together with their mother, who were named as beneficiaries under the terms of his Will made in 1808. Three years later, John Collett was married at Melksham by banns to Charlotte Crook on 28^th November 1811. The marriage register entry confirmed that John was a bachelor of Bradford and that Charlotte was a spinster of the parish of Melksham. Both signed the book in their own hand and one of the witnesses was Richard Crook, Charlotte’s father or brother. Once married, the couple initially settled in the hamlet of Bradford Leigh, to the south of South Wraxall, where their first two children were born and where John was a carpenter. Those two children were baptised at South Wraxall, where their remaining children were born and where John was a farmer. John Collett was a yeoman farmer when he died at South Wraxall, two years before his wife passed away, where he was interred in the family tomb on 22^nd August 1835 at the age of 48. See details below, for other members of the family place in the same tomb

Farmer John Collett of South Wraxall, made his Will on 2^nd March 1833, in which just his wife Charlotte and his son William were specifically named. It was exactly seven months after his death that an affidavit was signed by his wife on 22^nd March 1836, following which the Will of John Collett was proved on 11^th September 1837. His widow Charlotte Collett, nee Crook, was born in 1789 and came from the village of Beanacre, near Melksham. She died at South Wraxall on 9^th September 1837, at the age of 48, just two days before her husband’s Will was proved, following which she was buried with her husband in the family tomb on 14^th September. Upon the earlier death of his father in 1808, John helped his widowed mother on the family’s farm and, following her later death, he inherited 2½ acres of leasehold land at South Wraxall, plus an equal share of the rest of her estate

Up until his death in 1835, farmer John Collett had leased Court Farm (pictured above), the lease for which was subsequently taken over by his son William Batten Collett, who is known to have continued to farm there during the 1840s. In the first national census in 1841, the children of John and Charlotte Collett were still living at South Wraxall within the Wraxall Chapelry of Bradford-on-Avon, when married William Batten Collett was the head of the household, his siblings being Betsy, John, Arabella and Andrew, all of them described as yeomen

The Will of yeoman farmer John Collett made on 2^nd March 1833, filed on 22^nd March 1836 and proved at Bradford on 11^th September 1837, named his wife Charlotte as the executor of his estate, in which everything was bequeathed to his wife Charlotte and, upon her death, to his son William - providing that she did not re-marry following his demise. With Charlotte dying just two years after John, the estate presumably then passed onto their surviving children. It was shortly after the census in 1841, that the children of John and Charlotte moved to London, with the exception of their son Andrew who went to live in Bath

The churchyard of St James in South Wraxall contains the tomb of this particular Collett family, where John and his wife Charlotte were laid to rest with their children Matilda and Edward, and possibly others, although the names have long since disappeared with age. On one side are the words, “Also Edward the infant son of John and Charlotte Collett who died Feb 27^th 1828 aged 14 months. Also Matilda their daughter who died May 14^th 1841 aged 24 years”

31N28 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1812 at South Wraxall

31N29 – William Batten Collett was born in 1815 at South Wraxall

31N30 – Matilda Collett was born in 1817 at South Wraxall

31N31 – Betsy Collett was born in 1818 at South Wraxall

31N32 – John Collett was born in 1820 at South Wraxall

31N33 – Arabella Jane Collett was born in 1822 at South Wraxall

31N34 – Edward Collett was born in 1826 at South Wraxall

31N35 – Andrew William Collett was born in 1829 at South Wraxall

Ann Collett [31M18] was baptised at Bradford-n-Avon on 13^th April 1788, the daughter of Jonathan and Betty Collett. Like her older sisters, Elizabeth Wiltshire nee Collett and Jane Collett (both above), Ann Collett also received Twenty Pounds under the terms of the 1808 Will of her father

William Collett [31M19] was the seventh child of carpenter Jonathan Collett by his wife Elizabeth, and was baptised at Bradford-on-Avon on 26^th September 1790. When William married the much younger Ann Boyer at Limpley Stoke, a few miles west of Bradford-on-Avon, on 19^th November 1817, he said he was 24 (sic), compared to Ann who was 21. Ann and William were both recorded as being from South Wraxall, while Robert Jonathan Webb, aged 59, a housekeeper from Atworth, was the first bondsman. Eleven months later, the first of their two daughters was born and baptised at South Wraxall, when William was working as a butcher. Just two years after that, the couple’s second child, Catherine was born and baptised at South Wraxall, when once again her father’s occupation was that of a butcher. In 1846 Catherine Collett married Stephen Collett (Ref. 35N68) at Shaw, near Melksham, with whom she raised a family of her own

By the time of the first census in 1841, butcher William Collett had passed away, leaving his widow Ann Collett, aged 50 and an agricultural labourer, living at Lower Wraxall with her daughter Catherine Collett, who was 18 and also working as an agricultural labourer, presumably with her mother. Ten years after that, in 1851, Ann Collett of Wraxall was 60 and was a visitor at the Melksham home of her married daughter Catherine Collett, nee Collett. Just over one month later, the death of Ann Collett was recorded at Melksham (Ref. viii 278) during the second quarter of 1851, following which she was buried with her husband at South Wraxall on 2^nd May 1851

31N36 – Eliza Collett was born in 1818 at South Wraxall

31N37 – Catherine Collett was born in 1821 at South Wraxall

James Collett [31M20] was baptised at Bradford-on-Avon on 20^th May 1792, another child of Jonathan Collett and Elizabeth Jane Batten. Tragically, he was only three years old when he died at Bradford Leigh, after which he was buried at the parish church in South Wraxall on 1^st April 1795, the son of Jonathan Collett

James Collett [31M21] was born at South Wraxall in 1795, shortly after his brother and namesake died and was buried there. That would make him the last child born to Jonathan and Betty Collett although, to date, no record of his birth or baptism has been found. His father’s Will was made on 24^th March 1808, so he passed away after that date. Whilst the Will made reference to James’ mother, curiously James and two older brothers were not included. No record of the death of his father or his mother has been found, which perhaps occurred when James was still under full age. Many years later, when James was approaching forty years of age, he married Martha Woolls from Cirencester at the Church of St Peter & St Paul in Bath on 16^th February 1834. Once married, the couple settled in Somerset, although no obvious record of James has been found, because he had died after the birth of the couple’s only child. Daughter Jane Collett was five years old in 1841 when she was living with her mother Martha, rounded age 40, at Widcombe in Somerset. The census form also confirmed that Martha had not been born in Somerset, furthermore their home was described as the cottage at the back of the Caroline Buildings. In 1851 Jane from Bath was 13, when she was staying with her mother’s three unmarried sisters at the Cirencester. They were Mary, Elizabeth and Sarah Woolls. By the time of the next census in 1861, widow Martha Collett from Cirencester was a laundress, employing three women, at her Widcombe home in Somerset. Her age was recorded, perhaps in error as 66, while ten years later she was said to be 73. On that occasion in 1871, she had returned to the town of her birth, when she was living at the Cirencester home of her two younger sisters Mary and Sarah Woolls. Just less than two years later Martha Collett died at Cirencester, where her death was recorded (Ref. 6a 206) during the first quarter of 1873, at the age of 76

31N38 – Jane Collett was born in 1837 at Walcot, Bath

Hannah Collett [31N1] was born at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 1^st May 1785, the first child born to Thomas Collett (no occupation stated) and his wife Mary S Watson. Sadly, not quite four years after, she died and was buried at South Wraxall on 23^rd January 1789

Harry Collett [31N2] was born at South Wraxall and that may have been in 1786, his baptism recorded there on 4^th June 1786, which might place him as the second child of Thomas and Mary Collett. However, the occupation of Thomas Collett, husband of Mary, was that of a smith in 1786, whereas for his other eight child, Thomas was a carpenter, the trade that Harry pursued. Harry Collett married Mary Gisford at nearby Winsley on 21^st February 1811, with whom he had ten children, all born and baptised at South Wraxall, each baptism confirming that Harry was a carpenter. His youngest child died in 1832, and six years later the death of Harry Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 7) during the first three months of 1839. That was confirmed in the census of 1841, when his widow Mary Collett, aged 57, was living at Upper Wraxall with her two of her three surviving sons Thomas and William. Mary’s eldest son Henry was married by then and had already started a family of his own

Another surviving child was her absent daughter Rachel, who was 17 and already working as a servant at the home of her uncle and her mother’s older brother, farmer Henry Gisford and his wife Ann, at Mount Pleasant in Upper Wraxall. Ten years later, it was Rachel’s mother who had moved in with her widowed brother Henry, where she had taken on the role of housekeeper. Head of the household Henry Gisford was 68 and a retired farmer in the Upper Wraxall census of 1851. Widow Mary Collett from South Wraxall was 65 and an agricultural labourer and housekeeper, while it was five years later, that Mary Collett was buried (in Wiltshire) on 17^th April 1856, who was said to be 74 (sic)

It is worth mentioning that, according to a Collett Family Tree on Ancestry.com, there is a suggestion that the Harry Collett who died at Bradford-on-Avon in January 1839, was the same Harry Collett who was baptised at Melksham on 21^st August 1786

31O1 – Betsy Gisford Collett was born in 1811 at South Wraxall

31O2 – Henry Gisford Collett was born in 1813 at South Wraxall

31O3 – Mary Gisford Collett was born in 1815 at South Wraxall

31O4 – Ann Maria Collett was born in 1817 at South Wraxall

31O5 – Ann Collett was born in 1819 at South Wraxall

31O6 – Thomas Collett was born in 1821 at South Wraxall

31O7 – Rachel Collett was born in 1823 at South Wraxall

31O8 – William Gisford Collett was born in 1825 at South Wraxall

31O9 – Philip Gisford Collett was born in 1827 at South Wraxall

31O10 – Ann Thirza Collett was born in 1831 at South Wraxall

William Collett [31N3] was baptised at South Wraxall on 29^th July 1787, another son of Thomas Collett, confirmed as a carpenter, and Mary S Watson. William was 22 years of age when he married Elizabeth Deverill on 1^st October 1809 at Winsley, just west of Bradford-on-Avon. The list of their children (below), has been compiled from the South Wraxall parish register, coupled with the details in the census of 1841. The only baptism records found are those for Eliza, William and Rachel. Two years prior to that day, on Boxing Day in 1839, William Collett signed the marriage register at the South Wraxall Chapel, on the occasion of the wedding his youngest brother Thomas (below) and Sarah Humphries

In the census for Lower Wraxall in June 1841, William Collett was 53 years old and a carpenter living on Ivy Lane with his family. His wife was Elizabeth Collett was 55, and living with the couple that day were four of their children. They were Eliza Collett who had a rounded age of 25, William C Collett who had a rounded age of 20 and a carpenter working with his father, Rachel Collett who was 18 and Urbane Collett who was 16 and also a carpenter. Ten years later, William Collett of South Wraxall was 65 and was still working as a carpenter, while he and his wife Elizabeth, also of South Wraxall and aged 67, were then living in Bradford-on-Avon. Staying with the couple that day was their granddaughter Charlotte Adams, aged seven years, who was the eldest of the four children of Daniel and Eliza Adams, nee Collett, the couple’s eldest daughter, who were living nearby in Bradford

William and Elizabeth were still living at South Wraxall, near their daughter Elizabeth, in 1861 when William was 75 and Elizabeth was 77. Just over four years late, Elizabeth Collett nee Deverill, from Winsley in Wiltshire, died at South Wraxall on 12^th October 1865 and, it was less than two years later, when William Collett passed away on 28^th May 1867. A single headstone in the graveyard at St James Church in South Wraxall marks their grave, which also includes the body of their youngest son, Urbane Collett, who died seven weeks prior to the death of his mother. Another link between the Collett and Deverill families is detailed in Appendix Three at the end of this file

31O11 – Eliza Collett was born in 1812 at South Wraxall

31O12 – William Collett was born in 1816 at South Wraxall

31O13 – Rachel Collett was born in 1822 at South Wraxall

31O14 – Urbane Collett was born in 1824 at South Wraxall

Hannah Collett [31N4] was born at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 4^th October 1789 the second child of that name in the family, her older sibling and namesake having died at the start of that same year. Tragically, like her older sister Hannah, the family’s second Hannah was six years old when she died and was buried at South Wraxall on 29^th January 1796, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Collett

Rachel Collett [31N5] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 22^nd May 1791, another daughter of carpenter Thomas Collett and his wife Mary S Watson. She had not reached her fourth birthday when she died at South Wraxall where she was buried on 8^th February 1795

Thirza Collett [31N6] was born at South Wraxall and baptised there on 22^nd September 1793, the fifth child of Thomas, a carpenter, and Mary Collett. It is understood that she married Samuel Mizen around 1816

Anna Collett [31N7] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised as Anna Collett on 1^st May 1796, another daughter of Thomas and Mary Collett. It is possible that she was actually Hannah Collett, the name given to the couple’s eldest child who suffered a premature death in 1795

Mary Collett [31N8] was born at South Wraxall in 1798, a daughter of Thomas Collett and Mary Watson, who was baptised there on 12^th May 1799, when she was confirmed as the daughter of carpenter Thomas Collett and his wife Mary. She later married Thomas Rudman at St James’ Church in South Wraxall on 4^th January 1820, when Mary was confirmed as the daughter of carpenter Thomas Collett and his wife Mary. Nineteen years later, Thomas Rudman was one of the witnesses at the wedding of Thomas Collett, Mary’s brother (below), and Sarah Humphries. It is interesting, that another Thomas Rudman was the father of Thirza Sophia Rudman who married Urbane Collett (Ref. 31O14) at South Wraxall in 1861

Thomas Rudman was baptised at South Wraxall on 11^th March 1798 and his marriage to Mary Collett produced ten children for the couple, and all of them baptised at South Wraxall. They were Samuel Rudman (bap. 12.08.1821), William Rudman (bap. 25.12.1822 - died 30.04.1864), Thomas Rudman (bap. 29.08.1824), George Rudman (bap. 07.06.1827), Michael Rudman (bn. 27.03.1831 - died b/f 1839), John Rudman (bap. 23.02.1834), Mary Watson Rudman (bap. 10.06.1836), Caleb Rudman (bap. 18.03.1838 - died b/f 1880), Michael Rudman (bap. 09.06.1839), and Henry Rudman (bap. 27.03.1842)

Thomas Rudman was a journeyman blacksmith, a profession also taken up by his son and namesake Thomas Rudman junior. It is interesting that in 1851, when he was 28, Thomas Rudman junior was a lodger at the Grittleton, near Chippenham, home of Thomas Collett aged 30 and from Broughton Gifford. The third blacksmith at the dwelling was William Granger Hulbert from Rowde, between Melksham and Devizes, who was 18. He was the eldest son of Mary Ann Collett (Ref. 35N24) from Broughton Gifford and William Granger Hulbert, while the aforementioned Thomas Collett (Ref. 35N25) was the younger brother of Mary Ann Hulbert

Harriet Collett [31N9] was born at South Wraxall and baptised there on 26^th July 1801, another daughter of carpenter Thomas and Mary Collett. The parish register recorded that it was Mary’s father James Watson who represented his daughter at the baptism

Thomas Collett [31N10] was born at South Wraxall in 1802, the last son of carpenter Thomas and Mary Collett, who was baptised at South Wraxall on 28^th November 1802. He was approaching forty years of age when Thomas Collett married Sarah Humphries on 26^th December 1839 at the Chapel in the parish of South Wraxall. The marriage register for that couple contains the following details. Thomas Collett was a bachelor of 36 years and a resident of South Wraxall, a parish clerk and the son of Thomas Collett who was a carpenter and a parish clerk. Sarah Humphries was a spinster of 27 and a domestic servant from Notton at Lacock, the daughter of John Humphries, a gardener. The couple signed the book in their own hand and, in addition to the two the witnesses, the parish record also included the name of William Collett, who signed his name as Wm Collett. He was most likely Thomas’ older brother (above). The two witnesses were Jessie Pearce and Thomas Rudman, the latter being the brother-in-law of Thomas Collett and the husband of his sister Mary Collett (above)

By the time of the South Wraxall census of 1851, Thomas from South Wraxall was 48 and was still working as a carpenter and was also a parish clerk. His wife Sarah was 38 and her place of birth was confirmed as Lacock, just north of Melksham (as confirmed in their marriage record). The five children living with them at Upper Wraxall in the village of Wraxall were Mary aged 10, Thomas who was eight, Sarah who was six, Thirza who was four and Henry who was one year old, with the three oldest children attending the village school. It is very interesting that living next door to the family in 1851 was Daniel Adams and his wife Eliza Collett, the daughter of William Collett [65 in 1851] and Elizabeth Deverill [67 in 1851], while Thomas’ brother William (below) [42 in 1851] had married Mary Ann Deverill. It seems likely that, immediately after the census day in 1851, Sarah gave birth to a daughter, Ann Maria Collett, who was baptised at South Wraxall on 6^th April 1851, but who sadly did not survive

After a further ten years Thomas Collett was 59 and a carpenter residing at Water Lane in Lower Wraxall. His wife Sarah from Lacock was 49 and their four children on the day of the census in 1861 were Thomas Collett who was 18 and an ag lab, Sarah who was 16, Henry who was 11 and Harriet who was nine years of age. The couple’s missing daughters had already left the family home by then. Mary Collett from South Wraxall was 19 and was recorded in the Bridgwater area of Somerset, while Thirza Collett was living in the Corsham area of Wiltshire, where she was referred to as Theresa A Collett, aged 14, who was also born at South Wraxall

By the time of the census in 1871 the family was living at South Wraxall, where Thomas Collett was 68 and a carpenter and also the parish clerk. His wife Sarah was 58, and the only children still living with the couple were their unmarried sons Thomas who was 28 and Henry who was 21, neither of them described as having any occupation. It was later that same year when Thomas Collett died, following which he was buried at South Wraxall on 20^th December 1871. His death was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 82) when he was 69 years of age. His passing was confirmed in the next census of 1881, when Sarah Collett was a widow living with her married daughter Thirza Gale at 1 Bridge Cottages, in the village of Box in Wiltshire

Curiously in the census of 1881, the birth place of the widow Sarah Collett, aged 69, was stated as being South Wraxall, rather than Lacock. Her daughter, Thirza A Gale was 34 and her place of birth was correctly given at South Wraxall, so perhaps it was Thirza who provided the census enumerator with her mother’s details. Thirza’s husband was Samuel Gale, aged 39, a stone quarry foreman who had been born at Box. And living with them was their son George H Gale who was 10 and their daughter Sarah Gale who was seven years old, both of them recorded as having been born at Box, only a couple of miles north of South Wraxall. With no later record of Sarah Collett in the census of 1891, it is probably safe to assume that she died during the 1880s

31O15 – Mary Collett was born in 1841 at South Wraxall

31O16 – Thomas Collett was born in 1842 at South Wraxall

31O17 – Sarah Collett was born in 1843 at South Wraxall

31O18 – Thirza Ann Collett was born in 1847 at South Wraxall

31O19 – Henry Collett was born in 1849 at South Wraxall

31O20 – Eliza Harriet Collett was born in 1852 at South Wraxall

Bridget Collett [31N11] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 23^rd October 1805, the last child of carpenter Thomas Collett and his wife Mary S Watson. For clarity, her father was referred to in the parish register as Thomas Collett senior. It was original believed that Bridget also died in 1805, although no death record or burial record has been found to verify that

John Morris Collett [31N12] was born at South Wraxall where he was baptised on 25^th May 1794, the first child born to butcher William Collett and Ann Morris. Ann was his second wife, but no details are available relating to his first wife, with who he made have had issue

George Collett [31N13] was born at South Wraxall and was the second son of William Collett and his second wife Ann Morris, who was baptised there on 4^th December 1796. The marriage of George Collett, a labourer of Upper Wraxall, and Anna Collett of Holt – two miles east of Bradford-on-Avon, took place at Holt on 4^th January 1820 and produced four children, the first baptised only two months after their wedding day, all of them born and baptised at South Wraxall. For the first two children, George was working as a labourer, while for the last two, his occupation was that of a sawyer. It was as Ann Collett, the daughter of James and Ann Collett, that she was baptised at Holt on 20^th September 1801, when sadly her mother did not survive the ordeal. The premature death of Ann Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 155) during the third quarter of 1838. Where her father fits in with the Wiltshire Collett families, is still to be resolved

Least than three years later, the census in 1841, included George Collett as a widower who was living at Upper Wraxall with just three of his children, son Walter having died not long after he was born, ten years earlier. George Collett had a rounded age of 45 and was a sawyer, Thomas Collett was 20, George was 19 and Sarah was 14 years old. Living next door to George Collett and his family in 1841, on one side, was his unmarried brother Thomas (below), while on the other side was his widowed brother William Collett (below) with his young family

Over the following years, the two widowed brothers, George and William, joined forces and, by 1851, they were sharing the same abode at Upper Wraxall in the village of South Wraxall. Head of the household was George Collett, aged 54 and born at South Wraxall, whose occupation was still that of a sawyer. The only member of his immediate family, still living with him, was his unmarried son Thomas who was 30. The three other members of the household were William Collett aged 49, described as brother, John Collett aged 18, who was George’s nephew, and Jane Collett aged 15, who was described as ‘niece at home’, presumably indicating that she was acting as housekeeper for the men of the house. George’s own daughter Sarah, was very likely married by then. Seven years later, the burial of George Collett of Upper Wraxall took place at South Wraxall on 8^th July 1858 when his age was recorded as being 61 years

31O21 – Thomas Collett was born in 1820 at South Wraxall

31O22 – George Collett was born in 1821 at South Wraxall

31O23 – Sarah Collett was born in 1827 at South Wraxall

31O24 – Walter Collett was born in 1831 at South Wraxall

Charles Collett [31N14] was born at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 29^th July 1798, the son of butcher William Collett and his wife Ann. What happened to him during his short life is not known, except that he died at South Wraxall, where he was buried on 8^th April 1834, at the age of 35 years

Elizabeth Collett [31N15] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 6^th December 1801, the fourth child of butcher William and Ann Collett

Thomas Collett [31N16] was born at South Wraxall at the end of 1802 or early in 1803, another son of butcher William Collett and Ann Morris. In the census of 1841, he had a rounded age of 35 and, at that time, he was living in Wraxall Chapelry, Bradford, where he was working as a carpenter. Living in the dwelling next to Thomas, was his widowed brother George (above) with his family and, next door to him, was his other widowed brother William (below) with his family. It now seems highly likely that Thomas Collett of South Wraxall married Sarah Baggs

Harry Collett [31N17] was born at South Wraxall and it was there that he was baptised on 27^th October 1803, the sixth child of William Collett, a butcher, and Ann Morris

WILLIAM COLLETT [31N18] was born at South Wraxall where he was baptised on 23^rd October 1805, the son of butcher William Collett by his second wife Ann Morris. It was on 5^th December 1825 that he married (1) Jane Walters at Biddestone. As far as can be determined the marriage produced at least one child for William and his wife before she died, either during the birth of their son or during the birth of a second child who also did not survive. Following the death of his wife, William was then married at South Wraxall by banns to (2) Mary Ann Deverill from Winsley on 23^rd March 1835. Their daughter was born sometime during the next twelve months and she was named after William’s late wife. It is understood that William fathered a total of four children, although only the three listed below are confirmed at this time

It may be of interest that another older William Collett [Ref. 31N3] married Elizabeth Deverill around 1810 and, in 1851, their daughter Eliza and her husband Daniel Adams, were living next door to the family of William’s brother Thomas Collett (above)

According to the census in 1841, widower William Collett, aged 34, was an agricultural labourer living at Upper Wraxall in the Wraxall Chapelry of Bradford with his two children, John who was eight and Jane who was seven years old. Living next door to the family was William’s brother George (above) with whom they were living by the time next census was conducted in 1851. Widower William Collett, aged 44 and an agricultural labourer from South Wraxall, was recorded as the brother of head of the household George Collett aged 54. Likewise, his two children were confirmed as John Collett aged 18, the nephew of George Collett, and Jane Collett aged 15, the niece of George Collett

It was at Upper Street in South Wraxall that William Collett was living in 1861 when he was 53 and still working as an agricultural labourer. Living there with him was his daughter Jane Collett who was 25. Also staying with them were two of William’s grandchildren and they were Tom (Henry Thomas) Collett who was five and born at South Wraxall and John (William John) Collett who was two years old and also from South Wraxall. This raises speculation that they were the children from an earlier marriage of his son John who was living in South Wales by then, although he said he was a bachelor when he married in 1862. Equally they could have been the children of one of William’s unlisted sons or the base-born children of his unmarried daughter Jane. However, with the lack of any further information, it is under the latter assumption that they have been included in this family line. It is known that William Collett died at South Wraxall during the 1860s, perhaps even, just prior to the 1871 census

31O25 – JOHN COLLETT was born in 1833 at South Wraxall

The following are the daughters of William Collett by his second wife Mary Ann Deverill:

31O26 – Jane Collett was born in 1835 at South Wraxall

31O27 – Anne Collett was born in 1837 at South Wraxall

Ann Collett [31N19] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 7^th February 1808, another daughter of butcher William Collett and his wife Ann

Charlotte Catherine Collett [31N20] was born at South Wraxall, the ninth child of William and Ann Collett, who was baptised on 15^th April 1810. Unlike her older siblings, Charlotte’s baptism record did not confirm that her father was a butcher. Tragically, she was only nine years old when, as simply Catherine Collett, she died and was buried at South Wraxall on 6^th May 1819

Jane Collett [31N21] was born at South Wraxall and was the last child of William Collett by his second wife Ann Morris. Like all of her older nine siblings, Jane was also baptised at South Wraxall, on 8^th March 1812

John Batten Collett [31N22] was born in 1811 at South Wraxall, where he was baptised on 14^th April 1811, the eldest child of Jonathan Collett and his wife Jane Collett – also her maiden-name. As simply John Collett aged 23, he died at Woolley Green, between South Wraxall and Bradford-on-Avon, but was buried at South Wraxall on 22^nd June 1834

Mary Collett [31N23] was born at South Wraxall in 1813, the eldest daughter and second child of labourer Jonathan and Jane Collett, who was baptised there on 13^th June 1813

Caroline Collett [31N24] was born at South Wraxall and baptised there on 14^th April 1816, another child of labourer Jonathan and Jane Collett. She married agricultural labourer William Hancock from Box around 1840 and by 1851 the family was living in Box near Chippenham. William Hancock was 31 and Caroline Hancock was 33, their three Box-born children were Henry who was nine, Martha who was five and Edward who was three. Ten years later, the family was residing at Box Hill (Box) when William was 42, Caroline was 45, Henry Hancock was 18, Martha Hancock was 15, Edward Hancock was 11 and Eliza Hancock was nine years old. Only the eldest and youngest child was still living at Box with William, aged 50, and Caroline, aged 51, in 1871, and they were Henry who was 28 and Elizabeth was 15

Caroline was widowed during the 1870, as confirmed in the Box census on 1881, by which time she was living at Quarry Hill, a charwoman and head of the household. Staying there with her, was her married daughter Elizabeth Stenchcombe, aged 26, her husband Alfred Stenchcombe, and their two children Maud and Edward, aged two years and under one year. Although no record of her has been found in the Box census of 1891, it was two years after that date, that the death of Caroline Hancock was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 47) during the first quarter of 1893, at the age of 66

Anna Collett [31N25] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 4^th April 1819, the fourth child of labourer Jonathan and Jane Collett

George Collett [31N26] was born at South Wraxall and baptised there on 28^th July 1822, the youngest son of Jonathan and Jane Collett. George’s father died sometime after the birth of his younger sister in 1926 since, by the time of the census in 1841, George and his sister Harriet were the only ones living with their widowed mother at White Hill in Bradford-on-Avon. George Collett was 17 on that occasion, while sometime later he left Wiltshire to seek work in Yorkshire. Just prior to him becoming a married man he was living in the Holbeck district of South Leeds, and it was there that he met his future wife

The marriage of labourer George Collett of Holbeck, the son of shepherd Jonathan Collett, took place at St Peter’s Church in Leeds on 22^nd November 1847 when he wed Susannah Child of Holbeck, the daughter of mason William Child. Both the bride and the groom made the mark of a cross when signing the register. Within two years the couple moved to Halifax and it was there that their only known child was born. In the census of 1851 George was a mason’s labourer aged 25 when he was living at 5 Davy’s Yard on Foundry Street in Halifax. With him was his wife Susanna who was 20 and a worsted reeler from Calverley near Horsforth, north-west of Leeds, together with their son William Collett who was one year old and born in Halifax

Another family move took place during the 1850s when they left Yorkshire and travelled seventy miles north to Ormesby-Eston just south-east of Middlesbrough, where the family was living on the day of the census in 1861. George Collett from South Wraxall in Wiltshire was 35 and working as an ironstone miner, whose home address was simply described as ‘California’ in Ormesby-with-Eston. His wife Susannah was 29 and place of birth was recorded as from Idle, which lies just west of Calverley. Completing the family was their Halifax born son William Collett who was 11. To supplement her husband’s earnings, Susannah was taking in lodgers who, on that census day, were two young ironstone miners. Ten years later the same family was living at Chaloner Street in Guisborough, just a few miles east of Ormesby-Eston, when George from Wiltshire was 45 and a grocer. By then, Susannah from Idle was 39 and their son William from Halifax was 21 and working as a general dealer. Also listed with the family was the couple’s niece Hannah J Collett who was two years old and from nearby Eston (see 1881 Census below for explanation), and Sarah Walker a domestic servant. It was two years later that their son William Collett became a married man and moved out of the family home

George Collett from Wraxall was 55, and his wife Susannah Collett of Idle was 49, when they were still residing at 16 Chaloner Street in Guisborough in 1881, where George’s occupation was again that of a grocer. Living with the couple again on that occasion was their niece Hannah J Child, who was 12 and from Eston in Middlesbrough, while Sarah Bennard, who was 15 and from Marske in Yorkshire, was employed by the couple as a domestic servant. The niece Hannah J Child, previously Hannah J Collett in 1871, may have been the base-born child of Susannah’s sister and as such was taken in by the Collett family shortly after she was born, but for some reason later reverted to her mother’s maiden-name

It was two years later that George Collett from South Wraxall passed away at the age of 57, his death recorded at Guisborough register office (Ref. 9d 361) during the second quarter of 1883. His widow Susannah was still living at Guisborough in 1901 when she was listed as being 68 and a retired grocer. It cannot be ignored that an unconfirmed internet record states that the parents of George Collett, who married Susannah Child, were William Collett and Elizabeth Blissett. However, this completely conflicts with the information contained within the record of his marriage

Hannah Jane Collett, aka Hannah Jane Child, was born at Guisborough in 1868, where her birth was recorded (Ref. 9d 459) during the third quarter of that year. She later married John Teasdale when she was only 18, the marriage being recorded at Guisborough (Ref. 6d 685) during the second quarter of 1886 when the witnesses were William Millward and Emma Taylor

31O28 – William Collett was born in 1850 at Halifax

Harriet Collett [31N27] was born at South Wraxall, the last child of Jonathan Collett, a labourer of Upper Wraxall, and his wife who was born as Jane Collett. Harriet was baptised at South Wraxall on 18^th June 1826

Elizabeth Collett [31N28] was born at the hamlet of Bradford Leigh in 1812. She was the eldest child of John Collett and Charlotte Crook and was baptised at South Wraxall on 10^th March 1813. The parish baptism record confirmed that her father was John Collett a carpenter from Bradford Leigh. While she and her parents were still residing in Bradford Leigh, her mother, pregnant with the couple’s second child, Elizabeth Collett suffered a premature death there and was buried at South Wraxall on 3^rd March 1815

William Batten Collett [31N29] was born at Bradford Leigh and was baptised at South Wraxall on 4^th June 1815, the son of carpenter John Collett of Bradford Leigh and his wife Charlotte Crook. His second forename came from his grandmother’s maiden-name. Around the time that he was twenty years old his father died during 1835 and, two years after that, his mother died in 1837, leaving William to look after the welfare of his four younger surviving siblings. That he did by taking over the lease of Court Farm in South Wraxall, which was previously held by his father, thus providing a place for the young family to continue to live. William, as the eldest son, was the only child named in the Will of farmer John Collett, which was made in 1833 when William was only eighteen years old. His father’s Will was subsequently proved on 11^th September 1837, two days after the death of his widow, leaving son William to take on the family farm

After a further two years, yeoman farmer William Batten Collett, aged 24 and from South Wraxall, the son of John Collett farmer, married Sarah Penelope James from nearby Holt at the Chapel in South Wraxall on 13^th June 1839. The marriage was witnessed by William’s sister Matilda Collett – who died within two years – and Eleanor Collett, although it is not yet determined who she was. All four of them signed the book in their own hand. The marriage was registered at Bradford-on-Avon during the second quarter of that year. Sarah was also 24 years old and had been born at Newgate Street in London in 1816, the daughter of Francis Joseph James, an officer in the army, and his wife Mary Miles - see later notes. Once they were married the couple initially settled in South Wraxall at Court Farm, where their first child was born in 1840

The census of 1841 recorded that William and Sarah were living at Wraxall Chapelry, Bradford, in Wiltshire with their first child Matilda who was one-year old. William’s occupation was stated as being that of a yeoman, def. ‘a man who cultivates his own land’. It was as Wm Collett, aged 24, that he was recorded, while his wife Sarah was 23. Living at Court Farm with the couple and their daughter were four of William’s siblings, and they were Betsey aged 23, John aged 20, Arabella who was 19 and Andrew who was 11. All of them were recorded as being yeoman. Employed by the family at that time was Ann Shepherd, aged 20, who was a domestic servant

Shortly after the census day in June that year, the family was extended by the birth of a further two children while William and Sarah were still living at Court Farm in South Wraxall. Just after the birth of the couple’s third child, the family set out for London, with their next two children born at Romford in Essex, where the both suffered an infant death. Another, very local, move revealed the family living within the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, where their next child was born, who died after another move to Hackney. By the time of the census in 1851, the family was recorded as residing in Stoke Newington, within the Hackney area of London. It is interesting to note that the children who died not long after they were born, were not given the additional forename of Miles, which all bar one of the surviving children had, the name being a tribute to Sarah’s mother, Mary Miles

It now also appears that three out of the four siblings of William, who were living with him at South Wraxall in 1841, also made the journey to London. Only his youngest brother Andrew William Collett (below) seems not to have made that move, since he is known to have travelled to Bath before reaching the age of twenty-one. It is also interesting that, after the move to London, some of his younger siblings may have been supported by the Reverend Robert Miles who later employed William’s sister Arabella Collett (below) and eventually took her to live in Nottinghamshire

According to the census in 1851, William and Sarah and their family were living at 20 Prospect Place in St Mary Stoke Newington, within the Finsbury & Hackney registration district of London. William Collett from Bradford in Wiltshire was 36 and employed as a gardener, his wife Sarah from London was 35, and recorded with them were their three surviving children. They were listed as Mary Matilda Collett from Bradford Wilts who was eleven and attending school, William Henry Miles Collett who was nine and also from Bradford and at school, and John Miles Collett who was only two months old and born at Stoke Newington

The census return that year also reported that head of the household William, together with his two eldest children, were all recorded as having an impediment, either indicating that they were blind, deaf or dumb, since for each of them there was a tick in the final column of the census return. A number of the later members of this family line were known to have been deaf or had hearing problems, which may have been hereditary

The family’s time at Stoke Newington was limited, when they then moved a few miles north to Tottenham, where the couple’s last four children were born and raised. Eighteen months after the census day in 1851, Sarah gave birth two more daughters at Tottenham, neither of whom survived, their death, and that of their slightly older brother John, were all recorded at Edmonton towards the end of 1853

On the day of the census in 1861, William Collett, aged 46 and from Bradford in Wiltshire, was still a gardener, albeit a journeyman gardener, who was residing with his family at Sewerage Cottage, Markfield Road, Tottenham, within the Edmonton registration district of Middlesex. With him that day was his wife Sarah P Collett aged 45, and three of their five surviving children. Rather curiously, all three children were recorded in error as having been born at Cottingham in Middlesex, which may have just been an error in translation for Tottenham, as there is no such place as Cottingham, Middlesex. They were Henry who was 20, Amy who was seven, and Francis who was four years old. Their son Edward, aged nine years, was a pupil at a school in nearby Edmonton on the day of the census

William’s occupation had changed back to being a farmer by 1871, that being consistent with him being described as a yeoman, thirty years earlier. The family living at Markfield Road, Tottenham, that day comprised William B Collett aged 56, his wife Sarah Collett who was 54 and from Newgate Street in the City of London, their daughter Amy Collett who was 15, and their son Frank Collett (Francis) who was 13, both born at Tottenham and both still attending school

According to the next census of 1881, William and his wife were living at The Poplars, 9 Markfield Road in Tottenham. Markfield Road was still a residential street in 2022. At that same time in 1881 William’s eldest son William Henry Miles Collett was living nearby at 2 Markfield Road with his own family. William Collett senior gave his place of birth as South Wraxall, his age as 67, and his occupation as that of a dairyman. His wife Sarah was 63 and her place of birth was confirmed as the City of London. Living with them at The Poplars was their youngest daughter Amy who was then married to James Watson of London

Also listed with the family in 1881 was granddaughter Ada Collett aged 13, a milkmaid born at Tottenham, who was the daughter of the couple’s aforementioned eldest son William Henry Miles Collett. It can safely be assumed that Ada was working with her grandfather William at that time, in the same dairy business. Seven years later Sarah Penelope Collett, nee James, died at Tottenham on 22^nd May 1888, with her death recorded at Edmonton during the second quarter of 1888. She was followed one year later by her husband William Batten Collett who also died at Tottenham on 14^th April 1889 and whose passing was also recorded at Edmonton during the second quarter of 1889

An interesting note about the aforementioned Mary James, nee Miles: Her Will of 1839 explains why her daughter Sarah Penelope James married a farmer from Wiltshire, he being William Batten Collett. Apparently, Mary owned several properties in Bradford-on-Avon and was living there at the time of her death. However, Mary and Sarah Penelope must have spent quite a lot of their time in the Cheshunt area because, in 1835, four years before Sarah Penelope became a married lady, brought a lawsuit against her uncle, Colonel William Miles, alleging that he had made comments in the presence of her mother and a servant, which were defamatory to her good character. The case of James v. Miles in the Consistory Court was reported in at least twenty-two newspapers during November 1835, following which, William was condemned to make a public apology in the vestry of Edmonton church in London, a verdict which caused quite a stir

31O29 – Mary Matilda Collett was born in 1840 at South Wraxall

31O30 – William Henry Miles Collett was born in 1841 at South Wraxall

31O31 – Charlotte Louisa Collett was born in 1842 at South Wraxall

31O32 – Arabella Collett was born in 1844 at Romford, Essex

31O33 – Edward Briscoe Collett was born in 1846 at Romford, Essex

31O34 - Jane Collett was born in 1848 at Dagenham, Middlesex

31O35 – John Miles Collett was born in 1851 at Stoke Newington, London

31O36 – Constance Jessie Miles Collett was born in 1852 at Tottenham, London

31O37 – Charlotte Miles Collett was born in 1853 at Tottenham, London

31O38 – Amy Charlotte Miles Collett was born in 1854 at Tottenham, London

31O39 – Francis James Miles Collett was born in 1857 at Tottenham, London

Matilda Collett [31N30] was born at South Wraxall in 1817, the daughter of yeoman John and Charlotte Collett. She was baptised there on 25^th February 1818, and following the death of her father in 1835, and then her mother in 1837, Matilda Collett died at Upper Wraxall and was interred in the family tomb at South Wraxall on 11^th May 1841 at the age of 24. The tomb, in the grounds of the Church of St James, already contained the bodies of her parents and her younger brother Edward Collett (below)

Betsy Collett [31N31] was born at South Wraxall in 1818, the daughter of John and Charlotte Collett, although no baptism record for Betsy has been found, despite finding the baptism details for her siblings. It is therefore her inclusion, with the family, in the Wraxall census of 1841, that has placed her as another daughter of farmer John Collett and his wife Charlotte Crook. With both of her parents having died during the six years prior to the census on 6^th June 1841, Betsy and her three younger siblings were looked after by her older married brother William Collett and his wife Sarah. That situation was confirmed in the 1841 census return for Wraxall Chapelry in Bradford-on-Avon, when Betsy Collett was 23 and living at the Upper Wraxall home of her brother William, together with all of her surviving brothers and sister, who were helping him work the family farm

Just a short while later, Betsy’s married brother William Batten Collett left South Wraxall when he and his family moved to London. Betsy and her brother John and her sister Arabella also travelled to London, although it has not been determined if that happened at the same time as William’s move, or a little while thereafter. With no further record found of Betsy Collett, it must be assumed that she was very likely married in London during the 1840s

John Collett [31N32] was born at South Wraxall in 1820, but was baptised at Bradford-on-Avon on 17^th May 1820, the son of farmer John of Wraxall and his wife Charlotte Collett. He was only 15 years old when his father died, and two years after that his mother died in 1837. According to the census in 1841, John Collett was 20 and was living in Upper Wraxall within the Wraxall Chapelry of Bradford-on-Avon, at the home of his older married brother William, who was head of the household. Other members of his family living in the same dwelling were John’s sisters Betsy and Arabella, together with his younger brother Andrew. All of them, including the girls, were described as yeoman

It is known that John’s married brother William Batten Collett settled in London during the early 1840s, and that John and his sisters Betsy and Arabella also left Wiltshire for the city, either at that same time or shortly thereafter. It is established that the orphaned siblings had some contact with the Reverend Robert William Miles while in London, with John’s older brother William naming his children after him and his younger sister Arabella being employed by him. It is also known that when the Reverend Miles and his wife left London for Bingham in Nottinghamshire during 1845/46, Arabella Jane Collett (below) went with them. It is therefore possible that John also ended up in Bingham, since it was there that the death of John Collett was recorded (Ref. xv 348) died during the first quarter of 1851

An alternative could be the John Collett, a labourer from Bradford in Wiltshire, who was living at 6 West Row in the Chelsea St Luke area of London in 1851 with his wife Ellen Collett from Kent, who was 21 and a laundress. Maybe, out of embarrassment for the near ten-year difference in their ages, John said he was 28 years old. Ellen was already expecting the birth of their first child, with the birth Arabella Jane Collett recorded at Chelsea (Ref. iii 50) during the third quarter of 1851. After that, other children were added to the family at Chelsea who were given names similar to the siblings of John Collett from South Wraxall. They were John Collett in 1853 (Ref. 1a 159/Q3), Ellen Collett in 1855 (Ref. 1a 155/Q3) and William Charles Collett in 1859 (Ref. 1a 154/Q1). Unfortunately, no member of the Chelsea family has been found within the census of 1861.

Arabella Jane Collett [31N33] was born at South Wraxall in 1822 and was baptised there on 25^th August 1822, the youngest daughter of farmer John Collett by his wife Charlotte. It was as Arabella Collett, aged 19, that she was recorded in the 1841 census for the Wraxall Chapelry at Bradford-on-Avon, when she was living at Upper Wraxall with her older married brother William Batten Collett, following the deaths of both of their parents during the previous five years. It was also during the 1840s that the orphaned Collett children gave up living in Wiltshire, when they moved to London, either with or just after their married brother William moved there. It may have been after they arrived in London that they were comforted in their grief at the loss of their parents by the Reverend Robert Miles. At the time of the census in 1841 the Rev. Miles was living in London, where he was receiving training for the ministry

What is known is the Rev. Miles became a married man during the 1840s and that after that he left London when he took up a position at Bingham in Nottinghamshire. His move north may have also coincided with his offer of work to Arabella Collett, who eventually joined him and his wife there. By the time of the Bingham census in 1851 the Rev. Robert Henry William Miles, aged 32, and his wife Mary Miles, aged 27, had six children, and to help look after the family they employed eight servants, Arabella Collett from South Wraxall was 28 and a lady’s maid. Ten years later Arabella Collett was still one of eight paid servants of the Reverend Miles (Rector of Bingham) when, according to the census in 1861, she was unmarried at the age of 38, a lady’s maid from Wraxall in Wiltshire. At that time the Miles family was living at a house in Church Street, Bingham, just to the east of Nottingham

It was five years later at Bingham, and during the first quarter of 1866, that Arabella Collett married widower George Oaks. At the time of the Bingham census in 1871, the couple was residing at a dwelling in the Market Place where George Oakes, aged 54 and from Nottinghamshire, was a printer and an auctioneer, while his wife Arabella Oakes from Wraxall in Wiltshire was 48. George Oaks was born in 1817 at Mansfield Woodhouse in Nottinghamshire and, at the time of the previous census in 1861, he was married to Ann by whom he had a daughter Jane who was born in 1844. Sadly, for George, his second marriage to Arabella only lasted for ten years, when he died at Derby during 1876, at the age of 59

Following the death of her husband, Arabella was living at Alma Cottage in Chilwell, to the west of Nottingham, in 1881, when she was recorded as being an annuitant. It was also while she was still living in Nottinghamshire that she died there in 1890, at the age of 68

Edward Collett [31N34] was born at South Wraxall near the end of December 1826. Perhaps for health reasons, his baptism was delayed until he was one year old, at South Wraxall on 31^st January 1828, another son of farmer John Collett and wife Charlotte. Tragically, one month later, when he was fourteen months old, Edward Collett and was buried at South Wraxall on 27^th February 1828. With the death of his parents in 1835 and 1837 and then the death of his sister Matilda in 1841, a family tomb was erected in the churchyard of St James Church in South Wraxall, where they were all laid to rest

Andrew William Collett [31N35] was born at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 1^st April 1829 at St James’ Church in South Wraxall, the son of John Collett, farmer, and Charlotte Crook. Following the death of his father, when he was only six years old, followed by the death of his mother when he was only eight years of age, Andrew William Collett was placed under the care of his older married brother William Batten Collett and, in 1841, at the age of 11, Andrew Collett was a farm servant living at Upper Wraxall with his family

At the time of his marriage to Sarah Curnick, nine years later on 12^th May 1850 at Walcot Parish Church in Bath, Andrew was a resident at 7 Guinea Lane in the Walcot district of the city. In addition to that, the marriage register also confirmed that his late father’s name was John Collett and that he was a farmer. Sarah was the daughter of Robert and Hester Curnick and was baptised on 3^rd June 1827 at Winsley, a village to the west of Bradford-on-Avon. In 1841 Sarah was living with her parents at Beanacre near Melksham but, at the time of the wedding, her address was given as being 5 Myrtle Place in Walcot

Ten months after their wedding day the couple was living at Atworth in the Melksham registration area where they were recorded in the 1851 Census. Andrew, aged 22, was a cabinet maker, and his wife Sarah was 24. Shortly after that the couple moved to live at Portsea in Portsmouth where their first child was born. It would appear that they were only at Portsea for a short while, since their next two children were born while the family was living south of the River Thames in London. However, their fourth and fifth children, Sarah and William, were born at Shepton Mallet and at Clifton in Bristol respectively, before the family returned to London where the last two children were born. The rapid change of address in quick succession perhaps indicated that it was Andrew’s occupation as a cabinet maker that was the reason for their mobility

At the time of the birth of their son John Collett in March 1856, Andrew and Sarah were living at 54 Hardwick Place in Plumstead near Woolwich, but five years later in 1861 the census confirmed that the family had moved again and, on that occasion, they were living at 20 Holywell Row in Shoreditch. The family at that time comprised Andrew, who was 32, his wife Sarah, and their children, Margaret Collett (who must have been Mary) was eight years old and born at Portsmouth, Thomas R Collett (who must have been John R) was five, Sarah E Collett was three and William A Collett was under one year old. In addition to the changed names for the couple’s two oldest children, there was no daughter Charlotte. Instead, there was a child by the name of Blanche who was the corresponding age of six years that Charlotte would have been. The differing name for their oldest son continued in subsequent censuses

Further changes of address took place during the 1860s and the 1870s. In 1871 they were living at 5 Pleasant Row in Shoreditch, at which time the family comprised Andrew, aged 42, his wife Sarah who was 44, and their children Mary A Collett aged 18, John R Collett aged 15, William A Collett aged 11, Henry Collett who was five and George Collett who was two years old. It may be of interest to note that in 1881, 11 Pleasant Row, in nearby Islington, was the home of Frederick William Collett (Ref. 62M43) who was born at Shoreditch, the son of William Collett from Melksham

By the twenty-second of April in 1877 the family was residing at George Street in Bethnal Green, but four years after that they had moved yet again and were recorded in the 1881 Census as living at 31 Homer Road in the Homerton area of Hackney. The family at that time was made up of cabinet maker Andrew who was 52, Sarah who was 54 and an upholstress born at Winsley in Wiltshire, their married son Thomas Collett [John Robert] who was 24 and of Woolwich together with his pregnant wife Sarah from Shoreditch who was 23, and their three other sons William Collett aged 20 who had been born at Bristol, Henry Collett aged 15 who had been born within the City of London and George Collett who was 11 who had been born at Shoreditch. The house at 31 Homer Road must have been a fairly substantial property since it was also home to Andrew’s and Sarah’s eldest married daughter Mary and her husband William Cottle and their four children

Sometime during the next ten to fifteen years Andrew and Sarah moved to 2 The Grove in Mare Street in Hackney where they were living at the time of Andrew’s death. Andrew William Collett died at the Homerton Infirmary (Hackney Wick Infirmary) in Hackney on 28^th October 1899, the cause of death being recorded as senile decay and acute pneumonia with which he had suffered during the previous eight days. Following the death of her husband, Sarah left The Grove and settled in her new home at 72 Chalgrove Road in Hackney, where she continued to work as an upholsterer. However, Sarah was only a widow for just over two years when she died on 12^th January 1902 at the Braxton Infirmary in Hackney. The cause of death was recorded as senile decay and bronchitis

31O40 – Mary Arabella Collett was born in 1852 at Portsea, Hampshire

31O41 – Charlotte Matilda Collett was born in 1854 at Peckham, Kent

31O42 – John Robert Collett was born in 1856 at Woolwich, London

31O43 – Sarah Elizabeth Collett was born in 1858 at Shoreditch, London

31O44 – William Andrew Collett was born in 1860 at Clifton, Bristol

31O45 – Henry John Collett was born in 1865 at Shoreditch, London

31O46 – George Collett was born in 1869 at Shoreditch, London

Eliza Collett [31N36] was born at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 18^th October 1818, the eldest of the two daughters of butcher William Collett and his wife of eleven months Ann Boyer. Tragically, she was only nineteen years of age when she died while working in Bath, after which Eliza Collett was buried at South Wraxall on 8^th January 1837

Catherine Collett [31N37] was born at South Wraxall, where was baptised on 28^th January 1821, the youngest daughter of butcher William Collett and Ann Boyer. Catherine Collett, of South Wraxall, married Stephen Collett (Ref. 35N68) from Melksham in the village of Shaw, near Melksham, in 1846

For the continuation of her family, go to

Part 35 – The Melksham to Wisconsin and Ontario Line (Ref. 35N68)

Jane Collett [31N38] was born within the Bath area of Somerset and was baptised at Walcot on 11^th June 1837, the only child of James Collett and Martha Woolls. She had a rounded age of five years in the Widcombe census of 1841, by which time she was living with her widowed mother. Ten years later, at the age of 13, Jane was described as the niece of the three unmarried Woolls sisters Mary, Elizabeth and Sarah, her mother’s young sisters, at their home in Cirencester. It was at Bath that the marriage of Jane Collett and John Webber was recorded (Ref. 5c 27) during the first three months of 1859. John was the son of John and Ann Webber and was baptised at Tiverton in Devon on 25^th March 1827. Their daughter Clara Jane Webber was born at Bath in 1860, the family of three recorded at Widcombe in 1861 as gardener John from Tiverton who was 33, Jane from Bath who was 24, and Clara who was not yet one year old. After the birth of their second child at Bath, the family moved to Middlesex, where the next two children were born. By 1871 John was 43 and again working as a gardener, Jane was 33, Clara was 10, Charles John was eight, John was six, George was three, and Frederick William was under one year old, when the family was residing in Shipley, Sussex. The couple’s last two children were born at Lee in Kent, and they were William Henry Webber and Albert Ernest Webber

Betsy Gisford Collett [31O1] was born at South Wraxall in 1811, where she was baptised on 22^nd December 1811, the first-born child of Harry Collett and Mary Gisford. When Betsy was twenty-one years of age, she gave birth to a base-born daughter who was living with her after she became a married lady. The marriage of Betsy Collett, the daughter of carpenter Harry Collett, and Job Smith took place at Box on 17^th April 1840 and was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. viii 435) during the second quarter of 1840. Just under a year later, Job Smith was 28 when he was residing in Colerne with his wife Elizabeth Smith, who was 30, and her daughter Rebecca Collett, aged seven years. The census return confirmed that Job and Betsy were born within the county of Wiltshire, while Rebecca was not. It seems Betsy had given birth to Rebecca in Bath, although there was probably a return to South Wraxall, where Rebecca was said to be born in later census records

Job Smith was born at Broad Hinton, midway between Wroughton and Avebury, and was baptised there on 11^th January 1813, the son of Thomas and Martha Smith. By 1851, the marriage of Job and Betsy had not produced any surviving children, instead the two of them, and Betsy’s daughter, were staying at the Colerne home of William and Sarah Tiley. Job was 36 and a shepherd working on a farm, Betsy was 38 and described as the wife of a visitor, while her daughter Rebecca Collett was 16, both of them from South Wraxall

During the following decade, the family group left Colerne and by 1861 was recorded living at Lower Street in Bradford-on-Avon. On that occasion, the census return described them as Job Smith who was 48 and from Broad Hinton, who was still working as a shepherd, Elizabeth Smith who was 50 and Rebecca Collett who was 27, both of them born at South Wraxall and neither of them in employment. It was almost the same situation ten years later, when the three of them had been joined by Job’s widowed mother Martha Smith at South Wraxall, as recorded in the census of 1871. By that time, Job was 57 and a farm servant, Elizabeth was 58, Rebecca was 34, and Martha was 86 and born at Rodbourne Cheney, near Swindon. The census return stated that Rebecca Collett had been born at Bathford in Somerset, to the north-east of Bath

Elizabeth Smith nee Collett died shortly before the day of the next census in 1881, her death recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 87) during the second quarter of that year, at the age of 65. The census that year, recorded the remainder of her family still residing at Bradford-on-Avon, where widower Job Smith from Broad Hinton was 66 and a farm labourer, her daughter Rebecca Collett was 47 and born at Bathford, and completing the family was Elizabeth’s granddaughter Mary Elizabeth Collett from South Wraxall, who was six years of age. After five years as a widower, the death of Job Smith was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 75) during the second quarter of 1886, when he was 71

31P1 – Rebecca Collett was born in 1834 at Bathford, near Bath - of an unknown father

Henry Gisford Collett [31O2] was born at South Wraxall in 1813 and was baptised there on 16^th May 1813, the eldest son of carpenter Harry Collett and his wife Mary, his second forename being his mother’s maiden-name. Henry followed his father and, in later census returns, he was described as a sawyer. He also married Ann during the late 1830s and by 1841 was recorded living at While Hill in Bradford-on-Avon with his wife and their first child. Henry and Ann both had rounded aged of 25 years, while son Stephen Collett was two years of age. Three more children were added to the family during the following decade, all as confirmed in the Bradford census of 1851. Sawyer Henry Collett from South Wraxall, said he was 40, Ann from Chippenham was 36, Stephen Collett was 11, Elizabeth Collett was eight, Arthur Collett was six and Mary Jane Collett was one year old. All four children had been born at Bradford

One year after that census day, Ann gave birth to the couple’s fifth child, their son William Collett, with their last child born at Bradford six years later. It was at Slades Brook in Bradford that the family was residing in 1861, where Henry Collett was 50 and an agricultural labourer, his wife Ann was 45, Stephen Collett was 22, William was nine and Kezia Collett was three years of age. The census in 1871 records the incorrect ages for Henry and Ann, but the correct ages of their two youngest children still living at Bradford-on-Avon with them. Henry Collett from Wraxall was a labourer and his wife Ann Collett was born at Chippenham, both said to be younger than they were in 1861. Their son William was 19 and daughter Kezia Collett was 14, both born at Bradford. It was also just a few months later that the death of Henry Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 77) during the third quarter of 1871

Widow Ann Collett from Chippenham and her eldest son Stephen were inmates at Westwood-with-Iford to the west of Bradford-on-Avon in 1881, which may have been a workhouse. Stephen Collett from Bradford was 44, single, and a sawyer, while his mother Ann was 66. Four and a half years later, the death of Ann Collett, aged 70, was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 70/160) during the last three months of 1885. The details for the couple two youngest daughters are as follows. The baptism of Mary Jane Collett was conducted at Bradford on 4^th November 1848, while the birth of Kezia Collett was recorded there (Ref. 5a 123) during the third quarter of 1857. Kezia never married and was living in the Swindon area when she died at the age of 79, her death recorded at Swindon register office (Ref. 5a 7) during the third quarter of 1936

31P2 – Stephen Collett was born in 1838 at Bradford-on-Avon

31P3 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1842 at Bradford-on-Avon

31P4 – Arthur Henry Collett was born in 1844 at Bradford-on-Avon

31P5 – Mary Jane Collett was born in 1849 at Bradford-on-Avon

31P6 – William Collett was born in 1852 at Bradford-on-Avon

31P7 – Kezia Collett was born in 1857 at Bradford-on-Avon

Mary Gisford Collett [31O3] was born at South Wraxall and baptised at St James Church in South Wraxall on 14^th May 1815. She was the third child of Harry Collett, a carpenter, and his wife Mary Gisford

Ann Maria Collett [31O4] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 4^th May 1817. She was the first child of Harry and Mary Collett not to be given her mother’s maiden-name as a forename. Perhaps, because she was a poorly child who did not survive, hence the couple’s next child was also given the name Ann

Ann Collett [31O5] was born at South Wraxall in 1819, another child of Harry and Mary, who was baptised at South Wraxall on 8^th August 1819. She was two years of age when she died and was buried at South Wraxall on 30^th November 1821

Thomas Collett [31O6] was born at South Wraxall in 1821 and was only the second son of the first six children of carpenter Harry Collett and wife Mary. It was on 12^th August 1821 that he was baptised at South Wraxall. Twenty years later, Thomas and his brother William (below) were still living at Upper Wraxall with their widowed mother Mary, when they were both agricultural labourers. By a process of elimination, it believed that he was the Thomas Collett who married Sarah Pearce, the daughter of James and Sarah Pearce who was born at Poulshot, near Devizes, who was baptised at Poulshot on 20^th October 1816. Although no record of their wedding has been identified, it would have taken place later on during the second half of the 1840s, with their first child born in 1850 at South Wraxall. That child was recorded with her parents at their home in Bradford-on-Avon in 1851

Thomas Collett was 28 and an agricultural labourer from South Wraxall, Sarah Collett from Poulshot was 30 and their daughter Anna Maria Collett was just four months old. Staying with the family that day was niece Louisa Collett who was three years of age and born at South Wraxall, the daughter of Thomas’ younger brother William (below)

Shortly after that census day, the family moved to Yatton Keynell, where Sarah presented Thomas with four more children. The birth of the first of those four children was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 47) during the last three months of 1852, after which he was baptised at Yatton Keynell on 10^th October 1852, the son of Thomas and Sarah Collet. Tragically, he did not survive, with the death of Philip Henry Collett recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 2) during the second quarter of 1857, at the age of four years. It was adjacent to Sidney Cottages on Biddestone Road in Yatton Keynell, that the family was living at the time of the census in 1861. Thomas Collett from South Wraxall was 42 and working as a quarryman. His wife Sarah was 44 and her place of birth was recorded as Bromham which, like Poulshot, is also near Devizes. Their four children were Anna Maria Collett who was 11 and born at South Wraxall, William Collett who was five, Elizabeth Collett who was three and Job Collet who was just one year old, all three of them born at Yatton Keynell

According to the next census in 1871, the family was then living at West Yatton in the parish of Yatton Keynell. Thomas Collett was 52 and his place of birth was again confirmed as South Wraxall, when his occupation on that occasion was a stone-cutter and a quarryman. His wife Sarah was 52 and from Poulshot, while the three surviving children still living with their parents were William Collett who was 16 and an agricultural labourer, Elizabeth Collett who was 13 and Job Collett who was 12 years old, who was already working as an agricultural labourer with his older brother. The couple’s eldest daughter, Anna Maria Collett, had died during the previous year

Tragically, six months later, the death of Thomas Collett was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 32) during the third quarter of 1871, at the age of 53, following which he was buried on 13^th September 1871, most likely at Yatton Keynell. As a result of her loss, Sarah was recorded as a widow in the census of 1881, when Sarah Collett, aged 63 and from Poulshot, was described as being ‘kept by her sons’, a reference to her unmarried sons William 26 and Job 22, who were still living with their mother in the hamlet of Giddea Hall in the parish of Yatton Keynell. Completing the family on that occasion was Sarah’s grandson, Lot Collett, who was seven years old and also born at Yatton Keynell, the base-born son of her unmarried daughter Elizabeth

It may be of interest that, living at Giddea Hall over forty years earlier was butcher Henry Collett (Ref. 62L14) and his Hester Collett (Ref. 62L8), his Collett cousin, and their family. Hester died at Giddea Hall during January 1842, the marriage of Henry Collett and Hester Collett having taken place at Yatton Keynell on 27^th October 1814. In 2019, Don Cameron in Australia (Part 62) provided details of the 1840 marriage of Betsy Collett, the daughter of Henry and Hester Collett who was born at Yatton Keynell shortly after they were married, where she was baptised on 22^nd July 1821

Ten years later, the census in 1891, included Sarah Collett from Poulshot who was 73 years old, when she was still living at Slaughterford Lane in the hamlet of Giddea Hall, although, by then, all of her children had left the family home. Instead, at that time in her life in 1891, she was described as a female companion to widow Ann Porch who was 90 years old and from Andover in Hampshire

31P8 – Anna Maria Collett was born in 1850 at South Wraxall

31P9 – Philip Henry Collett was born in 1852 at Yatton Keynell; died in 1857

31P10 – William Collett was born in 1855 at Yatton Keynell

31P11 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1857 at Yatton Keynell

31P12 – Job Collett was born in 1859 at Yatton Keynell

Rachel Collett [31O7] was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 13th July 1823, the fifth daughter of carpenter Harry Collett and his wife Mary Gisford. At the age of 17, she was a servant at the Upper Wraxall home of her uncle Henry Gisford, a farmer, and his wife Ann, with Rachel’s widowed mother and two brothers Thomas and William living nearby. Rachel was 26 in 1852, when she was a house servant with the Redman family at Seend near Melksham, while six years later the marriage of Rachel Collett and Joseph Viles was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 215) during the third quarter of 1857

Two children were born to the couple, Rebecca Viles born on 28^th March 1861 and Albert Viles born on 21^st May 1863, who was baptised at Holy Trinity Church in Bradford on 19^th July that year, or though no later record of the family of four has been found after that time

William Gisford Collett [31O8] was born at South Wraxall and it was there that he was baptised on 10^th March 1825, one of the three surviving sons of Harry and Mary Collett. As William Collett, he was 16 years old when he was still living at Upper Wraxall with his widowed mother Mary and his older brother Thomas (above), with whom he was working as an agricultural labourer. It is speculated that he was married around 1847, when he would have been twenty-two, and that his wife gave birth to a daughter at South Wraxall during the following year. According to the census in 1851, Louisa Collett was three years of age when she was living at South Wraxall with her uncle Thomas Collett and his family. Having possibly lost her mother during her birth, it should be noted that the death of William Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 203) during the fourth quarter of 1851, thus making her an orphan

31P13 – Louisa Collett was born in 1848 at South Wraxall

Philip Gisford Collett [31O9] was baptised at South Wraxall on 3^rd June 1827 and was only six years old when he died and was buried at South Wraxall on 10^th May 1833. He was the only child of carpenter Harry Collett and his wife Mary to suffer a young death

Ann Thirza Collett [31O10] was born at South Wraxall and was the last child born to Harry Collett, a carpenter, and Mary Gisford. It was also at the Church of St James in South Wraxall where she was baptised on 24^th April 1831, when she was one or two months old. Upon her death at South Wraxall, Ann Collett was recorded as being eighteen months old, when she was buried there on 26^th August 1832

Eliza Collett [31O11] was born at South Wraxall on 4^th April 1813 and had a rounded age of 25 when she was living at Ivy Lane in Lower Wraxall, with her parents William Collett and Elizabeth Deverill, in 1841. She was a school teacher and, it was during the following year, that she married Daniel Adams, from Atworth, on 28^th August 1842. The event was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 357). Daniel was a plasterer, as was his father, Daniel Adams. Their first child was born at South Wraxall during the next year and by 1851 their marriage had given them two daughters and two sons. Furthermore, on the day of the census that year, their eldest daughter Charlotte Adams was seven years old and was staying with Eliza’s parents in Bradford-on-Avon, not far from her parents. Plasterer Daniel Adams was 39, Eliza Adams, nee Collett, was 38, William Adams was five, Daniel Urbane Adams was three, and Louisa Adams was still under one year old. All four children had been born at South Wraxall. By 1861, Daniel was 50, Eliza was 48, and sons William was Daniel were 15 and 13, both of them working as farm servants

By 1871 Daniel Adams was 59 and his wife Eliza Adams was 58 and a schoolmistress. Two members of their family were living with them at South Wraxall on that occasion and they were their unmarried daughter Louisa Adams who was 20 and their grandson William Henry Adams who was six years old. Five years earlier, their daughter Charlotte Adams, was one of the witnesses at the wedding of Thirza Anne Collett (Ref. 31O18) and Samuel Gale, which was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon in 1866. A headstone in the churchyard of St James Church in South Wraxall confirms that Eliza Adams nee Collett died at South Wraxall on 3^rd November 1895. The inscription reads “A worthy instructress of children of this village .... Many of her grateful scholars and other friends have joined the vicar and her sons in raising this memorial to a good and useful life”.

William Collett [31O12] was born at South Wraxall, where he was baptised on 1^st December 1816, the eldest son of carpenter William Collett and Elizabeth Deverill. By 1841, as William C Collett with a rounded age of 20, he was still living with his family at Ivy Lane in Lower Wraxall, when he was a carpenter like his father. Three years later, during the third quarter of 1844, the marriage of William Collett and Ellen Cottle was recorded at Bath (Ref. xi 11). Ellen Cottle had been born at Monkton Farleigh, where she was baptised on 18^th March 1819, the daughter of Jeremiah and Ann Cottle. The village of Monkton Farleigh lies three miles east of Bath and three miles north of Bradford-on-Avon, the latter being where the birth of their Monkton Farleigh born children was recorded

By the time of the next census in 1851, the family of William and Ellen Collett was living at Rubble Hill (Rubble Heap in 1861 and 1881) in Monkton Farleigh, where William from South Wraxall was 34 and a carpenter. His wife Ellen from Monkton Farleigh was 32 and, on that day, William and Ellen already had four children, all born at Monkton Farleigh. They were Edwin Collett who was five, Ann Collett who was four, Whyatt Collett who was three and William Collett who was two years old. The family was supported by a general domestic servant, Mary Elliott who was 15 and from Bradford-on-Avon. Not long after that census day, Ellen presented William with another son, Frederick, who suffered an infant death one year later

In addition to the birth and death of son Frederick, four more children were born into the family at Rubble Heap during the 1850s. Therefore, the family was listed within the census of 1861 as still residing at Rubble Heap in Monkton Farleigh, where William Collett, aged 44 and from South Wraxall, was a carpenter, while his wife Ellen was 42 and from Monkton Farleigh. Living with them were their eight surviving children who were all born at Monkton Farleigh, and they were Edwin Collet, aged 15 who was also a carpenter, Ann Collett, aged 14 who was a servant, Whyatt Collett, aged 13, who was still at school, as was William Collett who was 12, Thomas Collett who was eight and Helena Collett who was four. The two youngest members of the family were George Collett who was three, while the couple’s youngest child was Mary Collett, who was one year old

Part of the family was still living at Monkton Farleigh in 1871, when William Collett was 56, Ellen Collett was 52, and the four children still living at home with them were Whyatt who was 23, Ellen who was 15, George who was 12, and Mary who was 10 years old. By the time of the census in 1881, a much-reduced family was still living at Rubble Heap in Monkton Farleigh. William Collett, aged 64 and from South Wraxall, was still working as a carpenter, and with him was his wife Ellen Collett who was 62. The only child still living with the elderly couple was their unmarried son George Collett who was 22. George was confirmed as having been born at Monkton Farleigh and his occupation was that of a carpenter, like his father William, and his older brothers Edwin and Whyatt

With their advancing years, William and Ellen were being looked after at their Monkton Farleigh home by their unmarried daughter Annie in 1891. William was still managing to work as a carpenter at the age of 71, when Ellen was 69 and their daughter were the only occupants in the property. It is possible that it was Annie who gave the census enumerator her parents’ ages, as they were both incorrect, with William being around three years older than stated. Two years later, the death of Ellen Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon register office (Ref. 5a 81) during the second quarter of 1893, when she was 74. Having been widowed, and with his three eldest children living in Bath, it would appear that William moved there, to live with one of them for the last few years of his life. And it was at Bath register office (Ref. 5c 368) that the death of William Collett was recorded during the fourth quarter of 1898 when he was 82

31P14 – Edwin Collett was born in 1845 at Monkton Farleigh

31P15 – Ann Cottle Collett was born in 1846 at Monkton Farleigh

31P16 – Whyatt Collett was born in 1847 at Monkton Farleigh

31P17 – William Collett was born in 1849 at Monkton Farleigh

31P18 – Frederick Thomas Collett was born in 1852 at Monkton Farleigh

31P19 – Thomas Collett was born in 1853 at Monkton Farleigh

31P20 – Ellen Helena Collett was born in 1856 at Monkton Farleigh

31P21 – George Collett was born in 1858 at Monkton Farleigh

31P22 – Mary Jane Collett was born in 1860 at Monkton Farleigh

Rachel Collett [31O13] was born at South Wraxall in 1822, the youngest daughter of carpenter William and Elizabeth Collett, who was baptised there on 17^th November 1822

Urbane Collett [31O14] was born at South Wraxall in 1824, the last child of William Collett and Elizabeth Deverill. In 1841 he was 16 and a carpenter working alongside his father and older brother William. It was also at South Wraxall on 13^th August 1861, where Urbane Collett married Thirza Sophia Redman, the daughter of Thomas Redman, with whom he had two sons. The event was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 189), where the bride’s name was registered as Rudman. It is therefore possible that Thomas Rudman, father of Thirza Sophia Rudman, was in fact the son of Thomas Rudman who married Mary Collett (Ref. 31N8) at South Wraxall in 1820

Urbane was a marine artillery man, based at Portsmouth, where the newly married couple initially settled, with their first child born at Portsea Island. It was two years later that Thirza gave birth to their second child, his birth recorded at Bath, before the family of four moved to High Ongar in Essex. Not long after the family arrived in High Ongar, the death of Urbane Collett was recorded there (Ref. 4a 52) during the third quarter of 1865. Following his death on 23^rd August 1865, his body was transported back to Wiltshire where a gravestone close to the rear wall of St James Church in South Wraxall records the death of Urbane Collett, together with those of his parents. The epitaph reads as follows: “In Memory of William Collett died 28 May 1867 aged 83 and Elizabeth his wife died October 12 1865 aged 84 - Also Urbane their son who died August 23 1865 age 40”

On the occasion of the next census in 1871, Thirza Collett from Wraxall in Wiltshire was a widow at 38 years of age, when she was a schoolmistress who was living at High Ongar with her two sons. They were William Collett who was eight years of age and born at Portsea, and Arthur Collett who was six years old and born at Bath. During the next decade, her two sons left home to make their own way in the world, leaving schoolmistress and widow Thirza Collett, aged 49 and from Wraxall, living on her own at Paslow Common, High Ongar, in 1881. Only son Arthur, has been positively identified in that year’s census, and he was living and working in the City of London, within the parish of St John Zachary, not far from St Paul’s Cathedral

It was just over nine years after that, when Thirza Sophia Collett nee Redman died at the age of 58, her death recorded at Ongar register office (Ref. 4a 163) during the third quarter of 1890. During her life Thirza was a school mistress at Nine Ashes Infant School in High Ongar which was built in 1865. In addition to this, the Kelly’s Directory in 1878 also confirmed that there was an average of 33 children at the school. It is interesting that Elizabeth Adams nee Collett (above), the older sister of Thirza’s husband Urbane Collett, was also a school teacher, so perhaps they worked together at South Wraxall before they were married

31P23 – William Thomas Collett was born in 1862 at Portsea

31P24 – Arthur Collett was born in 1864 at Bath

Mary Collett [31O15] was born at South Wraxall in 1841, the eldest child of Thomas Collett and Sarah Humphries. In the census of 1851 Mary Collett was 10 years old when she and her family were residing at Upper Wraxall in the village of Wraxall. However, ten years later Mary Collett from South Wraxall was 19 when she was recorded in the Bridgwater area of Somerset. No other member of her family has been identified within the census of 1861 except for Mary’s younger sister Thirza, recorded in error as Theresa A Collett aged 14, who was a nursemaid, living and working in the Wiltshire village of Box

Thomas Collett [31O16] was born at South Wraxall in 1842, where he was baptised on 16^th October 1842, the son of Thomas and Sarah Collett. He was eight years old in the 1851 Census for Upper Wraxall in the village of South Wraxall, within the Bradford-on-Avon South-Eastern registration district where he was living with his parents Thomas and Sarah, and the rest of his family. Twenty years later at the age of 28 Thomas was living within the north-western registration area of Bradford which once again confirmed he was born at South Wraxall

It was four years later that he married (1) Martha Legg who was ten years younger than Thomas, Martha having been born at Annington-on-Avon (?) in 1852. Their marriage was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 210a) during the third quarter of 1875, when she was only 31. According to the 1881 Census Thomas Collett of South Wraxall was 38 and was employed as a sawyer and parish clerk at Lower Wraxall, while his wife Martha was 28. The marriage had produced four children for the couple by that time and all of them had been born at South Wraxall. They were Thomas Jonathan (?) Collett who was four, Henry Collett who was three, Alice Collett who was two and William Collett who was just three months old

Less than four years later, the death of Martha Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 82) during the fourth quarter of 1884. After two years as a widower, Thomas Collett married (2) Cecilia Ann Morris during the second quarter of 1887, the event recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 241). Cecilia was the daughter of George Morris of South Wraxall and his wife Ann, with whom she was still living at Lower Wraxall in 1881 aged 28. In the next two censuses of 1891 and 1901, Thomas and his wife Cecilia were still residing in South Wraxall. In the first of them, Thomas was 48 and Cecilia was 38, when all four children from his first marriage were again living with him. They were Thomas who was 14, Henry who was 13, Alice who was 12 and William who was 10 years of age

However, just after the turn of the century only Thomas, at the age of 58 and Cecilia, aged 50, were still living at South Wraxall. The census of 1901 confirmed that Cecilia was born at South Wraxall like Thomas, who was working as a domestic gardener. Their daughter Alice had left home to be married by then and two of their sons had moved to Yorkshire, where they were employed on the railway. The couple’s other son Henry was still living locally in Bradford-on-Avon. Eight years later, the death of Cecilia Collett was recorded at Devizes register office (Ref. 5a 48) during the third quarter of 1909, when she was 56. Losing his wife may be the reason that Thomas has not been easily identified with the census of 1911, while it was after a further eight years that his death was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon register office (Ref. 5a 127) during the last four months of 1919

31P25 – Thomas Emanuel Collett was born in 1876 at South Wraxall

31P26 – Henry Collett was born in 1877 at South Wraxall

31P27 – Alice Collett was born in 1879 at South Wraxall

31P28 – William Collett was born in 1880 at South Wraxall

Sarah Collett [31O17] was born at South Wraxall at the end of 1843 and was baptised there on 5^th January 1844, another child of Thomas Collett and Sarah Humphries. She was six years old in the 1851 Census, when she was living at Upper Wraxall with her family. However, no record of her or her family has been located in the census of 1861, nor has any record of Sarah been found in 1871, by which time she was very likely married

Thirza Anne Collett [31O18] was born at South Wraxall in 1847 where she was four years old in 1851, when living at Upper Wraxall with her parents. In 1861, at the age of 14, when she was recorded as Theresa Collett, a nursemaid, who was living and working at ‘Henley’ in the Wiltshire village of Box, the home of the Pinchin family. Five years later Thirza Anna Collett married Samuel Gale, the son of George Gale, at South Wraxall on 26^th December 1866, when her father was confirmed as Thomas Collett. Thirza had met Samuel while she was in Box, where he had been born, and with whom she had three children. Their marriage was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon register office (Ref. 5a 275) during the last three months of 1866, when the witnesses were Charles Gullis and Charlotte Adams, the likely daughter of Elizabeth Collett (Ref. 1841/2) and Daniel Adams. According to the 1881 Census Thirza A Gale, aged 34, and her husband Samuel, who was 39 and a stone quarry foreman, were living at 1 Bridge Cottages in Box. Living with them were their two daughters Alice Gale, aged 12, and Sarah Gale who was seven and their son George H Gale who was 10, and all three of them born at Box. Also living with the family was Thirza’s widowed mother Sarah Collett, aged 69, whose relationship to Samuel Gale as head of the house was that of mother-in-law. Just under six years later, the death of Thirza A Gale was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 42) during the first three months of 1887, when she was 40 years old

Henry Collett [31O19] was born at South Wraxall in 1849, where he was baptised on 8^th July 1849 and was one year old at the time of the 1851 Census. On that occasion he was the youngest of the five children living at Upper Wraxall with his parents, carpenter Thomas Collett and his wife Sarah. No other record has been found for Henry until the 1881 Census by which time he was married with three children. During those intervening years Henry had married Elizabeth Drew on 27^th October 1876 and shortly after their first child was born. Although Elizabeth had been born at Marshfield in Gloucestershire in 1853, once they were married the couple lived at Bath, where their three children were born

According to the census of 1881, Henry and his family were living at 2 Yew Cottages in the Lyncombe-with-Widcombe district of Bath, just a mile from the city centre. Henry of South Wraxall was 31 and was working as a dairyman. His wife Elizabeth of Marshfield was 27 and listed with the couple were their three children Alice who was four, Thomas who was three and Frank who was just three months old, all confirmed as having been born at Bath

Ten years later the family still living at Lyncombe-with-Widcombe was Henry aged 41, Elizabeth aged 38, Alice aged 14, Thomas aged 13 and Frank who was 10. It is this link to Lyncombe-with-Widcombe which may be the key to unlocking the family’s origins in the late 1700s and early 1880s. The whole family was still living at Bath just after the turn of the century. In the Bath census of 1901 Henry was no longer a dairyman, but was described as a farmer aged 51, when he was residing at Violet Bank Farm with his wife Elizabeth who was 48, and their unmarried children Alice aged 24, Thomas aged 23 and Frank who was 19. Just a month earlier, Henry’s niece, Alice Collett, the only daughter of his older brother Thomas (above), died at Violet Bank Farm, where she had been working with the family.

It was four years later on 21^st March 1905 that Elizabeth Collett nee Drew died at Bath, as confirmed by the census of 1911 in which Henry was a widower at the age of 61. The census return also confirmed that he was a farmer who had been born at South Wraxall. On that occasion he was living at Violet Bank Farm, Widcombe Hill in Bath, at the home of his eldest son Thomas Henry Collett and his wife and their three daughters

31P29 – Alice Elizabeth Collett was born in 1876 at Bath

31P30 – Thomas Henry Collett was born in 1877 at Bath

31P31 – Frank Albert Collett was born in 1880 at Bath

Eliza Harriet Collett [31O20] was born at South Wraxall in 1852, the last child of Thomas Collett and Sarah Humphries. She was baptised at South Wraxall on 7^th March 1852, when her parents were confirmed as Thomas and Sarah Collett. In the census of 1861, it was as Harriet Collett aged nine years that she was living with her family at Water Lane in Lower Wraxall. She had not reach full age, when she married William Adams, the event recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 175) during the first three months of 1869, when she was around eighteen years of age

Thomas Collett [31O21] was born at South Wraxall in 1820 just after his parents George Collett of South Wraxall and Anna Collett of Holt, were married at Holt on 4^th January 1820. Anna was well advanced in the pregnancy on that day, the baptism of Thomas Collett being conducted just two months after, at South Wraxall on 5^th March 1820. Thomas was still living with his father at Upper Wraxall in the Wraxall Chapelry, Bradford in 1841, when he was 20 and was working as an agricultural labourer with his brother George and sister Sarah (below). He was still unmarried in 1851 when he was 30 and he was still living with his father George at Upper Wraxall, where he was still employed as an agricultural labourer. Living with him and his father, was his uncle William Collett and his two cousins John Collett and Jane Collett, they being the two children of widower William Collett. It was three year later, during the fourth quarter of 1854, that Thomas Collett married Harriet Nate, the event recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 253). It was on 1^st October 1854 that they were married at South Wraxall, when Thomas’ father was confirmed as George Collett and Harriet’s father was named as Joseph Nate. Harriet had been born on 13^th December 1833, the child of Joseph and Ellen Nate

No positive sighting of the couple has been found within the census of 1861 and that may be because, at Bradford-on-Avon during the second quarter of 1859, the death of Harriet Collett was recorded (Ref. 5a 81), while previously, on 1^st July 1856, Thomas Collett was laid to rest at South Wraxall, following his death being recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 68) during the third quarter of that year. Unfortunately, neither record provides any indication as to how old they were when they died. Although not proved, it is highly likely that Harriet gave birth to a son Arthur Collett who was orphaned prior to 1861. For further details of the life of Arthur Collett 1855-1936 go to the Appendix at the end of this first of two sections of Part 35

George Collett [31O22] was born at South Wraxall in 1822 and was the son of sawyer George Collett and his wife Anna. It was there also where he was baptised on 8^th September 1822. In 1841 George junior was living at Upper Wraxall in the Wraxall Chapelry, Bradford-on-Avon, with his widowed father and his older brother Thomas (above) and his sister Sarah, when he was 19 and an agricultural labourer, working with his brother and sister

Sarah Collett [31O23] was baptised at South Wraxall on 26^th August 1827, the last child of George Collett, a sawyer, and his wife Anna Collett from Holt. By the time of the census in 1841, Sarah Collett was 14 years old and was living with her widowed father at Upper Wraxall. Also living there were Sarah’s two older brothers Thomas and George (above). In 1851, unmarried Sarah Collett from South Wraxall was 23 and domestic servant at the Taunton, Somerset, home of the large Reeves family on Middle Street in the town. Just over three years later, the marriage of Sarah Collett, daughter of George Collett, and Arthur Waterfall, son of James Waterfall, took place at South Wraxall on 27^th June 1854. By 1861, Sarah had given birth to a son, when Arthur Waterfall from Gloucestershire was 33 and a confectioner, Sarah Waterfall from South Wraxall was 33, and their son James Collett Waterfall was one year old, were living at Marshall Street in Birmingham

Missing from the family in 1861 was their first child Edwin Collett Waterfall, who was born in Birmingham, like his brother James, in 1857. Edwin’s place in the family was taken by the couple’s final son, George Arthur Waterfall, who was also born in Birmingham in 1862. It was also in Birmingham, that the death of Arthur Waterfall was recorded (Ref. 6d 41) during the last quarter of 1869, when he was 41 years old. Probate for his Will was resolved at Birmingham on 9^th April 1870. Sarah Waterfall was 63 when her death was recorded at Aston in Birmingham (Ref. 6d 221) during the fourth quarter of 1890

Walter Collett [31O24] was born during the month of January in 1831 at South Wraxall, where he was baptised on 13^th February 1831, the last child born to George Collett, a sawyer, and his wife Anna Collett, who was Collett before she married George. It was later that same year when he died and was buried at South Wraxall on 27^th June 1831, when he was just five months old

JOHN COLLETT [31O25] was born at South Wraxall on 26^th August 1833, the eldest known child of agricultural labourer William Collett and his first wife Jane Walters. During the next year or so, John’s mother died, mostly likely in childbirth, after which his father re-married. However, further tragedy struck the family when John’s stepmother Mary Ann Deverill also died during childbirth in 1837. So, by the time of the census in 1841, John and his half-sister Jane (below) were living at Wraxall Chapelry, Bradford, with their widowed father. By that time, even at the age of only eight and seven respectively, both John and Jane were recorded as being agricultural labourers, which very likely means that they did not receive a school education. Living next door to the family of three was John’s uncle George Collett, and it was with him and his son Thomas that John and Jane and their father were living in 1851. On that occasion ‘nephew’ John Collett from South Wraxall was 18 and was still working as an agricultural labourer, probably working alongside his father, while he was living at Upper Wraxall

During the next decade John moved to Daren Velen (now Darenfelen) in South Wales where he was a lodger at the home of widow Mary Jones and her son on the occasion of the census in 1861 when he was a coal miner at the age of 27. It was just over a year later on 13^th May 1862 at Bersheba Baptist Chapel in Llanelly when John, a bachelor and a miner of 28 from Daren Velen and the son of William Collett husbandman, married Mary Hannah Jenkins a spinster of Daren Velen who was 27. She was born at Llanelly on 7^th August 1835, the daughter of colliery worker Benjamin Jenkins who was one of the two witnesses at the wedding ceremony (Ref. 11b 220). Both the bride and the groom were unable to sign the register, so made their marks, each with a cross. One-year earlier Mary was employed as a mine tipper at Penffyddlwyr in the census of 1861. It was also in Llanelly that the couple settled after they were married and there also where all of their children were born. Up to the time of the census in 1871 Mary had presented John with four children, although sadly two of them did not survive

According to the census return that year for Slopes in Llanelly Hill in 1871, John Collett, aged 38 and from South Wraxall, was working as a coal miner. His wife Mary was 35, and just three of their children were listed with them. They were Mary A Collett who was eight, John Collett who was six and Jane Collett who was eleven months year old who had probably been named after John’s late mother and perhaps even his half-sister who was living nearby in Llanelly. Staying with the family was Jane’s eldest son Tom H Collett from Wraxall who was 15. Sadly, baby Jane died less than two years later

Three more children were added to the family during the 1870s, so by 1881 John and Mary had five children living with them at Slopes, Llanelly Hill in Llanelly within the Crickhowell registration district. John from South Wraxall was 48 and a coal miner, his wife Mary was 45 and was from Llanelly, and their five Llanelly born children were Mary A Collett, aged 18, who was a general labourer, John D Collett who was 16 and a coal miner, William who was eight and Henry who was six, both attending school, and daughter Harriet who was four years old

Ten years later, John Collett from South Wraxall, was still living at Llanelly in 1891, when he was 58, his wife Mary was 55, and the children still living with them on that occasion were William Collett who was 18, Henry Collett who was 16 and Harriet Collett who was 13. Tragically, over eight years later, Mary Hannah Collett nee Jenkins died at Gilwern, Llanelly, on 19^th December 1899 at the age of 64, following which she was buried with her two young children in the churchyard of St Elli’s Church in Llanelly

By 1901 John Collett of South Wraxall was a widower at the age of 68. Even at that age, he was still working as a coal miner and hewer, while he was still living at Slopes Houses in Llanelly with two of his unmarried adult children. John Dd Collett was 36 and a coal miner hewer, and keeping house for him and his father was Harriet Collett who was 23. Living in the house but one next door was George Collett (Ref. 1O69) from Painswick and Cirencester and his second wife Mary Ann Collett, together with George’s stepson John Pritchard, both men working as coal miners and hewers. George and his family had also been living in the Clydach area of Llanelly since the late 1850s. See Part 1 – The Gloucestershire Main Line 1800 to 1830 for details of his separate Collett family

During the next year John’s only surviving daughter Harriet was married, but died three years later. By the time of the census in 1911, John was living in the Clydach area of Llanelly and Crickhowell at the age of 78, when he was described as a widower being dependent on his son. And it was his unmarried son John David Collett who was 46, the only person living there with John. It was four years later that John Collett died on 2^nd March 1915 when he was 82. He was then buried at the Church of St Elli in Llanelly with his wife and their two children, where a single headstone marks the grave. The headstone also includes the names of two grandchildren who died as infants prior to 1901 and, with a lack of any better information, they have been assumed to be the first two children born to their son Henry Albert

31P32 – Mary Ann Collett was born in 1863 at Llanelly

31P33 – John David Collett was born in 1865 at Llanelly

31P34 – William Collett was born in 1867 at Llanelly

31P35 – Jane Collett was born in 1870 at Slopes, Llanelly Hill, Llanelly

31P36 – WILLIAM COLLETT was born in 1873 at Slopes, Llanelly Hill, Llanelly

31P37 – Henry Albert Collett was born in 1875 at Slopes, Llanelly Hill, Llanelly

31P38 – Harriet Collett was born in 1877 at Slopes, Llanelly Hill, Llanelly

Jane Collett [31O26] was born at South Wraxall where she was baptised on 26^th July 1835 and was the daughter of labourer William Collett and his second wife Mary Ann Deverill from Winsley, who sadly died during childbirth in 1837. It would also appear that she was named after her father’s first wife who also died in childbirth. By the time of the census in 1841 Jane, aged seven years, was living at Wraxall Chapelry, Bradford, with her widowed father William and her older half-brother John (above). Surprisingly at such a young age, Jane was already classed as an agricultural labourer

However, the position changed for her over the following years, when she and her family moved in with her uncle George Collett who was living next door to the family in 1841. According to the South Wraxall census of 1851, Jane Collett, aged 15 of South Wraxall, was working as the housekeeper for her father and her brother, at the Upper Wraxall home of her uncle George and her cousin Thomas Collett. She was still with her father ten years later, when the census in 1861 confirmed that she was 25 and living at Upper Street in South Wraxall. The census that year raises a number of issues, the first being that living with Jane and her father were two grandchildren of William Collett, they being Tom Collett who was five and John Collett who was two, both born at South Wraxall. Jane’s half-brother John was living at Daren Velen in South Wales on that day and was an unmarried man, who was described as a bachelor when he was married in 1862. So, with her younger sister Anne (below) having died some years earlier, those two grandchildren must have been the base-born children of unmarried Jane Collett

It would appear that Jane left South Wraxall following the death of her father during the 1860s, to be reunited with her half-brother John, since it was there at Slopes in Llanelly Hill where John was living with his family in 1871, which included Jane’s son Tom H Collett who was 15 and from Wraxall. Living nearby at Waenllapria in Llanelly Hill was Jane Collett who was 35, whose place of birth was given as Bradford-on-Avon. On that occasion Jane was unmarried and was the housekeeper for widower Joseph Piner and his two children. At that same time in 1871 her youngest son William J Collett, aged 13, was a general servant at Pippet Street in Bradford, the home of widow and retired publican Elizabeth Fielding

During the next decade Jane was reunited with her youngest son when he left Bradford to join her in Llanelly. At the time of the next census in 1881, Jane Collett, aged 45, was living at a property referred to as Llamarch in Llannelly, with her coal miner son William J Collett who was 22. Both Jane and William were listed in the census return as having been born at Bradford-on-Avon, with Jane also described in error as a widow. However, it was after 1881 that she married widower Richard Bradley who already had seven children, because thereafter she was known as Jane Bradley. In 1891 Jane Bradley was 55 and Richard Bradley was 57, when they were still living in Llanelly. However, by 1901 Jane Bradley, aged 65, was a widow living at Llanelly

31P39 – Henry Thomas Collett was born in 1855 at South Wraxall

31P40 – William John Collett was born in 1858 at South Wraxall

Anne Collett [31O27] was baptised at South Wraxall on 10^th December 1837, the daughter of labourer William Collett of Bradford Leigh and his wife Mary Ann. Her absence from the family in the census of 1841 suggests that she suffered an infant death

William Collett [31O28] was born at Halifax in 1850, the only known child of George Collett and Susannah Child. He was one-year-old in the Halifax census of 1851 but by 1861 he and his parents were living at ‘California’ in Ormesby and Eston between Middlesbrough and Guisborough when he was 11 years of age. It was at Guisborough that William was living with his parents in 1871 at the age of 21 and working as a general dealer, while it was just over two years later that he married Emma Jane Storey. That event was recorded at Guisborough register office (Ref. 9d 1027) during the last three months of 1873 when the two witnesses were John Hewison and Hannah Upton

By the time of the census in 1881 William Collett from Halifax was 29 (sic), while his wife Emma J Collett from Guisborough was 24. Living with them at 25 and 27 Redcar Road in Guisborough were their three children, and they were Edith J Collett who was six, George W Collett who was four, and Maud M Collett who was one year old. All three children had been born at Guisborough. William’s occupation was that of a grocer like his father George, and he and his family employed a general domestic servant, Eliza Bennett who was 15 and from Bransby in Lincolnshire

Living in the premises next door, at 29 and 31 Redcar Road was the family of George Collett from Wortham in Suffolk (Ref. 20P15). George was also a grocer who, at the age of 36, was married to Sarah Jane from Leeds who was 35. Living with them were their five children, and they were Ada E Collett aged 11, Maria A Collett who was nine, Sarah E Collett who was six, Maud E Collett who was four, and George E Collett who was two. All of the children had been born at Guisborough and the family also employed a servant who was Amelia Nincks who was 17 and from Germany. See Part 20 – The Suffolk to Australia and County Durham Line for further details of that family

In 1891, the family of William Collett from Halifax and still living at Redcar Road in Guisborough comprised William who was 41 and a journeyman painter, his wife Emma who was 38, and their children Edith J Collett aged 16, George W Collett aged 14, Maud M Collett aged 11, Elizabeth E Collett who was nine, Ethel Collett who was five, Evelyn Collett who was two and Arthur Collett who was under one year old. Emma was very likely expecting her last child on that day, as the couple’s son Arthur was born later that same year

By March 1901 William Collett of Halifax was 51 and was working as a house painter, when he was still living at Guisborough with his family, but at Westgate in the town. His wife Emma J Collett was 48, and the only children still living at the family home with them were Edith Collett who was 26 and a cook/domestic servant, Ethel Collett who was 15, Evelyn Collett who was 12, and Arthur Collett who was 10 years old. Ten years later in April 1911, William Collett from Halifax, his wife and their family, had left Guisborough in the North Riding of Yorkshire, and had settled north of the River Tees at Stockton, in the neighbouring county of Durham. William was 61 and still employed as a house painter, his wife Emma Jane Collett was 58, and still living with the couple were their two unmarried daughters Ethel who was 25 and Evelyn who was 22, neither of whom were credited with having an occupation. It is established that five years later, Ethel was r married during 1916

Perhaps William later returned to Guisborough to be nearer his son and grandchildren, because it was at Guisborough that the death of William Collett was recorded on 14^th March 1921, and where he was buried aged 71. His death was recorded at Yorkshire register office (Ref. 9d 656). At that time, he and Emma Jane were residing at 18 Chapel Street in Guisborough and it was to his wife that probate was granted in Yorkshire on 6^th May 1921, with William’s personal effects amounting to £1,260 11 Shillings and 6 Pence. Emma Jane lived the life of a widow for a further ten years and she was still living at 18 Chapel Street in Guisborough when she passed away on 10^th March 1931. Emma Jane Collett nee Storey was 78 when her death was recorded at Guisborough register office (Ref. 9d 808). Probate of her personal effects valued at £869 9 Shillings and 9 Pence was granted at Durham jointly to her two eldest sons George William Collett, a tailor, and Arthur Collett who was a draper

31P41 – Edith Jane Collett was born in 1874 at Guisborough

31P42 – George William Collett was born in 1877 at Guisborough

31P43 – Maud Mary Collett was born in 1880 at Guisborough

31P44 – Elizabeth E Collett was born in 1882 at Guisborough

31P45 – Ethel Collett was born in 1885 at Guisborough

31P46 – Evelyn Collett was born in 1888 at Guisborough

31P47 – Arthur Collett was born in 1891 at Guisborough

Mary Matilda Collett [31O29] was born at South Wraxall during the first quarter of 1840, her birth recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 292), following which she was baptised at Holt on 9^th March 1840, the eldest child of William Batten Collett and Sarah Penelope James. She was described as being one year old in the 1841 Census for Bradford-on-Avon registration district which included South Wraxall. Towards the end of the decade the family moved to London and in 1851 they were recorded in the census that year at 20 Prospect Place in St Mary Stoke Newington, where Mary Matilda from Bradford in Wiltshire was 11 years of age. The same census return also described Mary and her father and her brother William as being either blind, deaf or dumb. The marriage of Mary Matilda Collett was recorded at Clerkenwell (Ref. 1b 610) in London during the first quarter of 1861, when she married Charles Simpson, although no record of the couple after that time has been discovered

William Henry Miles Collett [31O30], who was referred to as Henry, was born at South Wraxall in 1841, with his birth recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 252) during the third quarter of the year. It was also at South Wraxall that he was baptised on 21^st October 1841, the eldest son of William Batten Collett and Sarah Penelope James. At the age of nine years, William Collett from Bradford, Wilts, was living with his family at 20 Prospect Place in Stoke Newington in 1851, when he was described as being blind, deaf or dumb, as was his father and older sister Mary (above). By the time of the census in 1861 he was 20 and an agricultural labourer living with his parents at the family home at Sewerage Cottage in Tottenham. By the end of that same year William Henry Collett had married either (1) Esther Butler OR Betsey Jones, the event recorded at Lambeth in London (Ref. 1d 629) during the last quarter of 1861. However, it would appear that she presented William with his first child, but died either during the birth or shortly thereafter

Faced with a two-year-old son to look after, William married (2) Elizabeth Page on 7^th January 1864 at Christ Church with St Mary & St Stephen in Spitalfields within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the event recorded at Whitechapel (Ref. 1c 631). The marriage licence confirmed that William Henry Miles Collett was 23 and a publican, the son of farmer William Batten Collett, and that Elizabeth Page was a spinster aged 26 from 30 Brick Lane, the daughter of carpenter Barlow Page. The witnesses were William Bastin and Catherine Bastin, while it is significant that William was not described as a bachelor, nor was he named as a widower. Virtually nine months later Elizabeth gave birth to the first of their two children, while a double tragedy struck the family around the time of the birth of the couple’s second child. That was when William was once again made a widower, for the second time in just a few short years, and when his son and name sake William Henry Miles Collett suffered an infant death

It was therefore at the same church in Spitalfields that William then married (3) Mary Ann Herbert on 19^th March 1867. By that time widower William was 26 and was again named as the son of William Batten Collett, with Mary Ann being 31 and the daughter of Edward Herbert. That marriage for William produced a further three children although, once again, two of them did not survive beyond infancy. According to the census return for 1871, William Henry Miles Collett from South Wraxall was 29 and a licenced victualler, who was living with his family at Tottenham within the Edmonton & Tottenham district of London. It is speculated that he was the landlord at the Old Seven Sisters Inn at 13 Markfield Road in Tottenham. His wife was Mary Ann Collett from Ipswich who was 35, while just three of William’s five children were listed with the couple, when it is known that four of them were still alive at that time. The three children were Sidney Collett who was nine, Ada Miles Collett who was three and Henry Miles Collett who was under one year old, all three of them having been born at Tottenham. Helping Mary Ann care for her new born son, was 60-year-old nurse Ann Buddles from Chatham. Where missing daughter Elizabeth was at that time is not known, when she would have been five years old

Just after that census day the family suffered with the death of baby Henry Miles Collett, as a result of which there was only one child living with William and Mary in 1881, although it is established that another two were also still alive at that time. The family of three was recorded as living at 2 Cambrian Cottages on Markfield Road in Tottenham in 1881, where William H Collett, aged 39, was an out of work publican who had been born at South Wraxall, his wife Mary A Collett was 48 and had been born at Ipswich, while previously absent daughter Elizabeth Collett from Tottenham was 15. The couple’s younger daughter Ada Collett was 13 and was recorded in that same census as living close by at the home of her grandparents at The Poplars, 9 Markfield Road in Tottenham. Her occupation was that of dairymaid, so she was presumably working with her grandfather William Batten Collett, who was a dairyman. Absent son Sidney had already left the family home and was working in a London hotel

The death of Mary Ann Collett was recorded at Whitechapel register office (Ref. 1c 261) during the last three months of 1887, just south of Tottenham. Nothing so far has been found to confirmed that she was the third wife William Henry Miles Collett. However, another unverified source believes that William was married to Jane from Norfolk shortly after, with the two of them residing at North Grove in Tottenham in 1891, where Henry was employed as a road labourer, with him and Jane being a roughly the same age. Six years after that census day, William Henry Miles Collett died when he was 56, with his death recorded at Edmonton register office (Ref. 3a 181) during the second quarter of 1897

31P48 – Sidney Collett was born in 1862 at Tottenham, London

The following two children are from William H M Collett and his second wife Elizabeth Page:

31P49 – William Henry Miles Collett was born in 1864 at Tottenham, London

31P50 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1865 at Tottenham, London

The following two children are from William H M Collett by his third wife Mary Ann Herbert:

31P51 – Ada Miles Collett was born in 1868 at Tottenham, London

31P52 – William Herbert Collett was born in 1869 at Tottenham, London

31P53 – Henry Miles Collett was born in 1871 at Tottenham, London

Charlotte Louisa Collett [31O31] was born at South Wraxall, towards the end of 1842 with her birth recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 257) during the last quarter of the year. She was the daughter of William Batten Collett and Sarah Penelope James and was baptised at South Wraxall on 19^th January 1843. Shortly thereafter her parents moved to London where they were living in 1851. However, Charlotte Louisa Collett had died two years earlier, when she was nearly seven years old, her death recorded at Romford in Essex (Ref. xii 156) during the last three months of 1849, the third member of the family to suffer a premature death

Arabella Collett [31O32] was born at Romford, Essex, where her birth was registered during the second quarter of 1844 (Ref. xii 233), another child of William and Sarah Collett. She was approaching her third birthday when she was taken ill and was quickly baptised on 7^th March 1847 at the Church of St Edward the Confessor in Romford, where she was buried on 15^th March 1847. She was the second of seven children not to survive, having died just five weeks after her baby brother Edward (below)

Edward Briscoe Collett [31O33] was born at Romford in 1846, with his birth registered there (Ref. xii 238) during the second quarter of the year. Like his sister Arabella (above), he was baptised at the Church of St Edward the Confessor on 4^th January 1847, another tragic child of William and Sarah Collett. He was the first of the couple’s seven children to suffer an infant death and was under one year old when he died, following which he was buried on 4^th February 1847. His death was recorded at Romford (Ref. xii 205) during the first three months of 1847, when his name was again confirmed as Edward Briscoe Collett

Jane Collett [31O34] was born at Dagenham in Essex, perhaps at the end of 1848 or during the month of January in 1849, when she birth was registered at Romford (Ref. xii 247) during the first quarter of 1849. She was baptised at the Church of St Peter & St Paul in Dagenham on 28^th January 1849, yet another tragic child of William and Sarah Collett. Fifteen months after she was baptised, she died and was buried at St John’s Church in Hackney on 1^st May 1850, the fourth child not to survive. The death of Jane Collett aged one year was recorded at Hackney (Ref. iii 122) during the second quarter of 1850, with the parish burial record confirming the home address was Hertford Road and that she was sixteen months of age

John Miles Collett [31O35] was born at 20 Prospect Place in Stoke Newington, London in 1851, with his birth recorded at Hackney (Ref. iii 240) during the first quarter of the year. He was baptised at the parish Church of St Paul on Stoke Newington Road in West Hackney on 9^th March 1851, another child of William and Sarah Collett. Shortly thereafter, John aged two months, and his family, were confirmed as living at 20 Prospect Place within the Hackney parish of St Mary Stoke Newington. Thirty-one months later, John Miles Collett died and was buried at St John’s Church in Hackney on 30^th October 1853, his death recorded under his full name at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 84) during the last two months of that year. He was the fifth child not to survive

Constance Jessie Miles Collett [31O36] was born at Tottenham, London on 27^th August 1852, her birth recorded at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 125), another daughter of William Batten Collett and his wife Sarah Penelope. Rather curiously, it was at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire where she was baptised on 26^th September that same year. Tragically, the death of Constance Jessie Miles Collett was recorded at Edmonton register office (Ref. 3a 86) during the last three months of 1853, where the deaths of her older brother John Miles Collett, and her younger sister Charlotte Miles Collett, were also recorded during the same quarter of the year. Following her passing, she was buried at the Church of St John in Hackney on the 23^rd December 1853, the sixth child of the family to have her life cut short

Charlotte Miles Collett [31O37] was born at Tottenham in 1853, her birth recorded at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 113) during the fourth quarter of that year. With no baptism for her having been found, it is very likely that she died around the same time, particularly since her name was also given to the next daughter born into her family. That would make her the seventh child within the family to have a premature death

Amy Charlotte Miles Collett [31O38] was born at Tottenham in 1854, with her birth registered at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 113) during the first three weeks of October, but only as Charlotte Miles Collett. She was youngest daughter of William Batten Collett and Sarah Penelope James and, on 22^nd October 1854 she was baptised at Tottenham as Amy Charlotte Miles Collett. It was also in Tottenham, at Markfield Road, that she was living with her family when, as simply Amy Collett, she was seven years old in 1861, and again in 1871 when she 15 years old and still attending school. She was recorded simply as Amy Miles Collett when she married James Edward Watson at All Hallows Church in Tottenham on 16^th December 1880. The event was recorded at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 341) where it was confirmed that Amy was 26 and the daughter of William Batten Collett, while James, aged 25, was the son of John James Watson. The earlier baptism of James Edward Watson was conducted at the Church of St Sepulchre in the City of London on 29^th June 1856, following his birth on 15^th March 1856, the son of John James and Sophia Watson

Three months after their wedding day, James and Amy were living with Amy’s parents at The Poplars, 9 Markfield Road in Tottenham on the day the census was conducted in 1881. James Watson was still 25 and a hairdresser who had been born within the City of London, while Amy Watson was still 26. Over the following decade Amy gave birth to at least three children, with a big gap between the second and the third child, when perhaps there may have been a fourth child who did not survive. All three children were born while James and Amy were still living in Tottenham, and it was there also that the family was still living in 1891

The census that year listed the family as James Watson, a perfumer, and his wife Amy from Tottenham, who were both incorrectly recorded as being 34, their daughter Hilda Watson was nine, son Leslie Watson was eight and Claude Watson was four years old. Staying with the family on that day was the daughter of Amy’s older married brother William (above), niece Ada Miles Collett who was 21 and from Tottenham, who had no occupation, so was likely to be helping Amy with her young children or assisting her uncle with his perfumery business

During the following year another daughter was added to their family and two years after that Amy presented James with their last child, by which time the family had left Tottenham and was living in Hackney. Their time at Hackney was short-lived because, in the March census of 1901, the family was residing at 8 Beaulieu Villas on the Seven Sisters Road in Stoke Newington. Living there with the couple were their five children, the first four born at Tottenham and the last at Hackney. By that time in their lives James from Clerkenwell and Amy from Tottenham were both 45 and described as living on their own means. Their children were confirmed as Hilda Watson who was 20, Leslie Watson - who was 19 and a wholesale newsagent’s assistant, Claude Watson who was 14 - with no stated occupation so perhaps he was in his last year at school, Violet Watson who was eight and Lilian Watson who was six

Seven years later James Edward Watson passed away, his death recorded at Hackney register office (Ref. 1b 205) during the second quarter of 1908, following which he was buried at Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington during the month of April that year. It is interesting that the probate process provided information that he had addresses at 95 Stamford Hill and 25 Dalston Lane, Dalston in Middlesex and that he died on 26^th April 1908 at 95 Stamford Hill in Stoke Newington. His widow Amy Charlotte Miles Watson was named as the executor of his personal effects valued at £1,890. That sad event may have been the reason why the family moved house and why Amy had to become the breadwinner for her family. The census in 1911 placed Amy Watson, aged 57, living just five hundred metres from Stamford Hill at 32 Forburg Road in Stoke Newington when she was described as a widow and a wholesale newsagent. Still living with her was her unmarried daughter Hilda who was 29, and her two youngest daughters Violet who was 18 and Lilian who was 16

The first of the couple’s five children was Hilda Amy Mary Watson who born during October in 1881 at Tottenham. She was nearly forty when she married (1) Andrew Moyes, aged 51 and a banker, on 11^th June 1921 at St Mary’s Church in Stoke Newington, when her address was 37 Portland Avenue in Clapton. Andrew was born in 1870 and he died on 12^th August 1930 which still in Middlesex. Hilda then married (2) Alexander John McKnight during the month of September in 1939 at Islington, Middlesex. He was born on 29^th June 1874 at Troqueer, Kirkcudbright, Scotland, and died in Worthing on 17^th November 1941. There was no issue from either marriage, with Hilda Amy Mary also residing at Worthing when she passed away on 25^th July 1959, at the age of 78

The second child was Leslie Alan Wilfred Watson who was also born at Tottenham, in October 1882, who was baptised at All Hallows Church in Tottenham on 8^th February 1883. He married Agnes Bryan on 15^th March 1908 at St Matthias’ Church in Stoke Newington. Agnes was born at Clapton around 1880 and, in the 1911 census Leslie and Agnes) were described as newsagents, with two children, Connie Watson and Cecil Watson born in 1910 and 1911 respectively. Leslie was still living in London when he died on 22^nd August 1959, aged 76. His brother, Claude Julian Samuel Miles Watson was born in 1887 at Tottenham and was also baptised at All Hallows Church on 21^st April 1887. He later married Florence Daisy Carpenter on 27^th January 1910 at the Church of St George in Enfield. Florence was born at Banbury in Oxfordshire during October 1887. As was the case with his older brother, Claude was also a newsagent on the day of the census in 1911, by which time he and Florence had a daughter Phyllis Mary Watson, who was baptised at St John’s Church in Hackney on 11^th September 1910

The fourth child of Amy Charlotte Miles Collett and James Edward Watson was Violet Olive Penelope Miles Watson who was born at Tottenham in January 1893. She married Vernon Herbert Jones, a clergyman, on 21^st April 1921 at St Mary’s Church in Stoke Newington. Vernon was born at Highbury in October 1882, and he died on 2^nd June 1947 at ‘Hurstdale’ 44 Wood Lane in Highgate, his wife having pre-deceased him by then. The couple’s last child was Lilian Watson who was born in 1895

Francis James Miles Collett [31O39], who was often referred to as Frank, was born at Tottenham in 1857. His birth, under his full name, was registered at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 115) during the first three months of the year, the last child of William Batten Collett and Sarah Penelope James, after which he was baptised six months later at All Hallows Church in Tottenham on 16^th August 1857. Francis Collett was four years old and living with his family at Markfield Road, Tottenham, in 1861 and was 13 years of age in the census of 1871, when he was living with his parents at their home in Tottenham. Six years later Francis James M Collett married Elizabeth Jane Atkinson on 27^th January 1877 at Holy Trinity Church in Hoxton, with the event recorded at Shoreditch (Ref. 1c 204). The parish register for the Borough of Hackney confirmed that Francis was 20 and a pianoforte maker, the son of William Batten Collett, with Elizabeth being the daughter of Walter William Atkinson, who had also been born at Tottenham on 19^th March 1856. The couple’s first child was born at Hoxton at the end of that same year, where their next three children were born, before moving to Tottenham around the middle of the 1880s. Tragically, three of the couple’s first four children did not survive

By the time of the census in 1881, the couple and their third child were recorded as lodgers at 12 Bridport Place in Hoxton, overlooking Shoreditch Park, the home of the Atkinson family. Head of the household was Elizabeth’s widowed mother Ellen Atkinson, aged 56 and a cabinet manufacturer, and with her were two unmarried daughters Ellen Atkinson who was 27 and a liner for a cabinet manufacturer, and Alice Atkinson who was 20 and working in fancy trimmings. Completing the family group was lodger Francis J Collett who was 24 and a packing-case maker and carpenter, his wife Elizabeth Collett who was 25 and a wooden box maker, and their four-month-old daughter Florence Collett. Every member of the household was confirmed as having been born at Tottenham

Six more children were added to their family over the next twenty years, three of them born prior to the census in 1891, although the first of those three also suffered an infant death. On that occasion the family was residing in Tottenham, where Francis Collett was 35 and a cabinet maker, Elizabeth was 36, Florence was 10, Matilda was six, and son Leslie was two years old. Elizabeth was expecting the couple’s sixth child on the day of the census, with another daughter being born just six weeks later. Over the next eight years the couple’s final two children were added to their family. All of this was verified in the next census conducted at the end of March 1901 when the completed family was living at 28 Steele Road in Tottenham. Francis James Collett of Tottenham was 44 and a cabinet maker, his wife Elizabeth Jane from Shoreditch was 45, and their eldest child was Florence Amy Collett who was 20 and from Hoxton. All of the other children had been born at Tottenham, and they were Matilda A Collett who was 16, Leslie Wm Collett who was 12, Edith May Collett who was nine, Lilian Penelope Collett who was six, and Alice Elizabeth Collett who was two

Ten years later in April 1911 the family was still living in Tottenham, although by that time the couple’s eldest daughter had left the family home and was living and working nearby in Hackney. The remainder of the family at Tottenham was recorded as Francis Collett who was 54 and a cabinet maker’s assistant, Elizabeth Collett who was 55 and born at Shoreditch, Matilda Collett who was 26, Leslie Collett who was 22, May Collett who was 19, Lillian Collett who was 14 and Alice Collett who was 12. It was eleven years after that when Francis James Miles Collett died at the age of 65, his death being recorded at Edmonton register office (Ref. 3a 866) during the first three months of 1922. Elizabeth Jane Collett nee Atkinson was a widow for the next six years and was still living in Tottenham when she passed away aged 72. Her death was also recorded at Edmonton register office (Ref. 3a 704) during the first quarter of 1928

31P54 – Elizabeth Louisa Miles Collett was born in 1878 at Hoxton, London

31P55 – Francis William Miles Collett was born in 1879 at Hoxton, London

31P56 – Florence Amy Miles Collett was born in 1880 at Hoxton, London

31P57 – William John Miles Collett was born in 1883 at Hoxton, London

31P58 – Matilda Ellen Miles Collett was born in 1885 at Tottenham, London

31P59 – Leslie William Miles Collett was born in 1888 at Tottenham, London

31P60 – May Edith Miles Collett was born in 1891 at Tottenham, London

31P61 – Lilian Penelope Miles Collett was born in 1894 at Tottenham, London

31P62 – Alice Elizabeth Miles Collett was born in 1898 at Tottenham, London

Mary Arabella Collett [31O40] was born at Portsea in Portsmouth during either later 1852 or early 1853, since her birth was registered at Portsea (Ref. 2b 407) in the first three months of 1853. Shortly after she was born, the family moved to London where, in 1856, they were living at 54 Hardwick Place in Plumstead. Rather oddly she was referred to as Margaret aged eight in the 1861 Census and was living with her family at 20 Holywell Row in Shoreditch. Ten years later, at the age of 18, she was listed as Mary, when she was still living with her parents who, by then, had moved to 5 Pleasant Row in Shoreditch St Leonards, from where she was working as a carpet sewer

It was at Shoreditch in 1872 when Mary married chair maker and cabinet maker William Augustus Cottle who had been born at Shoreditch in 1850. Over the next nine years the marriage produced four children for the couple. In 1881 the census revealed that the family was living at 31 Homer Road in Hackney, which was the home of Mary’s parents Andrew and Sarah Collett. The census also confirmed that she was born at Portsmouth and that she was 28. Her occupation at that time was stated as being that of a carpet sewer as it had been ten years earlier, that being the same occupation also taken up by her sister Sarah (below)

Mary and William’s first child was Andrew Cottle who was seven and named after his grandfather, who had been born at Shoreditch, followed by William Cottle who was three and named after his father, who had been born at the City Road Hospital in London. In addition to them there were two further grandchildren who were both 18 months old and they were daughter Alice Cottle and a second William Cottle, and both of them had been born at Hackney. It seems rather curious that the couple’s second and fourth child appear to share the same christian name being listed in the census as ‘William Collett’ and ‘Wm Collett’. However, it was later confirmed they were William John and William Henry

The family was still living in Hackney on 28^th October 1899, but on that date had moved to 2 Grove Passage off Mare Street, although no record of them at all has so far been found in the census of 1901. The couple’s four children were Andrew Cottle who was born in 1873 at Shoreditch, William John Cottle who was born in London in 1877, Alice Cottle who was born at Hackney during September 1879, and William H Cottle who was born at Hackney in March 1881. William John Cottle later married Elizabeth Rebecca who was also born in 1877, and by 1911 they were living at 19 Northampton Grove in Canonbury within the London Borough of Islington. They already had four children by then, while staying with the family at that time was William’s widowed mother Mary Arabella Cottle who was 58 and a carpet sewer from Portsmouth

Charlotte Matilda Collett [31O41] was born at Peckham near Southwark in Kent during 1854. In 1856 she was living with her parents at 54 Hardwick Place in Plumstead but by 1861 they had moved to 20 Holywell Row in Shoreditch where she was referred to as Blanche aged six years. Ten years later as Charlotte Collett, aged 16, she was a resident of St Lukes in Finsbury. Three years after in 1874 she married (1) Charles Pollikett at Bethnal Green. He was the son of John and Hannah Pollikett and was born in the City of London during 1853. In 1861 he and his parents were living at 2 Constitution Hill off Southwood Lane in Hornsey and ten years later they had moved to 5 Constitution Hill. It was at that latter address that Charles and Charlotte made their home and it was there also where all of their eight children were born

According to the 1881 Census, Charlotte, aged 26 and born at Woolwich, was living with her husband Charles, aged 27, a domestic gardener who had been born at City Road Hospital. Living with them were their first three children Edith Pollikett who was six, Frederick Pollikett who was four and William Pollikett who was 18 months old. Also listed with the family was lodger and widower Alfred Pearl, aged 40, a harness maker. In 1881 Charlotte’s mother-in-law Hannah Pollikett, a widow and a nurse of 66 years was a visitor at Seeley’s Farm in Back Lane, Streatham in Surrey, the home of cowman John and Eliza Hart

The family lived all of their life at 5 Constitution Hill in Hornsey as confirmed by the census returns for 1881, 1891 and 1901. By the time of the latter census, Charlotte from Woolwich, who was 46 by then, had been made a widow by the earlier death of Charles Pollikett and still had her whole family living there with her, with the exception of her married son Frederick. He had left the family home and was married to Alice Beatrice Housden and, at the age of 24, he was living at another address in Hornsey from where he was working as a toilet attendance at a local museum. The Hornsey born children of Charles and Charlotte were Edith Pollikett born in 1875, Frederick Pollikett born in 1877, William Pollikett born in 1879, Arthur Pollikett born in 1883, Sidney Pollikett born in 1885, Walter Pollikett born in 1887, Herbert Pollikett born in 1890 and Ethel Pollikett who was born in 1894

Sometime during the first decade of the new century widow Charlotte Matilda Pollikett married for a second time in Edmonton when she became Charlotte Matilda Newman, the wife of Henry James Newman. In the Edmonton census of 1911, the couple was residing in Hornsey where Henry and Charlotte were both 55. Still living with Charlotte were five of her Pollikett children, and they were Arthur George who was 28, Sidney who was 26, Walter who was 24, Herbert who was 21 and Ethel Pollikett who was 15. In addition to those five children, Henry also had his son William Newman still living with him at the age of 18. Twenty years later the death of Charlotte M Newman was recorded at Edmonton register office (Ref. 3a 754) during the first three months of 1931 when she was 76

John Robert Collett [31O42], who was referred to in different ways during his life, was born on 21^st March 1856, the son of Andrew Collett and Sarah Curnick. At the time of his birth, they were living at 54 Hardwick Road in Plumstead near Woolwich. In the 1861 Census he was referred to as Thomas R Collett aged five years, when he was living with his family at 20 Holywell Row in Shoreditch. By 1871 he and his parents had moved house and were living at 5 Pleasant Row in Shoreditch where he was referred to as John R Collett, aged 15. Exactly five years later, and immediately following his twentieth birthday, he became a married man

He married Sarah Elizabeth Sharpington on 27^th March 1876 at St Thomas’ Church in Bethnal Green. Sarah was born in 1857 at St Lukes in Shoreditch and was the daughter of John and Frances Sharpington of 10 Hill Street in Shoreditch. In the 1871 Census Sarah’s occupation was that of a domestic servant. According to the next census in 1881 he was again named as Thomas Collett, aged 24, who had been born at Woolwich. His occupation at that time was that of a French polisher. His wife Sarah was 23 and of Shoreditch and was also listed as a French polisher. Missing, was their son William Andrew Collett who would have been one-year-old. On that occasion Thomas (aka John) and Sarah were living at 31 Homer Road, within the Hackney suburb of Homerton, the home of his parents Andrew and Sarah Collett. It was also in Homerton, where all of their five children were born, with the first two certainly born at 31 Homer Road

It was in 1891 that John Collett was 35 and again working as a French polisher, when he and his wife Sarah, aged 33, were residents in the West Hackney area of London. Living with the couple by then were their first four children. William Collett who was 11, Sarah Collett who was eight, John Collett who was three and Henry Collett who was one year old. It is also known that their son John had been born at 25 Homer Road in Homerton. Just less than three years later, John Robert Collett died on 23^rd January 1894 while he was living at 3 Haywoods Buildings in Homerton. It is not known if he died before or after the birth of his final child. However, following the death of her husband Sarah married (2) John Cook in 1896, with whom she had three more children. By the time of the next census in March 1901 Sarah Cook, aged 43 and from Shoreditch, was living with her husband brick-maker John Cook, aged 44 and from Wandsworth, at 1 Suther Street in Hackney. Also living at that address were the five Hackney born children of Sarah and John Collett, as well as Sarah’s three children by John Cook

Sarah’s eldest son William Collett, aged 21, was working as a glass blower, while his sister Sarah Collett, aged 18, was a Gladstone bag maker. Sarah’s three youngest sons were listed as John Collett aged 14, Henry Collett aged 12, and Frank Collett who was six years old, and all of them were still attending school. The three Cook children were twins Robert Cook and Thomas Cook, both four years old, plus Harriet Cook who was two years old. Sarah’s daughter Sarah Matilda Collett had left the Cook’s family home prior to the census in 1911, presumably to be married, as had her son John George Collett

By the time of the census that year only Sarah’s three sons William, Henry and Frank Collett were still living with Sarah and John at 32 White Post Lane, Victoria Park at Hackney Wick, a five roomed dwelling. Sarah Cook was 54, while John Cook was 57. The couple had been married for fifteen years and John was a boot finisher from Salisbury in Wiltshire and Sarah’s place of birth was Shoreditch. The five children of John Cook by his wife Sarah were Charles Cook, aged 28 and a glass bottle maker, Elizabeth Cook, aged 21 who was working in a jam factory, Robert Cook, aged 14 who was a printer’s boy, Thomas Cook, also 14 who was a printer’s joiner, and Harriet Cook who was 12 and still attending school

The three remaining members of the Collett family still living with the Cook family in 1911 were William Collett, who was 31 and a glass bottle maker, Henry Collett, who was 21 and a printer’s joiner, and Frank Collett who was 17 and a printer’s layer-on. All three of them were confirmed as having been born at Hackney, as had all of the Cook children. One other person was living with the family on that occasion, and he was one-year old Frank Cook from Poplar, who was described as the grandson of John Cook. It was thirteen years after that, when Sarah Cook formerly Collett, nee Sharpington, died at Bow during 1924

31P63 – William Andrew Collett was born in 1879 at Homerton, Hackney

31P64 – Sarah Matilda Collett was born in 1883 at Homerton, Hackney

31P65 – John George C Collett was born in 1887 at Homerton, Hackney

31P66 – Henry Francis Collett was born in 1890 at Homerton, Hackney

31P67 – Frank Collett was born in 1894 at Homerton, Hackney

Sarah Elizabeth Collett [31O43], who was also known as Elizabeth, was born at Town Street in Shepton Mallet on 23^rd April 1858. Within the first two years of her life her parents moved from Shepton Mallet to Clifton in Bristol and, shortly after, back to London, where they had lived before Sarah was born. That was confirmed by the 1861 Census in which Sarah was three years old and was living with her family at 20 Holywell Row in Shoreditch. Upon leaving school she took up the occupation of a carpet sewer like her older sister Mary Arabella (above). She married Walter Clarence William Lifford on 22^nd April 1877 at St Thomas’ Church in Bethnal Green, when her address was given as George Street in Bethnal Green. Walter’s address was given as Cambridge Heath Road, also in Bethnal Green. Walter was the son of Joseph and Amelia Jane Andrews of 9a Seabright Street in Bethnal Green, who was born on 26^th March 1858 at 2 Wood Street in Clerkenwell. He was baptised at St Thomas Charterhouse in Finsbury on 24^th April 1859. His first job was as an errand boy, but his later occupation was that of a French polisher

What is of interest is that in 1871, Sarah and Walter were neighbours and possibly childhood sweethearts. The Collett family was living at 5 Pleasant Row, while the Lifford family home was at 4 Pleasant Row in Shoreditch. Eight months after they were married Sarah gave birth to their first child while living in Shoreditch. However, at the time the birth was registered, their address was given as 31 Homer Road in Hackney, the home of Sarah’s parents Andrew and Sarah Collett

In 1881 Sarah and Walter had moved back to Shoreditch where all of their other children were born. Living with them at that time at 32 Union Street in Shoreditch were their daughters Sarah Amelia aged three years and baby Agnes Lifford who was seven months old. By 1891 the family had moved back to Hackney and were living at 11 Bower Road, where Walter and Sarah spent the remainder of their lives together. In April 1911 Walter was 53 and Sarah was 52, and the only members of the family still living with them were Harry Lifford who was 24, and Jane Lifford who was 20. It was over eleven years later that Sarah Elizabeth Lifford nee Collett died at 11 Bower Road in Hackney Wick on 3^rd September 1922, the cause of death being valvular disease of the heart. Walter Clarence William Lifford died very soon after his wife on 16^th October 1922, by which time he was listed as living at 230 High Street in Hackney. He officially died of pulmonary congestion from a throat wound caused by suicide whilst of unsound mind. Perhaps he found it difficult to come to terms with the death of his wife only six weeks earlier

31P68 – Sarah Amelia Lifford was born in 1877 at Shoreditch, London

William Andrew Collett [31O44] was born at Clifton in Bristol during 1860 and shortly after he was born the family returned to London. For the census the following year, and under one year old, William was living with his parents at 20 Holywell Row and ten years later at 11 years of age they had moved again and were living at 5 Pleasant Row, both in Shoreditch. By 1881 the family had left Shoreditch and had moved to Hackney and were living at 31 Homer Road where William was 20 and his occupation was that of a porter. Shortly after that in 1883, William married Emily Smith at West Ham in London. Emily was born in 1863 at Bow in London. Their first child was born while the couple was living at Clapton, with all of their remaining children born at 229 Wick Road in Hackney

In 1901 the family had moved again and was living at 222 Morning Lane in Hackney. The census recorded William aged 40 as having been born in Bristol and that he had changed his occupation and was a carpet planner, a trade allied to that of his older sisters who were carpet sewers. The rest of his family living at Morning Lane comprised his wife Emily aged 37 who was born at Bow, and their daughters Emily aged 17, Isabella aged 13, Harriett aged 11, Maud who was four and Rose who was two years old. Ten years later in 1911, William and his daughters were living in the West Ham area of London but, so far, no trace has been found of his wife. William was 51, Emily was 27, Isabella was 23, Harriet was 21, Edith was 14 and Rose was 12. What happened over the next twenty-five years is not known at this time, but it was at the South-Western register office for Essex where the death of William Andrew Collett was recorded (Ref. 4a 298) during the final three months of 1936 when he was 76 years old

31P69 – Emily Collett was born in 1883 at Clapton, London

31P70 – Isabella Collett was born in 1887 at Hackney, London

31P71 – Harriet Louise Collett was born in 1889 at Hackney, London

31P72 – Edith Maud Collett was born in 18963 at Hackney, London

31P73 – Rose Collett was born in 1898 at Hackney, London

Henry John Collett [31O45] was born in the City of London in 1865. In both 1871 and 1881 he was living in the family home at 5 Pleasant Row in Shoreditch and at 31 Homer Road in Hackney respectively, and while at the latter he was working as a carman’s van boy at the age of 15. By the time he was 25 he was still single when he was living at 4 Union Street in Chatham in Kent from where he was working as a horse keeper in 1891. Three years later Henry married Marion Rider in 1894 at Hackney with Marion having been born at Poplar in London during 1869. Their first two children were born while the couple were living at Hackney, while the last three children were born at Stoke Newington

According to the 1901 Census the family was living at 26 Arthur Road in Stoke Newington from where Henry aged 36 was employed as a bricklayer’s labourer. Marian was confirmed as being aged 32 and born at Poplar, while their children were Sarah Collett who was six, Marian Collett who was four, Edith Collett who was three, Henry Collett who was two and Andrew Collett who was one year old. Tragically, for the young family, Henry John Collett died when he was only 44, his death recorded at Hackney register office (Ref. 1b 340) during the first quarter of 1909, but not before he had fathered two more children

By the time of the census in April 1911, Marion Collett was a widow of 46 (sic) who was working as a charwoman, while living in the Hackney area of London with four of her five children. They were Sarah Collett who was 16, Marion Amelia Collett who was 14, as were Henry C Collett who was 12 and Andrew Collett who was 11. The two new arrivals were Edwin Frank Collett who was eight and Eleanor V Collett who was six years of age, both of them born at Homerton. Missing daughter Edith would have been thirteen years of age so, had perhaps not survived long after the day of the previous census

31P74 – Sarah Collett was born in 1895 at Hackney, London

31P75 – Marion Amelia Collett was born in 1896 at Hackney, London

31P76 – Edith Charlotte Collett was born in 1897 at Stoke Newington, London

31P77 – Henry C Collett was born in 1898 at Stoke Newington, London

31P78 – Andrew Collett was born in 1899 at Stoke Newington, London

31P79 – Frank Edwin Collett was born in 1903 at Hackney, London

31P80 – Eleanor Victoria Collett was born in 1905 at Homerton, Hackney

George Collett [31O46] was born at Shoreditch in London during 1869, the son of Andrew William Collett and Sarah Curnick. Two years after the birth he was living with his family at 5 Pleasant Row at the age of two, and ten years after that they were living at 31 Homer Road when he was11. Both addresses were in Shoreditch. Rather curiously, no obvious record of George has been found in any census after 1881, and only one other George, who was actually George Frederick Collett (Ref. 28O49) from Holborn, was born around the same time and he and his family can be found in Part 28 – The Faringdon Line

Rebecca Collett [31P1] was born at Bathford, near Bath in 1834 on an unknown father, the base-born daughter of Betsy Gisford Collett, who later married Job Smith in April 1840. From then, Rebecca lived with her mother and stepfather at Colerne in 1841 at Upper House, when she was seven years old, and again in 1851 when she was 16, at Thickwood Farm. By 1861, when Rebecca Collett was 27, she was still living with Betsy and Job Smith, but at Lower Street in Bradford-on-Avon. It was only for the censuses conducted in 1871 and 1881 that she gave her place of birth as Bathford. In the first of them, she was 34 (sic) and, by the latter, her mother had died, when Rebecca Collett was 47, with a six-year-old daughter Mary Elizabeth Collett, and was still living in Bradford with her stepfather, at Channels.

Her base-born daughter was named after her grandmother (Mary Gisford) and her own mother, and was Rebecca’s third child born out of wedlock. The first of them was Thomas Collett, whose birth was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 122) during the first quarter of 1856. He was baptised at South Wraxall on 9^th March 1856 and was confirmed as the son of Rebecca Collett, but tragically suffered an infant death at the end of June that same year. The death of Thomas Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 68) during the third quarter of 1856, following his burial at South Wraxall on 1^st July 1856. Less than four years after losing her son, Rebecca found herself with-child again and gave birth to another son, whose birth was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 135) during the second quarter of 1870. The baptism of George Edward Collett took place at South Wraxall on 5^th June 1870, when his mother was again confirmed as Rebecca Collett. That child, like her first, also did not survive and, died around eight months later, his death recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 98) during the first quarter of 1971. He too was buried at South Wraxall, on 6^th March 1871

Three years later, Rebecca gave birth to her third base-born child by an unnamed father, the birth of Mary Collett recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 134) during the last three months on 1874. On the day she was baptised at South Wraxall, on 10^th January 1875, Mary Elizabeth Collett was confirmed as the daughter of Rebecca Collett. The next big event in her life, was the death of Rebecca’s mother Elizabeth, who died late in the month of March in 1881, just before the census day that year. Towards the end of 1890, the death of Rebecca Collett, aged 56, was recorded at Bradford register office (Ref. 5a 74) during the last quarter of that year. A few months later her daughter, Mary Collett was 16 years old, when she was working as a general domestic servant at the home of cabinet maker Charles Long, his wife and their five children at The Shambles in the centre of Bradford-on-Avon

Ten years later, in 1901, Mary Elizabeth Collett was a visitor at the Alderley home of the Hulance family, near Hawkesbury in Gloucestershire, where she was working as a general domestic servant at the age of 26, when her place of birth was curiously recorded as Bathwick, not far from where her late mother had been born. The only other Collett living within that registration district, on that day, was an Emily M Collett who was 31 and the wife of Doctor Robert William Collett (Ref. 18P34) – as detailed in Part 18 – The Suffolk Line. Upon being married to Frederick James Rogers, aged 44 and the son of Samuel Francis Rogers, at Bishopston in Bristol on 18^th November 1905, Mary Elizabeth Collett was 31 and gave her father’s name as Job Collett, aka her stepfather Job Smith

31Q1 - Thomas Collett was born in 1856 at South Wraxall; died in 1856

31Q2 - George Edward M Collett was born in 1870 at South Wraxall; died in 1871

31Q3 - Mary Elizabeth Collett was born in 1874 at South Wraxall

Stephen Collett [31P2] was born at Bradford-on-Avon in either late 1838 or early in 1839, his birth recorded there (Ref. viii 258) during the first three months of 1839. He was the eldest child of Henry Collett, a sawyer, and his wife Ann from Chippenham, and was two years old when living with his parents at White Hill in Bradford in 1841. Ten years later, Stephen was 11 years of age when he still attending school in Bradford-on-Avon where his family was still living. It was at Slades Brook in Bradford that the family was recorded in 1861, by which time unmarried Stephen was 22 and working as an agricultural labourer, possibly alongside his father. His father died in 1871, but where Stephen was has not yet been discovered. However, wherever he was at that time, he returned to be the only child living with his widowed mother in 1881. Both of them were inmates, most likely in the workhouse at Westwood-with-Iford west of Bradford, when Stephen Collett was 44 (sic) and a sawyer, like his late father. It was four years after that when his mother passed away, and only days later, the death of Stephen Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 70/180) during the last quarter of 1855 at an estimated age of 45

Arthur Henry Collett [31P4] was born at Bradford-on-Avon in 1844, his birth recorded there (Ref. viii 268) during the first quarter of that year. When he was baptised at Bradford on 7^th April 1844, the entry in the parish register recorded him as simply Arthur Collett, the son of Henry and Ann Collett. In 1851 Arthur was six years old when living in Bradford with his family, but was absent from the family home at Slades Brook in 1861. Approximately five years later, the marriage of Arthur William Collett and Harriet Hayward was recorded at Bradford (Ref. 5a 149) during the first quarter of 1867. Harriet, the daughter of Daniel and Sarah Hayward, was some years older than Arthur, having been born around 1831, and already had a daughter born out of wedlock at Bearfield in Bradford in 1858. In addition, and prior to their wedding day, Harriet had given birth to Arthur’s first child, although registration of the birth, or baptism has not been found. Once married, they continued to live in Bradford, where Harriet gave birth to at least two more children, two of them living with the couple in Bradford-on-Avon in 1871

The census that year recorded the family as Arthur Collett who was 27 and a labourer, Harriet Collett who was said to be 34 instead of 40, and their sons William Collett who was five and Henry Collett who was two years old. Completing the family was Harriet’s daughter Emily (Hayward) Collett who was 13. Ten years earlier, unmarried Harriet Hayward and her three-year-old base-born daughter were living with Harriet’s widowed mother at Bearfield in Bradford-on-Avon, when Harriet was 29 and working as a charwoman, who had been 20 years of age in the previous census of 1851. The birth of Emily Hayward was registered at Bradford (Ref. 5a 124) during the third quarter of 1857. The third known child of Arthur and Harriet was born at Bradford during the summer of 1874 and was six years of age in the Bradford census of 1881. Sadly, when she was only two years old, the death of her father was recorded at Bradford (Ref. 5a 73) during the third quarter of 1876, when he was only 32 years of age, despite being recorded as 34 by his wife. Arthur Collett was buried in Bradford-on-Avon on 18^th July 1876

As a consequence, Harriet Collett was a widow in the census of 1881, when she was earning a living as a laundress at the age of 50. Her unmarried daughter Emily Hayward was 23 and a cloth weaver in wool, and her two children by Arthur were Harry (Henry) Collett who was 12 and Sarah Collett who was six. Missing from the family was Arthur’s eldest son, whose death was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 83) as Arthur William Collett, during the first three months of 1881, when he was 15. Just over three years later, the marriage of Emily Hayward and Frederick William Knott was recorded at Bradford (Ref. 5a 251) during the last three months of 1884. By 1891, it was only Harriet and her daughter Sarah who were still living in Bradford-on-Avon, Harriet being 60 and a retired laundress, while Sarah Collett was 16 and a quill winder

When Sarah Collett was 23, she married Herbert John Dainton, the event recorded at Bradford-on-Avon register office (Ref. 5a 165) during the first three months of 1898. Three years after, widow Harriet Collett, aged 73, was living at the Bradford home of her oldest married daughter Emily Knott and her husband and their two children. Five years later, the death of Harriet Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon register office (Ref. 5a 75) during the fourth quarter of 1906, when she was said to be 78

31Q4 – William Collett was born in 1866 at Bradford-on-Avon; died in 1881

31Q5 – Henry Collett (aka Harry Hayward Collett) was born in 1868 at Bradford-on-Avon

31Q6 – Sarah Collett was born in 1874 at Bradford-on-Avon

William Collett [31P6] was born at Bradford-on-Avon, where his birth was recorded (Ref. 5a 140) during the first quarter of 1852. It was also at Bradford that he was baptised there on 13^th April 1852, another son of Henry and Ann Collett. He and his family were living at Slades Brook in Bradford in 1861, when William was nine years of age, and was 19 years old and working as a labourer at Bradford ten years later, when he was still with his family. Four years later, the marriage of William Collett and Emma Gulliford was recorded at Bath (Ref. 5c 983) during the second quarter of 1875. At the start of the next decade William and Emma and their first child were living at Corn Street in Bath in 1881. William Collett from Bradford was 29 and again employed as a labourer, his wife Emma from Bath was 30, and daughter Lucy Collett was not yet one-year-old, although she was later referred to as Louisa A Collett

No more children were added to the family and, during the 1880s, William took over the management of an inn at Bath. That was also the situation in 1891, when William Collett was 39 and a licenced refreshment house keeper, who also took in boarders. Emma Collett was 30 and their only child was Louisa A Collett who was 10 years of age. Two years after that census day, the death of William Collett was recorded at Bath (Ref. 5c 392) during the second quarter of 1893, when he was 41. Tragically for their daughter, it was just less than two years as a widow, when the death of Emma Collett was recorded at Bath (Ref. 5c 476) during the first three months of 189, at the age of 43

31Q7 – Louisa Ann Collett was born at Bath in 1880 Qrt 3 (Ref. 5c 621)

Anna Maria Collett [31P8] was born at South Wraxall towards the end of 1850, the eldest child of Thomas Collett and his wife Sarah Collett from Poulshot, near Devizes. Her birth was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 8 300) during the first three months of 1851 and she was four months old on the day of the census in 1851. It was during the following week that Anna Maria Collett was baptised at South Wraxall on 6^th April 1851, the daughter of Thomas and Sarah Collett. Later that same year her father’s work resulted in a family move to Yatton Keynell, where her four younger siblings were born. In 1861 Anna Maria Collett was 10 years old and living with her family on Biddestone Road in Yatton Keynell. It is not clear where she was nine years later, but the death of Anna Maria Collett was recorded at Devizes (Ref. 5a 69) during the second quarter of 1870, when she was only 20 years of age

William Collett [31P10] was born at Yatton Keynell in 1855, the eldest son of Thomas and Sarah Collett, whose birth was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 37) during the second quarter of the year. It was also at Yatton Keynell that he was baptised on 22^nd July 1855. He was five years old and 16 years old in the two census records for Yatton Keynell in 1861 and 1871. On the latter occasion, he was working as an agricultural labourer but, upon the death of his father during the 1870s, it would appear that William took on his work as a quarryman. He was still unmarried by the time of the census in 1881 when he was still living with his mother and younger brother Job Collett (below) at Giddea Hall in Yatton Keynell. The census confirmed that he was a stone quarryman aged 26 from Yatten Keynell, and that he and his brother, were supporting their widowed mother. No record of William Collett has been found after 1881

Although not proved, it is possible that William married Emily Jane Bath, the event recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 131) during the last three months of 1887. However, no record of William or Emily Jane has been found after that day

Elizabeth Collett [31P11] was born at Yatton Keynell near the end of 1857 and was the youngest of the two known daughters of Thomas and Sarah Collett. Her birth was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 45) during the first quarter of 1858 and was baptised at Yatton Keynell on 4^th April that year. She was three years old in 1861 and was 13 years old in 1871 when she was still attending the village school at West Yatton. By 1881, at the age of 23, Elizabeth Collett from Yatten Keynell was working as a domestic servant at the vicarage in Sutton Benger, to the north of Chippenham, the home of Frederick Griffiths, the Curate of Sutton Benger. The baptism record, at Yatton Keynell, for her son Lot Collett on 22^nd February 1874, named the boy’s parents as just Elizabeth Collett. What is perhaps a little surprising is that Elizabeth must have been only sixteen years old when she conceived

The birth of her son Lot Collett was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 57) during the first quarter of 1874 and, by 1881, Lot Collett of Yatton Keynell was seven years old when he was living with his grandmother Sarah Collett at Giddea Hall. Whether he was ever reunited with his mother is not known, since he was only ten years old when his death was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 37) during the first quarter of 1884

31Q8 - Lot Collett was born in 1874 at Yatton Keynell

Job Collett [31P12] was born at Yatton Keynell in 1859, the youngest of the four known children of Thomas and Sarah Collett, whose birth was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 39) during the fourth quarter of that year. He was baptised at Yatton Keynell on 27^th May 1860 and was one year old in 1861, and was 12 years old in 1871 when he was working as an agricultural labourer, while he was still living at Yatton Keynell with his family. Ten years later, and following the death of his father, Job Collett was 22 and a general labourer while he was living with his widowed mother, for whom he was providing financial supporting together with his older brother William (above)

Job was thirty when he married Alice Sheppard, the event recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 129) during the second quarter of 1890. The couple’s first child was born immediately prior to the census day in 1891 when Job Collett was 30 and an agricultural labourer of Yatton Keynell and his wife Alice from Marshfield in Gloucestershire who was 22. Their daughter was described as ‘a female child - name not known, born at Yatton Keynell’, with the parents still to decide upon a name for the child. It was two years later that the couple’s second child was born at Yatton Keynell and, a year later, twins were added to the family. Tragically, around the time of the birth of the twins, the death of Job Collett was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 33) during the last three months of 1894 when he was only 35 years of age. Nearly three years after losing her husband, Alice Collett, widow, married widower George Hayes of Chippenham, their wedding recorded at Chippenham register office (Ref. 5a 124) during the third quarter of 1897. George was many years older than Alice and still had a son, Dan Hayes, living with him at Cattle Lane in Biddestone on the day of the census in 1901

The census return that year listed the family as George Hayes who was 52 and working at Stam Mills, his new wife Alice Hayes, also from Chippenham, was 33 and his son Dan Hayes from Yatton Keynell who was 13. All four children of the late Job Collett, were also recorded with the surname Hayes and they were Mabel Hayes who was 10, Wilfred Hayes who was eight, and the twins Alfred and William Hayes, all four of them born at Yatton Keynell. Completing the family was Alice’s latest child fathered by George Hayes and he was Maurice Hayes, not yet one year old, who had been born after the couple had settled in Biddestone. He was the first of George and Alice’s five children. The family remained at Biddestone until after the fifth child had been born, after which the young family moved to Long Dean, a hamlet to the west of Yatton Keynell and south of Castle Combe

According to the next census in April 1911 the enlarged Hayes family was residing in a seven-roomed property at Long Dean near Yatton Keynell. George Hayes was a farm labourer at the age of 63 and the census return confirmed Alice Hayes, aged 43, had been married to George for fourteen years and that during her life she had given birth to eight children, of which two had already died. On that occasion Alice’s place of birth was recorded as Ashwick, an area within Marshfield, South Gloucestershire. Living with the couple that day was Alice’s eldest son by Job Collett, who was listed as Wilfred H Collett aged 18, who was working as a farm labourer, mostly likely with his stepfather. The H in his name may have been the start of the word Hayes, which was crossed through. Alice’s five surviving children by her second husband were Maurice Charles Hayes 10, Frederick Georges Hayes nine, Herbert Edwin Hayes seven, Allen Hayes three and Katherine Norah Hayes who was two. The two deceased children were Frederick George Hayes (born Qtr2 1901, died Qtr4 1901) and Alice Laura Hayes (born Qtr4 1907, died Qtr4 1908), the latter being the twin sister of Allen Hayes. By that time Alice’s three other Collett children were making their own way in world

31Q9 - Florence Mabel Hannah Collett was born in 1891 at Yatton Keynell

31Q10 - Edward Wilfred Collett was born in 1893 at Yatton Keynell

31Q11 - Alfred Job Collett was born in 1894 at Yatton Keynell

31Q12 - Ernest William Collett was born in 1894 at Yatton Keynell

Edwin Collett [31P14] was born at Monkton Farleigh during 1845, the eldest child of carpenter William Collett his wife Ellen Cottle, who was baptised there on 10^th August 1845. The birth of Edwin Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 354) during the third quarter of that year. By the time of the census in 1851, Edwin from Monkton Farleigh was listed as being aged five years, when he was living at Rubble Hill in Monk Farleigh. Ten years later, in 1861, he was 15 and had already left school and was working with his father as a carpenter. On both occasions he was living with his family in Monkton Farleigh and, for the latter, their dwelling was described as being at Rubble Heep

It seems likely that it was his occupation as a carpenter that resulted in him travelling around a lot to find work and, at the time of the next census in 1871, Edwin Collett aged 25 and from Monkton Farleigh, was a lodger and a trainee with bootmaker Thomas W Smith within the Bath & Abbey registration district of Somerset. Around thirty months after that census day, the marriage of Edwin Collett and Mary Ann Gane was recorded at Bath (Ref. 5c 1151) during the last three months of 1873. Mary Ann was born at Bath, the daughter of William and Ann Gane. It was also at Bath, where their first child was born and within a year, the family of three had moved to Bristol, where their second child was born, before returning to the Walcot area of Bath for the birth of their last two children. It is possible that it was during those years in the late 1870s that Edwin suffered an accident that rendered him blind, which forced him to give up his work as a bootmaker or a carpenter

According to the 1881 Census, Edwin and Mary Ann Collett were living at 7 Dover Terrace in the Walcot district of Bath. The census return, on that occasion, confirmed that Edwin Collett was 35 and had been born at Monkton Farleigh, and described him as being blind and an out of work carpenter. His wife was 31 and her place of birth was confirmed as Bath. The couple’s three sons at that time were listed as William H Collett who was six years old and born at Bath, Edwin G Collett who was four and born at Bristol, and Reginald H Collett who was ten months old, who had also been born at Bath

With Edwin unable to earn a wage, his wife Mary Ann was the income provider through her work as a milliner. The family also took in lodgers to supplement Mary’s income and, living with them at that time, was lodger and bird stuffer Julia Stower aged 24 from Box. The couple’s fourth son was born during the following year, when the family was still living at Walcot in Bath. Sometime after 1882 and before Christmas Day in 1887, the family moved from 7 Dover Terrace to nearby 2 Snow Hill, still in the Walcot area of the City of Bath. And it was there that Edwin Collett died on 25^th December 1887, his death, at the age of 42, recorded at Bath (Ref. 5c 399). The Will of Edwin Collett of 2 Snow Hill was proved at Bristol on 30^th April 1888, when his widow was named as Mary Anne Collett of 2 Myrtle Place, Walcot, who was the sole executor of his personal estate amounting to £50 6 Shillings

By the time of the next census in 1891 his widow and three of his four sons were still living at 2 Myrtle Place in Walcot. Mary Ann Collett was 41 and a milliner, William H Collett was 16, Edwin G Collett was 14 and Arthur T Collett was eight years old. Staying with the family that day, was Mary Ann’s younger sister Emma Gane who was 32. By 1901, Mary A Collett from Bath, was 51 years old and a widow who was continuing her occupation as a milliner, while still living in Bath. With her was her youngest son Arthur Collett who was 18 and also born at Bath. Mary Ann Collett was again recorded as living at Bath in April 1911 when she was 61. And it was while she was living at 6 Highbury Terrace in Bath during October 1917 that she received the tragic news of the death of her youngest son Arthur who was killed at Ypres in the Great War

The death of Mary Anne Collett, the former wife of Edwin Collett, was recorded at Bath register office (Ref. 5c 593) during the second quarter of 1934, when she was 84. An obituary published at that time confirmed the date of her passing as 2^nd June 1934, the widow of Edwin Collett deceased

31Q13 – William Herbert Collett was born in 1874 at Bath

31Q14 – Edwin George Collett was born in 1876 at Bristol

31Q15 – Reginald Harry Collett was born in 1880 at Walcot, Bath

31Q16 – Arthur Thomas Collett was born in 1882 at Walcot, Bath

Ann Cottle Collett [31P15] was born at Monkton Farleigh in 1846, where she was baptised on 9^th August 1846, the daughter of William and Ellen Collett. Her birth, as simply Ann Collett, was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 267) during the third quarter of 1846. She was four years old in the Monkton Farleigh census of 1851 when she was one of four children living there at Bubble Hill with her parents. Ten years later, in the Monkton Farleigh census of 1851, she was still living there at Rubble Heep with her family when she was 14 years old. At the age of 24, Ann Collett from Monkton Farleigh was still a spinster, when she was working as a dressmaker and was one of five servants at the Abbots Leigh home, near Bristol, of alderman and solicitor Henry Abbot, his wife and children. Ten years later, the census in 1881 recorded her as housemaid Annie Collett aged 35, when she was living and working at the home of George R Woodward, a magistrate, alderman and vinegar maker of 1 Cornwallis Grove in Clifton, Bristol

It is evident that she never married and, by 1891, Annie Collett aged 44 was back at Monkton Farleigh with her elderly parents. It is likely that she was looking after them in their old age, since she was not credited with any occupation or job of work. Shortly after that census day, first her mother passed away at Monkton Farleigh, followed a few years later by her father. Upon the death of her mother, Annie and her father moved into nearby in Bath where, the death of her father was recorded and where Annie was living in 1901. By that time in her life Anne Collett from Monkton Farleigh was 54 when she was living and working at Bath, within the Bathwick parish of St John the Baptist, where she was the housekeeper at the home of 51-year-old bachelor Frank Beck from Exeter who was a coach builder’s manager

It is not known as to the state of her relationship with Frank Beck, except that they were still living together in Bath in 1911, but at 6 Norfolk Buildings in the St Michael district of Bath, the home of Harry Pym. He was 57 years of age and a leather harness maker from Combe St Nicholas near Chard, whose wife Jane Elizabeth Pym had died in 1904. On that occasion, Harry had living there with him, Elizabeth Ann Collett from Truro who was 54 and described as being a fruiterer and a florist up until 1909. Completing the household was Ann Collett from Monkton Farleigh aged 64 and a retired housekeeper and Frank Beck who was 62 and a retired manager of a local coach builder. It is very interesting that Ann Collett was recorded as being the sister-in-law in Elizabeth Ann Collett, who is now know to be the widow of Ann’s youngest brother George Collett (below)

Harry Pym died the following year and three years later, the death of Frank Beck was recorded at Bath register office in early 1915. Ann remained living in Bath for the rest of her life, perhaps even with her sister-in-law Elizabeth, and it was at Bath register office (Ref. 5c 565) that the death of Ann Collett was recorded during the last quarter of 1931, at the age of 85. Elizabeth had also died there, earlier that same year

Whyatt Collett [31P16] was born at Monkton Farleigh, where he was baptised on 14^th November 1847, the son of William and Ellen Collett. It was at Bubble Hill that he and his family were living in 1851 and at Rubble Heep in Monkton Farleigh in 1861 when he was 13 and still attending the village school. It was there also that he was living ten years later in 1871 when he was 23. Two years later, the marriage of Whyatt Collett and Jane Goldstone was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 295) during the fourth quarter of 1873. Jane was born at Churchill in 1844, the daughter of John and Eliza Goldstone. By the time of the census in 1881, Whyatt Collett was 33 and a carpenter like his father and eldest brother Edwin (above), when he was living at 8 Lambridge Street in the Larkhall district of Bath. Living with him was his wife Jane Collett, aged 37, who was confirmed as having been born at Churchill in Somerset. Listed with the couple were their three sons Edgar Collett, who was six years old and from Atworth, Whyatt Collett, who was three years of age and from Frankleigh in Bradford-on-Avon, and Frederick Collett, who was one year old and born at Walcot. The final member of the household was their daughter Frances Collett who was five years old and also born at Frankleigh

Three more children were added to the family over the next ten years and, sometime between 1884 and 1888, the family left Larkhall and were recorded as living at West Avenue in Twerton, to the west of Bath, in 1891. That year’s census recorded the family as Whyatt Collett aged 43 and a carpenter, Jane Collett aged 47 and their children Edgar W Collett who was 16, Frances E Collett who was 15, Whyatt Collett who was 12, Frederick J Collett who was nine, Sidney Collett who was eight, Albert Collett who was five and Helen who was four years old

After the turn of the century, they were still living at West Avenue in Twerton, where 53-year-old Whyatt Collett was employed as a carpenter and a binder. Jane was then 57 when just five of their children were still living in the family home with them, and they were Whyatt Collett aged 23, Frederick J Collett aged 21, Sidney Collett aged 18, Albert E Collett aged 16 and Helen Collett who was 14 years of age. The Bath census of 1911 confirmed that Whyatt and Jane had been married for 37 years and that they were living at 106 West Avenue in Twerton. Carpenter and joiner Whyatt Collett of Monkton Farleigh was 63 and working within the building industry, while his wife Jane Collett from Churchill near Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset was 67. The only member of their family still living with them at that time was their married son Whyatt Collett who was 33 and a house painter and decorator

Fifteen years later, the death of Whyatt Collett was recorded at Bath register office (Ref. 5c 638) during the second quarter of 1926, when he was 78 years old. It was during the following year that his widow died on 8^th August 1927, her death recorded at Bath register office (Ref. 5c 510), when she was 83. Settlement of her estate took a while for some reason, and was resolved at Bath on 25^th February 1928 in favour of beneficiaries Whyatt Collett and Frederick John Collett

31Q17 – Edgar William Collett was born in 1874 at Atworth

31Q18 – Frances Eliza Collett was born in 1876 at Frankleigh

31Q19 – Whyatt Collett was born in 1877 at Frankleigh

31Q20 – Frederick John Collett was born in 1879 at Larkhall, Bath

31Q21 – Sydney James Collett was born in 1882 at Larkhall, Bath

31Q22 – Albert Edward Collett was born in 1884 at Larkhall, Bath

31Q23 – Helen Edith Collett was born in 1887 at Twerton, Bath

APPENDIX

During 2024 Suzie Hartley in the USA was attempting to trace her family back to Arthur Collett at South Wraxall in Wiltshire. He was already an orphan by the time he was six years old, his father Thomas Collett [31O21] having died when Arthur was one year old, and his mother passing away in 1859. With no proof, and no alternative option being found, it has been assumed that Arthur was the only child of Thomas Collett and Harriet Nate who were married at South Wraxall on 1^st October 1854

Arthur Collett [31Ap1] was born at South Wraxall with his birth registered at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 125) during the first quarter of 1855, within six months of his parents wedding day. It is established that he was orphaned by the time of the census in 1861, although no record of him has been found on the day. By 1871, Arthur Collett was 16 and a safe-maker, who was born at Bradford-on-Avon, who was a boarder with the Davis family at Birmingham St George, when the head of the household was Alonzo Davis aged 26 and a safe-maker

After another seven years, it was at Birmingham that the marriage of Arthur Collett and Ann O’Brien was recorded (Ref. 6b 328) during the last quarter of 1878. Ann was the daughter of Dennis O’Brien and Helen Hoban both from Ireland. Following the birth of the couple’s first child, the three members of the family were living at the Birmingham home of Ann’s parents in 1881. The census that year recorded the family group as head of the household Dennis O’Brien from Cork who was 50 and a builder’s labourer, his wife Ellen O’Brien from Cork who was 57, and their daughter Ellen O’Brien from Birmingham who was 19 and a jeweller

Described as a lodger, rather than son-in-law, Arthur Collett from Wiltshire was 25 and a safe-maker, and the head of his family, his wife Ann Collett from Birmingham was 23, and their daughter Ellen Collett born at Birmingham was approaching her first birthday. Three more children were added to their family during the 1880s which, by 1891, was residing in the Aston district of Birmingham

In the census of 1891, Arthur Collett was 36 and a safe-maker, Ann Colett was 34 and a press worker, daughter Ellen was named as Nelly who was 11 and attending school, as were her two younger siblings Margaret Collett who was seven, and Arthur Collett junior who was five, and Frank who was two. Completing the household was Ann’s widowed mother Ellen O’Brien from Roscommon, Cork, who was 68 and living on her own means. After that day, two more children were born in the family and were recorded with them in 1901, when the family was living at Tower Street just north of the centre of Birmingham

Arthur Collett from South Wraxall was 46 and a carter, Ann Collett was 42 and still employed as a press worker, Ellen as Nellie Collett was 21 and another press worker, Margaret Collett was 16, Arthur Collett junior was 14, Frank Collett was 12, Dennis Collett was eight, and Agnes Collett was six years of age. It was the same situation in 1911 when a reduced family was again residing at Tower Street, by which time the family had suffered the loss of daughter Ellen who died just over a year before that census day. Also by then, only the couple’s three youngest children were still living with them

Living with Arthur Collett from South Wraxall aged 59 and a varnish maker and his wife Ann Collett aged 54, were Frank Collett who was 23, Dennis Collett who was 18, and Agnes Collett who was 16 and a button worker. Staying with the family was Nelly Few who was described as their niece who was eleven and already working as a press worker in the jewellery trade. Arthur Collett senior was 81 years old when his death was recorded at Warwickshire register office (Ref. 6d 75) in 1936

31Aq1 - Ellen Collett was born in 1880 at Birmingham

31Aq2 - Margaret Collett was born in 1884 at Birmingham

31Aq3 - Arthur Collett was born in 1886 at Birmingham

31Aq4 - Frank Collett was born in 1888 at Birmingham

31Aq5 - Dennis Collett was born in 1893 at Birmingham

31Aq6 - Agnes Elizabeth Collett was born in 1895 at Birmingham

Ellen Collett [31Aq1] was born at Birmingham in 1880 when her birth was registered at Birmingham (Ref. 6d 253) during the second quarter of 1880, the first child of Arthur Collett and Ann O’Brien. She was therefore just under one year old in the Birmingham census of 1881 when she and her parents with staying with Ellen maternal grandparents. As Nelly and Nellie in 1891 and 1901, she was 11 and 21 respectively, and employed as a press worker alongside her mother in the latter census day, while living at Tower Street in Birmingham. Nine years later, the premature death of Ellen Collett was recorded at Aston register office (Ref. 6d 250) during the first three months of 1910, when she was 29

Margaret Collett [31Aq2] was born at Birmingham in 1884 and was another daughter of Arthur and Ann Collett, whose birth was registered at Birmingham (Ref. 6d 232) during the second quarter of the year. She was seven in 1891 and was 16 in 1901 and living at Tower Street when Margaret was working as a blacker in a press works. After another six years the marriage of Margaret Collett and Alfred Baldwin was recorded at Birmingham (Ref. 6d 239) during the second quarter of 1907 and by 1911 the couple was residing at Sparkhill in the Solihull area of Birmingham with their daughter

Alfred Baldwin from Attleborough was 29 and an assistant schoolmaster employed by the City Council Education Department. His with Margaret Baldwin from Birmingham was 27 whose baby Margaret Baldwin had only just been born and was being attended to by monthly nurse Winifred Harding who was 27. No further were born to the couple after 1911

Arthur Theodore Collett [31Aq3] was born at Birmingham in 1886, with his birth using his full name was recorded at Aston register office (Ref. 6d 333) during the second quarter of the year. As simply Arthur Collett he was five in 1891 and was 14 in 1901 when living with his family at Tower Street in Birmingham and from where he was working as an errand boy. No record of him has been found within the census of 1911 or anytime thereafter

Frank Collett [31Aq4] was born at Birmingham in 1888 when his birth was recorded at Aston register office (Ref. 6d 319) during the second quarter of the year, another son of Arthur and Ann Collett. Frank was two years of age and 12 years old in the next two census returns for Birmingham and was living at Tower Street in 1901 and again in 1911 when he was unmarried at 23 and working as a brass worker in a nearby brass foundry. Two years later, Frank Collett aged 25 and the son of Arthur Collett married Minnie Garbett at All-Saints’ Church in Birmingham on 3^rd May 1913, when Minnie was 26 and the daughter of George Garbett. Their wedding was recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 6d 252)

Dennis Collett [31Aq5] was born at Birmingham in 1893 with his birth recorded at Aston register office (Ref. 6d 352) during the first quarter of the year, the fifth child of Arthur and Ann Collett. Dennis was eight years old in 1901 and was 18 in 1911 when he was a door-spring maker living at Tower Street in Birmingham with his family. Dennis Collett aged 24 and the son of Arthur Collett married (1) Beatrice May Andrews at St Stephen’s Church in Birmingham on 29^th September 1917. Beatrice was 22 and the daughter of Charles Andrews and there wedding was recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 6d 466)

Their marriage produced four children, as listed below, with their births recorded at Birmingham register office, where their mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Andrews. The later death of Beatrice May Collett was recorded at Warwickshire register office (Ref. 6d 62) in 1930 when she was only 34. The body of his wife was laid to rest at the Birmingham Witton Cemetery in March that year. A little while after widower Dennis Collett married (2) Lilian Ellen McDonald (1895-1956) who was born in Chelmsford, Essex, as Lilian Ellen MacDonald, with whom he had a further two children. Dennis Collett was 65 when he died and was buried at the Witton Cemetery with his first wife in December 1958

31Ar1 - Beatrice Edna Collett was born in 1920 at Birmingham

31Ar2 - Dennis John Collett was born in 1922 at Birmingham

31Ar3 - Joan Florence Collett was born in 1924 at Birmingham

31Ar4 - Joyce Collett was born in 1925 at Birmingham

The following are the children of Dennis Collett by his second wife Lilian Ellen McDonald

31Ar5 - Raymond A Collett was born in 1932 at Birmingham

31Ar6 – Barbara Mary Collett was born in 1935 at Birmingham

Agnes Elizabeth Collett [31Aq6] was born at Birmingham in 1895, the last child born to Arthur Collett and Ann O’Brien. Her birth was recorded at Aston register office (Ref. 6d 353) during the first quarter of that year. Agnes was six years old and 16 years of age in the Birmingham censuses of 1901 and 1911 when the family home was at Tower Street, Agnes working as a button worker on leaving school. Over eight years after that later census day, the marriage of Agnes Elizabeth Collett aged 24 and the daughter of Arthur Collett married Thomas Norton at Birmingham on 27^th December 1919, who was 26 and the son of Benjamin Norton. Their wedding day was recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 6d 445)

Beatrice Edna Collett [31Ar1] was born at Birmingham in 1920, where her birth was recorded (Ref. 6d 698) during the first three months of the year when her mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Andrews. She was baptised at St Stephen’s Church on 14^th March 1920, the eldest of the four children of Dennis Collett and Beatrice May Andrews. Sadly, she was only 26 years of age when she died, with the death of Beatrice Edna Collett recorded at Warwickshire register office (Ref. 9c 80) in 1946

Dennis John Collett [31Ar2] was born at Birmingham on 25^th May 1922 and was baptised on 24^th June 1922 at St Stephen’s Church, the only son in a family of girls of Dennis and Beatrice Collett. His birth was recorded at Birmingham (Ref. 6d 563) when Andrews was confirmed as his mother’s maiden-name

Joan Florence Collett [31Ar3] was born at Birmingham on 25^th August 1924 and was baptised at St Stephen’s Church on 7^th September 1924. She was the third child of Dennis and Beatrice Collett whose birth was recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 6d 931), when her mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Andrews. Tragically, she did not survive, with the death of Joan Florence Collett recorded at Warwickshire register office (Ref. 6d 312) that same year

Joyce Collett [31Ar4] was born at Birmingham on 9^th December 1925 and was baptised at St Stephen’s Church on 23^rd December 1925, the fourth and last child of Dennis Collett and Beatrice May Andrews. Her birth was recorded at the Birmingham North register office (Ref. ) when her mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Andrews. Like her older sister Joan (above), Joyce’s life was cut short at the age of 21, when her premature death was recorded at Warwickshire register office (Ref. 9c 102) in 1947

Raymond A Collett [31Ar5] was born at Birmingham in 1932, the older of the two child of Dennis Collett and his second wife Lilian Ellen McDonald. His birth was recorded at Birmingham North register office (Ref. 6d 835) during the second quarter of that year, when his mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as McDonald. The later marriage of Raymond A Collett and Evelyn P Chance was recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 9c 311) during the four quarter of 1954. One year after their wedding day, Evelyn presented Raymond with a son, their only known child, whose birth was recorded at Birmingham (Ref. 9c 690) during the last three months of 1955

31As1 - Stephen P Collett was born in 1955 at Birmingham

Barbara Mary Collett [31Ar6] was born at Birmingham either at the end of 1934 or early in 1935,since her birth was recorded there (Ref. 6d 20) during the first three months of the latter. She was the youngest child of Dennis Collett and Lilian Ellen McDonald and her marriage to Ernest William Wilkins was recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 9c 199) in 1953. The wedding of Barbara Mary Collett and Ernest (1925-1994) was conducted at St George’s Birmingham on 3^rd January 1953 when the bride was 18 and the daughter of Dennis Collett, and the groom was 27 and the son of William Ernest Wilkins

The marriage gave the couple two children, with both births recorded at Birmingham register office where the mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Collett. They were Keith in 1954 (Ref. 9c 679) 4^th Qrt, and Susan in 1956 (Ref. 9c 745) 3^rd Qrt. Barbara Mary Wilkins died at Oswestry in Shropshire on 6^th March 2011 aged 76, the cause of death being cancer

Susan C Wilkins, who is known as Suzie, contacted Carol Lyn Davis of Fort Worth in Texas, the daughter of Barbara Jean Collett (Ref. 31R35) in 2024 In turn Carol, forward the brief details to Brian Collett in England, webmaster of the site www.collettfamilyhistory.net, who produced this Appendix from the information kindly supplied by Suzie on which the search was carried out for the deceased parents of orphan Arthur Collett (Ref. 31Ap1)