William COLLINS

[Brian Ken]

HI

I am try ing to find out about my G/G/grandfather William Collins born C1820 Cornwell arrived in NSW. Australia about 1840. On his death certificate it stated that his parents were William Collins a soldier and mother Caroline. I have searched LDS lists no William born with mother Caroline in all England in that period. Possibly a mistake by the informant ? The one that stands out is William Collins Christ. 16/5/1820 at Stithians parents William Collins & Ann Henwood because they had several children with the same names as William & his wife Sarah Knight had. I say this because Sarah was an Aboriginal so the children's names must have come from William's family?
IE. Walter, Sarah, Caroline,Jane,Elizabeth,Thomas,John Emma, Ruth,Harriet,George.Any help would be greatly appreciated as I have little knowledge about Cornwell.

Regards Brian

[piedstilt]

Hi Brian, and welcome to RootsChat

Oh dear, I thought when I read your message, what a toughie ...

However, I reckon I have come up with a pretty cool clue. The 1851 census has a Caroline Collins aged 60, married, who describes herself as 'wife of Lt William Collins of St Columb ??.

I should say here that my internet software is outdated and I find it hard to read originals of the censuses, but here is my best shot. With any luck others might give you a better rendition of what is there. (HO107/1902)

Holbourne?, Liskeard, Cornwall

?? Chubb, 65, attorney, b Liskeard, Cornwall
Christian Mary Chubb, wife, 61
Emily ?? Chubb, dau, 30
Christian Mary, dau, 24
Ada?, 22, dau
Samuel Wiford, visitor, 63, commander ?? half pay
Caroline Collins, visitor, 60, Wife of etc, b Liskeard
Elizabeth Hughes, 22, visitor, Barrister's daughter, Southampton
3 servants.

Obviously a family of some social standing?

Alas, cannot find a likely Wm Collins to match.

Something to go on?

 Cheers,

Ros

PS I'm intrigued to know if you have had any success finding information about the Aboriginal mother, Sarah Knight?

   

[piedstilt]

PS On second thoughts the name is probably Clubb.

[Brian Ken]

Thanks Ros!

As I said I know very little about Cornwell but it sounds like a lovely place and will be on my list of visitswhen I finally travel to England.
Sarah Ann Knight was the illegitimate daughter of a convict James Knight from Hurstpierpoint Sussex (sentenced to 7 years transportation to NSW. for stealing a duck in 1834) & Diana Mudgee a full blooded aboriginal of the Wradjari tribe. Sarah was born 23/12/1839 at Mudgee.
James Knight didn't marry Diana instead married Eliza Rayner a 17 year old girl from Suffolk. Diana Mudgee did marry a William Phillips another convict from Plymouth (sentenced to life at the Old Bailey in 1819) who also worked for the famous Cox family.  They had 2 girls then poor old William disappears, & Diana partnered another convict named Robert Rayner (No relation to Eliza) from Suffolk & they had 7 children.

Robert Rayner died intestate in 1874 leaving Diana destitute,but she was a remarkable woman especially for a black woman because she ended up owning hundreds of acres of land & cattle at Mudgee. She died on 4/5/1902 at Mudgee.

I am helping to supply information to AIATSIS (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies) who are setting up a web site about Diana Mudgee who has thousands of descendants in NSW.

Regards

Brian

[jorose]

St. Columb Major is one of those areas which is not fully covered on the IGI (several Cornish parishes aren't), so could that be it?  If William was b. there his birth and his parent's marriage wouldn't be on the LDS site.  Try the OPC: http://www.cornwall-opc.org/PAR/a-d/ColumbMajorSt.htm

[Brian Ken]

Hi

Caroline Collins was listed as the wife of Thurston Collins aged 60 she was a visitor at the Glubb house on that census day in 1851.I think that she was the sister of Serf Glubb who owned the house. one of her children was named Caroline Glubb Collins!
I couldn't find where she was listed as the wife of Lt. William Collins?

Thanks to all who sent messages.

Brian

[piedstilt]

Oh dear, Brian, you are quite right.

I am unable to blow up census images on my computer and it was a case of the eye seeing what it wanted to see. Having gone next door and used a more efficient system I can see that it does say Mr Thurston Collins NOT Lt William Collins.

Total egg on face 

SORRY!!

Ros

[PrueM]

Hi Brian,

I just wondered whether, even though the 1851 census turned out to be a red herring, William might have been on a ship's crew, and that's how he arrived in AUstralia?  Also, have you looked at other ports besides Port Jackson?  Port Phillip might be a possibility, the PROV has indexes online for various classes of immigrants.

Does his death cert say what his occupation was?

Just some idle thoughts...

Prue

[Brian Ken]

Prue excuse my ignorance what are the Pro indexes ?

It must be my Irish Blood because I had my mind set that William landed in NSW about 1840. Sure I had a look at the Immigrants landing in Victoria, nothing jumped out at me.

I just looked up on the NSW Archives Web site immigrants to Port Phillip Bay  & there was a William Collins arrived 1841 on board the Argyle Reel 2143 ,so I will definitely go in to the Kingswood Archives & look it up.

Thanks