The Wiltshire Somerset Line 1550 to 1850
UpdatedSeptember 2024
This is the first of two sections ofthis family line
This is the familyline of Ian King ofPlymouth whose great-great-grandmother was Sarah Elizabeth Collett (Ref. 31O44)and Carol Lyn Davis from Fort Worth in Texas whosemother was Barbara Jean Collett (Ref. 31R35), their line indicated by thenames in capital letters. It was theinformation generously provided by Carol in 2014 that resulted in her familyline being established here in Part 31 when, prior to this, it was included inPart 44 – The First Broughton Gifford Line.
Previously this line started withWilliam Collett (Ref. 44K7) whose family, dating back to 1595, can now be foundin Part 44 – The First Broughton Gifford Line.
However, new information received fromBrian Townsend during 2011 indicated that this family line had earlierancestors 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 Brianhave now been fully validated by the details received from the aforementionedCarol Lyn Davis. It is also of interestthat Part 44 also includes another contingent of the Collett family of SouthWraxall, butcher John Collett (Ref. 44K12), his wife Hester Little, and theirseven children. The members of theirfamily were confirmed by the Wiltshire parish records which have beentranscribed by the Wiltshire Family History Society, with copies of the Collettentries generously provided by Stephen Carpenter in 2019.
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All of the locations referred to in thisfamily 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 SouthWraxall listed in this family line (and in Part 44), many others with a SouthWraxall 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 thefamily lines, the so far unconnected Colletts of South Wraxall have been placedin two appendices at the end of this file.Appendix One focuses on one family, that of Thomas Collett who was bornat South Wraxall in 1819, while Appendix Two includes details of unplaced SouthWraxall Collett families taken from the various census records.
This family line also leads to Llanellyand Abertillery in South Wales where other Colletts were also living from thetime of census that was conducted in 1881.
Within the Wiltshire Wills Index atSarum (Salisbury) are five Colletts of South Wraxall, four of them husbandmenand one a broad-weaver. The first wasfor Richard Collett, dated 13th January 1539, which mentionedhis wife and their eldest son John Collett. Next was John Collett, who may havebeen the son of Richard, whose Will was dated 26th December 1584,another husbandman. The third of them wasJohn Collett (Ref. 31G1) and made on 4th May 1620, while the fourthwas for William Collett made in 1632.The last of them was for Thomas Collett (Ref. 31I1), the broad-weaver,made on 13th September 1671.Some Inventories were also listed, and they were for John Collettdated 9th February 1548 and Anthony Collett in 1602, as weretwo Bonds, for William Collet (above) in 1633 and John Collett in1650. The 1620 Will of John Collett (Ref.31G1) is very interesting as it mentions a Thomas Batten, the Batten andCollett families being united many years after, through the marriage ofJonathan Collett (Ref. 31L9) and Betty Batten in 1778. In addition to that, the wife of John Collettwas also still alive, as were at least six of his children. They were named as John, Anthony, Thomas,Richard, Margaret and Elizabeth. His sonAnthony was also one of the executors of the Will. It is thanks to the aforementioned Carol LynDavis that we now have these details.
John Collett [31G1] is theearliest member of the family with a link to South Wraxall, that being his sonJohn who was baptised there on 14th January 1588. The only other child, recorded in the parishrecords at South Wraxall, was Joan Collett who was baptised on 15thSeptember 1593. John the elder wouldhave possibly been born during the 1550s into the 1560s. The Wiltshire land records include the name of JohnCollett who was a freeholder of land at South Wraxall during the sixteenthcentury. It is therefore very likely thatit was his Will that was made on 4th 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 hemarried Joan Saunders on 21st February 1589. It would therefore be logical to concludethat Thomas was the younger brother of John Collett (above), who mayhave been born during the 1560s. Of thethree sons listed here, only the eldest has been confirmed as the son of ThomasCollett, although it is also highly likely and William and John were thebrothers of Thomas the younger
31H8- Thomas Collett wasborn around 1590 at South Wraxall
31H9- William Collett wasborn around 1595 at South Wraxall
31H10- John Collett was bornaround 1600 at South Wraxall
Thomas Collett [31H38 was born around 1590 and may well havebeen the older brother of William and John Collett of South Wraxall (below). According to the Bishop’s Transcripts forSouth Wraxall the baptism of Thomas Collett, the son of Thomas Collett, wasrecorded at South Wraxall on 17th July 1623, while the later baptismon 14th November 1627 for Elizabeth Collett, the daughter of ThomasCollett, described him as a parish clerk.During the following year the death and burial of Margery Collett, thedaughter of Thomas Collett was recorded at South Wraxall on 26thApril 1628. The Will of Thomas Collettof South Wraxall was signed on 9th July 1650
31I1- Thomas Collett wasborn 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 thesixteenth century, another son of Thomas Collett, and likely brother of Thomas (above)and John (below). William and hiswife Hannah were both buried at St James’ Church in South Wraxall. According to the Bishop’s Transcripts it wasduring 1626 that William Collett was married at South Wraxall, although theactual date and the name of the bride were not recorded. His son Thomas, who was likely named afterWilliam’s father, was baptised at South Wraxall on 27th May1627. It is understood that the marriageproduced a number of other children, including Jonathan Collett, who was laterreferred to as Jonathan Collett of Monkton Farleigh
WilliamCollett was a husbandman who was buried at South Wraxall on 23rdMarch 1672. His Inventory was drawn upon 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 widowpassed away, following which she was buried there on 11th April1679, when she was described Anna Collett, a widow. The Inventory for Hannah Collett, clothier ofSouth Wraxall, was drawn up on April the fourteenth in 1680 by William Gibbonsand William Moxam and was signed off by them three days later on theseventeenth day of April
31I4- Thomas Collett was born in 1627at South Wraxall
31I5- Jonathan Collett wasborn in 1630 at South Wraxall
JOHNCOLLETT [31H10] wasvery likely a brother to Thomas and William Collett (above), andtherefore the third son of Thomas Collett, the elder. John was probably born around 1610 and wasconfirmed as the father of John junior upon his baptism at South Wraxall in1632, when his wife’s maiden-name was recorded as Joan Millard
31I6– JOHN COLLETT was bornin 1632 at South Wraxall
Thomas Collett [31I1] was baptised at South Wraxall on 17thJuly 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 alsoMary. The couple’s three sons were allbaptised at St Peter’s Church in Monkton Farleigh, where their father was laterburied whilst, only nine months after being widowed, Mary was buried at SouthWraxall. At the time of writing hisWill, three years before he died and dated 13th September 1671,Thomas Collett of South Wraxall, was a broad-weaver. It was on 24th March 1674 thatThomas Collett, a carpenter, was buried at Monkton Farleigh, but at SouthWraxall that his widow Mary Collett was buried on 31st December 1674
31J1- William Collett wasborn in 1651 at Monkton Farleigh
31J2- John Collett was bornin 1654 at Monkton Farleigh
31J3- Robert Collett wasborn in 1657 at Monkton Farleigh
JonathanCollett [31I5] was bornat South Wraxall around 1630, the younger of the two known sons of William andHannah Collett. Later in his life, hewas referred to as Jonathan Collett, yeoman of Monkton Farleigh, when he wasinstrumental in producing the Inventories for John and Mary Collett (below)
31J4- Jonathan Collett wasborn around 1660 at Monkton Farleigh
JOHN COLLETT [31I6] was baptised at SouthWraxall on 24th March 1632, the son of John Collett and JoanMillard. His marriage to Mary producedseven children, all identified below.John was a carpenter and a churchwarden of South Wraxall and hisInventory, and that of his wife, was drawn up with the help of JonathanCollett, a yeoman of Monkton Farleigh - most likely his cousin (above),and Thomas Godwyn of Ford Farm, following his death and burial at South Wraxallon 19th February 1698. John’sInventory was made on 5th April 1698 and signed off on 16thMay 1698. It was also on 5thApril 1698 that the Inventory of his wife Mary was made, which stated they wereliving at Monkton Farleigh at that time in their lives
Theseven children of John Collett, carpenter of South Wraxall, were all named inhis Will made on 10th February 1697.They were his married daughters Mary, Sarah, Jane and Elizabeth, each ofwhom received one shilling, his son John who received four acres of firstlands, his unmarried daughter Dorothy who inherited the house, orchard, gardenand barkside of Thomas Chambers, while his wife Mary was bequeathed six poundsevery year for the rest of her natural life, with their son Thomas receivingthe 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 16th May 1698, thesame date as his Inventory, while the sole executor was named as his sonThomas. It has been assumed, that theorder of the children named in the Will was also the order in which they wereborn
31J5- Mary Collett was bornaround 1654 at South Wraxall
31J6- Sarah Collett wasborn around 1656 at South Wraxall
31J7- Jane Collett was bornaround 1658 at South Wraxall
31J8- Elizabeth Collett wasborn around 1660 at South Wraxall
31J9– THOMAS COLLETT wasborn around 1662 at South Wraxall
31J10- John Collett was bornaround 1664 at South Wraxall
31J11- Dorothy Collett wasborn around 1666 at South Wraxall
WilliamCollett [31J1] was bornat Monkton Farleigh in 1651, where he was baptised on 25th November1651, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Collett
JohnCollett [31J2] was bornat Monkton Farleigh in 1654, another son of Thomas and Mary Collett who wasbaptised at Monkton Farleigh on 7th August 1654
RobertCollett [31J3] was bornat Monkton Farleigh in 1657 and was baptised there on 27th June1657, the last son of Thomas and Mary Collett, his father described as acarpenter
JonathanCollett [31J4] waspossibly born around 1660, or later, at Monkton Farleigh, the son of JonathanCollett a yeoman of Monkton Farleigh.After marrying Anne, the couple settled in Monkton Farleigh where theirthree daughters were born and baptised
31K1- Mary Collett was bornin 1694 at Monkton Farleigh
31K2- Elizabeth Collett wasborn in 1696 at Monkton Farleigh
31K3- Abigail Collett wasborn in 1698 at Monkton Farleigh
Mary Collett [31J5], who was very likely born in the 1650sand probably at South Wraxall, was the first-born child of John and MaryCollett. 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 duringFebruary 1698, she was named in his Will, made in 1697, as his loving daughterMary, the wife of Samuel Flower, who received one shilling
Sarah Collett [31J6], who was very likely born in the 1650sand 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 early1698, Sarah was named in his Will as his loving daughter Sarah, the wife ofRichard Escourt, who received one shilling
Jane Collett [31J7], who was very likely born in the 1650sand probably at South Wraxall, was yet another daughter of John and MaryCollett. At the time of the death of herfather in 1698, she was named in his Will, made in 1697, as his loving daughterJane, the wife of Cornelius Broad, who received one shilling
Elizabeth Collett [31J8], who was very likely born in the late1650s and probably at South Wraxall around 1660, was the fourth child of Johnand Mary Collett. At the time of thedeath of her father in 1698, she was named in his Will, as his loving daughterElizabeth, 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 andMary Collett. Upon the death of hisfather in 1698, Thomas - as executor of his 1697 Will, received the rest andresidue of the estate of carpenter John Collett, his house, lands, leases,tenements, goods and chattels, moneys and debts. All of his six siblings were alsobeneficiaries under the terms of the Will.Within two years of losing his father, Thomas Collett, a carpenter ofSouth Wraxall, married Elizabeth James, of South Wraxall, at Monkton Farleighon 26th November 1699.Elizabeth was born in 1664 and presented Thomas with five children, withonly two of them named in the later Will of Thomas Collett. Also, by the time he made his Will, he hadbeen a widower for two years, following the death of Elizabeth Collett who wasburied at South Wraxall on 20th October 1726. After almost three years after her passing,Thomas Collett died at South Wraxall, where he was buried with his wife on 14thSeptember 1729. His Will, made andsigned by him on 7th October 1728, was proved at Salisbury (Sarum)on the ninth day of May in 1731. TheWill is transcribed below
“In the name of God amen,I Thomas Collett of South Wraxall in the Parish of Bradford in the County ofWiltshire, carpenter, being of sound and proper mind and memory do make andordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following. I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary oneguinea. Then I give unto my son-in-lawWilliam Blathly five shillings. Then allthe 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 himthe said John Collett I do make and ordain be sole and only executor of this myLast Will and Testament. In witnesswhereof I have now unto set my hand and seal the seventh day of October in thesecond year of the reign of our sovereign lord King George the Second overGreat Britain”
Anarticle published in the Trowbridge Chronicle on 10th January 1880provided details of the Church of St James at South Wraxall. One section of the article made a referenceto Thomas Collett who was the churchwarden in 1769, the same year that the sixbells in the church tower were re-cast.It is therefore possible that he may have been a descendent of ThomasCollett of South Wraxall (1662-1730)
31K4– JOHN COLLETT was bornin 1700 at South Wraxall
31K5- Mary Collett was bornin 1701 at South Wraxall
31K6- Elizabeth Collett wasborn in 1703 at South Wraxall
31K7- Sarah Collett wasborn in 1704 at South Wraxall
31K8- Elizabeth Collett wasborn in 1706 at South Wraxall
JohnCollett [31J10] wasborn at South Wraxall around 1664, the younger of the two sons of the sevenchildren of John and Mary Collett. Justas with all of his siblings, no record of his birth or baptism has been found. The only evidence that he, and his sixsiblings, were the children of John and Mary is through his father’s Will of1697, in which John Collett, his son, received four acres of land. With no mention of a wife, it must be assumedthat he was not married before 1697, unlike his four older sisters whosehusbands were named in the Will
DorothyCollett [31J11] wasborn at South Wraxall around 1666, the last child of John and MaryCollett. She appears not to have marriedprior to the death of her father since, in his Will of 1697 she was abeneficiary, referred to as follows. “Myunmarried daughter Dorothy to inherit my house, orchard and garden calledRainbows, occupied by tenant Thomas Chambers”
MaryCollett [31K1] was bornat Monkton Farleigh in 1694, where she was buried on 26th May1695. It is likely she was the eldest ofthe three daughters of Jonathan and Anne Collett
ElizabethCollett [31K2] was bornat Monkton Farleigh in 1696, and it was there that she was baptised on 25thMarch 1696, another daughter of Jonathan and Anne Collett
AbigailCollett [31K3]was born at Monkton Farleigh in 1698, the third and last known child ofJonathan and Anne Collett, who was baptised at Monkton Farleigh on 7thJune 1698
JOHN COLLETT [31K4] was born at SouthWraxall, where he was baptised on 6th November 1700, the eldestchild of Thomas Collett, a carpenter, and his wife Elizabeth James. John was also a carpenter and a wheelwrightand it was at South Wraxall that he married Elizabeth Field, also of SouthWraxall, in 1730. Their marriageproduced a total of ten children, although only nine of them were named in the Willof John Collett. The year after theywere married, John’s father passed and, within his Will, was a bequeath toJohn’s sister Mary (below), with allthe rest and residue of the estate (goods, chattels, lands, tenements andfarmhouse), passing to son John Collett.John was also the sole executor of the Will
Atthe time of the baptism of his fourth child, daughter Mary, John Collett was aparish clerk, and was a churchwarden when his daughter Jane was baptised atSouth Wraxall. In addition to this, thefact that his two youngest children were baptised at South Wraxall, when Johnwould have been fifty, may suggest that his wife was much younger thanJohn. Either that or Elizabeth was alsothe name of a second wife. It is alsovery interesting that around that same time those two children were born, “thelease of land, some 39 acres, from Thomas Long Esq, at a yearly rent of £40 wasleased for three years in February 1750 to John Collett and Thomas Collett”,the latter being John’s eldest son
Justover ten years later, the Will of John Collett, wheelwright and carpenter,signed by him, was made on 29th March 1761. Five years later, John Collett was buried atSouth Wraxall on 4th June 1766, following which, his Will was provedat Salisbury on 5th December 1775, when his son Jonathan Collett ofCorsham and Thomas Spencer of Little Chalfield were named as Trustees. His widow Elizabeth was present at theproving of his Will, while it was ten years later that she passed away at theage of 80. Her Will, made on 7thFebruary 1778, was proved on 19th April 1785 by her son JonathanCollett who was duly sworn in at Winkfield, the sole executor. Elizabeth had signed the Will by making themark of a cross
Thefollowing children of John Collett were recorded in his Will, each of themreceiving one shilling. They wereThomas, William, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Bridget, Mary, Jane, Anne and Eleanor. The remainder of his estate was inherited byhis wife Elizabeth. Within the laterWill of Elizabeth Collett, the following children and grandchildren werespecifically named. Sons Thomas andWilliam and daughters Elizabeth and Bridget – each receiving fiveshillings. The grandchildren of her latedaughter Mary Gearish by her husband Edward Gearish, plus the grandchildren ofher late daughter Jane Pillanger by her husband William Pillanger – eachreceiving one shilling. Her daughter AnnCottle, the wife of James Cottle, received ten pounds, while daughter Eleanorreceived five pounds. The remainder ofher estate, including several pieces and parcels of freehold ground at SouthWraxall, were inherited by her son Jonathan.The Cottle name also features on two further occasions in this familyline with the marriages of William Collett and Ellen Cottle in the 1840s andMary Arabella Collett and William Augusta Cottle in 1872
31L1– Elizabeth Collett wasborn in 1733 at South Wraxall
31L2- Thomas Collett wasborn in 1735 at South Wraxall
31L3- John Collett was bornin 1737 at South Wraxall
31L4- Bridget Collett wasborn in 1739 at South Wraxall
31L5- Mary Collett was bornin 1742 at South Wraxall
31L6– WILLIAM COLLETT wasborn in 1744 at South Wraxall
31L7- Jane Collett was bornin 1746 at South Wraxall
31L8- Ann Collett was bornin 1748 at South Wraxall
31L9- Jonathan Collett wasborn in 1750 at South Wraxall
31L10- Eleanor Collett wasborn in 1752 at South Wraxall
MaryCollett [31K5]was born at South Wraxall in 1701, the second child of carpenter Thomas Collettand Elizabeth James, and was baptised at South Wraxall on 11thNovember 1701. She was named in herfather’s Will of 1731, by which time she was married to William Blathly, withMary receiving one guinea and son-in-law William bequeathed five shillings
ElizabethCollett [31K6]was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 3rd March1703. Tragically, it was later that sameyear that she was buried at South Wraxall on 22nd July 1703, thedaughter of carpenter Thomas and Elizabeth Collett
SarahCollett [31K7]was born and baptised at South Wraxall on 18th May 1704, anotherdaughter of carpenter Thomas and Elizabeth Collett. No mention of her, eitheras married or unmarried, was included in her father’s Will of 1731. No mention of her, either as married orunmarried, was included in her father’s Will of 1731
ElizabethCollett [31K8]was born and baptised at South Wraxall on 19th September 1706,another daughter of carpenter Thomas Collett and Elizabeth James, who again wasnot a beneficiary under the terms of her father’s Will in 1731
Elizabeth Collett [31L1] was the eldest child of carpenter Johnand Elizabeth Collett and was baptised at South Wraxall on 16thSeptember 1733. Elizabeth was aroundtwenty-two years old when she married George Morris by licence at South Wraxallon 30th December 1755. Thetwo bondsmen for the licence were Thomas Collett, most likely Elizabeth’sbrother (below), and George Morris who deposited £100. Elizabeth’s father’s Will of 1761 providesthe proof of her marriage into the Morris family. In the document, John Collett, wheelwrightand carpenter, bequeathed one shilling to his daughter Elizabeth Morris
Elizabethwas widowed when her husband died, while the Will of George Morris, made in1784, named only his wife and two minor children Walter Morris and AnnMorris. By that time the couple’s olderdaughter Charlotte Morris, who was baptised at South Wraxall during1764, was married at South Wraxall in 1782.She was the ancestor of the wife of Duncan Pierce who provided this newinformation in 2016. It is interestingto 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 1771and was very likely the minor child mentioned in the 1784 Will of George Morris
Thomas Collett [31L2] was born at South Wraxall and was theeldest son of John and Elizabeth Collett.He may have been a few years old when he was baptised at South Wraxallon 7th August 1735, since he must have been at full-age to join hisfather as co-lease holder of 39 acres of land belonging to Thomas Long Esq, ata yearly rent of £40, for a period of just three years from February 1750. Sometime during that decade, Thomas Collettwas married to Ann, with whom he had ten children who, according to the parishrecords, were all born and baptised at South Wraxall. Thomas Collett was 82 when he died at SouthWraxall, where he was buried on 16th June 1817, while his widow wasburied with him four years after on 27th January 1822, when AnnCollett was 84
31M1- Thomas Collett wasborn in 1761 at South Wraxall
31M2- Bridget Collett wasborn in 1763 at South Wraxall
31M3- Elizabeth Collett wasborn in 1765 at South Wraxall
31M4- Ann Collett was bornin 1767 at South Wraxall
31M5- Simon Collett wasborn in 1769 at South Wraxall
31M6- Harry Collett wasborn in 1772 at South Wraxall
31M7- Betsy Collett wasborn in 1774 at South Wraxall
31M8- Mary Collett was bornin 1776 at South Wraxall
31M9- Jenny Collett wasborn in 1778 at South Wraxall
31M10- Mary Collett was bornin 1780 at South Wraxall
John Collett [31L3] was born at SouthWraxall, where he was baptised on 31st July 1737, the third child ofcarpenter John Collett and his wife Elizabeth.Recorded within the parish registers at South Wraxall are two burialsfor 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 whichmust apply to John junior. Thistherefore means that this John Collett was buried at South Wraxall on 12thNovember 1759, when he would have been only twenty-two years old
BridgetCollett[31L4] was bornat South Wraxall and was baptised there on 15th July 1739, anotherdaughter of carpenter John and Elizabeth
MaryCollett [31L5] wasborn at South Wraxall and baptised there on 14th March 1742, anotherdaughter of carpenter John Collett by his wife Elizabeth. It was also at South Wraxall that MaryCollett married Edward Gearish on 11th July 1761. Upon the death of her widowed mother in 1785,the grandchildren of Elizabeth Collett, including the children of her latedaughter Mary Gearish, by her husband Edward Gearish, each received oneshilling
WILLIAM COLLETT [31L6] was born at South Wraxall, where he wasbaptised on 10th June 1744, another son of carpenter John andElizabeth Collett. It was on 12thSeptember 1764 at St James’ Church in South Wraxall that William Collett, aged22 and a carpenter from Wraxall, was married by licence to Jane Spencer, aged30 and a widow, also of Wraxall. Boththe 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 marriageonly produced two sons, although only one of them survived. William senior was mentioned in the Will ofhis father in 1775, when he received one shilling, whilst it was five shillingsthat he received following the death of his mother three years later
Unlikehis brother Jonathan (below), who took over the family’s carpentrybusiness from his father, no Will has been found for William Collett, nor wouldit appear that William was ever involved in the family carpentry business. Instead, William may have taken up theoccupation of a butcher, which was carried on by his only surviving son andnamesake. No birth or baptism record hasbeen found within the South Wraxall parish records for his son Jonathan, wherehe was buried on 21st April 1780, when he was confirmed as the sonof William Collett and Jane Spencer
31M11– WILLIAM COLLETT wasborn in 1767 at South Wraxall
31M12– Jonathan Collett was born in 1780 at South Wraxall; died in 1780
JaneCollett [31L7]was born at South Wraxall in 1746 and it was there also that she was baptisedon 3rd August 1746, a daughter of carpenter John Collett andElizabeth Collett. Jane was onlyeighteen years of age when she married William Pillanger at Christ Church inBradford-on-Avon on 31st March 1764.Their marriage produced issue, each of whom received one shillingthrough the Will of Jane’s widowed mother in 1785, the Will including areference to her grandchildren, the children of her late daughter JanePillanger, by her husband William Pillanger
Ann Collett [31L8] was born at SouthWraxall, perhaps towards the end of 1748, where she was baptised on 25thApril 1749, another daughter of carpenter John Collett. When she married James Cottle at SouthWraxall on 15th September 1777, Ann was curiously described as aspinster of South Wraxall who was only 23.Her husband was described as bachelor James Cottle of Box, who was 21and a carpenter. Did Ann say she wasyounger than her years, or was 23 an error in transcription for 28. Upon thedeath of her widowed mother, Ann was named in her Will, as her daughter AnnCottle, the wife of James Cottle, who was to receive ten pounds
Jonathan Collett [31L9] was born at SouthWraxall, possibly in 1750, where he was baptised on 1st 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 acarpenter of that parish, when he married Betty Batten, aged 25 and spinster ofthat parish, on the 23rd March 1778.The first bondsman was George Morris, a yeoman of South Wraxall. Betty was Elizabeth Jane Batten
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
Followingthe death of his father John Collett around 1774-75, bachelor Jonathan Collettreceived one shilling under the terms of the Will proved at Salisbury on 5thDecember 1775, plus a half share in the family’s carpentry and wheelwrightbusiness. Then, following the death ofhis mother three years later, he was named as Jonathan Collett the soleexecutor of her estate, and inherited several pieces or parcels of freeholdland in South Wraxall, plus the rest and residue of her goods, chattels, rightsand effects of her estate. Jonathan diedafter 24th March 1808, since that was the day the last Will andTestament of Jonathan Collett, a carpenter of Bradford Leigh, was made, thedocument later proved at Salisbury. Thedocument was signed that day with his full name, when the two witnesses wereJohn Batten, a relative of his wife, and Edward Luxford
Thanksto Carol L Davis we now have a copy of the 1808 Will of Jonathan Collett, atranscribed copy of which can be found in LegalDocuments on the Collett website.Mentioned in the Will are his wife Elizabeth Collett, his son JohnCollett, and his three daughters Jane Collett, Ann Collett and ElizabethWiltshire - the wife of Thomas Wiltshire.As regards his four remaining children, two are known to have diedyoung, but why the other three surviving sons Jonathan, William and James werenot mentioned, remains a mystery
31M13– Elizabeth Collett wasborn in 1779 at South Wraxall
31M14– Jonathan Collett wasborn in 1780 at South Wraxall
31M15– Mary Collett was bornin 1781 at South Wraxall
31M16– Jane Collett was bornin 1783 at South Wraxall
31M17– John Collett was bornin 1787 at South Wraxall
31M18– Ann Collett was bornin 1788 at South Wraxall
31M19– William Collett wasborn in 1790 at South Wraxall
31M20 – James Collett was born in 1792 at South Wraxall
31M21– James Collett wasborn 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 beenfound for Eleanor, her existence in the family has been provided by herinclusion in the 1761 Will of her father, when she received one shilling – asdid all of her siblings, and then again in the 1778 Will of her mother, whenshe received five pounds. It seemshighly likely that she never married, since the premature death of EleanorCollett took place at South Wraxall in 1779, where she was buried on 3rdJune 1779
Thomas Collett [31M1] was born at South Wraxall and baptisedthere on 15th June 1761, the first-born child of carpenter ThomasCollett and his wife Ann. Thomas marriedMary S Watson on 29th July 1784 at Holy Trinity Church inBradford-on-Avon. All of their childrenwere born and baptised at South Wraxall.Another son may have been Harry Collett whose later occupation was alsothat of a carpenter at South Wraxall.The only reason for querying his baptism at South Wraxall on 4thJune 1786, was that his father Thomas Collett, whose wife was Mary, wasrecorded as a smith, as it was for his other ten children, rather than acarpenter. Thomas Collett died at SouthWraxall in 1831, where he was buried on 31st July 1831, when he wasdescribed as being a former parish clerk, a position also taken on by hisyoungest son Thomas. Thirteen monthsafter being made a widow, Thomas’ wife passed away at the age of 71, followingwhich she was buried with Thomas on 31st August 1832
Becauseof the conflict with his occupation and that of his assumed father, writtenabout above, another Harry Collett was baptised at Melksham on 21stAugust 1786. He and his sister, AnnCollett baptised at Melksham on 22nd May 1782, were the children ofyeoman Joseph Collett. So, once again,there was no hereditary link to Harry being a carpenter. Therefore, there is still no validation thatHarry was the son of Thomas or Joseph
31N1– Hannah Collett wasborn in 1785 at South Wraxall
31N2– Harry Collett wasborn in 1786 at South Wraxall
31N3– William Collett wasborn in 1787 at South Wraxall
31N4– Hannah Collett wasborn in 1789 at South Wraxall
31N5– Rachel Collett wasborn in 1791 at South Wraxall
31N6– Thirza Collett wasborn in 1793 at South Wraxall
31N7– Anna Collett was bornin 1796 at South Wraxall
31N8– Mary Collett was bornin 1799 at South Wraxall
31N9– Harriet Collett wasborn in 1801 at South Wraxall
31N10– Thomas Collett wasborn in 1802 at South Wraxall
31N11– Bridget Collett wasborn in 1805 at South Wraxall
Bridget Collett [31M2]was born at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 9th February1763, the eldest daughter of Thomas, a carpenter, and Ann Collett. Almost five months later she died and wasburied at South Wraxall on 1st July 1763
Elizabeth Collett [31M3]was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 14th April1765. She was another daughter of Thomasand Ann Collett, who was nineteen years old when she died, when she was buriedat South Wraxall on 23rd June 1784
Ann Collett [31M4]was born at South Wraxall, another daughter of carpenter Thomas Collett and hiswife Ann. It was also at South Wraxallwhere she was baptised on 13th March 1768
Simon Collett [31M5]was born at South Wraxall during 1769, where he was baptised on 18thDecember 1769, the second son of Thomas and Ann Collett
Harry Collett [31M6]was born at South Wraxall and baptised there on 15th November 1772,another son of carpenter Thomas Collett and Ann. He was thirteen years of age when he died andwas buried at South Wraxall on 1st February 1786. The burial record confirmed that his fatherwas Thomas Collett senior, a carpenter
Betsy Collett [31M7]was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 11th December1774, another daughter of Thomas and Ann Collett, when her father’s occupationwas confirmed as that of a carpenter.She was four years old when she died, and was buried with her sisterBridget at South Wraxall on 12th April 1779, where their sisterElizabeth and brother Harry were later buried in 1784 and 1786 respectively
Mary Collett [31M8]was baptised at South Wraxall on 9th June 1776 and was not yet fouryears old when she died. She was buriedin the family grave at South Wraxall on 7th March 1780, where two ofher older siblings had already been laid to rest by then, and where two morewere buried during the next six years
Jenny Collett [31M9] was baptised at South Wraxall on 1st March1778, the ninth child of carpenter Thomas Collett and Ann Collett
Mary Collett [31M10]was baptised at South Wraxall on 27th August 1780, the last childborn to carpenter Thomas Collett and his wife Ann
WILLIAM COLLETT [31M11] was born at South Wraxall in 1767, theonly known child of William Collett and Jane Spencer and was baptised there on5th June 1767. It was around1787 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 6thOctober 1791. Ann had been born at LowerWraxall in 1771 – see earlier details regarding the marriage between ElizabethCollett (William’s aunt) and George Morris who were married at South Wraxall in1755, whose daughter Ann Morris was named as a minor in her father’s Will of1784
Newinformation, kindly provided by Carol Lyn Davis in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2014,confirmed that George, Thomas and William were indeed the sons of WilliamCollett by his second wife Ann Morris.However, it has always been believed that William had a total of twelvechildren from his two marriages, while only ten of the, both to William andAnn, are listed below. The majority ofthe baptism records confirm that William was butcher, when all ten childrenwere baptised at South Wraxall
WilliamCollett of South Wraxall, a butcher, died at South Wraxall, where he was buriedon 29th June 1829, at the age of 62.His widow Ann Collett, nee Morris, passed away during the followingyears, presumably before 1841, since no record of her has been found in thecensus that year
31N12– John Morris Collettwas born in 1794 at South Wraxall
31N13– George Collett wasborn in 1796 at South Wraxall
31N14– Charles Collett wasborn in 1798 at South Wraxall
31N15– Elizabeth Collett wasborn in 1801 at South Wraxall
31N16– Thomas Collett wasborn in 1802 at South Wraxall
31N17– Harry Collett wasborn in 1803 at South Wraxall
31N18– William Collett wasborn in 1805 at South Wraxall
31N19– Ann Collett was bornin 1808 at South Wraxall
31N20– Charlotte Catherine Collettwas born in 1810 at South Wraxall
31N21– Jane Collett was bornin 1812 at South Wraxall
Elizabeth Collett [31M13] was born at South Wraxall nine monthsafter her parents, Jonathan Collett, a carpenter, and Betty Batten, weremarried there. She was their first-bornchild and was baptised at South Wraxall on 31st January 1779, asBetty Collett, when her mother was recorded as Elizabeth Collett, rather thanBetty Collett, which was how she was described for the baptism of her fiveyoungest children at Bradford. It was on24th August 1804 when Elizabeth Collett, of Bradford, married ThomasWilshere, a farmer of South Wraxall. Thefirst bondsman was Uriah Aust, a wool-sorter of Bradford. Four years later, the contents of the 1808Will of her father, Jonathan Collett, a carpenter of Bradford Leigh, confirmedthat she was the wife Thomas Wiltshire, both of whom were still alive in Marchthat year, with Elizabeth receiving the sum of Twenty Pounds
Jonathan Collett [31M14] was born at South Wraxall, either at theend of 1779, or early in 1780, and was the eldest son of Jonathan Collett andBetty Batten. He later married JaneCollett at St Nicholas’ Church in Winsley, near Bradford-on-Avon, on 27thNovember 1809. The couple’s eldest childwas 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 JaneCollett in the census of 1841, confirmed she was a pauper and a widow, with arounded age of 60, who was residing at White Hill, off Woolley Street, inBradford-on-Avon. Living there with herwere her two youngest children, George Collett who was 17 and Harriet Collettwho was 14, both of them born in Wiltshire and both of them employed as farmservants
Hisabsence from the census in 1841, means that labourer Jonathan Collett may havepassed away sometime between 1826 and 1841, although no record of his death hasyet been found. The later record of themarriage of his youngest son George Collett, in 1847, stated that his father,Jonathan Collett, was a shepherd
31N22– John Batten Collettwas born in 1811 at South Wraxall
31N23– Mary Collett was bornin 1813 at South Wraxall
31N24– Caroline Collett wasborn in 1816 at South Wraxall
31N25– Anna Collett was bornin 1819 at South Wraxall
31N26– George Collett wasborn in 1822 at South Wraxall
31N27– Harriet Collett wasborn in 1826 at South Wraxall
MaryCollett [31M15] was born at South Wraxall,where she was baptised on 25th February 1781, the daughter oflabourer Jonathan Collett and his wife Elizabeth. Mary was sixteen years old when she died atBradford Leigh and was subsequently buried at South Wraxall on 27thAugust 1797, where she was confirmed as the daughter of Jonathan and ElizabethCollett
Jane Collett [31M16] was the fourth child of Jonathan Collettand Betty Batten, but first one not born at South Wraxall. It was on 12th October 1783 thatshe was baptised at Bradford-on-Avon when, for the first time, her parents werenamed as Jonathan and Betty Collett.When her father made his Will in 1808, unmarried Jane Collett was one ofonly four of his eight children named therein, each of them to receive TwentyPounds
John Collett [31M17] was another child of Jonathan and BettyCollett, who was baptised at Bradford-on-Avon on 12th February1786. He was around twenty-two when hisfather died, following which, John Collett was one of the four siblings,together with their mother, who were named as beneficiaries under the terms ofhis Will made in 1808. Three yearslater, John Collett was married at Melksham by banns to Charlotte Crook on 28thNovember 1811. The marriage registerentry confirmed that John was a bachelor of Bradford and that Charlotte was aspinster of the parish of Melksham. Bothsigned 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 ofSouth Wraxall, where their first two children were born and where John was acarpenter. Those two children were baptised at South Wraxall, where theirremaining children were born and where John was a farmer. John Collett was a yeoman farmer when he diedat South Wraxall, two years before his wife passed away, where he was interredin the family tomb on 22nd August 1835 at the age of 48. See detailsbelow, for other members of the family place in the same tomb
Upuntil 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 BattenCollett, who is known to have continued to farm there during the 1840s. In the first national census in 1841, thechildren of John and Charlotte Collett were still living at South Wraxallwithin the Wraxall Chapelry of Bradford-on-Avon, when married William BattenCollett was the head of the household, his siblings being Betsy, John, Arabellaand Andrew, all of them described as yeomen
Thechurchyard of St James in South Wraxall contains the tomb of this particularCollett family, where John and his wife Charlotte were laid to rest with theirchildren Matilda and Edward, and possibly others, although the names have longsince disappeared with age. On one sideare the words, “Also Edward the infantson of John and Charlotte Collett who died Feb 27th 1828 aged 14months. Also Matilda their daughter whodied May 14th 1841 aged 24 years”
31N28– Elizabeth Collett wasborn in 1812 at South Wraxall
31N29– William Batten Collettwas born in 1815 at South Wraxall
31N30– Matilda Collett wasborn in 1817 at South Wraxall
31N31– Betsy Collett wasborn in 1818 at South Wraxall
31N32– John Collett was bornin 1820 at South Wraxall
31N33– Arabella Jane Collettwas born in 1822 at South Wraxall
31N34– Edward Collett wasborn in 1826 at South Wraxall
31N35– Andrew William Collettwas born in 1829 at South Wraxall
Ann Collett [31M18] was baptised at Bradford-n-Avon on 13thApril 1788, the daughter of Jonathan and Betty Collett. Like her older sisters, Elizabeth Wiltshirenee Collett and Jane Collett (both above), Ann Collett also received TwentyPounds under the terms of the 1808 Will of her father
William Collett [31M19] was the seventh child of carpenterJonathan Collett by his wife Elizabeth, and was baptised at Bradford-on-Avon on26th September 1790. WhenWilliam married the much younger Ann Boyer at Limpley Stoke, a few miles westof Bradford-on-Avon, on 19th November 1817, he said he was 24 (sic),compared to Ann who was 21. Ann andWilliam were both recorded as being from South Wraxall, while Robert JonathanWebb, aged 59, a housekeeper from Atworth, was the first bondsman. Eleven months later, the first of their twodaughters was born and baptised at South Wraxall, when William was working as abutcher. Just two years after that, thecouple’s second child, Catherine was born and baptised at South Wraxall, whenonce again her father’s occupation was that of a butcher. In 1846 Catherine Collett married StephenCollett (Ref. 35N68) at Shaw, near Melksham, with whom she raised a family ofher own
Bythe 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 atLower Wraxall with her daughter Catherine Collett, who was 18 and also workingas an agricultural labourer, presumably with her mother. Ten years after that, in 1851, Ann Collett ofWraxall was 60 and was a visitor at the Melksham home of her married daughterCatherine Collett, nee Collett. Justover 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 buriedwith her husband at South Wraxall on 2nd May 1851
31N36– Eliza Collett wasborn in 1818 at South Wraxall
31N37– Catherine Collett wasborn in 1821 at South Wraxall
James Collett [31M20] was baptised at Bradford-on-Avon on 20thMay 1792, another child of Jonathan Collett and Elizabeth Jane Batten. Tragically, he was only three years old whenhe died at Bradford Leigh, after which he was buried at the parish church inSouth Wraxall on 1st April 1795, the son of Jonathan Collett
JamesCollett [31M21] wasborn at South Wraxall in 1795, shortly after his brother and namesake died andwas buried there. That would make himthe last child born to Jonathan and Betty Collett although, to date, no recordof his birth or baptism has been found. Hisfather’s Will was made on 24th March 1808, so he passed away afterthat date. Whilst the Will madereference to James’ mother, curiously James and two older brothers were notincluded. No record of the death of hisfather or his mother has been found, which perhaps occurred when James wasstill under full age. Many years later,when James was approaching forty years of age, he married Martha Woolls fromCirencester at the Church of St Peter & St Paul in Bath on 16thFebruary 1834. Once married, the couplesettled 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 1841when she was living with her mother Martha, rounded age 40, at Widcombe inSomerset. The census form also confirmedthat Martha had not been born in Somerset, furthermore their home was describedas the cottage at the back of the Caroline Buildings. In 1851 Jane from Bath was 13, when she wasstaying with her mother’s three unmarried sisters at the Cirencester. They were Mary, Elizabeth and SarahWoolls. By the time of the next censusin 1861, widow Martha Collett from Cirencester was a laundress, employing threewomen, 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 andSarah Woolls. Just less than two yearslater Martha Collett died at Cirencester, where her death was recorded (Ref. 6a206) during the first quarter of 1873, at the age of 76
31N38 – Jane Collett was born in 1837 at Walcot, Bath
HannahCollett [31N1]was born at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 1st May 1785,the first child born to Thomas Collett (no occupation stated) and his wife MaryS Watson. Sadly, not quite four yearsafter, she died and was buried at South Wraxall on 23rd January 1789
HarryCollett [31N2] was bornat South Wraxall and that may have been in 1786, his baptism recorded there on4th June 1786, which might place him as the second child of Thomasand Mary Collett. However, theoccupation 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 Harrypursued. Harry Collett married MaryGisford at nearby Winsley on 21st February 1811, with whom he hadten children, all born and baptised at South Wraxall, each baptism confirmingthat Harry was a carpenter. His youngestchild died in 1832, and six years later the death of Harry Collett was recordedat Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 7) during the first three months of 1839. That was confirmed in the census of 1841, whenhis widow Mary Collett, aged 57, was living at Upper Wraxall with her two ofher three surviving sons Thomas and William.Mary’s eldest son Henry was married by then and had already started afamily of his own
Anothersurviving child was her absent daughter Rachel, who was 17 and already workingas a servant at the home of her uncle and her mother’s older brother, farmerHenry Gisford and his wife Ann, at Mount Pleasant in Upper Wraxall. Ten years later, it was Rachel’s mother whohad moved in with her widowed brother Henry, where she had taken on the role ofhousekeeper. Head of the household HenryGisford was 68 and a retired farmer in the Upper Wraxall census of 1851. Widow Mary Collett from South Wraxall was 65and an agricultural labourer and housekeeper, while it was five years later, thatMary Collett was buried (in Wiltshire) on 17th April 1856, who wassaid to be 74 (sic)
Itis 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 inJanuary 1839, was the same Harry Collett who was baptised at Melksham on 21stAugust 1786
31O1– Betsy Gisford Collettwas born in 1811 at South Wraxall
31O2– Henry Gisford Collettwas born in 1813 at South Wraxall
31O3– Mary Gisford Collettwas born in 1815 at South Wraxall
31O4– Ann Maria Collett wasborn in 1817 at South Wraxall
31O5– Ann Collett was bornin 1819 at South Wraxall
31O6– Thomas Collett wasborn in 1821 at South Wraxall
31O7– Rachel Collett wasborn in 1823 at South Wraxall
31O8– William Gisford Collettwas born in 1825 at South Wraxall
31O9– Philip Gisford Collettwas born in 1827 at South Wraxall
31O10– Ann Thirza Collettwas born in 1831 at South Wraxall
William Collett [31N3] was baptised at South Wraxall on 29thJuly 1787, another son of Thomas Collett, confirmed as a carpenter, and Mary SWatson. William was 22 years of age whenhe married Elizabeth Deverill on 1st October 1809 at Winsley, justwest of Bradford-on-Avon. The list oftheir children (below), has been compiled from the South Wraxall parishregister, coupled with the details in the census of 1841. The only baptism records found are those forEliza, William and Rachel. Two yearsprior to that day, on Boxing Day in 1839, William Collett signed the marriageregister at the South Wraxall Chapel, on the occasion of the wedding hisyoungest brother Thomas (below) and Sarah Humphries
Inthe census for Lower Wraxall in June 1841, William Collett was 53 years old anda carpenter living on Ivy Lane with his family.His wife was Elizabeth Collett was 55, and living with the couple thatday were four of their children. Theywere Eliza Collett who had a rounded age of 25, William C Collett who had arounded age of 20 and a carpenter working with his father, Rachel Collett whowas 18 and Urbane Collett who was 16 and also a carpenter. Ten years later, William Collett of SouthWraxall was 65 and was still working as a carpenter, while he and his wifeElizabeth, also of South Wraxall and aged 67, were then living inBradford-on-Avon. Staying with thecouple that day was their granddaughter Charlotte Adams, aged seven years, whowas the eldest of the four children of Daniel and Eliza Adams, nee Collett, thecouple’s eldest daughter, who were living nearby in Bradford
Williamand Elizabeth were still living at South Wraxall, near their daughterElizabeth, in 1861 when William was 75 and Elizabeth was 77. Just over four years late, Elizabeth Collettnee Deverill, from Winsley in Wiltshire, died at South Wraxall on 12thOctober 1865 and, it was less than two years later, when William Collett passedaway on 28th May 1867. Asingle headstone in the graveyard at St James Church in South Wraxall markstheir 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 andDeverill families is detailed in Appendix Three at the end of this file
31O11– Eliza Collett wasborn in 1812 at South Wraxall
31O12– William Collett wasborn in 1816 at South Wraxall
31O13– Rachel Collett wasborn in 1822 at South Wraxall
31O14– Urbane Collett wasborn in 1824 at South Wraxall
HannahCollett [31N4] was born at South Wraxall andwas baptised there on 4th October 1789 the second child of that namein the family, her older sibling and namesake having died at the start of thatsame year. Tragically, like her oldersister Hannah, the family’s second Hannah was six years old when she died andwas buried at South Wraxall on 29th January 1796, the daughter ofThomas and Mary Collett
RachelCollett [31N5] was born at South Wraxall, whereshe was baptised on 22nd May 1791, another daughter of carpenterThomas Collett and his wife Mary S Watson.She had not reached her fourth birthday when she died at South Wraxallwhere she was buried on 8th February 1795
ThirzaCollett [31N6] was born at South Wraxall andbaptised there on 22nd September 1793, the fifth child of Thomas, acarpenter, and Mary Collett. It isunderstood that she married Samuel Mizen around 1816
AnnaCollett [31N7] was born at South Wraxall, whereshe was baptised as Anna Collett on 1st May 1796, another daughterof Thomas and Mary Collett. It ispossible that she was actually Hannah Collett, the name given to the couple’seldest child who suffered a premature death in 1795
Mary Collett [31N8] was born at South Wraxall in 1798, adaughter of Thomas Collett and Mary Watson, who was baptised there on 12thMay 1799, when she was confirmed as the daughter of carpenter Thomas Collettand his wife Mary. She later marriedThomas Rudman at St James’ Church in South Wraxall on 4th January1820, when Mary was confirmed as the daughter of carpenter Thomas Collett andhis wife Mary. Nineteen years later,Thomas Rudman was one of the witnesses at the wedding of Thomas Collett, Mary’sbrother (below), and Sarah Humphries.It is interesting, that another Thomas Rudman was the father of ThirzaSophia Rudman who married Urbane Collett (Ref. 31O14) at South Wraxall in 1861
ThomasRudman was baptised at South Wraxall on 11th March 1798 and hismarriage to Mary Collett produced ten children for the couple, and all of thembaptised at South Wraxall. They were SamuelRudman (bap. 12.08.1821), William Rudman (bap. 25.12.1822 - died30.04.1864), Thomas Rudman (bap. 29.08.1824), George Rudman (bap.07.06.1827), Michael Rudman (bn. 27.03.1831 - died b/f 1839), JohnRudman (bap. 23.02.1834), Mary Watson Rudman (bap. 10.06.1836), CalebRudman (bap. 18.03.1838 - died b/f 1880), Michael Rudman (bap.09.06.1839), and Henry Rudman (bap. 27.03.1842)
ThomasRudman was a journeyman blacksmith, a profession also taken up by his son and namesakeThomas Rudman junior. It is interestingthat in 1851, when he was 28, Thomas Rudman junior was a lodger at theGrittleton, near Chippenham, home of Thomas Collett aged 30 and from BroughtonGifford. The third blacksmith at thedwelling was William Granger Hulbert from Rowde, between Melksham and Devizes,who was 18. He was the eldest son ofMary Ann Collett (Ref. 35N24) from Broughton Gifford and William GrangerHulbert, while the aforementioned Thomas Collett (Ref. 35N25) was the youngerbrother of Mary Ann Hulbert
HarrietCollett [31N9] was born at South Wraxall andbaptised there on 26th July 1801, another daughter of carpenterThomas and Mary Collett. The parishregister recorded that it was Mary’s father James Watson who represented hisdaughter at the baptism
Thomas Collett [31N10] was born at South Wraxall in 1802, thelast son of carpenter Thomas and Mary Collett, who was baptised at SouthWraxall on 28th November 1802.He was approaching forty years of age when Thomas Collett married SarahHumphries on 26th December 1839 at the Chapel in the parish of SouthWraxall. The marriage register for thatcouple contains the following details.Thomas Collett was a bachelor of 36 years and a resident of SouthWraxall, a parish clerk and the son of Thomas Collett who was a carpenter and aparish clerk. Sarah Humphries was aspinster of 27 and a domestic servant from Notton at Laco*ck, the daughter ofJohn Humphries, a gardener. The couple signedthe book in their own hand and, in addition to the two the witnesses, theparish record also included the name of William Collett, who signed his name asWm Collett. He was most likely Thomas’older brother (above). The twowitnesses were Jessie Pearce and Thomas Rudman, the latter being thebrother-in-law of Thomas Collett and the husband of his sister Mary Collett (above)
Bythe time of the South Wraxall census of 1851, Thomas from South Wraxall was 48and was still working as a carpenter and was also a parish clerk. His wife Sarah was 38 and her place of birthwas confirmed as Laco*ck, just north of Melksham (as confirmed in their marriagerecord). The five children living withthem at Upper Wraxall in the village of Wraxall were Mary aged 10, Thomas whowas eight, Sarah who was six, Thirza who was four and Henry who was one yearold, with the three oldest children attending the village school. It is very interesting that living next doorto the family in 1851 was Daniel Adams and his wife Eliza Collett, the daughterof William Collett [65 in 1851] and Elizabeth Deverill [67 in 1851], whileThomas’ brother William (below) [42 in 1851] had married Mary AnnDeverill. It seems likely that,immediately after the census day in 1851, Sarah gave birth to a daughter, AnnMaria Collett, who was baptised at South Wraxall on 6th April 1851,but who sadly did not survive
Aftera further ten years Thomas Collett was 59 and a carpenter residing at WaterLane in Lower Wraxall. His wife Sarahfrom Laco*ck was 49 and their four children on the day of the census in 1861were Thomas Collett who was 18 and an ag lab, Sarah who was 16, Henry who was11 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 andwas recorded in the Bridgwater area of Somerset, while Thirza Collett wasliving in the Corsham area of Wiltshire, where she was referred to as Theresa ACollett, aged 14, who was also born at South Wraxall
Bythe time of the census in 1871 the family was living at South Wraxall, whereThomas Collett was 68 and a carpenter and also the parish clerk. His wife Sarah was 58, and the only childrenstill living with the couple were their unmarried sons Thomas who was 28 andHenry who was 21, neither of them described as having any occupation. It was later that same year when ThomasCollett died, following which he was buried at South Wraxall on 20thDecember 1871. His death was recorded atBradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 82) when he was 69 years of age. His passing was confirmed in the next censusof 1881, when Sarah Collett was a widow living with her married daughter ThirzaGale at 1 Bridge Cottages, in the village of Box in Wiltshire
Curiouslyin the census of 1881, the birth place of the widow Sarah Collett, aged 69, wasstated as being South Wraxall, rather than Laco*ck. Her daughter, Thirza A Gale was 34 and herplace of birth was correctly given at South Wraxall, so perhaps it was Thirzawho provided the census enumerator with her mother’s details. Thirza’s husband was Samuel Gale, aged 39, astone quarry foreman who had been born at Box.And living with them was their son George H Gale who was 10 and theirdaughter Sarah Gale who was seven years old, both of them recorded as havingbeen born at Box, only a couple of miles north of South Wraxall. With no later record of Sarah Collett in thecensus of 1891, it is probably safe to assume that she died during the 1880s
31O15– Mary Collett was bornin 1841 at South Wraxall
31O16– Thomas Collett wasborn in 1842 at South Wraxall
31O17– Sarah Collett wasborn in 1843 at South Wraxall
31O18– Thirza Ann Collettwas born in 1847 at South Wraxall
31O19– Henry Collett wasborn in 1849 at South Wraxall
31O20– Eliza Harriet Collettwas born in 1852 at South Wraxall
BridgetCollett [31N11] was born at South Wraxall,where she was baptised on 23rd October 1805, the last child ofcarpenter Thomas Collett and his wife Mary S Watson. For clarity, her father was referred to inthe parish register as Thomas Collett senior.It was original believed that Bridget also died in 1805, although nodeath record or burial record has been found to verify that
John Morris Collett [31N12]was born at South Wraxall where he was baptised on 25th May 1794,the first child born to butcher William Collett and Ann Morris. Ann was his second wife, but no details areavailable relating to his first wife, with who he made have had issue
George Collett [31N13] was born at South Wraxall and was thesecond son of William Collett and his second wife Ann Morris, who was baptisedthere on 4th December 1796.The marriage of George Collett, a labourer of Upper Wraxall, and AnnaCollett of Holt – two miles east of Bradford-on-Avon, took place at Holt on4th January 1820 and produced four children, the first baptised onlytwo months after their wedding day, all of them born and baptised at SouthWraxall. For the first two children, George was working as a labourer, whilefor the last two, his occupation was that of a sawyer. It was as Ann Collett, the daughter of Jamesand Ann Collett, that she was baptised at Holt on 20th September1801, when sadly her mother did not survive the ordeal. The premature death of Ann Collett wasrecorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 155) during the third quarter of 1838. Where her father fits in with the WiltshireCollett families, is still to be resolved
Leastthan three years later, the census in 1841, included George Collett as awidower who was living at Upper Wraxall with just three of his children, sonWalter having died not long after he was born, ten years earlier. George Collett had a rounded age of 45 andwas a sawyer, Thomas Collett was 20, George was 19 and Sarah was 14 yearsold. Living next door to George Collettand 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
Overthe following years, the two widowed brothers, George and William, joinedforces and, by 1851, they were sharing the same abode at Upper Wraxall in thevillage of South Wraxall. Head of thehousehold was George Collett, aged 54 and born at South Wraxall, whoseoccupation was still that of a sawyer.The only member of his immediate family, still living with him, was hisunmarried son Thomas who was 30. Thethree other members of the household were William Collett aged 49, described asbrother, John Collett aged 18, who was George’s nephew, and Jane Collett aged15, who was described as ‘niece at home’, presumably indicating that she wasacting 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 GeorgeCollett of Upper Wraxall took place at South Wraxall on 8th July1858 when his age was recorded as being 61 years
31O21– Thomas Collett wasborn in 1820 at South Wraxall
31O22– George Collett wasborn in 1821 at South Wraxall
31O23– Sarah Collett wasborn in 1827 at South Wraxall
31O24– Walter Collett wasborn in 1831 at South Wraxall
Charles Collett [31N14]was born at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 29th July 1798,the son of butcher William Collett and his wife Ann. What happened to him during his short life isnot known, except that he died at South Wraxall, where he was buried on 8thApril 1834, at the age of 35 years
Elizabeth Collett [31N15]was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 6th December1801, the fourth child of butcher William and Ann Collett
Thomas Collett [31N16] was born at South Wraxall at the end of1802 or early in 1803, another son of butcher William Collett and AnnMorris. In the census of 1841, he had arounded 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 highlylikely that Thomas Collett of South Wraxall married Sarah Baggs
Harry Collett [31N17] wasborn at South Wraxall and it was there that he was baptised on 27thOctober 1803, the sixth child of William Collett, a butcher, and Ann Morris
WILLIAM COLLETT [31N18] was born at South Wraxall where he wasbaptised on 23rd October 1805, the son of butcher William Collett byhis second wife Ann Morris. It was on 5thDecember 1825 that he married (1) Jane Walters at Biddestone. As far as can be determined the marriageproduced at least one child for William and his wife before she died, eitherduring the birth of their son or during the birth of a second child who alsodid not survive. Following the death ofhis wife, William was then married at South Wraxall by banns to (2) Mary AnnDeverill from Winsley on 23rd March 1835. Their daughter was born sometime during thenext twelve months and she was named after William’s late wife. It is understood that William fathered atotal of four children, although only the three listed below are confirmed atthis time
Itmay be of interest that another older William Collett [Ref. 31N3] marriedElizabeth Deverill around 1810 and, in 1851, their daughter Eliza and herhusband Daniel Adams, were living next door to the family of William’s brotherThomas Collett (above)
Accordingto the census in 1841, widower William Collett, aged 34, was an agriculturallabourer living at Upper Wraxall in the Wraxall Chapelry of Bradford with histwo children, John who was eight and Jane who was seven years old. Living next door to the family was William’sbrother George (above) with whom they were living by the time nextcensus was conducted in 1851. WidowerWilliam Collett, aged 44 and an agricultural labourer from South Wraxall, wasrecorded as the brother of head of the household George Collett aged 54. Likewise, his two children were confirmed asJohn Collett aged 18, the nephew of George Collett, and Jane Collett aged 15,the niece of George Collett
Itwas at Upper Street in South Wraxall that William Collett was living in 1861when he was 53 and still working as an agricultural labourer. Living there with him was his daughter JaneCollett who was 25. Also staying withthem 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) Collettwho was two years old and also from South Wraxall. This raises speculation that they were thechildren from an earlier marriage of his son John who was living in South Walesby then, although he said he was a bachelor when he married in 1862. Equally they could have been the children ofone of William’s unlisted sons or the base-born children of his unmarrieddaughter Jane. However, with the lack ofany further information, it is under the latter assumption that they have beenincluded in this family line. It isknown that William Collett died at South Wraxall during the 1860s, perhapseven, just prior to the 1871 census
31O25– JOHN COLLETT was bornin 1833 at South Wraxall
Thefollowing are the daughters of William Collett by his second wife Mary AnnDeverill:
31O26– Jane Collett was bornin 1835 at South Wraxall
31O27– Anne Collett was bornin 1837 at South Wraxall
Ann Collett [31N19]was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 7th February1808, another daughter of butcher William Collett and his wife Ann
CharlotteCatherine Collett [31N20] was born at South Wraxall, theninth child of William and Ann Collett, who was baptised on 15thApril 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 6thMay 1819
JaneCollett [31N21] was born at South Wraxall andwas the last child of William Collett by his second wife Ann Morris. Like all of her older nine siblings, Jane wasalso baptised at South Wraxall, on 8th March 1812
John Batten Collett [31N22]was born in 1811 atSouth Wraxall, where he was baptised on 14th April 1811, the eldestchild of Jonathan Collett and his wife Jane Collett – also her maiden-name. As simply John Collett aged 23, he died atWoolley Green, between South Wraxall and Bradford-on-Avon, but was buried atSouth Wraxall on 22nd June 1834
Mary Collett [31N23]was born at South Wraxall in 1813, the eldest daughter and second child oflabourer Jonathan and Jane Collett, who was baptised there on 13thJune 1813
Caroline Collett [31N24]was born at South Wraxall and baptised there on 14th April 1816,another child of labourer Jonathan and Jane Collett. She married agricultural labourer WilliamHanco*ck from Box around 1840 and by 1851 the family was living in Box nearChippenham. William Hanco*ck was 31 andCaroline Hanco*ck 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 Williamwas 42, Caroline was 45, Henry Hanco*ck was 18, Martha Hanco*ck was15, Edward Hanco*ck was 11 and Eliza Hanco*ck was nine yearsold. Only the eldest and youngest childwas 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
Carolinewas widowed during the 1870, as confirmed in the Box census on 1881, by whichtime she was living at Quarry Hill, a charwoman and head of the household. Staying there with her, was her marrieddaughter Elizabeth Stenchcombe, aged 26, her husband Alfred Stenchcombe, andtheir two children Maud and Edward, aged two years and under one year. Although no record of her has been found inthe Box census of 1891, it was two years after that date, that the death ofCaroline Hanco*ck was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 47) during the firstquarter of 1893, at the age of 66
Anna Collett [31N25]was born at South Wraxall, where she was baptised on 4th April 1819,the fourth child of labourer Jonathan and Jane Collett
George Collett [31N26] was born at South Wraxall and baptisedthere on 28th July 1822, the youngest son of Jonathan and JaneCollett. George’s father died sometimeafter the birth of his younger sister in 1926 since, by the time of the censusin 1841, George and his sister Harriet were the only ones living with theirwidowed mother at White Hill in Bradford-on-Avon. George Collett was 17 on that occasion, whilesometime later he left Wiltshire to seek work in Yorkshire. Just prior to him becoming a married man hewas living in the Holbeck district of South Leeds, and it was there that he methis future wife
Themarriage of labourer George Collett of Holbeck, the son of shepherd JonathanCollett, took place at St Peter’s Church in Leeds on 22nd November1847 when he wed Susannah Child of Holbeck, the daughter of mason WilliamChild. Both the bride and the groom madethe mark of a cross when signing the register.Within two years the couple moved to Halifax and it was there that theironly known child was born. In the censusof 1851 George was a mason’s labourer aged 25 when he was living at 5 Davy’sYard on Foundry Street in Halifax. Withhim was his wife Susanna who was 20 and a worsted reeler from Calverley nearHorsforth, north-west of Leeds, together with their son William Collett who wasone year old and born in Halifax
Anotherfamily move took place during the 1850s when they left Yorkshire and travelledseventy miles north to Ormesby-Estonjust south-east of Middlesbrough, where the family was living on the day of thecensus in 1861. George Collett fromSouth 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 ofCalverley. Completing the family wastheir Halifax born son William Collett who was 11. To supplementher husband’s earnings, Susannah was taking in lodgers who, on that census day,were two young ironstone miners. Tenyears later the same family was living at Chaloner Street in Guisborough, justa few miles east of Ormesby-Eston, when George from Wiltshire was 45 and agrocer. By then, Susannah from Idle was39 and their son William from Halifax was 21 and working as a general dealer. Also listed with the family was the couple’sniece Hannah J Collett who was two years old and from nearby Eston (see 1881 Census below for explanation),and Sarah Walker a domestic servant. Itwas two years later that their son William Collett became a married man andmoved out of the family home
GeorgeCollett from Wraxall was 55, and his wife Susannah Collett of Idle was 49, whenthey were still residing at 16 Chaloner Street in Guisborough in 1881, whereGeorge’s occupation was again that of a grocer.Living with the couple again on that occasion was their niece Hannah JChild, who was 12 and from Eston in Middlesbrough, while Sarah Bennard, who was15 and from Marske in Yorkshire, was employed by the couple as a domesticservant. The niece Hannah J Child,previously Hannah J Collett in 1871, may have been the base-born child ofSusannah’s sister and as such was taken in by the Collett family shortly aftershe was born, but for some reason later reverted to her mother’s maiden-name
Itwas two years later that George Collett from South Wraxall passed away at theage of 57, his death recorded at Guisborough register office (Ref. 9d 361)during the second quarter of 1883. Hiswidow Susannah was still living at Guisborough in 1901 when she was listed asbeing 68 and a retired grocer. It cannot be ignored that an unconfirmedinternet record states that the parents of George Collett, who married SusannahChild, were William Collett and Elizabeth Blissett. However, this completely conflicts with theinformation contained within the record of his marriage
Hannah Jane Collett, aka Hannah Jane Child, was born atGuisborough in 1868, where her birth was recorded (Ref. 9d 459) during thethird quarter of that year. She latermarried John Teasdale when she was only 18, the marriage being recorded atGuisborough (Ref. 6d 685) during the second quarter of 1886 when the witnesseswere William Millward and Emma Taylor
31O28– William Collett wasborn in 1850 at Halifax
HarrietCollett [31N27] was born at South Wraxall, thelast child of Jonathan Collett, a labourer of Upper Wraxall, and his wife whowas born as Jane Collett. Harriet wasbaptised at South Wraxall on 18th June 1826
Elizabeth Collett [31N28] was born at the hamlet of Bradford Leighin 1812. She was the eldest child ofJohn Collett and Charlotte Crook and was baptised at South Wraxall on 10thMarch 1813. The parish baptism recordconfirmed that her father was John Collett a carpenter from BradfordLeigh. While she and her parents werestill residing in Bradford Leigh, her mother, pregnant with the couple’s secondchild, Elizabeth Collett suffered a premature death there and was buried atSouth Wraxall on 3rd March 1815
William Batten Collett [31N29]was born at BradfordLeigh and was baptised at South Wraxall on 4th June 1815, the son ofcarpenter John Collett of Bradford Leigh and his wife Charlotte Crook. His second forename came from hisgrandmother’s maiden-name. Around thetime that he was twenty years old his father died during 1835 and, two yearsafter that, his mother died in 1837, leaving William to look after the welfareof 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 youngfamily to continue to live. William, asthe eldest son, was the only child named in the Will of farmer John Collett, whichwas made in 1833 when William was only eighteen years old. His father’s Will was subsequently proved on11th September 1837, two days after the death of his widow, leavingson William to take on the family farm
Aftera further two years, yeoman farmer William Batten Collett, aged 24 and fromSouth Wraxall, the son of John Collett farmer, married Sarah Penelope Jamesfrom nearby Holt at the Chapel in South Wraxall on 13th June1839. The marriage was witnessed byWilliam’s sister Matilda Collett – who died within two years – and EleanorCollett, although it is not yet determined who she was. All four of them signed the book in their ownhand. The marriage was registered atBradford-on-Avon during the second quarter of that year. Sarah was also 24 years old and had been bornat Newgate Street in London in 1816, the daughter of Francis Joseph James, anofficer in the army, and his wife Mary Miles - see later notes. Once they were married the couple initiallysettled in South Wraxall at Court Farm, where their first child was born in1840
Thecensus of 1841 recorded that William and Sarah were living at Wraxall Chapelry,Bradford, in Wiltshire with their first child Matilda who was one-yearold. William’s occupation was stated asbeing that of a yeoman, def. ‘a man whocultivates his own land’. It was asWm Collett, aged 24, that he wasrecorded, while his wife Sarah was 23.Living at Court Farm with the couple and their daughter were four ofWilliam’s siblings, and they were Betsey aged 23, John aged 20, Arabella whowas 19 and Andrew who was 11. All ofthem were recorded as being yeoman. Employedby the family at that time was Ann Shepherd, aged 20, who was a domestic servant
Shortlyafter the census day in June that year, the family was extended by the birth ofa further two children while William and Sarah were still living at Court Farmin South Wraxall. Just after the birthof the couple’s third child, the family set out for London, with their next twochildren born at Romford in Essex, where the both suffered an infantdeath. Another, very local, moverevealed 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 familywas recorded as residing in Stoke Newington, within the Hackney area of London. It is interesting to note that the childrenwho died not long after they were born, were not given the additional forenameof Miles, which all bar one of the surviving children had, the name being atribute to Sarah’s mother, Mary Miles
Itnow also appears that three out of the four siblings of William, who wereliving with him at South Wraxall in 1841, also made the journey to London. Only his youngest brother Andrew WilliamCollett (below) seems not to have made that move, since he is known tohave travelled to Bath before reaching the age of twenty-one. It is also interesting that, after the moveto London, some of his younger siblings may have been supported by the ReverendRobert Miles who later employed William’s sister Arabella Collett (below)and eventually took her to live in Nottinghamshire
Accordingto the census in 1851, William and Sarah and their family were living at 20Prospect Place in St Mary Stoke Newington, within the Finsbury & Hackneyregistration district of London. WilliamCollett from Bradford in Wiltshire was 36 and employed as a gardener, his wifeSarah from London was 35, and recorded with them were their three surviving children. They were listed as Mary Matilda Collett fromBradford Wilts who was eleven and attending school, William Henry Miles Collettwho was nine and also from Bradford and at school, and John Miles Collett whowas only two months old and born at Stoke Newington
Thecensus return that year also reported that head of the household William,together with his two eldest children, were all recorded as having animpediment, either indicating that they were blind, deaf or dumb, since foreach of them there was a tick in the final column of the census return. A number of the later members of this familyline were known to have been deaf or had hearing problems, which may have beenhereditary
Thefamily’s time at Stoke Newington was limited, when they then moved a few milesnorth 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 recordedat Edmonton towards the end of 1853
Onthe day of the census in 1861, William Collett, aged 46 and from Bradford inWiltshire, was still a gardener, albeit a journeyman gardener, who was residingwith his family at Sewerage Cottage, Markfield Road, Tottenham, within the Edmontonregistration district of Middlesex. Withhim that day was his wife Sarah P Collett aged 45, and three of their fivesurviving children. Rather curiously,all three children were recorded in error as having been born at Cottingham inMiddlesex, which may have just been an error in translation for Tottenham, asthere 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 nearbyEdmonton on the day of the census
William’soccupation had changed back to being a farmer by 1871, that being consistentwith 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 54and from Newgate Street in the City of London, their daughter Amy Collett whowas 15, and their son Frank Collett (Francis) who was 13, both born atTottenham and both still attending school
Accordingto the next census of 1881, William and his wife were living at The Poplars, 9Markfield Road in Tottenham. MarkfieldRoad was still a residential street in 2022.At that same time in 1881 William’s eldest son William Henry MilesCollett was living nearby at 2 Markfield Road with his own family. William Collett senior gave his place ofbirth as South Wraxall, his age as 67, and his occupation as that of adairyman. His wife Sarah was 63 and herplace of birth was confirmed as the City of London. Living with them at The Poplars was theiryoungest daughter Amy who was then married to James Watson of London
Alsolisted with the family in 1881 was granddaughter Ada Collett aged 13, amilkmaid born at Tottenham, who was the daughter of the couple’s aforementionedeldest son William Henry Miles Collett.It can safely be assumed that Ada was working with her grandfatherWilliam at that time, in the same dairy business. Seven years later Sarah Penelope Collett, neeJames, died at Tottenham on 22nd May 1888, with her death recordedat Edmonton during the second quarter of 1888.She was followed one year later by her husband William Batten Collettwho also died at Tottenham on 14th April 1889 and whose passing wasalso recorded at Edmonton during the second quarter of 1889
An interesting note about the aforementioned MaryJames, nee Miles: HerWill of 1839 explains why her daughter Sarah Penelope James married a farmerfrom Wiltshire, he being William Batten Collett. Apparently, Mary owned several properties inBradford-on-Avon and was living there at the time of her death. However, Mary and Sarah Penelope must havespent quite a lot of their time in the Cheshunt area because, in 1835, fouryears before Sarah Penelope became a married lady, brought a lawsuit againsther uncle, Colonel William Miles, alleging that he had made comments in thepresence of her mother and a servant, which were defamatory to her goodcharacter. The case of James v. Miles inthe Consistory Court was reported in at least twenty-two newspapers duringNovember 1835, following which, William was condemned to make a public apologyin the vestry of Edmonton church in London, a verdict which caused quite a stir
31O29– Mary Matilda Collettwas born in 1840 at South Wraxall
31O30– William Henry Miles Collettwas born in 1841 at South Wraxall
31O31– Charlotte Louisa Collettwas born in 1842 at South Wraxall
31O32– Arabella Collett wasborn in 1844 at Romford, Essex
31O33– Edward Briscoe Collettwas born in 1846 at Romford, Essex
31O34- Jane Collett was bornin 1848 at Dagenham, Middlesex
31O35– John Miles Collettwas born in 1851 at Stoke Newington, London
31O36– Constance Jessie Miles Collettwas born in 1852 at Tottenham, London
31O37– Charlotte Miles Collettwas born in 1853 at Tottenham, London
31O38– Amy Charlotte Miles Collettwas born in 1854 at Tottenham, London
31O39– Francis James Miles Collettwas born in 1857 at Tottenham, London
Matilda Collett [31N30] was born at South Wraxall in 1817, thedaughter of yeoman John and Charlotte Collett.She was baptised there on 25th February 1818, and followingthe death of her father in 1835, and then her mother in 1837, Matilda Collettdied at Upper Wraxall and was interred in the family tomb at South Wraxall on11th May 1841 at the age of 24.The tomb, in the grounds of the Church of St James, already containedthe bodies of her parents and her younger brother Edward Collett (below)
Betsy Collett [31N31] was born at South Wraxall in 1818, thedaughter of John and Charlotte Collett, although no baptism record for Betsyhas been found, despite finding the baptism details for her siblings. It is therefore her inclusion, with thefamily, in the Wraxall census of 1841, that has placed her as another daughterof farmer John Collett and his wife Charlotte Crook. With both of her parents having died duringthe six years prior to the census on 6th June 1841, Betsy and herthree younger siblings were looked after by her older married brother WilliamCollett and his wife Sarah. Thatsituation was confirmed in the 1841 census return for Wraxall Chapelry inBradford-on-Avon, when Betsy Collett was 23 and living at the Upper Wraxallhome of her brother William, together with all of her surviving brothers andsister, who were helping him work the family farm
Justa short while later, Betsy’s married brother William Batten Collett left SouthWraxall when he and his family moved to London.Betsy and her brother John and her sister Arabella also travelled toLondon, although it has not been determined if that happened at the same timeas William’s move, or a little while thereafter. With no further record found of BetsyCollett, it must be assumed that she was very likely married in London duringthe 1840s
John Collett [31N32] was born at South Wraxall in 1820, butwas baptised at Bradford-on-Avon on 17th May 1820, the son of farmerJohn of Wraxall and his wife Charlotte Collett.He was only 15 years old when his father died, and two years after thathis mother died in 1837. According tothe census in 1841, John Collett was 20 and was living in Upper Wraxall withinthe Wraxall Chapelry of Bradford-on-Avon, at the home of his older marriedbrother William, who was head of the household.Other members of his family living in the same dwelling were John’ssisters Betsy and Arabella, together with his younger brother Andrew. All of them, including the girls, weredescribed as yeoman
Itis known that John’s married brother William Batten Collett settled in Londonduring the early 1840s, and that John and his sisters Betsy and Arabella alsoleft Wiltshire for the city, either at that same time or shortly thereafter. It is established that the orphaned siblingshad some contact with the Reverend Robert William Miles while in London, withJohn’s older brother William naming his children after him and his youngersister Arabella being employed by him.It is also known that when the Reverend Miles and his wife left Londonfor Bingham in Nottinghamshire during 1845/46, Arabella Jane Collett (below)went with them. It is therefore possiblethat John also ended up in Bingham, since it was there that the death of JohnCollett was recorded (Ref. xv 348) died during the first quarter of 1851
Analternative could be the John Collett,a labourer from Bradford in Wiltshire, who was living at 6 West Row in theChelsea St Luke area of London in 1851 with his wife Ellen Collett from Kent,who was 21 and a laundress. Maybe, outof embarrassment for the near ten-year difference in their ages, John said hewas 28 years old. Ellen was alreadyexpecting the birth of their first child, with the birth Arabella JaneCollett recorded at Chelsea (Ref. iii 50) during the third quarter of1851. After that, other children wereadded to the family at Chelsea who were given names similar to the siblings ofJohn Collett from South Wraxall. Theywere John Collett in 1853 (Ref. 1a 159/Q3), Ellen Collett in 1855(Ref. 1a 155/Q3) and William Charles Collett in 1859 (Ref. 1a154/Q1). Unfortunately, no member of theChelsea family has been found within the census of 1861.
Arabella Jane Collett[31N33] was born atSouth Wraxall in 1822 and was baptised there on 25th August 1822,the youngest daughter of farmer John Collett by his wife Charlotte. It was as Arabella Collett, aged 19, that shewas 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 WilliamBatten Collett, following the deaths of both of their parents during theprevious five years. It was also duringthe 1840s that the orphaned Collett children gave up living in Wiltshire, whenthey moved to London, either with or just after their married brother Williammoved there. It may have been after theyarrived in London that they were comforted in their grief at the loss of theirparents by the Reverend Robert Miles. Atthe time of the census in 1841 the Rev. Miles was living in London, where hewas receiving training for the ministry
Whatis known is the Rev. Miles became a married man during the 1840s and that afterthat he left London when he took up a position at Bingham inNottinghamshire. His move north may havealso coincided with his offer of work to Arabella Collett, who eventuallyjoined him and his wife there. By thetime of the Bingham census in 1851 the Rev. Robert Henry William Miles, aged32, and his wife Mary Miles, aged 27, had six children, and to help look afterthe family they employed eight servants, Arabella Collett from South Wraxallwas 28 and a lady’s maid. Ten yearslater Arabella Collett was still one of eight paid servants of the ReverendMiles (Rector of Bingham) when, according to the census in 1861, she wasunmarried at the age of 38, a lady’s maid from Wraxall in Wiltshire. At that time the Miles family was living at ahouse in Church Street, Bingham, just to the east of Nottingham
Itwas five years later at Bingham, and during the first quarter of 1866, thatArabella Collett married widower George Oaks.At the time of the Bingham census in 1871, the couple was residing at adwelling in the Market Place where George Oakes, aged 54 and fromNottinghamshire, was a printer and an auctioneer, while his wife Arabella Oakesfrom Wraxall in Wiltshire was 48. GeorgeOaks was born in 1817 at Mansfield Woodhouse in Nottinghamshire and, at thetime of the previous census in 1861, he was married to Ann by whom he had adaughter Jane who was born in 1844.Sadly, for George, his second marriage to Arabella only lasted for tenyears, when he died at Derby during 1876, at the age of 59
Followingthe death of her husband, Arabella was living at Alma Cottage in Chilwell, tothe west of Nottingham, in 1881, when she was recorded as being anannuitant. It was also while she wasstill living in Nottinghamshire that she died there in 1890, at the age of 68
Edward Collett [31N34] was born at South Wraxall near the endof December 1826. Perhaps for healthreasons, his baptism was delayed until he was one year old, at South Wraxall on31st January 1828, another son of farmer John Collett and wifeCharlotte. Tragically, one month later,when he was fourteen months old, Edward Collett and was buried at South Wraxallon 27th February 1828. Withthe death of his parents in 1835 and 1837 and then the death of his sisterMatilda in 1841, a family tomb was erected in the churchyard of St James Churchin South Wraxall, where they were all laid to rest
Andrew William Collett[31N35] was born atSouth Wraxall and was baptised there on 1st April 1829 at St James’Church in South Wraxall, the son of John Collett, farmer, and CharlotteCrook. Following the death of hisfather, when he was only six years old, followed by the death of his motherwhen he was only eight years of age, Andrew William Collett was placed underthe care of his older married brother William Batten Collett and, in 1841, atthe age of 11, Andrew Collett was a farm servant living at Upper Wraxall withhis family
Atthe time of his marriage to Sarah Curnick, nine years later on 12thMay 1850 at Walcot Parish Church in Bath, Andrew was a resident at 7 GuineaLane in the Walcot district of the city.In addition to that, the marriage register also confirmed that his latefather’s name was John Collett and that he was a farmer. Sarah was the daughter of Robert and HesterCurnick and was baptised on 3rd June 1827 at Winsley, a village tothe west of Bradford-on-Avon. In 1841Sarah was living with her parents at Beanacre near Melksham but, at the time ofthe wedding, her address was given as being 5 Myrtle Place in Walcot
Tenmonths after their wedding day the couple was living at Atworth in the Melkshamregistration area where they were recorded in the 1851 Census. Andrew, aged 22, was a cabinet maker, and hiswife Sarah was 24. Shortly after thatthe couple moved to live at Portsea in Portsmouth where their first child wasborn. It would appear that they wereonly at Portsea for a short while, since their next two children were bornwhile 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 Bristolrespectively, before the family returned to London where the last two childrenwere born. The rapid change of addressin quick succession perhaps indicated that it was Andrew’s occupation as acabinet maker that was the reason for their mobility
Atthe time of the birth of their son John Collett in March 1856, Andrew and Sarahwere living at 54 Hardwick Place in Plumstead near Woolwich, but five yearslater in 1861 the census confirmed that the family had moved again and, on thatoccasion, they were living at 20 Holywell Row in Shoreditch. The family at that time comprised Andrew, whowas 32, his wife Sarah, and their children, Margaret Collett (who must havebeen Mary) was eight years old and born at Portsmouth, Thomas R Collett (whomust have been John R) was five, Sarah E Collett was three and William ACollett was under one year old. Inaddition to the changed names for the couple’s two oldest children, there wasno daughter Charlotte. Instead, therewas a child by the name of Blanche who was the corresponding age of six yearsthat Charlotte would have been. Thediffering name for their oldest son continued in subsequent censuses
Furtherchanges of address took place during the 1860s and the 1870s. In 1871 they were living at 5 Pleasant Row inShoreditch, at which time the family comprised Andrew, aged 42, his wife Sarahwho 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 whowas two years old. It may be ofinterest to note that in 1881, 11 Pleasant Row, in nearby Islington, was thehome of Frederick William Collett (Ref. 62M43) who was born at Shoreditch, theson of William Collett from Melksham
Bythe twenty-second of April in 1877 the family was residing at George Street inBethnal Green, but four years after that they had moved yet again and wererecorded in the 1881 Census as living at 31 Homer Road in the Homerton area ofHackney. The family at that time wasmade up of cabinet maker Andrew who was 52, Sarah who was 54 and an upholstressborn at Winsley in Wiltshire, their married son Thomas Collett [John Robert]who was 24 and of Woolwich together with his pregnant wife Sarah fromShoreditch who was 23, and their three other sons William Collett aged 20 whohad been born at Bristol, Henry Collett aged 15 who had been born within theCity of London and George Collett who was 11 who had been born atShoreditch. The house at 31 Homer Roadmust have been a fairly substantial property since it was also home to Andrew’sand Sarah’s eldest married daughter Mary and her husband William Cottle andtheir four children
Sometimeduring the next ten to fifteen years Andrew and Sarah moved to 2 The Grove inMare Street in Hackney where they were living at the time of Andrew’sdeath. Andrew William Collett died atthe Homerton Infirmary (Hackney Wick Infirmary) in Hackney on 28thOctober 1899, the cause of death being recorded as senile decay and acutepneumonia with which he had suffered during the previous eight days. Following the death of her husband, Sarahleft 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 on12th January 1902 at the Braxton Infirmary in Hackney. The cause of death was recorded as seniledecay and bronchitis
31O40– Mary Arabella Collettwas born in 1852 at Portsea, Hampshire
31O41– Charlotte Matilda Collettwas born in 1854 at Peckham, Kent
31O42– John Robert Collettwas born in 1856 at Woolwich, London
31O43– Sarah Elizabeth Collettwas born in 1858 at Shoreditch, London
31O44– William Andrew Collettwas born in 1860 at Clifton, Bristol
31O45– Henry John Collettwas born in 1865 at Shoreditch, London
31O46– George Collett wasborn in 1869 at Shoreditch, London
ElizaCollett [31N36] wasborn at South Wraxall and was baptised there on 18th October 1818,the eldest of the two daughters of butcher William Collett and his wife ofeleven months Ann Boyer. Tragically, shewas only nineteen years of age when she died while working in Bath, after whichEliza Collett was buried at South Wraxall on 8th January 1837
CatherineCollett [31N37] wasborn at South Wraxall, where was baptised on 28th January 1821, theyoungest daughter of butcher William Collett and Ann Boyer. Catherine Collett, of South Wraxall, marriedStephen Collett (Ref. 35N68) from Melksham in the village of Shaw, nearMelksham, in 1846
For the continuation of her family, goto
Part35 – The Melksham to Wisconsin and Ontario Line (Ref. 35N68)
JaneCollett [31N38] wasborn within the Bath area of Somerset and was baptised at Walcot on 11thJune 1837, the only child of James Collett and Martha Woolls. She had a rounded age of five years in theWidcombe census of 1841, by which time she was living with her widowedmother. Ten years later, at the age of13, Jane was described as the niece of the three unmarried Woolls sisters Mary,Elizabeth and Sarah, her mother’s young sisters, at their home inCirencester. It was at Bath that themarriage of Jane Collett and John Webber was recorded (Ref. 5c 27) during thefirst three months of 1859. John was theson of John and Ann Webber and was baptised at Tiverton in Devon on 25thMarch 1827. Their daughter Clara JaneWebber was born at Bath in 1860, the family of three recorded at Widcombe in1861 as gardener John from Tiverton who was 33, Jane from Bath who was 24, andClara who was not yet one year old.After the birth of their second child at Bath, the family moved toMiddlesex, where the next two children were born. By 1871 John was 43 and again working as agardener, 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 familywas residing in Shipley, Sussex. The couple’slast two children were born at Lee in Kent, and they were William Henry Webberand Albert Ernest Webber
Betsy Gisford Collett[31O1] was born atSouth Wraxall in 1811, where she was baptised on 22nd December 1811,the first-born child of Harry Collett and Mary Gisford. When Betsy was twenty-one years of age, shegave birth to a base-born daughter who was living with her after she became amarried lady. The marriage of BetsyCollett, the daughter of carpenter Harry Collett, and Job Smith took place atBox on 17th April 1840 and was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. viii435) during the second quarter of 1840. Just under a year later, Job Smith was28 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 andBetsy were born within the county of Wiltshire, while Rebecca was not. It seems Betsy had given birth to Rebecca inBath, although there was probably a return to South Wraxall, where Rebecca was saidto be born in later census records
JobSmith was born at Broad Hinton, midway between Wroughton and Avebury, and wasbaptised there on 11th January 1813, the son of Thomas and MarthaSmith. By 1851, the marriage of Job andBetsy had not produced any surviving children, instead the two of them, andBetsy’s daughter, were staying at the Colerne home of William and SarahTiley. Job was 36 and a shepherd workingon a farm, Betsy was 38 and described as the wife of a visitor, while herdaughter Rebecca Collett was 16, both of them from South Wraxall
Duringthe following decade, the family group left Colerne and by 1861 was recordedliving at Lower Street in Bradford-on-Avon.On that occasion, the census return described them as Job Smith who was48 and from Broad Hinton, who was still working as a shepherd, Elizabeth Smithwho was 50 and Rebecca Collett who was 27, both of them born at South Wraxalland neither of them in employment. Itwas almost the same situation ten years later, when the three of them had beenjoined by Job’s widowed mother Martha Smith at South Wraxall, as recorded inthe census of 1871. By that time, Jobwas 57 and a farm servant, Elizabeth was 58, Rebecca was 34, and Martha was 86and born at Rodbourne Cheney, near Swindon.The census return stated that Rebecca Collett had been born at Bathfordin Somerset, to the north-east of Bath
ElizabethSmith nee Collett died shortly before the day of the next census in 1881, herdeath recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 87) during the second quarter ofthat year, at the age of 65. The censusthat year, recorded the remainder of her family still residing atBradford-on-Avon, where widower Job Smith from Broad Hinton was 66 and a farmlabourer, her daughter Rebecca Collett was 47 and born at Bathford, andcompleting the family was Elizabeth’s granddaughter Mary Elizabeth Collett fromSouth Wraxall, who was six years of age. After five years as a widower, thedeath of Job Smith was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 75) during thesecond quarter of 1886, when he was 71
31P1– Rebecca Collett wasborn in 1834 at Bathford, near Bath - of an unknown father
HenryGisford Collett [31O2] was born at South Wraxall in1813 and was baptised there on 16th May 1813, the eldest son ofcarpenter Harry Collett and his wife Mary, his second forename being hismother’s maiden-name. Henry followed hisfather and, in later census returns, he was described as a sawyer. He also married Ann during the late 1830s andby 1841 was recorded living at While Hill in Bradford-on-Avon with his wife andtheir first child. Henry and Ann bothhad rounded aged of 25 years, while son Stephen Collett was two years ofa*ge. Three more children were added tothe family during the following decade, all as confirmed in the Bradford censusof 1851. Sawyer Henry Collett from SouthWraxall, 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 wasone year old. All four children had beenborn at Bradford
Oneyear after that census day, Ann gave birth to the couple’s fifth child, theirson William Collett, with their last child born at Bradford six yearslater. It was at Slades Brook inBradford that the family was residing in 1861, where Henry Collett was 50 andan agricultural labourer, his wife Ann was 45, Stephen Collett was 22, Williamwas nine and Kezia Collett was three years of age. The census in 1871 records the incorrect agesfor Henry and Ann, but the correct ages of their two youngest children stillliving at Bradford-on-Avon with them.Henry Collett from Wraxall was a labourer and his wife Ann Collett wasborn at Chippenham, both said to be younger than they were in 1861. Their son William was 19 and daughter KeziaCollett was 14, both born at Bradford.It was also just a few months later that the death of Henry Collett wasrecorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 77) during the third quarter of 1871
WidowAnn Collett from Chippenham and her eldest son Stephen were inmates atWestwood-with-Iford to the west of Bradford-on-Avon in 1881, which may havebeen a workhouse. Stephen Collett fromBradford was 44, single, and a sawyer, while his mother Ann was 66. Four and a half years later, the death of AnnCollett, aged 70, was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 70/160) during thelast three months of 1885. The detailsfor the couple two youngest daughters are as follows. The baptism of Mary Jane Collett was conductedat Bradford on 4th November 1848, while the birth of Kezia Collett wasrecorded there (Ref. 5a 123) during the third quarter of 1857. Kezia never married and was living in theSwindon area when she died at the age of 79, her death recorded at Swindonregister office (Ref. 5a 7) during the third quarter of 1936
31P2– Stephen Collett wasborn in 1838 at Bradford-on-Avon
31P3– Elizabeth Collett was born in 1842 at Bradford-on-Avon
31P4– Arthur Henry Collettwas born in 1844 at Bradford-on-Avon
31P5– Mary Jane Collett was born in 1849 at Bradford-on-Avon
31P6– William Collett wasborn in 1852 at Bradford-on-Avon
31P7– Kezia Collett was born in 1857 at Bradford-on-Avon
MaryGisford Collett [31O3] was born at South Wraxall andbaptised at St James Church in South Wraxall on 14th May 1815. She was the third child of Harry Collett, acarpenter, and his wife Mary Gisford
AnnMaria Collett [31O4] was born at South Wraxall, whereshe was baptised on 4th May 1817.She was the first child of Harry and Mary Collett not to be given hermother’s maiden-name as a forename.Perhaps, because she was a poorly child who did not survive, hence thecouple’s next child was also given the name Ann
AnnCollett [31O5] wasborn at South Wraxall in 1819, another child of Harry and Mary, who wasbaptised at South Wraxall on 8th August 1819. She was two years of age when she died andwas buried at South Wraxall on 30th November 1821
Thomas Collett [31O6]was born at South Wraxall in 1821 and was only the second son of the first sixchildren of carpenter Harry Collett and wife Mary. It was on 12th August 1821 that hewas baptised at South Wraxall. Twentyyears later, Thomas and his brother William (below) were still living atUpper Wraxall with their widowed mother Mary, when they were both agriculturallabourers. By a process of elimination,it believed that he was the Thomas Collett who married Sarah Pearce, thedaughter of James and Sarah Pearce who was born at Poulshot, near Devizes, whowas baptised at Poulshot on 20th October 1816. Although no record of their wedding has beenidentified, it would have taken place later on during the second half of the1840s, with their first child born in 1850 at South Wraxall. That child was recorded with her parents attheir home in Bradford-on-Avon in 1851
ThomasCollett was 28 and an agricultural labourer from South Wraxall, Sarah Collettfrom Poulshot was 30 and their daughter Anna Maria Collett was just four monthsold. Staying with the family that daywas niece Louisa Collett who was three years of age and born at South Wraxall,the daughter of Thomas’ younger brother William (below)
Shortlyafter that census day, the family moved to Yatton Keynell, where Sarahpresented 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 baptisedat Yatton Keynell on 10th October 1852, the son of Thomas and SarahCollet. 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 onBiddestone Road in Yatton Keynell, that the family was living at the time ofthe census in 1861. Thomas Collett fromSouth Wraxall was 42 and working as a quarryman. His wife Sarah was 44 and her place of birthwas recorded as Bromham which, like Poulshot, is also near Devizes. Their four children were Anna Maria Collettwho was 11 and born at South Wraxall, William Collett who was five, ElizabethCollett who was three and Job Collet who was just one year old, all three ofthem born at Yatton Keynell
Accordingto the next census in 1871, the family was then living at West Yatton in theparish of Yatton Keynell. Thomas Collettwas 52 and his place of birth was again confirmed as South Wraxall, when hisoccupation 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 WilliamCollett who was 16 and an agricultural labourer, Elizabeth Collett who was 13and Job Collett who was 12 years old, who was already working as anagricultural labourer with his older brother.The couple’s eldest daughter, Anna Maria Collett, had died during theprevious 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 hewas buried on 13th September 1871, most likely at YattonKeynell. As a result of her loss, Sarahwas recorded as a widow in the census of 1881, when Sarah Collett, aged 63 andfrom Poulshot, was described as being ‘kept by her sons’, a reference to herunmarried sons William 26 and Job 22, who were still living with their motherin the hamlet of Giddea Hall in the parish of Yatton Keynell. Completing the family on that occasion wasSarah’s grandson, Lot Collett, who was seven years old and also born at YattonKeynell, 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 theirfamily. Hester died at Giddea Hallduring January 1842, the marriage of Henry Collett and Hester Collett havingtaken place at Yatton Keynell on 27th October 1814. In 2019, Don Cameron in Australia (Part 62)provided details of the 1840 marriage of Betsy Collett, the daughter of Henryand Hester Collett who was born at Yatton Keynell shortly after they weremarried, where she was baptised on 22nd July 1821
Tenyears later, the census in 1891, included Sarah Collett from Poulshot who was73 years old, when she was still living at Slaughterford Lane in the hamlet ofGiddea Hall, although, by then, all of her children had left the familyhome. Instead, at that time in her lifein 1891, she was described as a female companion to widow Ann Porch who was 90years old and from Andover in Hampshire
31P8– Anna Maria Collettwas born in 1850 at South Wraxall
31P9– Philip Henry Collett was born in 1852 at Yatton Keynell; died in 1857
31P10– William Collett wasborn in 1855 at Yatton Keynell
31P11– Elizabeth Collett wasborn in 1857 at Yatton Keynell
31P12– Job Collett was bornin 1859 at Yatton Keynell
RachelCollett [31O7] was born at South Wraxall, whereshe was baptised on 13th July 1823, the fifth daughter of carpenter HarryCollett and his wife Mary Gisford. Atthe age of 17, she was a servant at the Upper Wraxall home of her uncle HenryGisford, a farmer, and his wife Ann, with Rachel’s widowed mother and twobrothers Thomas and William living nearby.Rachel was 26 in 1852, when she was a house servant with the Redmanfamily at Seend near Melksham, while six years later the marriage of RachelCollett and Joseph Viles was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 215) duringthe third quarter of 1857
Twochildren were born to the couple, Rebecca Viles born on 28thMarch 1861 and Albert Viles born on 21st May 1863, who wasbaptised at Holy Trinity Church in Bradford on 19th July that year,or though no later record of the family of four has been found after that time
WilliamGisford Collett [31O8] was born at South Wraxall and itwas there that he was baptised on 10th March 1825, one of the threesurviving sons of Harry and Mary Collett.As William Collett, he was 16 years old when he was still living atUpper 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 around1847, when he would have been twenty-two, and that his wife gave birth to adaughter at South Wraxall during the following year. According to the census in 1851, LouisaCollett was three years of age when she was living at South Wraxall with heruncle Thomas Collett and his family.Having possibly lost her mother during her birth, it should be notedthat the death of William Collett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii203) during the fourth quarter of 1851, thus making her an orphan
31P13– Louisa Collett was born in 1848 at South Wraxall
PhilipGisford Collett [31O9] was baptised at South Wraxall on3rd June 1827 and was only six years old when he died and was buriedat South Wraxall on 10th May 1833.He was the only child of carpenter Harry Collett and his wife Mary tosuffer a young death
Ann Thirza Collett [31O10]was born at South Wraxall and was the last child born to Harry Collett, acarpenter, and Mary Gisford. It was alsoat the Church of St James in South Wraxall where she was baptised on 24thApril 1831, when she was one or two months old.Upon her death at South Wraxall, Ann Collett was recorded as beingeighteen months old, when she was buried there on 26th August 1832
Eliza Collett [31O11] was born at South Wraxall on 4thApril 1813 and had a rounded age of 25 when she was living at Ivy Lane in LowerWraxall, with her parents William Collett and Elizabeth Deverill, in 1841. She was a school teacher and, it was duringthe following year, that she married Daniel Adams, from Atworth, on 28thAugust 1842. The event was recorded atBradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 357). Daniel was a plasterer, as was his father,Daniel Adams. Their first child was bornat South Wraxall during the next year and by 1851 their marriage had given themtwo daughters and two sons. Furthermore,on the day of the census that year, their eldest daughter Charlotte Adamswas seven years old and was staying with Eliza’s parents in Bradford-on-Avon,not far from her parents. PlastererDaniel Adams was 39, Eliza Adams, nee Collett, was 38, William Adams wasfive, Daniel Urbane Adams was three, and Louisa Adams was stillunder one year old. All four childrenhad been born at South Wraxall. By 1861,Daniel was 50, Eliza was 48, and sons William was Daniel were 15 and 13, bothof them working as farm servants
By1871 Daniel Adams was 59 and his wife Eliza Adams was 58 and aschoolmistress. Two members of theirfamily were living with them at South Wraxall on that occasion and they weretheir unmarried daughter Louisa Adams who was 20 and their grandson WilliamHenry Adams who was six years old. Fiveyears earlier, their daughter Charlotte Adams, was one of the witnesses at thewedding of Thirza Anne Collett (Ref. 31O18) and Samuel Gale, which was recordedat Bradford-on-Avon in 1866. A headstonein the churchyard of St James Church in South Wraxall confirms that Eliza Adamsnee Collett died at South Wraxall on 3rd November 1895. The inscription reads “A worthy instructress of children of this village .... Many of her grateful scholars and otherfriends have joined the vicar and her sons in raising this memorial to a goodand useful life”.
WilliamCollett [31O12] was born at South Wraxall,where he was baptised on 1st December 1816, the eldest son ofcarpenter William Collett and Elizabeth Deverill. By 1841, as William C Collett with a roundedage 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 ofWilliam Collett and Ellen Cottle was recorded at Bath (Ref. xi 11). Ellen Cottle had been born at MonktonFarleigh, where she was baptised on 18th March 1819, the daughter ofJeremiah and Ann Cottle. The village ofMonkton Farleigh lies three miles east of Bath and three miles north ofBradford-on-Avon, the latter being where the birth of their Monkton Farleighborn children was recorded
Bythe time of the next census in 1851, the family of William and Ellen Collettwas living at Rubble Hill (Rubble Heap in1861 and 1881) in Monkton Farleigh, where William from South Wraxall was 34and a carpenter. His wife Ellen fromMonkton Farleigh was 32 and, on that day, William and Ellen already had fourchildren, all born at Monkton Farleigh.They were Edwin Collett who was five, Ann Collett who was four, WhyattCollett who was three and William Collett who was two years old. The family was supported by a generaldomestic servant, Mary Elliott who was 15 and from Bradford-on-Avon. Not long after that census day, Ellenpresented William with another son, Frederick, who suffered an infant death oneyear later
Inaddition to the birth and death of son Frederick, four more children were borninto the family at Rubble Heap during the 1850s. Therefore, the family was listed within thecensus of 1861 as still residing at Rubble Heap in Monkton Farleigh, whereWilliam Collett, aged 44 and from South Wraxall, was a carpenter, while hiswife Ellen was 42 and from Monkton Farleigh.Living with them were their eight surviving children who were all bornat Monkton Farleigh, and they were Edwin Collet, aged 15 who was also acarpenter, Ann Collett, aged 14 who was a servant, Whyatt Collett, aged 13, whowas still at school, as was William Collett who was 12, Thomas Collett who waseight and Helena Collett who was four.The two youngest members of the family were George Collett who wasthree, while the couple’s youngest child was Mary Collett, who was one year old
Partof the family was still living at Monkton Farleigh in 1871, when WilliamCollett was 56, Ellen Collett was 52, and the four children still living athome with them were Whyatt who was 23, Ellen who was 15, George who was 12, andMary who was 10 years old. By the timeof the census in 1881, a much-reduced family was still living at Rubble Heap inMonkton Farleigh. William Collett, aged64 and from South Wraxall, was still working as a carpenter, and with him washis wife Ellen Collett who was 62. Theonly child still living with the elderly couple was their unmarried son GeorgeCollett who was 22. George was confirmedas having been born at Monkton Farleigh and his occupation was that of acarpenter, like his father William, and his older brothers Edwin and Whyatt
Withtheir advancing years, William and Ellen were being looked after at theirMonkton Farleigh home by their unmarried daughter Annie in 1891. William was still managing to work as acarpenter at the age of 71, when Ellen was 69 and their daughter were the onlyoccupants in the property. It ispossible that it was Annie who gave the census enumerator her parents’ ages, asthey were both incorrect, with William being around three years older thanstated. Two years later, the death ofEllen 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 threeeldest children living in Bath, it would appear that William moved there, tolive with one of them for the last few years of his life. And it was at Bath register office (Ref. 5c368) that the death of William Collett was recorded during the fourth quarterof 1898 when he was 82
31P14– Edwin Collett wasborn in 1845 at Monkton Farleigh
31P15– Ann Cottle Collettwas born in 1846 at Monkton Farleigh
31P16– Whyatt Collett wasborn in 1847 at Monkton Farleigh
31P17– William Collett wasborn in 1849 at Monkton Farleigh
31P18– Frederick Thomas Collettwas born in 1852 at Monkton Farleigh
31P19– Thomas Collett wasborn in 1853 at Monkton Farleigh
31P20– Ellen Helena Collettwas born in 1856 at Monkton Farleigh
31P21– George Collett wasborn in 1858 at Monkton Farleigh
31P22– Mary Jane Collett wasborn in 1860 at Monkton Farleigh
RachelCollett [31O13] wasborn at South Wraxall in 1822, the youngest daughter of carpenter William andElizabeth Collett, who was baptised there on 17th November 1822
Urbane Collett [31O14] was born at South Wraxall in 1824, thelast child of William Collett and Elizabeth Deverill. In 1841 he was 16 and a carpenter workingalongside his father and older brother William.It was also at South Wraxall on 13th August 1861, whereUrbane Collett married Thirza Sophia Redman, the daughter of Thomas Redman,with whom he had two sons. The event wasrecorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 189), where the bride’s name was registeredas Rudman. It is therefore possible thatThomas Rudman, father of Thirza Sophia Rudman, was in fact the son of ThomasRudman who married Mary Collett (Ref. 31N8) at South Wraxall in 1820
Urbanewas a marine artillery man, based at Portsmouth, where the newly married coupleinitially settled, with their first child born at Portsea Island. It was two years later that Thirza gave birthto their second child, his birth recorded at Bath, before the family of fourmoved to High Ongar in Essex. Not longafter the family arrived in High Ongar, the death of Urbane Collett wasrecorded there (Ref. 4a 52) during the third quarter of 1865. Following his death on 23rd August1865, his body was transported back to Wiltshire where a gravestone close tothe rear wall of St James Church in South Wraxall records the death of UrbaneCollett, together with those of his parents.The epitaph reads as follows: “InMemory of William Collett died 28 May 1867 aged 83 and Elizabeth his wife diedOctober 12 1865 aged 84 - Also Urbane their son who died August 23 1865 age 40”
Onthe occasion of the next census in 1871, Thirza Collett from Wraxall inWiltshire was a widow at 38 years of age, when she was a schoolmistress who wasliving at High Ongar with her two sons.They were William Collett who was eight years of age and born atPortsea, and Arthur Collett who was six years old and born at Bath. During the next decade, her two sons lefthome to make their own way in the world, leaving schoolmistress and widowThirza 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 andworking in the City of London, within the parish of St John Zachary, not farfrom St Paul’s Cathedral
Itwas just over nine years after that, when Thirza Sophia Collett nee Redman diedat the age of 58, her death recorded at Ongar register office (Ref. 4a 163)during the third quarter of 1890. Duringher life Thirza was a school mistress at Nine Ashes Infant School in High Ongarwhich was built in 1865. In addition tothis, the Kelly’s Directory in 1878 also confirmed that there was an average of33 children at the school. It isinteresting that Elizabeth Adams nee Collett (above), the older sisterof Thirza’s husband Urbane Collett, was also a school teacher, so perhaps theyworked together at South Wraxall before they were married
31P23– William Thomas Collettwas born in 1862 at Portsea
31P24– Arthur Collett wasborn in 1864 at Bath
Mary Collett [31O15] was born at South Wraxall in 1841, theeldest child of Thomas Collett and Sarah Humphries. In the census of 1851 Mary Collett was 10years old when she and her family were residing at Upper Wraxall in the villageof Wraxall. However, ten years laterMary Collett from South Wraxall was 19 when she was recorded in the Bridgwaterarea of Somerset. No other member of herfamily has been identified within the census of 1861 except for Mary’s youngersister Thirza, recorded in error as Theresa A Collett aged 14, who was anursemaid, living and working in the Wiltshire village of Box
Thomas Collett [31O16] wasborn at South Wraxall in 1842, where he was baptised on 16th October1842, the son of Thomas and Sarah Collett.He was eight years old in the 1851 Census for Upper Wraxall in thevillage of South Wraxall, within the Bradford-on-Avon South-Easternregistration district where he was living with his parents Thomas and Sarah,and the rest of his family. Twenty yearslater at the age of 28 Thomas was living within the north-western registrationarea of Bradford which once again confirmed he was born at South Wraxall
Itwas four years later that he married (1) Martha Legg who was ten years youngerthan Thomas, Martha having been born at Annington-on-Avon (?) in 1852. Their marriage was recorded atBradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 210a) during the third quarter of 1875, when she wasonly 31. According to the 1881 CensusThomas Collett of South Wraxall was 38 and was employed as a sawyer and parishclerk at Lower Wraxall, while his wife Martha was 28. The marriage had produced four children forthe couple by that time and all of them had been born at South Wraxall. They were Thomas Jonathan (?) Collett who wasfour, Henry Collett who was three, Alice Collett who was two and WilliamCollett who was just three months old
Lessthan four years later, the death of Martha Collett was recorded atBradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 82) during the fourth quarter of 1884. After two years as a widower, Thomas Collettmarried (2) Cecilia Ann Morris during the second quarter of 1887, the eventrecorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 241).Cecilia was the daughter of George Morris of South Wraxall and his wifeAnn, 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 andCecilia was 38, when all four children from his first marriage were againliving with him. They were Thomas whowas 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 likeThomas, who was working as a domestic gardener.Their daughter Alice had left home to be married by then and two oftheir sons had moved to Yorkshire, where they were employed on therailway. The couple’s other son Henrywas still living locally in Bradford-on-Avon.Eight years later, the death of Cecilia Collett was recorded at Devizesregister office (Ref. 5a 48) during the third quarter of 1909, when she was56. Losing his wife may be the reasonthat Thomas has not been easily identified with the census of 1911, while itwas after a further eight years that his death was recorded at Bradford-on-Avonregister office (Ref. 5a 127) during the last four months of 1919
31P25– Thomas Emanuel Collettwas born in 1876 at South Wraxall
31P26– Henry Collett wasborn in 1877 at South Wraxall
31P27– Alice Collett wasborn in 1879 at South Wraxall
31P28– William Collett wasborn in 1880 at South Wraxall
Sarah Collett [31O17] was born at South Wraxall at the end of1843 and was baptised there on 5th January 1844, another child ofThomas Collett and Sarah Humphries. Shewas six years old in the 1851 Census, when she was living at Upper Wraxall withher family. However, no record of her orher family has been located in the census of 1861, nor has any record of Sarahbeen found in 1871, by which time she was very likely married
Thirza Anne Collett [31O18] was born at South Wraxall in 1847 whereshe was four years old in 1851, when living at Upper Wraxall with herparents. In 1861, at the age of 14, whenshe 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 marriedSamuel Gale, the son of George Gale, at South Wraxall on 26thDecember 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 atBradford-on-Avon register office (Ref. 5a 275) during the last three months of1866, when the witnesses were Charles Gullis and Charlotte Adams, the likelydaughter 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, wereliving at 1 Bridge Cottages in Box. Livingwith them were their two daughters Alice Gale, aged 12, and SarahGale who was seven and their son George H Gale who was 10, and allthree of them born at Box. Also livingwith the family was Thirza’s widowed mother Sarah Collett, aged 69, whoserelationship to Samuel Gale as head of the house was that of mother-in-law. Just under six years later, the death ofThirza A Gale was recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 42) during the first threemonths of 1887, when she was 40 years old
Henry Collett [31O19] was born at South Wraxall in 1849, wherehe was baptised on 8th July 1849 and was one year old at the time ofthe 1851 Census. On that occasion he wasthe 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 whichtime he was married with three children.During those intervening years Henry had married Elizabeth Drew on 27thOctober 1876 and shortly after their first child was born. Although Elizabeth had been born atMarshfield in Gloucestershire in 1853, once they were married the couple livedat Bath, where their three children were born
Accordingto the census of 1881, Henry and his family were living at 2 Yew Cottages inthe Lyncombe-with-Widcombe district of Bath, just a mile from the citycentre. Henry of South Wraxall was 31and was working as a dairyman. His wifeElizabeth of Marshfield was 27 and listed with the couple were their threechildren Alice who was four, Thomas who was three and Frank who was just threemonths old, all confirmed as having been born at Bath
Tenyears later the family still living at Lyncombe-with-Widcombe was Henry aged41, Elizabeth aged 38, Alice aged 14, Thomas aged 13 and Frank who was 10. It is this link to Lyncombe-with-Widcombewhich may be the key to unlocking the family’s origins in the late 1700s andearly 1880s. The whole family was stillliving at Bath just after the turn of the century. In the Bath census of 1901 Henry was nolonger a dairyman, but was described as a farmer aged 51, when he was residingat Violet Bank Farm with his wife Elizabeth who was 48, and their unmarriedchildren Alice aged 24, Thomas aged 23 and Frank who was 19. Just a month earlier, Henry’s niece, AliceCollett, the only daughter of his older brother Thomas (above), died atViolet Bank Farm, where she had been working with the family.
Itwas four years later on 21st March 1905 that Elizabeth Collett neeDrew died at Bath, as confirmed by the census of 1911 in which Henry was awidower at the age of 61. The censusreturn also confirmed that he was a farmer who had been born at SouthWraxall. On that occasion he was livingat Violet Bank Farm, Widcombe Hill in Bath, at the home of his eldest sonThomas Henry Collett and his wife and their three daughters
31P29– Alice Elizabeth Collettwas born in 1876 at Bath
31P30– Thomas Henry Collettwas born in 1877 at Bath
31P31– Frank Albert Collettwas born in 1880 at Bath
Eliza Harriet Collett [31O20] was born at South Wraxall in 1852, thelast child of Thomas Collett and Sarah Humphries. She was baptised at South Wraxall on 7thMarch 1852, when her parents were confirmed as Thomas and Sarah Collett. In the census of 1861, it was as HarrietCollett aged nine years that she was living with her family at Water Lane inLower Wraxall. She had not reach fullage, 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 aroundeighteen years of age
ThomasCollett [31O21] wasborn at South Wraxall in 1820 just after his parents George Collett of SouthWraxall and Anna Collett of Holt, were married at Holt on 4thJanuary 1820. Anna was well advanced inthe pregnancy on that day, the baptism of Thomas Collett being conducted justtwo months after, at South Wraxall on 5th March 1820. Thomas was still living with his father atUpper Wraxall in the Wraxall Chapelry, Bradford in 1841, when he was 20 and wasworking as an agricultural labourer with his brother George and sister Sarah (below). He was still unmarried in 1851 when he was 30and he was still living with his father George at Upper Wraxall, where he wasstill employed as an agricultural labourer.Living with him and his father, was his uncle William Collett and histwo cousins John Collett and Jane Collett, they being the two children ofwidower William Collett. It was threeyear later, during the fourth quarter of 1854, that Thomas Collett marriedHarriet Nate, the event recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 253). It was on 1st October 1854 thatthey were married at South Wraxall, when Thomas’ father was confirmed as GeorgeCollett and Harriet’s father was named as Joseph Nate. Harriet had been born on 13thDecember 1833, the child of Joseph and Ellen Nate
No positive sighting of the couple hasbeen found within the census of 1861 and that may be because, atBradford-on-Avon during the second quarter of 1859, the death of HarrietCollett was recorded (Ref. 5a 81), while previously, on 1st July1856, Thomas Collett was laid to rest at South Wraxall, following his deathbeing recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 68) during the third quarter ofthat year. Unfortunately, neither recordprovides any indication as to how old they were when they died. Although not proved, it is highly likely that Harriet gave birth to ason Arthur Collett who was orphaned prior to 1861. For further details of the life of ArthurCollett 1855-1936 go to the Appendix at the end of this first of twosections of Part 35
George Collett [31O22] was born at South Wraxall in 1822 andwas the son of sawyer George Collett and his wife Anna. It was there also where he was baptised on 8thSeptember 1822. In 1841 George juniorwas living at Upper Wraxall in the Wraxall Chapelry, Bradford-on-Avon, with hiswidowed father and his older brother Thomas (above) and his sisterSarah, when he was 19 and an agricultural labourer, working with his brotherand sister
Sarah Collett [31O23] was baptised at South Wraxall on 26thAugust 1827, the last child of George Collett, a sawyer, and his wife AnnaCollett from Holt. By the time of thecensus in 1841, Sarah Collett was 14 years old and was living with her widowedfather at Upper Wraxall. Also livingthere were Sarah’s two older brothers Thomas and George (above). In 1851, unmarried Sarah Collett from SouthWraxall was 23 and domestic servant at the Taunton, Somerset, home of the largeReeves family on Middle Street in the town. Just over three years later, themarriage of Sarah Collett, daughter of George Collett, and Arthur Waterfall,son of James Waterfall, took place at South Wraxall on 27th June1854. By 1861, Sarah had given birth toa son, when Arthur Waterfall from Gloucestershire was 33 and a confectioner,Sarah Waterfall from South Wraxall was 33, and their son James CollettWaterfall was one year old, were living at Marshall Street in Birmingham
Missingfrom 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 thecouple’s final son, George Arthur Waterfall, who was also born inBirmingham in 1862. It was also inBirmingham, that the death of Arthur Waterfall was recorded (Ref. 6d 41) duringthe last quarter of 1869, when he was 41 years old. Probate for his Will was resolved atBirmingham on 9th April 1870.Sarah Waterfall was 63 when her death was recorded at Aston inBirmingham (Ref. 6d 221) during the fourth quarter of 1890
Walter Collett [31O24] was born during themonth of January in 1831 at South Wraxall, where he was baptised on 13thFebruary 1831, the last child born to George Collett, a sawyer, and his wifeAnna Collett, who was Collett before she married George. It was later that same year when he died andwas buried at South Wraxall on 27th June 1831, when he was just fivemonths old
JOHN COLLETT [31O25] was born at South Wraxall on 26thAugust 1833, the eldest known child of agricultural labourer William Collettand his first wife Jane Walters. Duringthe next year or so, John’s mother died, mostly likely in childbirth, afterwhich his father re-married. However,further tragedy struck the family when John’s stepmother Mary Ann Deverill alsodied during childbirth in 1837. So, bythe 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 eightand seven respectively, both John and Jane were recorded as being agriculturallabourers, which very likely means that they did not receive a schooleducation. Living next door to the familyof three was John’s uncle George Collett, and it was with him and his sonThomas that John and Jane and their father were living in 1851. On that occasion ‘nephew’ John Collett fromSouth Wraxall was 18 and was still working as an agricultural labourer,probably working alongside his father, while he was living at Upper Wraxall
Duringthe next decade John moved to Daren Velen (now Darenfelen) in South Wales wherehe was a lodger at the home of widow Mary Jones and her son on the occasion ofthe census in 1861 when he was a coal miner at the age of 27. It was just over a year later on 13thMay 1862 at Bersheba Baptist Chapel in Llanelly when John, a bachelor and aminer of 28 from Daren Velen and the son of William Collett husbandman, marriedMary Hannah Jenkins a spinster of Daren Velen who was 27. She was born at Llanelly on 7thAugust 1835, the daughter of colliery worker Benjamin Jenkins who was one ofthe two witnesses at the wedding ceremony (Ref. 11b 220). Both the bride and the groom were unable tosign the register, so made their marks, each with a cross. One-year earlier Mary was employed as a minetipper at Penffyddlwyr in the census of 1861.It was also in Llanelly that the couple settled after they were marriedand there also where all of their children were born. Up to the time of the census in 1871 Mary hadpresented John with four children, although sadly two of them did not survive
Accordingto the census return that year for Slopes in Llanelly Hill in 1871, JohnCollett, aged 38 and from South Wraxall, was working as a coal miner. His wife Mary was 35, and just three of theirchildren were listed with them. Theywere Mary A Collett who was eight, John Collett who was six and Jane Collettwho was eleven months year old who had probably been named after John’s latemother and perhaps even his half-sister who was living nearby in Llanelly. Staying with the family was Jane’s eldest sonTom H Collett from Wraxall who was 15.Sadly, baby Jane died less than two years later
Threemore children were added to the family during the 1870s, so by 1881 John andMary had five children living with them at Slopes, Llanelly Hill in Llanellywithin the Crickhowell registration district.John from South Wraxall was 48 and a coal miner, his wife Mary was 45and was from Llanelly, and their five Llanelly born children were Mary ACollett, aged 18, who was a general labourer, John D Collett who was 16 and acoal miner, William who was eight and Henry who was six, both attending school,and daughter Harriet who was four years old
Tenyears later, John Collett from South Wraxall, was still living at Llanelly in1891, when he was 58, his wife Mary was 55, and the children still living withthem on that occasion were William Collett who was 18, Henry Collett who was 16and Harriet Collett who was 13.Tragically, over eight years later, Mary Hannah Collett nee Jenkins diedat Gilwern, Llanelly, on 19th December 1899 at the age of 64,following which she was buried with her two young children in the churchyard ofSt Elli’s Church in Llanelly
By1901 John Collett of South Wraxall was a widower at the age of 68. Even at that age, he was still working as acoal miner and hewer, while he was still living at Slopes Houses in Llanellywith two of his unmarried adult children.John Dd Collett was 36 and a coal miner hewer, and keeping house for himand 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, togetherwith George’s stepson John Pritchard, both men working as coal miners andhewers. George and his family had alsobeen living in the Clydach area of Llanelly since the late 1850s. SeePart 1 – The Gloucestershire Main Line 1800 to 1830 for details of his separateCollett family
Duringthe next year John’s only surviving daughter Harriet was married, but diedthree years later. By the time of thecensus in 1911, John was living in the Clydach area of Llanelly and Crickhowellat the age of 78, when he was described as a widower being dependent on hisson. And it was his unmarried son John David Collett who was 46, the onlyperson living there with John. It wasfour years later that John Collett died on 2nd March 1915 when hewas 82. He was then buried at the Churchof St Elli in Llanelly with his wife and their two children, where a singleheadstone marks the grave. The headstonealso includes the names of two grandchildren who died as infants prior to 1901and, with a lack of any better information, they have been assumed to be thefirst two children born to their son Henry Albert
31P32– Mary Ann Collett wasborn in 1863 at Llanelly
31P33– John David Collettwas born in 1865 at Llanelly
31P34– William Collett wasborn in 1867 at Llanelly
31P35– Jane Collett was bornin 1870 at Slopes, Llanelly Hill, Llanelly
31P36– WILLIAM COLLETT wasborn in 1873 at Slopes, Llanelly Hill, Llanelly
31P37– Henry Albert Collettwas born in 1875 at Slopes, Llanelly Hill, Llanelly
31P38– Harriet Collett wasborn in 1877 at Slopes, Llanelly Hill, Llanelly
Jane Collett [31O26] was born at South Wraxall where she wasbaptised on 26th July 1835 and was the daughter of labourer WilliamCollett and his second wife Mary Ann Deverill from Winsley, who sadly diedduring childbirth in 1837. It would alsoappear that she was named after her father’s first wife who also died inchildbirth. By the time of the census in1841 Jane, aged seven years, was living at Wraxall Chapelry, Bradford, with herwidowed father William and her older half-brother John (above). Surprisingly at such a young age, Jane wasalready classed as an agricultural labourer
However,the position changed for her over the following years, when she and her familymoved in with her uncle George Collett who was living next door to the familyin 1841. According to the South Wraxallcensus of 1851, Jane Collett, aged 15 of South Wraxall, was working as thehousekeeper for her father and her brother, at the Upper Wraxall home of heruncle George and her cousin Thomas Collett.She was still with her father ten years later, when the census in 1861confirmed that she was 25 and living at Upper Street in South Wraxall. The census that year raises a number ofissues, the first being that living with Jane and her father were twograndchildren of William Collett, they being Tom Collett who was five and JohnCollett who was two, both born at South Wraxall. Jane’s half-brother John was living at DarenVelen in South Wales on that day and was an unmarried man, who was described asa bachelor when he was married in 1862.So, with her younger sister Anne (below) having died some yearsearlier, those two grandchildren must have been the base-born children ofunmarried Jane Collett
Itwould appear that Jane left South Wraxall following the death of her fatherduring the 1860s, to be reunited with her half-brother John, since it was thereat Slopes in Llanelly Hill where John was living with his family in 1871, whichincluded Jane’s son Tom H Collett who was 15 and from Wraxall. Living nearby at Waenllapria in Llanelly Hillwas Jane Collett who was 35, whose place of birth was given asBradford-on-Avon. On that occasion Janewas unmarried and was the housekeeper for widower Joseph Piner and his twochildren. At that same time in 1871 heryoungest son William J Collett, aged 13, was a general servant at Pippet Streetin Bradford, the home of widow and retired publican Elizabeth Fielding
Duringthe next decade Jane was reunited with her youngest son when he left Bradfordto join her in Llanelly. At the time ofthe next census in 1881, Jane Collett, aged 45, was living at a propertyreferred to as Llamarch in Llannelly, with her coal miner son William J Collettwho was 22. Both Jane and William werelisted in the census return as having been born at Bradford-on-Avon, with Janealso described in error as a widow.However, it was after 1881 that she married widower Richard Bradley whoalready had seven children, because thereafter she was known as JaneBradley. In 1891 Jane Bradley was 55 andRichard Bradley was 57, when they were still living in Llanelly. However, by 1901 Jane Bradley, aged 65, was awidow living at Llanelly
31P39– Henry Thomas Collettwas born in 1855 at South Wraxall
31P40– William John Collettwas born in 1858 at South Wraxall
Anne Collett [31O27] was baptised at South Wraxall on 10thDecember 1837, the daughter of labourer William Collett of Bradford Leigh andhis wife Mary Ann. Her absence from thefamily in the census of 1841 suggests that she suffered an infant death
William Collett [31O28] was born at Halifax in 1850, the only knownchild of George Collett and Susannah Child.He was one-year-old in the Halifax census of 1851 but by 1861 he and hisparents were living at ‘California’ in Ormesby and Eston between Middlesbrough andGuisborough when he was 11 years of age.It was at Guisborough that William was living with his parents in 1871at the age of 21 andworking as a general dealer, while it was just over two years later thathe married Emma Jane Storey. That eventwas recorded at Guisborough register office (Ref. 9d 1027) during the lastthree months of 1873 when the two witnesses were John Hewison and Hannah Upton
Bythe time of the census in 1881 William Collett from Halifax was 29 (sic), whilehis wife Emma J Collett from Guisborough was 24. Living with them at 25 and 27 Redcar Road inGuisborough were their three children, and they were Edith J Collett who wassix, George W Collett who was four, and Maud M Collett who was one yearold. All three children had been born atGuisborough. William’s occupation wasthat of a grocer like his father George, and he and his family employed ageneral domestic servant, Eliza Bennett who was 15 and from Bransby inLincolnshire
Livingin the premises next door, at 29 and 31 Redcar Road was the family of GeorgeCollett from Wortham in Suffolk (Ref. 20P15).George was also a grocer who, at the age of 36, was married to SarahJane from Leeds who was 35. Living withthem were their five children, and they were Ada E Collett aged 11, Maria ACollett who was nine, Sarah E Collett who was six, Maud E Collett who was four,and George E Collett who was two. All ofthe children had been born at Guisborough and the family also employed a servantwho was Amelia Nincks who was 17 and from Germany. See Part 20 – The Suffolk to Australia andCounty Durham Line for further details of that family
In1891, the family of William Collett from Halifax and still living at Redcar Road in Guisborough comprisedWilliam who was 41 and ajourneyman painter, his wife Emma who was 38, and their children Edith JCollett aged 16, George W Collett aged 14, Maud M Collett aged 11, Elizabeth ECollett who was nine, Ethel Collett who was five, Evelyn Collett who was twoand Arthur Collett who was under one year old.Emma was very likely expecting her last child on that day, as thecouple’s son Arthur was born later that same year
ByMarch 1901 William Collett of Halifax was 51 and was working as a housepainter, 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 onlychildren still living at the family home with them were Edith Collett who was26 and a cook/domestic servant, Ethel Collett who was 15, Evelyn Collett whowas 12, and Arthur Collett who was 10 years old. Ten years later in April 1911, WilliamCollett from Halifax, his wife and their family, had left Guisborough in theNorth Riding of Yorkshire, and had settled north of the River Tees at Stockton,in the neighbouring county of Durham.William was 61 andstill employed as a house painter, his wife Emma Jane Collett was 58,and still living with the couple were their two unmarried daughters Ethel whowas 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
PerhapsWilliam later returned to Guisborough to be nearer his son and grandchildren,because it was at Guisborough that the death of William Collett was recorded on14th March 1921, andwhere he was buried aged 71. His deathwas recorded at Yorkshire register office (Ref. 9d 656). At that time, he and Emma Jane were residingat 18 Chapel Street in Guisborough and it was to his wife that probate wasgranted in Yorkshire on 6th May 1921, with William’s personaleffects amounting to £1,260 11 Shillings and 6 Pence. Emma Jane lived the life of a widow for afurther ten years and she was still living at 18 Chapel Street in Guisboroughwhen she passed away on 10th March 1931. Emma Jane Collett nee Storey was 78 when herdeath was recorded at Guisborough register office (Ref. 9d 808). Probate of herpersonal effects valued at £869 9 Shillings and 9 Pence was granted at Durhamjointly to her two eldest sons George William Collett, a tailor, and ArthurCollett who was a draper
31P41– Edith Jane Collettwas born in 1874 at Guisborough
31P42– George William Collettwas born in 1877 at Guisborough
31P43– Maud Mary Collett wasborn in 1880 at Guisborough
31P44– Elizabeth E Collett was born in 1882 at Guisborough
31P45– Ethel Collett wasborn in 1885 at Guisborough
31P46– Evelyn Collett wasborn in 1888 at Guisborough
31P47 – Arthur Collettwas born in 1891 at Guisborough
Mary Matilda Collett [31O29] was born at South Wraxall during the firstquarter of 1840, her birth recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 292),following which she was baptised at Holt on 9th March 1840, theeldest child of William Batten Collett and Sarah Penelope James. She was described as being one year old inthe 1841 Census for Bradford-on-Avon registration district which included SouthWraxall. Towards the end of the decadethe family moved to London and in 1851 they were recorded in the census thatyear at 20 Prospect Place in St Mary Stoke Newington, where Mary Matilda fromBradford in Wiltshire was 11 years of age.The same census return also described Mary and her father and herbrother William as being either blind, deaf or dumb. The marriage of Mary Matilda Collett wasrecorded at Clerkenwell (Ref. 1b 610) in London during the first quarter of1861, when she married Charles Simpson, although no record of the couple afterthat time has been discovered
William Henry MilesCollett [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 thirdquarter of the year. It was also atSouth Wraxall that he was baptised on 21st October 1841, the eldestson of William Batten Collett and Sarah Penelope James. At the age of nine years, William Collettfrom Bradford, Wilts, was living with his family at 20 Prospect Place in StokeNewington in 1851, when he was described as being blind, deaf or dumb, as washis father and older sister Mary (above). By the time of the census in 1861 he was 20and an agricultural labourer living with his parents at the family home atSewerage Cottage in Tottenham. By theend of that same year William Henry Collett had married either (1) EstherButler 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 firstchild, but died either during the birth or shortly thereafter
Facedwith a two-year-old son to look after, William married (2) Elizabeth Page on 7thJanuary 1864 at Christ Church with St Mary & St Stephen in Spitalfieldswithin the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the event recorded at Whitechapel(Ref. 1c 631). The marriage licenceconfirmed that William Henry Miles Collett was 23 and a publican, the son offarmer William Batten Collett, and that Elizabeth Page was a spinster aged 26from 30 Brick Lane, the daughter of carpenter Barlow Page. The witnesses were William Bastin andCatherine Bastin, while it is significant that William was not described as abachelor, nor was he named as a widower.Virtually nine months later Elizabeth gave birth to the first of theirtwo children, while a double tragedy struck the family around the time of thebirth of the couple’s second child. Thatwas when William was once again made a widower, for the second time in just afew short years, and when his son and name sake William Henry Miles Collettsuffered an infant death
Itwas therefore at the same church in Spitalfields that William then married (3)Mary Ann Herbert on 19th March 1867.By that time widower William was 26 and was again named as the son ofWilliam Batten Collett, with Mary Ann being 31 and the daughter of EdwardHerbert. That marriage for Williamproduced a further three children although, once again, two of them did notsurvive beyond infancy. According to thecensus return for 1871, William Henry Miles Collett from South Wraxall was 29and a licenced victualler, who was living with his family at Tottenham withinthe Edmonton & Tottenham district of London. It is speculated that he was the landlord atthe Old Seven Sisters Inn at 13 Markfield Road in Tottenham. His wife was Mary Ann Collett from Ipswichwho was 35, while just three of William’s five children were listed with thecouple, when it is known that four of them were still alive at that time. The three children were Sidney Collett whowas nine, Ada Miles Collett who was three and Henry Miles Collett who was underone 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 shewould have been five years old
Justafter that census day the family suffered with the death of baby Henry MilesCollett, as a result of which there was only one child living with William andMary in 1881, although it is established that another two were also still aliveat that time. The family of three wasrecorded as living at 2 Cambrian Cottages on Markfield Road in Tottenham in1881, where William H Collett, aged 39, was an out of work publican who hadbeen born at South Wraxall, his wife Mary A Collett was 48 and had been born atIpswich, while previously absent daughter Elizabeth Collett from Tottenham was15. The couple’s younger daughter AdaCollett was 13 and was recorded in that same census as living close by at thehome of her grandparents at The Poplars, 9 Markfield Road in Tottenham. Her occupation was that of dairymaid, so shewas presumably working with her grandfather William Batten Collett, who was adairyman. Absent son Sidney had alreadyleft the family home and was working in a London hotel
Thedeath of Mary Ann Collett was recorded at Whitechapel register office (Ref. 1c261) during the last three months of 1887, just south of Tottenham. Nothing so far has been found to confirmedthat she was the third wife William Henry Miles Collett. However, another unverified source believesthat William was married to Jane from Norfolk shortly after, with the two ofthem residing at North Grove in Tottenham in 1891, where Henry was employed asa road labourer, with him and Jane being a roughly the same age. Six years after that census day, WilliamHenry Miles Collett died when he was 56, with his death recorded at Edmontonregister office (Ref. 3a 181) during the second quarter of 1897
31P48– Sidney Collett wasborn in 1862 at Tottenham, London
Thefollowing two children are from William H M Collett and his second wifeElizabeth Page:
31P49– William Henry Miles Collettwas born in 1864 at Tottenham, London
31P50– Elizabeth Collett wasborn in 1865 at Tottenham, London
Thefollowing two children are from William H M Collett by his third wife Mary AnnHerbert:
31P51– Ada Miles Collett wasborn in 1868 at Tottenham, London
31P52– William Herbert Collettwas born in 1869 at Tottenham, London
31P53– Henry Miles Collettwas born in 1871 at Tottenham, London
Charlotte Louisa Collett [31O31] was born at South Wraxall, towards theend of 1842 with her birth recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 257) duringthe last quarter of the year. She wasthe daughter of William Batten Collett and Sarah Penelope James and wasbaptised at South Wraxall on 19th January 1843. Shortly thereafter her parents moved toLondon where they were living in 1851.However, Charlotte Louisa Collett had died two years earlier, when shewas nearly seven years old, her death recorded at Romford in Essex (Ref. xii156) during the last three months of 1849, the third member of the family tosuffer a premature death
ArabellaCollett [31O32] wasborn at Romford, Essex, where her birth was registered during the secondquarter of 1844 (Ref. xii 233), another child of William and SarahCollett. She was approaching her thirdbirthday when she was taken ill and was quickly baptised on 7thMarch 1847 at the Church of St Edward the Confessor in Romford, where she wasburied on 15th March 1847.She was the second of seven children not to survive, having died justfive weeks after her baby brother Edward (below)
EdwardBriscoe 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 Churchof St Edward the Confessor on 4th January 1847, another tragic childof William and Sarah Collett. He was thefirst of the couple’s seven children to suffer an infant death and was under oneyear old when he died, following which he was buried on 4th February1847. His death was recorded at Romford(Ref. xii 205) during the first three months of 1847, when his name was againconfirmed as Edward Briscoe Collett
JaneCollett [31O34] wasborn at Dagenham in Essex, perhaps at the end of 1848 or during the month ofJanuary in 1849, when she birth was registered at Romford (Ref. xii 247) duringthe first quarter of 1849. She was baptisedat the Church of St Peter & St Paul in Dagenham on 28th January1849, yet another tragic child of William and Sarah Collett. Fifteen months after she was baptised, she diedand was buried at St John’s Church in Hackney on 1st May 1850, thefourth child not to survive. The deathof Jane Collett aged one year was recorded at Hackney (Ref. iii 122) during thesecond quarter of 1850, with the parish burial record confirming the homeaddress was Hertford Road and that she was sixteen months of age
John MilesCollett [31O35] was born at 20 Prospect Place in StokeNewington, London in 1851, with his birth recorded at Hackney (Ref. iii 240)during the first quarter of the year. Hewas baptised at the parish Church of St Paul on Stoke Newington Road in WestHackney on 9th March 1851, another child of William and SarahCollett. Shortly thereafter, John agedtwo months, and his family, were confirmed as living at 20 Prospect Placewithin the Hackney parish of St Mary Stoke Newington. Thirty-one months later, John Miles Collettdied and was buried at St John’s Church in Hackney on 30th October1853, his death recorded under his full name at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 84) duringthe last two months of that year. He wasthe fifth child not to survive
ConstanceJessie Miles Collett [31O36] was born at Tottenham, London on 27thAugust 1852, her birth recorded at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 125), another daughter ofWilliam Batten Collett and his wife Sarah Penelope. Rather curiously, it was at Cheshunt inHertfordshire where she was baptised on 26th September that sameyear. Tragically, the death of ConstanceJessie 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 JohnMiles Collett, and her younger sister Charlotte Miles Collett, were alsorecorded during the same quarter of the year.Following her passing, she was buried at the Church of St John inHackney on the 23rd December 1853, the sixth child of the family tohave her life cut short
CharlotteMiles Collett [31O37] was born at Tottenham in 1853, herbirth recorded at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 113) during the fourth quarter of thatyear. With no baptism for her havingbeen found, it is very likely that she died around the same time, particularlysince her name was also given to the next daughter born into her family. That would make her the seventh child withinthe family to have a premature death
Amy Charlotte MilesCollett [31O38] was born at Tottenham in 1854, with herbirth registered at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 113) during the first three weeks ofOctober, but only as Charlotte Miles Collett.She was youngest daughter of William Batten Collett and Sarah PenelopeJames and, on 22nd October 1854 she was baptised at Tottenham as AmyCharlotte Miles Collett. It was also inTottenham, at Markfield Road, that she was living with her family when, assimply Amy Collett, she was seven years old in 1861, and again in 1871 when she15 years old and still attending school.She was recorded simply as Amy Miles Collett when she married JamesEdward Watson at All Hallows Church in Tottenham on 16th December1880. The event was recorded at Edmonton(Ref. 3a 341) where it was confirmed that Amy was 26 and the daughter ofWilliam Batten Collett, while James, aged 25, was the son of John JamesWatson. The earlier baptism of JamesEdward Watson was conducted at the Church of St Sepulchre in the City of Londonon 29th June 1856, following his birth on 15th March1856, the son of John James and Sophia Watson
Threemonths after their wedding day, James and Amy were living with Amy’s parents atThe Poplars, 9 Markfield Road in Tottenham on the day the census was conductedin 1881. James Watson was still 25 and ahairdresser who had been born within the City of London, while Amy Watson wasstill 26. Over the following decade Amygave birth to at least three children, with a big gap between the second andthe third child, when perhaps there may have been a fourth child who did notsurvive. All three children were bornwhile James and Amy were still living in Tottenham, and it was there also thatthe family was still living in 1891
Thecensus that year listed the family as James Watson, a perfumer, and his wifeAmy from Tottenham, who were both incorrectly recorded as being 34, theirdaughter Hilda Watson was nine, son Leslie Watson was eight and Claude Watsonwas four years old. Staying with thefamily 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 withhis perfumery business
Duringthe following year another daughter was added to their family and two yearsafter that Amy presented James with their last child, by which time the familyhad left Tottenham and was living in Hackney.Their time at Hackney was short-lived because, in the March census of1901, the family was residing at 8 Beaulieu Villas on the Seven Sisters Road inStoke Newington. Living there with thecouple were their five children, the first four born at Tottenham and the lastat Hackney. By that time in their livesJames from Clerkenwell and Amy from Tottenham were both 45 and described asliving on their own means. Theirchildren were confirmed as Hilda Watson who was 20, Leslie Watson - who was 19and a wholesale newsagent’s assistant, Claude Watson who was 14 - with nostated occupation so perhaps he was in his last year at school, Violet Watsonwho was eight and Lilian Watson who was six
Sevenyears later James Edward Watson passed away, his death recorded at Hackneyregister office (Ref. 1b 205) during the second quarter of 1908, followingwhich he was buried at Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington during the monthof April that year. It is interestingthat the probate process provided information that he had addresses at 95Stamford Hill and 25 Dalston Lane, Dalston in Middlesex and that he died on 26thApril 1908 at 95 Stamford Hill in Stoke Newington. His widow Amy Charlotte Miles Watson wasnamed as the executor of his personal effects valued at £1,890. That sad event may have been the reason whythe family moved house and why Amy had to become the breadwinner for herfamily. The census in 1911 placed AmyWatson, aged 57, living just five hundred metres from Stamford Hill at 32Forburg Road in Stoke Newington when she was described as a widow and awholesale newsagent. Still living withher was her unmarried daughter Hilda who was 29, and her two youngest daughtersViolet who was 18 and Lilian who was 16
Thefirst of the couple’s five children was Hilda Amy Mary Watson who bornduring October in 1881 at Tottenham. Shewas nearly forty when she married (1) Andrew Moyes, aged 51 and a banker, on 11thJune 1921 at St Mary’s Church in Stoke Newington, when her address was 37Portland Avenue in Clapton. Andrew wasborn in 1870 and he died on 12th August 1930 which still inMiddlesex. Hilda then married (2)Alexander John McKnight during the month of September in 1939 at Islington,Middlesex. He was born on 29thJune 1874 at Troqueer, Kirkcudbright, Scotland, and died in Worthing on 17thNovember 1941. There was no issue fromeither marriage, with Hilda Amy Mary also residing at Worthing when she passedaway on 25th July 1959, at the age of 78
Thesecond child was Leslie Alan Wilfred Watson who was also born atTottenham, in October 1882, who was baptised at All Hallows Church in Tottenham on 8thFebruary 1883. He married Agnes Bryan on 15th March 1908 at StMatthias’ Church in Stoke Newington. Agnes was born at Clapton around 1880 and, in the1911 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 hedied on 22nd August 1959, aged 76.His brother, Claude Julian Samuel Miles Watson was born in 1887 atTottenham and was alsobaptised at All Hallows Church on 21st April 1887. He later married Florence Daisy Carpenter on27th January 1910 at the Church of St George in Enfield. Florence was born at Banbury in Oxfordshireduring October 1887. As was the casewith his older brother, Claude was also a newsagent on the day of the census in1911, by which time he and Florence had a daughter Phyllis Mary Watson, who wasbaptised at St John’s Church in Hackney on 11th September 1910
Thefourth child of Amy Charlotte Miles Collett and James Edward Watson was VioletOlive Penelope Miles Watson who was born at Tottenham in January 1893. She married Vernon Herbert Jones, aclergyman, on 21st April 1921 at St Mary’s Church in StokeNewington. Vernon was born at Highbury inOctober 1882, and he died on 2nd June 1947 at ‘Hurstdale’ 44 WoodLane in Highgate, his wife having pre-deceased him by then. The couple’s last child was Lilian Watsonwho was born in 1895
Francis James MilesCollett [31O39], who was often referred to as Frank, wasborn at Tottenham in 1857. His birth,under his full name, was registered at Edmonton (Ref. 3a 115) during the first threemonths of the year, the last child of William Batten Collett and Sarah PenelopeJames, after which he was baptised six months later at All Hallows Church inTottenham on 16th August 1857.Francis Collett was four years old and living with his family atMarkfield Road, Tottenham, in 1861 and was 13 years of age in the census of1871, when he was living with his parents at their home in Tottenham. Six years later Francis James M Collettmarried Elizabeth Jane Atkinson on 27th January 1877 at Holy TrinityChurch in Hoxton, with the event recorded at Shoreditch (Ref. 1c 204). The parish register for the Borough ofHackney confirmed that Francis was 20 and a pianoforte maker, the son ofWilliam Batten Collett, with Elizabeth being the daughter of Walter WilliamAtkinson, who had also been born at Tottenham on 19th March 1856. The couple’s first child was born at Hoxtonat the end of that same year, where their next three children were born, beforemoving to Tottenham around the middle of the 1880s. Tragically, three of the couple’s first fourchildren did not survive
Bythe time of the census in 1881, the couple and their third child were recordedas lodgers at 12 Bridport Place in Hoxton, overlooking Shoreditch Park, thehome of the Atkinson family. Head of thehousehold was Elizabeth’s widowed mother Ellen Atkinson, aged 56 and a cabinetmanufacturer, and with her were two unmarried daughters Ellen Atkinson who was27 and a liner for a cabinet manufacturer, and Alice Atkinson who was 20 andworking in fancy trimmings. Completingthe family group was lodger Francis J Collett who was 24 and a packing-casemaker and carpenter, his wife Elizabeth Collett who was 25 and a wooden boxmaker, and their four-month-old daughter Florence Collett. Every member of the household was confirmedas having been born at Tottenham
Sixmore children were added to their family over the next twenty years, three ofthem born prior to the census in 1891, although the first of those three alsosuffered an infant death. On thatoccasion the family was residing in Tottenham, where Francis Collett was 35 anda cabinet maker, Elizabeth was 36, Florence was 10, Matilda was six, and sonLeslie was two years old. Elizabeth wasexpecting the couple’s sixth child on the day of the census, with anotherdaughter being born just six weeks later.Over the next eight years the couple’s final two children were added totheir family. All of this was verifiedin the next census conducted at the end of March 1901 when the completed familywas living at 28 Steele Road in Tottenham.Francis James Collett of Tottenham was 44 and a cabinet maker, his wifeElizabeth Jane from Shoreditch was 45, and their eldest child was Florence AmyCollett who was 20 and from Hoxton. Allof the other children had been born at Tottenham, and they were Matilda ACollett who was 16, Leslie Wm Collett who was 12, Edith May Collett who wasnine, Lilian Penelope Collett who was six, and Alice Elizabeth Collett who wastwo
Tenyears later in April 1911 the family was still living in Tottenham, although bythat time the couple’s eldest daughter had left the family home and was livingand working nearby in Hackney. Theremainder of the family at Tottenham was recorded as Francis Collett who was 54and a cabinet maker’s assistant, Elizabeth Collett who was 55 and born atShoreditch, Matilda Collett who was 26, Leslie Collett who was 22, May Collettwho was 19, Lillian Collett who was 14 and Alice Collett who was 12. It was eleven years after that when FrancisJames Miles Collett died at the age of 65, his death being recorded at Edmontonregister office (Ref. 3a 866) during the first three months of 1922. Elizabeth Jane Collett nee Atkinson was awidow for the next six years and was still living in Tottenham when she passedaway aged 72. Her death was alsorecorded at Edmonton register office (Ref. 3a 704) during the first quarter of1928
31P54– Elizabeth Louisa Miles Collettwas born in 1878 at Hoxton, London
31P55– Francis William Miles Collettwas born in 1879 at Hoxton, London
31P56– Florence Amy Miles Collettwas born in 1880 at Hoxton, London
31P57– William John Miles Collettwas born in 1883 at Hoxton, London
31P58– Matilda Ellen Miles Collettwas born in 1885 at Tottenham, London
31P59– Leslie William Miles Collettwas born in 1888 at Tottenham, London
31P60– May Edith Miles Collettwas born in 1891 at Tottenham, London
31P61– Lilian Penelope Miles Collettwas born in 1894 at Tottenham, London
31P62– Alice Elizabeth Miles Collettwas born in 1898 at Tottenham, London
Mary Arabella Collett [31O40] was born at Portsea in Portsmouth duringeither 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 movedto London where, in 1856, they were living at 54 Hardwick Place in Plumstead. Rather oddly she was referred to as Margaretaged eight in the 1861 Census and was living with her family at 20 Holywell Rowin Shoreditch. Ten years later, at theage of 18, she was listed as Mary, when she was still living with her parentswho, by then, had moved to 5 Pleasant Row in Shoreditch St Leonards, from whereshe was working as a carpet sewer
Itwas at Shoreditch in 1872 when Mary married chair maker and cabinet makerWilliam Augustus Cottle who had been born at Shoreditch in 1850. Over the next nine years the marriageproduced four children for the couple.In 1881 the census revealed that the family was living at 31 Homer Roadin Hackney, which was the home of Mary’s parents Andrew and Sarah Collett. The census also confirmed that she was bornat Portsmouth and that she was 28. Heroccupation at that time was stated as being that of a carpet sewer as it hadbeen ten years earlier, that being the same occupation also taken up by hersister Sarah (below)
Maryand William’s first child was Andrew Cottle who was seven and named after hisgrandfather, who had been born at Shoreditch, followed by William Cottle whowas three and named after his father, who had been born at the City RoadHospital in London. In addition to themthere were two further grandchildren who were both 18 months old and they weredaughter Alice Cottle and a second William Cottle, and both of them had beenborn at Hackney. It seems rather curiousthat the couple’s second and fourth child appear to share the same christianname being listed in the census as ‘William Collett’ and ‘Wm Collett’. However, it was later confirmed they wereWilliam John and William Henry
Thefamily was still living in Hackney on 28th October 1899, but on thatdate had moved to 2 Grove Passage off Mare Street, although no record of themat all has so far been found in the census of 1901. The couple’s four children were AndrewCottle who was born in 1873 at Shoreditch, William John Cottle whowas born in London in 1877, Alice Cottle who was born at Hackney duringSeptember 1879, and William H Cottle who was born at Hackney in March1881. William John Cottle later marriedElizabeth Rebecca who was also born in 1877, and by 1911 they were living at 19Northampton Grove in Canonbury within the London Borough of Islington. They already had four children by then, whilestaying with the family at that time was William’s widowed mother Mary ArabellaCottle who was 58 and a carpet sewer from Portsmouth
Charlotte Matilda Collett [31O41] was born at Peckham near Southwark inKent during 1854. In 1856 she was livingwith her parents at 54 Hardwick Place in Plumstead but by 1861 they had movedto 20 Holywell Row in Shoreditch where she was referred to as Blanche aged sixyears. Ten years later as CharlotteCollett, aged 16, she was a resident of St Lukes in Finsbury. Three years after in 1874 she married (1)Charles Pollikett at Bethnal Green. Hewas the son of John and Hannah Pollikett and was born in the City of Londonduring 1853. In 1861 he and his parentswere living at 2 Constitution Hill off Southwood Lane in Hornsey and ten yearslater they had moved to 5 Constitution Hill.It was at that latter address that Charles and Charlotte made their homeand it was there also where all of their eight children were born
Accordingto the 1881 Census, Charlotte, aged 26 and born at Woolwich, was living withher husband Charles, aged 27, a domestic gardener who had been born at CityRoad Hospital. Living with them weretheir first three children Edith Pollikett who was six, Frederick Pollikett whowas four and William Pollikett who was 18 months old. Also listed with the family was lodger andwidower Alfred Pearl, aged 40, a harness maker.In 1881 Charlotte’s mother-in-law Hannah Pollikett, a widow and a nurseof 66 years was a visitor at Seeley’s Farm in Back Lane, Streatham in Surrey,the home of cowman John and Eliza Hart
Thefamily lived all of their life at 5 Constitution Hill in Hornsey as confirmedby the census returns for 1881, 1891 and 1901.By the time of the latter census, Charlotte from Woolwich, who was 46 bythen, had been made a widow by the earlier death of Charles Pollikett and stillhad her whole family living there with her, with the exception of her marriedson Frederick. He had left the familyhome and was married to Alice Beatrice Housden and, at the age of 24, he wasliving at another address in Hornsey from where he was working as a toiletattendance at a local museum. TheHornsey born children of Charles and Charlotte were Edith Pollikett bornin 1875, Frederick Pollikett born in 1877, William Pollikett bornin 1879, Arthur Pollikett born in 1883, Sidney Pollikett born in1885, Walter Pollikett born in 1887, Herbert Pollikett born in1890 and Ethel Pollikett who was born in 1894
Sometimeduring the first decade of the new century widow Charlotte Matilda Pollikettmarried for a second time in Edmonton when she became Charlotte Matilda Newman,the wife of Henry James Newman. In theEdmonton census of 1911, the couple was residing in Hornsey where Henry andCharlotte were both 55. Still livingwith Charlotte were five of her Pollikett children, and they were Arthur Georgewho was 28, Sidney who was 26, Walter who was 24, Herbert who was 21 and EthelPollikett who was 15. In addition tothose five children, Henry also had his son William Newman still living withhim at the age of 18. Twenty years laterthe 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 waysduring his life, was born on 21st March 1856, the son of AndrewCollett and Sarah Curnick. At the timeof his birth, they were living at 54 Hardwick Road in Plumstead nearWoolwich. In the 1861 Census he wasreferred to as Thomas R Collett aged five years, when he was living with hisfamily at 20 Holywell Row in Shoreditch.By 1871 he and his parents had moved house and were living at 5 PleasantRow in Shoreditch where he was referred to as John R Collett, aged 15. Exactly five years later, and immediatelyfollowing his twentieth birthday, he became a married man
Hemarried Sarah Elizabeth Sharpington on 27th March 1876 at St Thomas’Church in Bethnal Green. Sarah was bornin 1857 at St Lukes in Shoreditch and was the daughter of John and FrancesSharpington of 10 Hill Street in Shoreditch.In the 1871 Census Sarah’s occupation was that of a domesticservant. According to the next census in1881 he was again named as Thomas Collett, aged 24, who had been born at Woolwich. His occupation at that time was that of aFrench polisher. His wife Sarah was 23and of Shoreditch and was also listed as a French polisher. Missing, was their son William Andrew Collettwho would have been one-year-old. Onthat occasion Thomas (aka John) and Sarah were living at 31 Homer Road, withinthe Hackney suburb of Homerton, the home of his parents Andrew and SarahCollett. It was also in Homerton, whereall of their five children were born, with the first two certainly born at 31Homer Road
Itwas 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 ofLondon. Living with the couple by thenwere their first four children. WilliamCollett who was 11, Sarah Collett who was eight, John Collett who was three andHenry Collett who was one year old. Itis also known that their son John had been born at 25 Homer Road inHomerton. Just less than three yearslater, John Robert Collett died on 23rd January 1894 while he wasliving at 3 Haywoods Buildings in Homerton.It is not known if he died before or after the birth of his finalchild. However, following the death ofher husband Sarah married (2) John Cook in 1896, with whom she had three morechildren. By the time of the next censusin March 1901 Sarah Cook, aged 43 and from Shoreditch, was living with herhusband brick-maker John Cook, aged 44 and from Wandsworth, at 1 Suther Streetin Hackney. Also living at that addresswere the five Hackney born children of Sarah and John Collett, as well asSarah’s three children by John Cook
Sarah’seldest son William Collett, aged 21, was working as a glass blower, while hissister Sarah Collett, aged 18, was a Gladstone bag maker. Sarah’s three youngest sons were listed asJohn Collett aged 14, Henry Collett aged 12, and Frank Collett who was sixyears old, and all of them were still attending school. The three Cook children were twins RobertCook and Thomas Cook, both four years old, plus Harriet Cook who was two yearsold. Sarah’s daughter Sarah MatildaCollett had left the Cook’s family home prior to the census in 1911, presumablyto be married, as had her son John George Collett
Bythe time of the census that year only Sarah’s three sons William, Henry andFrank 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 was57. The couple had been married forfifteen years and John was a boot finisher from Salisbury in Wiltshire andSarah’s place of birth was Shoreditch.The five children of John Cook by his wife Sarah were Charles Cook, aged28 and a glass bottle maker, Elizabeth Cook, aged 21 who was working in a jamfactory, Robert Cook, aged 14 who was a printer’s boy, Thomas Cook, also 14 whowas a printer’s joiner, and Harriet Cook who was 12 and still attending school
Thethree remaining members of the Collett family still living with the Cook familyin 1911 were William Collett, who was 31 and a glass bottle maker, HenryCollett, who was 21 and a printer’s joiner, and Frank Collett who was 17 and aprinter’s layer-on. All three of themwere confirmed as having been born at Hackney, as had all of the Cookchildren. One other person was livingwith the family on that occasion, and he was one-year old Frank Cook fromPoplar, who was described as the grandson of John Cook. It was thirteen years after that, when SarahCook formerly Collett, nee Sharpington, died at Bow during 1924
31P63– William Andrew Collettwas born in 1879 at Homerton, Hackney
31P64– Sarah Matilda Collettwas born in 1883 at Homerton, Hackney
31P65– John George C Collettwas born in 1887 at Homerton, Hackney
31P66– Henry Francis Collettwas born in 1890 at Homerton, Hackney
31P67– Frank Collett wasborn in 1894 at Homerton, Hackney
Sarah Elizabeth Collett [31O43], who was also known as Elizabeth, wasborn at Town Street in Shepton Mallet on 23rd April 1858. Within the first two years of her life herparents 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 inwhich Sarah was three years old and was living with her family at 20 HolywellRow in Shoreditch. Upon leaving schoolshe took up the occupation of a carpet sewer like her older sister MaryArabella (above). She marriedWalter Clarence William Lifford on 22nd April 1877 at St Thomas’Church in Bethnal Green, when her address was given as George Street in BethnalGreen. Walter’s address was given asCambridge Heath Road, also in Bethnal Green.Walter was the son of Joseph and Amelia Jane Andrews of 9a SeabrightStreet in Bethnal Green, who was born on 26th March 1858 at 2 WoodStreet in Clerkenwell. He was baptisedat St Thomas Charterhouse in Finsbury on 24th April 1859. His first job was as an errand boy, but hislater occupation was that of a French polisher
Whatis of interest is that in 1871, Sarah and Walter were neighbours and possiblychildhood sweethearts. The Collettfamily was living at 5 Pleasant Row, while the Lifford family home was at 4Pleasant Row in Shoreditch. Eight monthsafter they were married Sarah gave birth to their first child while living inShoreditch. However, at the time thebirth was registered, their address was given as 31 Homer Road in Hackney, thehome of Sarah’s parents Andrew and Sarah Collett
In1881 Sarah and Walter had moved back to Shoreditch where all of their otherchildren were born. Living with them atthat time at 32 Union Street in Shoreditch were their daughters Sarah Ameliaaged three years and baby Agnes Lifford who was seven months old. By 1891 the family had moved back to Hackneyand were living at 11 Bower Road, where Walter and Sarah spent the remainder oftheir lives together. In April 1911Walter was 53 and Sarah was 52, and the only members of the family still livingwith them were Harry Lifford who was 24, and Jane Lifford who was20. It was over eleven years later thatSarah Elizabeth Lifford nee Collett died at 11 Bower Road in Hackney Wick on 3rdSeptember 1922, the cause of death being valvular disease of the heart. Walter Clarence William Lifford died verysoon after his wife on 16th October 1922, by which time he waslisted as living at 230 High Street in Hackney.He officially died of pulmonary congestion from a throat wound caused bysuicide whilst of unsound mind. Perhapshe found it difficult to come to terms with the death of his wife only sixweeks earlier
31P68– Sarah Amelia Liffordwas born in 1877 at Shoreditch, London
William Andrew Collett [31O44] was born at Clifton in Bristol during1860 and shortly after he was born the family returned to London. For the census the following year, and underone year old, William was living with his parents at 20 Holywell Row and tenyears later at 11 years of age they had moved again and were living at 5Pleasant Row, both in Shoreditch. By1881 the family had left Shoreditch and had moved to Hackney and were living at31 Homer Road where William was 20 and his occupation was that of aporter. 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 couplewas living at Clapton, with all of their remaining children born at 229 WickRoad in Hackney
In1901 the family had moved again and was living at 222 Morning Lane inHackney. The census recorded Williamaged 40 as having been born in Bristol and that he had changed his occupationand was a carpet planner, a trade allied to that of his older sisters who werecarpet sewers. The rest of his familyliving 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 whowas four and Rose who was two years old.Ten years later in 1911, William and his daughters were living in theWest Ham area of London but, so far, no trace has been found of his wife. William was 51, Emily was 27, Isabella was23, Harriet was 21, Edith was 14 and Rose was 12. What happened over the next twenty-five yearsis not known at this time, but it was at the South-Western register office forEssex 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 wasborn in 1883 at Clapton, London
31P70– Isabella Collett wasborn in 1887 at Hackney, London
31P71– Harriet Louise Collettwas born in 1889 at Hackney, London
31P72– Edith Maud Collettwas born in 18963 at Hackney, London
31P73– Rose Collett was bornin 1898 at Hackney, London
Henry John Collett [31O45] was born in the City of London in1865. In both 1871 and 1881 he wasliving in the family home at 5 Pleasant Row in Shoreditch and at 31 Homer Roadin Hackney respectively, and while at the latter he was working as a carman’svan boy at the age of 15. By the time hewas 25 he was still single when he was living at 4 Union Street in Chatham inKent from where he was working as a horse keeper in 1891. Three years later Henry married Marion Riderin 1894 at Hackney with Marion having been born at Poplar in London during1869. Their first two children were bornwhile the couple were living at Hackney, while the last three children wereborn at Stoke Newington
Accordingto the 1901 Census the family was living at 26 Arthur Road in Stoke Newingtonfrom where Henry aged 36 was employed as a bricklayer’s labourer. Marian was confirmed as being aged 32 andborn at Poplar, while their children were Sarah Collett who was six, MarianCollett who was four, Edith Collett who was three, Henry Collett who was twoand Andrew Collett who was one year old.Tragically, for the young family, Henry John Collett died when he wasonly 44, his death recorded at Hackney register office (Ref. 1b 340) during thefirst quarter of 1909, but not before he had fathered two more children
Bythe 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 withfour of her five children. They wereSarah Collett who was 16, Marion Amelia Collett who was 14, as were Henry CCollett who was 12 and Andrew Collett who was 11. The two new arrivals were Edwin Frank Collettwho was eight and Eleanor V Collett who was six years of age, both of them bornat Homerton. Missing daughter Edithwould have been thirteen years of age so, had perhaps not survived long afterthe day of the previous census
31P74– Sarah Collett wasborn in 1895 at Hackney, London
31P75– Marion Amelia Collettwas born in 1896 at Hackney, London
31P76– Edith Charlotte Collettwas born in 1897 at Stoke Newington, London
31P77– Henry C Collett wasborn in 1898 at Stoke Newington, London
31P78– Andrew Collett wasborn in 1899 at Stoke Newington, London
31P79– Frank Edwin Collettwas born in 1903 at Hackney, London
31P80– Eleanor Victoria Collettwas born in 1905 at Homerton, Hackney
George Collett [31O46] was born at Shoreditch in London during1869, the son of Andrew William Collett and Sarah Curnick. Two years after the birth he was living withhis family at 5 Pleasant Row at the age of two, and ten years after that theywere living at 31 Homer Road when he was11.Both addresses were in Shoreditch.Rather curiously, no obvious record of George has been found in anycensus after 1881, and only one other George, who was actually George FrederickCollett (Ref. 28O49) from Holborn, was born around the same time and he and hisfamily can be found in Part 28 – The Faringdon Line
RebeccaCollett [31P1] was bornat Bathford, near Bath in 1834 on an unknown father, the base-born daughter ofBetsy Gisford Collett, who later married Job Smith in April 1840. From then, Rebecca lived with her mother andstepfather at Colerne in 1841 at Upper House, when she was seven years old, andagain in 1851 when she was 16, at Thickwood Farm. By 1861, when Rebecca Collett was 27, she wasstill living with Betsy and Job Smith, but at Lower Street inBradford-on-Avon. It was only for thecensuses conducted in 1871 and 1881 that she gave her place of birth asBathford. In the first of them, she was34 (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 inBradford with her stepfather, at Channels.
Herbase-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, whosebirth was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 122) during the first quarterof 1856. He was baptised at SouthWraxall on 9th March 1856 and was confirmed as the son of RebeccaCollett, but tragically suffered an infant death at the end of June that sameyear. The death of Thomas Collett wasrecorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 68) during the third quarter of 1856,following his burial at South Wraxall on 1st July 1856. Less than four years after losing her son,Rebecca found herself with-child again and gave birth to another son, whosebirth was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 135) during the second quarterof 1870. The baptism of George EdwardCollett took place at South Wraxall on 5th June 1870, when hismother was again confirmed as Rebecca Collett.That child, like her first, also did not survive and, died around eightmonths later, his death recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 98) during thefirst quarter of 1971. He too was buriedat South Wraxall, on 6th March 1871
Threeyears later, Rebecca gave birth to her third base-born child by an unnamedfather, the birth of Mary Collett recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 134)during the last three months on 1874. Onthe day she was baptised at South Wraxall, on 10th January 1875,Mary Elizabeth Collett was confirmed as the daughter of Rebecca Collett. The next big event in her life, was the deathof 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, wasrecorded at Bradford register office (Ref. 5a 74) during the last quarter ofthat year. A few months later herdaughter, Mary Collett was 16 years old, when she was working as a generaldomestic servant at the home of cabinet maker Charles Long, his wife and theirfive children at The Shambles in the centre of Bradford-on-Avon
Tenyears later, in 1901, Mary Elizabeth Collett was a visitor at the Alderley homeof the Hulance family, near Hawkesbury in Gloucestershire, where she wasworking as a general domestic servant at the age of 26, when her place of birthwas curiously recorded as Bathwick, not far from where her late mother had beenborn. The only other Collett livingwithin that registration district, on that day, was an Emily M Collett who was31 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 18thNovember 1905, Mary Elizabeth Collett was 31 and gave her father’s name as JobCollett, 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
StephenCollett [31P2] wasborn at Bradford-on-Avon in either late 1838 or early in 1839, his birthrecorded there (Ref. viii 258) during the first three months of 1839. He was the eldest child of Henry Collett, asawyer, and his wife Ann from Chippenham, and was two years old when livingwith his parents at White Hill in Bradford in 1841. Ten years later, Stephen was 11 years of agewhen he still attending school in Bradford-on-Avon where his family was stillliving. It was at Slades Brook inBradford that the family was recorded in 1861, by which time unmarried Stephenwas 22 and working as an agricultural labourer, possibly alongside hisfather. His father died in 1871, butwhere Stephen was has not yet been discovered.However, wherever he was at that time, he returned to be the only childliving with his widowed mother in 1881.Both of them were inmates, most likely in the workhouse atWestwood-with-Iford west of Bradford, when Stephen Collett was 44 (sic) and asawyer, like his late father. It wasfour years after that when his mother passed away, and only days later, thedeath 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
ArthurHenry Collett [31P4]was born at Bradford-on-Avon in 1844, his birth recorded there (Ref. viii268) during the first quarter of that year.When he was baptised at Bradford on 7th April 1844, the entryin the parish register recorded him as simply Arthur Collett, the son of Henryand Ann Collett. In 1851 Arthur was sixyears old when living in Bradford with his family, but was absent from thefamily home at Slades Brook in 1861.Approximately five years later, the marriage of Arthur William Collett andHarriet Hayward was recorded at Bradford (Ref. 5a 149) during the first quarterof 1867. Harriet, the daughter of Danieland Sarah Hayward, was some years older than Arthur, having been born around1831, and already had a daughter born out of wedlock at Bearfield in Bradfordin 1858. In addition, and prior to theirwedding day, Harriet had given birth to Arthur’s first child, althoughregistration of the birth, or baptism has not been found. Once married, they continued to live inBradford, where Harriet gave birth to at least two more children, two of them livingwith the couple in Bradford-on-Avon in 1871
Thecensus that year recorded the family as Arthur Collett who was 27 and alabourer, Harriet Collett who was said to be 34 instead of 40, and their sons WilliamCollett who was five and Henry Collett who was two years old. Completing the family was Harriet’s daughterEmily (Hayward) Collett who was 13. Tenyears earlier, unmarried Harriet Hayward and her three-year-old base-born daughterwere 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 inthe previous census of 1851. The birthof Emily Hayward was registered at Bradford (Ref. 5a 124) during the thirdquarter of 1857. The third known childof Arthur and Harriet was born at Bradford during the summer of 1874 and wassix years of age in the Bradford census of 1881. Sadly, when she was only two years old, thedeath of her father was recorded at Bradford (Ref. 5a 73) during the thirdquarter of 1876, when he was only 32 years of age, despite being recorded as 34by his wife. Arthur Collett was buriedin Bradford-on-Avon on 18th July 1876
Asa consequence, Harriet Collett was a widow in the census of 1881, when she wasearning a living as a laundress at the age of 50. Her unmarried daughter Emily Hayward was 23and 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 eldestson, whose death was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 83) as ArthurWilliam Collett, during the first three months of 1881, when he was 15. Just over three years later, the marriage ofEmily Hayward and Frederick William Knott was recorded at Bradford (Ref. 5a251) during the last three months of 1884. By 1891, it was only Harriet and herdaughter Sarah who were still living in Bradford-on-Avon, Harriet being 60 anda retired laundress, while Sarah Collett was 16 and a quill winder
WhenSarah Collett was 23, she married Herbert John Dainton, the event recorded atBradford-on-Avon register office (Ref. 5a 165) during the first three months of1898. Three years after, widow HarrietCollett, aged 73, was living at the Bradford home of her oldest marrieddaughter Emily Knott and her husband and their two children. Five years later, the death of HarrietCollett was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon register office (Ref. 5a 75) duringthe 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 (akaHarry Hayward Collett) was born in 1868 at Bradford-on-Avon
31Q6– Sarah Collett wasborn in 1874 at Bradford-on-Avon
WilliamCollett [31P6] wasborn at Bradford-on-Avon, where his birth was recorded (Ref. 5a 140) during thefirst quarter of 1852. It was also atBradford that he was baptised there on 13th April 1852, another sonof Henry and Ann Collett. He and hisfamily were living at Slades Brook in Bradford in 1861, when William was nineyears of age, and was 19 years old and working as a labourer at Bradford tenyears later, when he was still with his family.Four years later, the marriage of William Collett and Emma Gulliford wasrecorded at Bath (Ref. 5c 983) during the second quarter of 1875. At the start of the next decade William andEmma and their first child were living at Corn Street in Bath in 1881. William Collett from Bradford was 29 andagain employed as a labourer, his wife Emma from Bath was 30, and daughter LucyCollett was not yet one-year-old, although she was later referred to as LouisaA Collett
Nomore children were added to the family and, during the 1880s, William took overthe management of an inn at Bath. Thatwas also the situation in 1891, when William Collett was 39 and a licencedrefreshment house keeper, who also took in boarders. Emma Collett was 30 and their only child wasLouisa A Collett who was 10 years of age.Two years after that census day, the death of William Collett wasrecorded at Bath (Ref. 5c 392) during the second quarter of 1893, when he was41. Tragically for their daughter, itwas just less than two years as a widow, when the death of Emma Collett wasrecorded at Bath (Ref. 5c 476) during the first three months of 189, at the ageof 43
31Q7– Louisa Ann Collett was born at Bath in 1880 Qrt 3 (Ref. 5c 621)
AnnaMaria Collett [31P8]was born at South Wraxall towards the end of 1850, the eldest child ofThomas 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 oldon the day of the census in 1851. It wasduring the following week that Anna Maria Collett was baptised at South Wraxallon 6th April 1851, the daughter of Thomas and Sarah Collett. Later that same year her father’s workresulted in a family move to Yatton Keynell, where her four younger siblingswere born. In 1861 Anna Maria Collettwas 10 years old and living with her family on Biddestone Road in YattonKeynell. It is not clear where she wasnine 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 ofa*ge
William Collett [31P10] was born at Yatton Keynell in 1855, theeldest 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 baptisedon 22nd July 1855. He wasfive years old and 16 years old in the two census records for Yatton Keynell in1861 and 1871. On the latter occasion,he was working as an agricultural labourer but, upon the death of his fatherduring the 1870s, it would appear that William took on his work as aquarryman. He was still unmarried by thetime of the census in 1881 when he was still living with his mother and youngerbrother Job Collett (below) at Giddea Hall in Yatton Keynell. The census confirmed that he was a stone quarrymanaged 26 from Yatten Keynell, and that he and his brother, were supporting theirwidowed mother. No record of WilliamCollett has been found after 1881
Althoughnot proved, it is possible that William married Emily Jane Bath, the eventrecorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 131) during the last three months of 1887. However, no record of William or Emily Janehas been found after that day
Elizabeth Collett [31P11] was born at Yatton Keynell near the endof 1857 and was the youngest of the two known daughters of Thomas and SarahCollett. Her birth was recorded atChippenham (Ref. 5a 45) during the first quarter of 1858 and was baptised atYatton Keynell on 4th April that year. She was three years old in 1861 and was 13years old in 1871 when she was still attending the village school at WestYatton. By 1881, at the age of 23,Elizabeth Collett from Yatten Keynell was working as a domestic servant at thevicarage in Sutton Benger, to the north of Chippenham, the home of FrederickGriffiths, the Curate of Sutton Benger.The baptism record, at Yatton Keynell, for her son Lot Collett on 22ndFebruary 1874, named the boy’s parents as just Elizabeth Collett. What is perhaps a little surprising is thatElizabeth must have been only sixteen years old when she conceived
The birth of her son Lot Collett was recorded atChippenham (Ref. 5a 57)during the first quarter of 1874 and, by 1881, Lot Collett of Yatton Keynellwas seven years old when he was living with his grandmother Sarah Collett atGiddea Hall. Whether he was everreunited with his mother is not known, since he was only ten years old when hisdeath 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, theyoungest of the four known children of Thomas and Sarah Collett, whose birthwas recorded at Chippenham (Ref. 5a 39) during the fourth quarter of thatyear. He was baptised at Yatton Keynellon 27th May 1860 and was one year old in 1861, and was 12 years oldin 1871 when he was working as an agricultural labourer, while he was stillliving at Yatton Keynell with his family.Ten years later, and following the death of his father, Job Collett was22 and a general labourer while he was living with his widowed mother, for whomhe was providing financial supporting together with his older brother William (above)
Jobwas 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 immediatelyprior to the census day in 1891 when Job Collett was 30 and an agriculturallabourer of Yatton Keynell and his wife Alice from Marshfield inGloucestershire who was 22. Theirdaughter was described as ‘a female child - name not known, born at YattonKeynell’, with the parents still to decide upon a name for the child. It was two years later that the couple’ssecond child was born at Yatton Keynell and, a year later, twins were added tothe family. Tragically, around the timeof 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 ofa*ge. Nearly three years after losing herhusband, Alice Collett, widow, married widower George Hayes of Chippenham,their wedding recorded at Chippenham register office (Ref. 5a 124) during thethird quarter of 1897. George was manyyears older than Alice and still had a son, Dan Hayes, living with him atCattle Lane in Biddestone on the day of the census in 1901
Thecensus return that year listed the family as George Hayes who was 52 andworking at Stam Mills, his new wife Alice Hayes, also from Chippenham, was 33and 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 fourof them born at Yatton Keynell.Completing the family was Alice’s latest child fathered by George Hayesand he was Maurice Hayes, not yet one year old, who had been born after thecouple had settled in Biddestone. He wasthe first of George and Alice’s five children.The family remained at Biddestone until after the fifth child had beenborn, after which the young family moved to Long Dean, a hamlet to the west ofYatton Keynell and south of Castle Combe
Accordingto the next census in April 1911 the enlarged Hayes family was residing in aseven-roomed property at Long Dean near Yatton Keynell. George Hayes was a farm labourer at the ageof 63 and the census return confirmed Alice Hayes, aged 43, had been married toGeorge for fourteen years and that during her life she had given birth to eightchildren, of which two had already died.On that occasion Alice’s place of birth was recorded as Ashwick, an areawithin 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 farmlabourer, mostly likely with his stepfather.The H in his name may have been the start of the word Hayes, which wascrossed through. Alice’s five survivingchildren by her second husband were Maurice Charles Hayes 10, Frederick GeorgesHayes nine, Herbert Edwin Hayes seven, Allen Hayes three and Katherine NorahHayes who was two. The two deceasedchildren were Frederick George Hayes (born Qtr2 1901, died Qtr4 1901) and AliceLaura Hayes (born Qtr4 1907, died Qtr4 1908), the latter being the twin sisterof Allen Hayes. By that time Alice’sthree other Collett children were making their own way in world
31Q9- Florence Mabel Hannah Collettwas born in 1891 at Yatton Keynell
31Q10- Edward Wilfred Collettwas born in 1893 at Yatton Keynell
31Q11- Alfred Job Collettwas born in 1894 at Yatton Keynell
31Q12- Ernest William Collettwas born in 1894 at Yatton Keynell
Edwin Collett [31P14] was born at Monkton Farleigh during1845, the eldest child of carpenter William Collett his wife Ellen Cottle, whowas baptised there on 10th August 1845. The birth of Edwin Collett was recorded atBradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 354) during the third quarter of that year. By the time of the census in 1851, Edwin fromMonkton Farleigh was listed as being aged five years, when he was living atRubble Hill in Monk Farleigh. Ten yearslater, in 1861, he was 15 and had already left school and was working with hisfather as a carpenter. On both occasionshe was living with his family in Monkton Farleigh and, for the latter, theirdwelling was described as being at Rubble Heep
Itseems likely that it was his occupation as a carpenter that resulted in himtravelling around a lot to find work and, at the time of the next census in1871, Edwin Collett aged 25 and from Monkton Farleigh, was a lodger and atrainee with bootmaker Thomas W Smith within the Bath & Abbey registrationdistrict of Somerset. Around thirtymonths after that census day, the marriage of Edwin Collett and Mary Ann Ganewas recorded at Bath (Ref. 5c 1151) during the last three months of 1873. Mary Ann was born at Bath, the daughter ofWilliam and Ann Gane. It was also atBath, where their first child was born and within a year, the family of threehad moved to Bristol, where their second child was born, before returning tothe Walcot area of Bath for the birth of their last two children. It is possible that it was during those yearsin 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
Accordingto the 1881 Census, Edwin and Mary Ann Collett were living at 7 Dover Terracein the Walcot district of Bath. Thecensus return, on that occasion, confirmed that Edwin Collett was 35 and hadbeen born at Monkton Farleigh, and described him as being blind and an out ofwork carpenter. His wife was 31 and herplace of birth was confirmed as Bath.The couple’s three sons at that time were listed as William H Collettwho was six years old and born at Bath, Edwin G Collett who was four and bornat Bristol, and Reginald H Collett who was ten months old, who had also beenborn at Bath
WithEdwin unable to earn a wage, his wife Mary Ann was the income provider throughher work as a milliner. The family alsotook 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 thefollowing year, when the family was still living at Walcot in Bath. Sometime after 1882 and before Christmas Dayin 1887, the family moved from 7 Dover Terrace to nearby 2 Snow Hill, still inthe Walcot area of the City of Bath. Andit was there that Edwin Collett died on 25th December 1887, hisdeath, at the age of 42, recorded at Bath (Ref. 5c 399). The Will of Edwin Collett of 2 Snow Hill wasproved at Bristol on 30th April 1888, when his widow was named asMary Anne Collett of 2 Myrtle Place, Walcot, who was the sole executor of hispersonal estate amounting to £50 6 Shillings
Bythe time of the next census in 1891 his widow and three of his four sons werestill living at 2 Myrtle Place in Walcot.Mary Ann Collett was 41 and a milliner, William H Collett was 16, EdwinG Collett was 14 and Arthur T Collett was eight years old. Staying with the family that day, was MaryAnn’s younger sister Emma Gane who was 32.By 1901, Mary A Collett from Bath, was 51 years old and a widow who wascontinuing her occupation as a milliner, while still living in Bath. With her was her youngest son Arthur Collettwho was 18 and also born at Bath. MaryAnn Collett was again recorded as living at Bath in April 1911 when she was61. And it was while she was living at 6Highbury Terrace in Bath during October 1917 that she received the tragic newsof the death of her youngest son Arthur who was killed at Ypres in the GreatWar
Thedeath of Mary Anne Collett, the former wife of Edwin Collett, was recorded atBath register office (Ref. 5c 593) during the second quarter of 1934, when shewas 84. An obituary published at thattime confirmed the date of her passing as 2nd June 1934, the widowof Edwin Collett deceased
31Q13– William Herbert Collettwas born in 1874 at Bath
31Q14– Edwin George Collettwas born in 1876 at Bristol
31Q15– Reginald Harry Collettwas born in 1880 at Walcot, Bath
31Q16– Arthur Thomas Collettwas born in 1882 at Walcot, Bath
Ann Cottle Collett [31P15] was born at Monkton Farleigh in 1846,where she was baptised on 9th August 1846, the daughter of Williamand Ellen Collett. Her birth, as simplyAnn Collett, was recorded at Bradford-on-Avon (Ref. viii 267) during the thirdquarter of 1846. She was four years oldin the Monkton Farleigh census of 1851 when she was one of four children livingthere at Bubble Hill with her parents.Ten years later, in the Monkton Farleigh census of 1851, she was stillliving there at Rubble Heep with her family when she was 14 years old. At the age of 24, Ann Collett from MonktonFarleigh was still a spinster, when she was working as a dressmaker and was oneof five servants at the Abbots Leigh home, near Bristol, of alderman andsolicitor Henry Abbot, his wife and children.Ten years later, the census in 1881 recorded her as housemaid AnnieCollett aged 35, when she was living and working at the home of George RWoodward, a magistrate, alderman and vinegar maker of 1 Cornwallis Grove inClifton, Bristol
Itis evident that she never married and, by 1891, Annie Collett aged 44 was backat Monkton Farleigh with her elderly parents.It is likely that she was looking after them in their old age, since shewas not credited with any occupation or job of work. Shortly after that census day, first hermother passed away at Monkton Farleigh, followed a few years later by herfather. Upon the death of her mother,Annie and her father moved into nearby in Bath where, the death of her fatherwas recorded and where Annie was living in 1901. By that time in her life Anne Collett fromMonkton Farleigh was 54 when she was living and working at Bath, within theBathwick parish of St John the Baptist, where she was the housekeeper at thehome of 51-year-old bachelor Frank Beck from Exeter who was a coach builder’smanager
Itis not known as to the state of her relationship with Frank Beck, except thatthey were still living together in Bath in 1911, but at 6 Norfolk Buildings inthe St Michael district of Bath, the home of Harry Pym. He was 57 years of age and a leather harnessmaker from Combe St Nicholas near Chard, whose wife Jane Elizabeth Pym had diedin 1904. On that occasion, Harry hadliving there with him, Elizabeth Ann Collett from Truro who was 54 anddescribed as being a fruiterer and a florist up until 1909. Completing the household was Ann Collett fromMonkton Farleigh aged 64 and a retired housekeeper and Frank Beck who was 62and a retired manager of a local coach builder.It is very interesting that Ann Collett was recorded as being thesister-in-law in Elizabeth Ann Collett, who is now know to be the widow ofAnn’s youngest brother George Collett (below)
HarryPym died the following year and three years later, the death of Frank Beck wasrecorded at Bath register office in early 1915.Ann remained living in Bath for the rest of her life, perhaps even withher 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, atthe age of 85. Elizabeth had also diedthere, earlier that same year
Whyatt Collett [31P16] was born at Monkton Farleigh, where hewas baptised on 14th November 1847, the son of William and EllenCollett. It was at Bubble Hill that heand his family were living in 1851 and at Rubble Heep in Monkton Farleigh in1861 when he was 13 and still attending the village school. It was there also that he was living tenyears later in 1871 when he was 23. Twoyears later, the marriage of Whyatt Collett and Jane Goldstone was recorded atBradford-on-Avon (Ref. 5a 295) during the fourth quarter of 1873. Jane was born at Churchill in 1844, thedaughter of John and Eliza Goldstone. Bythe time of the census in 1881, Whyatt Collett was 33 and a carpenter like hisfather and eldest brother Edwin (above), when he was living at 8Lambridge 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 sonsEdgar Collett, who was six years old and from Atworth, Whyatt Collett, who wasthree years of age and from Frankleigh in Bradford-on-Avon, and FrederickCollett, who was one year old and born at Walcot. The final member of the household was theirdaughter Frances Collett who was five years old and also born at Frankleigh
Threemore children were added to the family over the next ten years and, sometimebetween 1884 and 1888, the family left Larkhall and were recorded as living atWest Avenue in Twerton, to the west of Bath, in 1891. That year’s census recorded the family asWhyatt Collett aged 43 and a carpenter, Jane Collett aged 47 and their childrenEdgar W Collett who was 16, Frances E Collett who was 15, Whyatt Collett whowas 12, Frederick J Collett who was nine, Sidney Collett who was eight, AlbertCollett who was five and Helen who was four years old
Afterthe 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 theirchildren were still living in the family home with them, and they were WhyattCollett aged 23, Frederick J Collett aged 21, Sidney Collett aged 18, Albert ECollett aged 16 and Helen Collett who was 14 years of age. The Bath census of 1911 confirmed that Whyattand Jane had been married for 37 years and that they were living at 106 WestAvenue in Twerton. Carpenter and joinerWhyatt Collett of Monkton Farleigh was 63 and working within the buildingindustry, while his wife Jane Collett from Churchill near Weston-Super-Mare inSomerset was 67. The only member oftheir family still living with them at that time was their married son WhyattCollett who was 33 and a house painter and decorator
Fifteenyears 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 hiswidow died on 8th August 1927, her death recorded at Bath registeroffice (Ref. 5c 510), when she was 83.Settlement of her estate took a while for some reason, and was resolvedat Bath on 25th February 1928 in favour of beneficiaries WhyattCollett and Frederick John Collett
31Q17– Edgar William Collettwas born in 1874 at Atworth
31Q18– Frances Eliza Collettwas born in 1876 at Frankleigh
31Q19– Whyatt Collett wasborn in 1877 at Frankleigh
31Q20– Frederick John Collettwas born in 1879 at Larkhall, Bath
31Q21– Sydney James Collettwas born in 1882 at Larkhall, Bath
31Q22– Albert Edward Collettwas born in 1884 at Larkhall, Bath
31Q23– Helen Edith Collettwas born in 1887 at Twerton, Bath
APPENDIX
During2024 Suzie Hartley in the USA was attempting to trace her family back to ArthurCollett at South Wraxall in Wiltshire.He was already an orphan by the time he was six years old, his father ThomasCollett [31O21] having died when Arthur was one year old, and his motherpassing away in 1859. With no proof, andno alternative option being found, it has been assumed that Arthur was the onlychild of Thomas Collett and Harriet Nate who were married at South Wraxall on 1stOctober 1854
ArthurCollett [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 parentswedding day. It is established that hewas orphaned by the time of the census in 1861, although no record of him hasbeen found on the day. By 1871, ArthurCollett was 16 and a safe-maker, who was born at Bradford-on-Avon, who was aboarder with the Davis family at Birmingham St George, when the head of thehousehold was Alonzo Davis aged 26 and a safe-maker
Afteranother seven years, it was at Birmingham that the marriage of Arthur Collettand Ann O’Brien was recorded (Ref. 6b 328) during the last quarter of1878. Ann was the daughter of DennisO’Brien and Helen Hoban both from Ireland.Following the birth of the couple’s first child, the three members ofthe family were living at the Birmingham home of Ann’s parents in 1881. The census that year recorded the familygroup as head of the household Dennis O’Brien from Cork who was 50 and a builder’slabourer, his wife Ellen O’Brien from Cork who was 57, and their daughter EllenO’Brien from Birmingham who was 19 and a jeweller
Describedas a lodger, rather than son-in-law, Arthur Collett from Wiltshire was 25 and asafe-maker, and the head of his family, his wife Ann Collett from Birminghamwas 23, and their daughter Ellen Collett born at Birmingham was approaching herfirst birthday. Three more children wereadded to their family during the 1880s which, by 1891, was residing in theAston district of Birmingham
Inthe census of 1891, Arthur Collett was 36 and a safe-maker, Ann Colett was 34and a press worker, daughter Ellen was named as Nelly who was 11 and attendingschool, as were her two younger siblings Margaret Collett who was seven, andArthur Collett junior who was five, and Frank who was two. Completing the household was Ann’s widowedmother Ellen O’Brien from Roscommon, Cork, who was 68 and living on her ownmeans. After that day, two more childrenwere born in the family and were recorded with them in 1901, when the familywas living at Tower Street just north of the centre of Birmingham
ArthurCollett from South Wraxall was 46 and a carter, Ann Collett was 42 and stillemployed as a press worker, Ellen as Nellie Collett was 21 and another pressworker, Margaret Collett was 16, Arthur Collett junior was 14, Frank Collettwas 12, Dennis Collett was eight, and Agnes Collett was six years of age. It was the same situation in 1911 when areduced family was again residing at Tower Street, by which time the family hadsuffered the loss of daughter Ellen who died just over a year before thatcensus day. Also by then, only thecouple’s three youngest children were still living with them
Livingwith Arthur Collett from South Wraxall aged 59 and a varnish maker and his wifeAnn 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 wasdescribed as their niece who was eleven and already working as a press workerin the jewellery trade. Arthur Collettsenior was 81 years old when his death was recorded at Warwickshire registeroffice (Ref. 6d 75) in 1936
31Aq1- Ellen Collettwas born in 1880 at Birmingham
31Aq2- Margaret Collettwas born in 1884 at Birmingham
31Aq3- Arthur Collettwas born in 1886 at Birmingham
31Aq4- Frank Collettwas born in 1888 at Birmingham
31Aq5- Dennis Collettwas born in 1893 at Birmingham
31Aq6- Agnes Elizabeth Collettwas born in 1895 at Birmingham
EllenCollett [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 ArthurCollett and Ann O’Brien. She wastherefore just under one year old in the Birmingham census of 1881 when she andher parents with staying with Ellen maternal grandparents. As Nelly and Nellie in 1891 and 1901, she was11 and 21 respectively, and employed as a press worker alongside her mother inthe latter census day, while living at Tower Street in Birmingham. Nine years later, the premature death ofEllen Collett was recorded at Aston register office (Ref. 6d 250) during thefirst three months of 1910, when she was 29
MargaretCollett [31Aq2]was born at Birmingham in 1884 and was another daughter of Arthur and AnnCollett, whose birth was registered at Birmingham (Ref. 6d 232) during thesecond quarter of the year. She wasseven in 1891 and was 16 in 1901 and living at Tower Street when Margaret wasworking as a blacker in a press works.After another six years the marriage of Margaret Collett and AlfredBaldwin was recorded at Birmingham (Ref. 6d 239) during the second quarter of1907 and by 1911 the couple was residing at Sparkhill in the Solihull area ofBirmingham with their daughter
AlfredBaldwin from Attleborough was 29 and an assistant schoolmaster employed by theCity Council Education Department. Hiswith Margaret Baldwin from Birmingham was 27 whose baby Margaret Baldwinhad only just been born and was being attended to by monthly nurse WinifredHarding who was 27. No further were bornto the couple after 1911
ArthurTheodore Collett [31Aq3]was born at Birmingham in 1886, with his birth using his full name was recordedat Aston register office (Ref. 6d 333) during the second quarter of theyear. As simply Arthur Collett he wasfive in 1891 and was 14 in 1901 when living with his family at Tower Street inBirmingham and from where he was working as an errand boy. No record of him has been found within thecensus of 1911 or anytime thereafter
FrankCollett [31Aq4]was born at Birmingham in 1888 when his birth was recorded at Aston registeroffice (Ref. 6d 319) during the second quarter of the year, another son of Arthurand Ann Collett. Frank was two years ofa*ge and 12 years old in the next two census returns for Birmingham and wasliving at Tower Street in 1901 and again in 1911 when he was unmarried at 23and working as a brass worker in a nearby brass foundry. Two years later, Frank Collett aged 25 andthe son of Arthur Collett married Minnie Garbett at All-Saints’ Church inBirmingham on 3rd May 1913, when Minnie was 26 and the daughter ofGeorge Garbett. Their wedding wasrecorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 6d 252)
DennisCollett [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 Arthurand Ann Collett. Dennis was eight yearsold in 1901 and was 18 in 1911 when he was a door-spring maker living at TowerStreet in Birmingham with his family.Dennis Collett aged 24 and the son of Arthur Collett married (1) BeatriceMay Andrews at St Stephen’s Church in Birmingham on 29th September1917. Beatrice was 22 and the daughterof Charles Andrews and there wedding was recorded at Birmingham register office(Ref. 6d 466)
Theirmarriage produced four children, as listed below, with their births recorded atBirmingham register office, where their mother’s maiden-name was confirmed asAndrews. The later death of Beatrice MayCollett was recorded at Warwickshire register office (Ref. 6d 62) in 1930 whenshe was only 34. The body of his wifewas 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, asLilian Ellen MacDonald, with whom he had a further two children. Dennis Collett was 65 when he died and wasburied at the Witton Cemetery with his first wife in December 1958
31Ar1- Beatrice Edna Collett wasborn in 1920 at Birmingham
31Ar2- Dennis John Collett wasborn in 1922 at Birmingham
31Ar3- Joan Florence Collett wasborn in 1924 at Birmingham
31Ar4- Joyce Collettwas born in 1925 at Birmingham
Thefollowing 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 Collettwas born in 1935 at Birmingham
AgnesElizabeth Collett [31Aq6]was born at Birmingham in 1895, the last child born to Arthur Collett and AnnO’Brien. Her birth was recorded at Astonregister office (Ref. 6d 353) during the first quarter of that year. Agnes was six years old and 16 years of agein the Birmingham censuses of 1901 and 1911 when the family home was at TowerStreet, 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 ArthurCollett married Thomas Norton at Birmingham on 27th December 1919,who was 26 and the son of Benjamin Norton.Their wedding day was recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 6d445)
BeatriceEdna 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 wasconfirmed as Andrews. She was baptisedat St Stephen’s Church on 14th March 1920, the eldest of the fourchildren of Dennis Collett and Beatrice May Andrews. Sadly, she was only 26 years of age when shedied, with the death of Beatrice Edna Collett recorded at Warwickshire registeroffice (Ref. 9c 80) in 1946
DennisJohn Collett [31Ar2]was born at Birmingham on 25th May 1922 and was baptised on 24thJune 1922 at St Stephen’s Church, the only son in a family of girls of Dennis andBeatrice Collett. His birth was recordedat Birmingham (Ref. 6d 563) when Andrews was confirmed as his mother’smaiden-name
JoanFlorence Collett [31Ar3] wasborn at Birmingham on 25th August 1924 and was baptised at StStephen’s Church on 7th September 1924. She was the third child ofDennis and Beatrice Collett whose birth was recorded at Birmingham registeroffice (Ref. 6d 931), when her mother’s maiden-name was confirmed asAndrews. Tragically, she did notsurvive, with the death of Joan Florence Collett recorded at Warwickshireregister office (Ref. 6d 312) that same year
JoyceCollett [31Ar4]was born at Birmingham on 9th December 1925 and was baptised at StStephen’s Church on 23rd December 1925, the fourth and last child ofDennis 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’slife was cut short at the age of 21, when her premature death was recorded atWarwickshire register office (Ref. 9c 102) in 1947
RaymondA Collett [31Ar5] wasborn at Birmingham in 1932, the older of the two child of Dennis Collett andhis 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 wasconfirmed as McDonald. The latermarriage of Raymond A Collett and Evelyn P Chance was recorded at Birminghamregister office (Ref. 9c 311) during the four quarter of 1954. One year after their wedding day, Evelyn presentedRaymond with a son, their only known child, whose birth was recorded atBirmingham (Ref. 9c 690) during the last three months of 1955
31As1 - Stephen P Collett was born in1955 at Birmingham
BarbaraMary Collett [31Ar6]was born at Birmingham either at the end of 1934 or early in 1935,since herbirth was recorded there (Ref. 6d 20) during the first three months of thelatter. She was the youngest child ofDennis Collett and Lilian Ellen McDonald and her marriage to Ernest WilliamWilkins was recorded at Birmingham register office (Ref. 9c 199) in 1953. The wedding of Barbara Mary Collett andErnest (1925-1994) was conducted at St George’s Birmingham on 3rdJanuary 1953 when the bride was 18 and the daughter of Dennis Collett, and thegroom was 27 and the son of William Ernest Wilkins
Themarriage gave the couple two children, with both births recorded at Birminghamregister office where the mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Collett. They were Keith in 1954 (Ref. 9c 679) 4thQrt, and Susan in 1956 (Ref. 9c 745) 3rd Qrt. Barbara Mary Wilkins died at Oswestry inShropshire on 6th March 2011 aged 76, the cause of death beingcancer
SusanC Wilkins,who is known as Suzie, contacted Carol Lyn Davis of Fort Worth in Texas, thedaughter of Barbara Jean Collett (Ref. 31R35) in 2024 In turn Carol, forward the brief details toBrian Collett in England, webmaster of the site www.collettfamilyhistory.net, who produced this Appendix from theinformation kindly supplied by Suzie on which the search was carried out forthe deceased parents of orphan Arthur Collett (Ref. 31Ap1)
