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COLLINS - John Collins circa 1835 from Portland New Brunswick

COLLINS - John Collins circa 1835 from Portland New Brunswick

Posted: 22 Apr 2015 6:47PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 22 Apr 2015 6:56PM GMT
Surnames: Collins
Hello. I'm looking for information about my g.g.g.grandfather JOHN COLLINS.
He'd be from Saint John (Portland), New Brunswick area.
He'd be born around circa 1835. I am guessing he's from the Portland area, as his son was born there, I'm taking a guess.
I don't know how many children John and his wife had.

John was married to Elizabeth. I do not know her maiden name.
They had a son named William who was born in 1858 in Portland NB and died at sea in 1883.
William is my g.g.grandfather. William married Sophie Ella Snow and had one son named
Clinton. I have all of this information. I'm searching for JOHN. I have John and Elizabeth being William's parents from William and Sophie's marriage document. I've searched the New Brunswick online archives but cannot find anymore info on JOHN COLLINS. Can anyone help? Thank you!!

Re: COLLINS - John Collins circa 1835 from Portland New Brunswick

Posted: 23 Apr 2015 12:10AM GMT
Classification: Query
There may be several problems in getting information on John Collins. One is the number of persons by that name just in Saint John County alone. Another is the lack of records, especially the 1851 and 1861 censuses. For example, in the Hutchinson Directory for 1865 are listed:

Collins, Ann - Portland Saint John
Collins, David Bds Straight shore road Portland Saint John Millman
Collins, Dennis Black Spring road Portland Saint John Laborer
Collins, Dennis Main n Acadia Portland Saint John Laborer
Collins, Grace Main n Acadia Portland Saint John Wid Hugh
Collins, James Main cor Douglass,Indiantown Portland Saint John Sparmaker
Collins, Rebecca - Portland Saint John Liquors
Collins, Thomas Main cor Douglass,Indiantown Portland Saint John Moulder
Collins, Timothy - Pleasant Point Saint John Laborer
Collins, Timothy - Portland Saint John Boarding

One can make some preliminary assumptions from these. For example, the two Dennis’ and the two Timothy’s are likely each one persons, listed as to residence and as to occupation. Dennis and Grace living near the intersections of Main and Acadia Streets are likely related. So also is John Collins, also and Main and Acadia below. Of John’s in Saint John, there were:

Collins, John Union Saint John Saint John butcher
Collins, John off Britain n Reeds Pt. Saint John Saint John laborer
Collins, John 8 Georges Saint John Saint John laborer
Collins, John Marsh road n Bridge Saint John Saint John laborer
Collins, John Waterloo opp.Hay Market Saint John Saint John laborer
Collins, John 133 Union Saint John Saint John tanner
Collins, John Main cor Bridge,Indiantown Portland Saint John Lumber Surveyor
Collins, John Main n Acadia Portland Saint John Shipcarpenter

In the 1871 directory individuals are clearly listed as many as three times. For example:

Collins, John Main Portland - Saint John Laborer
Collins, John Main & Portland Saint John St. John Saint John Laborer

Is likely the same person listed twice. Also:

Collins, John Main Indiantown Blackville Saint John Lumber Surveyor
Collins, John Main & Indiantown Saint John St. John Saint John Lumber Surveyor
Collins, John Main Portland - Saint John LumberSurveyor,Indiantown

Is pretty clearly the same person listed three times. Listed twice was:

Collins, John Main Portland - Saint John Ship Carpenter
Collins, John Main & Indiantown Saint John St. John Saint John Ship Carpenter

This shows that, at least in 1870, when the information was probably gathered for publication, there were at least three, adult John Collin’s in the town or parish (pretty much the same thing) of Portland (later incorporated into Saint John). The labourer may be John Collins b. Ireland ca. 1840, with a wife, Jane (ca. 1844), in Portland Parish in 1871. The other two I cannot find in Portland Parish in 1871 and there appears to be few there at the time. Dennis (b. Ireland ca. 1821) is still there.
Searching for William’s in Saint John County in 1871 gives a William Collins b. ca. 1859 in Lancaster Parish with siblings John (ca. 1856), Mary Ann (ca. 1861) and Patrick (ca. 1864). They live with Daniel (ca. 1848) and Margaret (ca. 1851) Woods. All are born in NB, Irish and Roman Catholic. Daniel D. Woods b. ca. 1848, d. Saint John Co. 24JUN1914. A marriage bond was issued in Saint John Co. in 1868 for Daniel Woods and Margaret Collins. John b. ca. 1856 may have been John b. ca. 1857, a lumber surveyor and a widower, living at 57 Mill St. when he died 29APR1922. Unfortunately, his parents are not named on his death record. He may be unlikely as his burial record indicates that he had been in NB only 35 years. The information was given by his son-in-law, John Kelly. His marriage record indicated that John Fotheringham Kelly m. Annie Collins (b. ca. 1897), d/o John (b. Ireland) and Mary (Connoly) Collins.
Another was John Collins b. ca. 1857, a labourer of 487 Main St. when he died 12JAN1917.

I am not sure that Suzanne’s idea that Ella’s parents did not accept her marriage to William is correct. It certainly looks like it from the 1881 census, but this would not be the first time that a married woman, living with her parents, was listed by an enumerator by her maiden name and the fact that she was married was ignored. A lot would depend on who was giving the information to the enumerator.

The only hypothesis I can offer so far is that William’s parents died before 1871, and he and other of the family lived with their married sister, Margaret Woods.

I would recommend widening your range of search by examining records such as marriage, probate and church records. See:
http://archives.gnb.ca/Documents/CountyGuides/StJohn_en-CA.p...
In particular, it appears that you may want to examine Roman Catholic records, which are restricted:

“To borrow church records marked (RESTRICTED), the researcher must have the in church question forward a letter of permission to use these records directly to the Archives and include a photocopy of that letter with the Interlibrary Loan Request from the local library.”

I would think that those indicated as:

Indiantown: Vital Records, (RESTRICTED)
1833-1919 F1164

would be of interest.

Thomas.

Re: COLLINS - John Collins circa 1835 from Portland New Brunswick

Posted: 28 Apr 2015 6:25PM GMT
Classification: Query
Thank you Thomas, you have been an extreme help! thank you again.

Maureen
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