William
Collins married Hannah Douch (aka Doust) in All Saints Church of England,
Brenchley, Kent on 17th November 1793. William and Hannah had 10 children
all were baptised in the church where their parents had married:
Hannah
baptised 19th April 1795
William
baptised 25th December 1796
Mary
baptised 12th July 1798
Ann
baptised 29th June 1800
Thomas
baptised 15th August 1802
Elizabeth
baptised 11th November 1804
James
baptised 22nd March 1807
Richard
baptised 26th March 1809
Sophia
baptised 10th March 1811
David
Baptised 11th September 1812
On
8th September 1816, Edward Collins, son of Mary Collins, was baptised in All
Saints Church of England in Brenchley.
(
It has been reported that when his daughter Margaret Louisa Collins sought
her parents permission to marry George James Franklin her father, Edward Collins,
stated "We may as well let her, she is ruined anyway".)
Edward
Collins, aged 23, appeared at the Kent Quarter Sessions in October 1832 on
a charge of house-breaking. He was found guilty and sentenced to transportation
for 10 years.
Edward
left Sheerness aboard the "Asia" 8th November 1835 to arrive in
Hobart 21st February 1836.
His
convict record states that he was a farm labourer, aged 23, 5ft.6ins. tall.
He had a fresh complexion, an oval face, light brown hair and blue eyes.
He
was of protestant faith, and able to read, but not write.
On
5th December 1840, whilst working with a road gang, Edward was reported absent
from muster and was consequently reprimanded. Eleven months later he was found
to have a government pick, with defaced markings, in his cart and his
period of probation was extended by two months.
In
February 1842, he was at Long Point (Sandy Bay) and his reported to be obedient
and orderly, his conduct was blameless. He had completed his extended period
of extended probation and able to be assigned.
He
was charged with disorderly conduct having been out after hours and
fighting in May 1842 and consequently was punished with two months hard labour
with the road gang.
Another
charge of disorderly conduct in October 1842 earned him a reprimand.
On
19th January 1843 Edward reported as being absent without leave whilst assigned
to Mr Walker of Hamilton, for this offence he served one month on the road
gang and worked a further four months in chains. His conduct was to be specially
reported during this time.
The
last offence on Edward's convict record occurred in February 1843 when he
was caught giving bread to a convict in the cells. Edward served 7 days solitary
confinement for this offence.
Edward
Collins received his Ticket of leave in 1845, and a Conditional Pardon in
1847.
In
July 1854 in Launceston he was charged with stealing a sheep but was found
innocent.
I
have not found a record of the marriage of Mary Ann Cooper and Edward
Collins in Tasmania. Similarly there is no record of the birth of Richard,
the oldest son of Edward and Mary Ann, The birthdate I have recorded for Richard
Collins was copied from the prayer book of Mary Ann Collins by Ivy Cleeland
(nee Barrenger) Ivy also believed that Edward and Mary Ann Collins had married
in the Sidmouth Kirk.
By
1860 land at "Tip'o'gowrie" adjacent to that occupied by Abraham
Cooper was occupied by Edward Collins and Francis McIvor. Edward and Francis
were th e
spouses of Mary Ann and Margaret Cooper respectively.
Edward
Collins died on 29th July 1891, his widow, Mary Ann, died 13th November 1912.