|
I remember as a young girl asking my father where we Collins's originated from and was told we were travelling Irish Gypsy's. A few years later I asked the question again and asked him how he knew this? His reply was either we were gypsy's or we have blue blood some where in the line!!!!! Well, I needed to know and like many of you got the bug. I've not found any gypsy's, travelling, Irish or any other type, nor yet I have found not one drop of blue blood..although a bit of insestual blood seems to be floating about!!!! A few children born out of wedlock, some dying serving their country at war in the Somme but mainly working the local land as labourers. F Collins and Sons was a fairly profitable wood and well sinking business in and around Rake and Rogate, sustaining 3 families. F Collins was my Great grandfather and a bit of a ladies man...on many birth certificates where the father is "Unknown" should have read Frank Collins and some of his son's wives should have known better!!!!! He died in 1955 at the age of 87 leaving £10k (todays equavalent) to his Step-daughter who had a child out of wedlock, father "unknown"!!!!! He had 8 children with 2 different wives and they were left nothing in his will!!!! This man intregues me. The business he built up, boasted 3 lorries which was quite a thing to own in the 1920's especially in a fairly small village. One of his sons Edward used to deliver Pea-sticks to a family in the a local village by the name of Terry and there he met and married Hilda Emma Terry (my grandparents).
|
