PART TWENTY-ONE

The Cornwall Line – 1840 to 1900

This is the second of three sections of this family line

Updated December 2025

An earlier update included the details of the family of Edward Charles Collett [21Q39] 1865-1942, whose family sailed to Canada in 1912, where his widow and his six children established the present-day Collette family.  Additional information and photographs received from Neil Collette [21S46] in 2013 were inserted at that time.  As a result of the update in 2013, a new branch of the family which settled at Lake Charles in Louisiana was added leading from Joseph Harris Collett junior [21P27] to the present day, all thanks to information received from sisters Allyson Dean Nixon nee Collette [21T18], Alice Anne Collette [21T17], and their sister-in-law Shawn Collette nee Shelton [21T20].

The file also includes the family line of Lynne Sharp of Cornwall, the daughter of June Collett [21S63] and the cousin of Christine St Johanser nee Collett [21S64], together with Andrée Salisbury (go to 21R76) of Cornwall, and Richard William Collett of Melbourne, great-grandson of William Hosking Collett [21Q58]

Appendix A has been added to include many of the early Collett/Collick families of Breage, via a connection to the village of Illogan, near Redruth, while Appendix B looks at a possible connection to Part 52 – The England to Baltimore Line, both of which can be found at the end of the end of this second section of Part 21

Two further appendices are included at the end of section three of Part 21.  They are Appendix C, which includes the known details of Daniel Collett of Penryn St Gluvias, which has no apparent connection to this family line, and Appendix D, which has been added courtesy of Keith Rookledge and which traces the Rookledge family line back from Mrs Elsie Alice Goodwin-Rookledge [21Q2]

William Henry Collett [21P43] was born at Treworthal in Philleigh on 17^th May 1837 and was baptised at the parish church in Philleigh on 30^th July 1837, the third son of Robert and Grace Collett.  It was also at Treworthal that he was four years old at the time of the census in 1841.  Ten years later, when he was 13, he was already working as an agricultural labourer, while he was still living with his family at Treworthal.  Around the end of the 1850s William was living at Illogan, near Redruth, where he was working as a labourer, and it was there that he met his future wife.  William married Grace Jewell at Philleigh on 31^st December 1859 when they were both recorded as being 22 years old.  It was at Illogan that the couple initially settled and where their first child was born

Shortly after the birth, William and Grace moved to Philleigh where the child was baptised.  By 1865 they were living in the village of Kea, just south of Truro, where their second child was born.  The next two children were born when the family was living in Truro, after which they returned to Philleigh where their last two children were born

This photograph of the Truro Borough Police Force is believed to have been taken around 1870, was published in the Police Gazette, and kindly provided by Sue Collett [21T25] in Australia.  The accompanying notes read as follows: Superintendent Woolcock (seated), and left to right are Sergeant Rogers, Constables Coad, Collett, Scown, and Bettison. The force started in 1839 and later had headquarters in the Municipal Buildings where Clara Reid and The Terrace Coffee House are now.  Truro police station remained there until the amalgamation of Truro City Police with the County Constabulary in 1921

The next census in 1871 confirmed that the family was living at Truro and comprised police constable William Collett and his wife Grace, both aged 33 and from Philleigh, with only their two sons Robert D Collett who was 10 and from Illogan, and Edward C Collett who was five and from Kea, living with them on that occasion, since their daughter Elizabeth Grace Collett had already passed away on 31^st August 1869

William was not living with his family at Treworthal at the time of the next census in 1881 and the reason for that is now known, since it was during October 1880 that he had been admitted into the Bodmin Lunatic Asylum.  The census return in 1881 included his wife Grace who was 43 and described as being married and an agricultural labourer’s wife.  Living with her at Treworthal village were her sons Edward who was 15, James who was nine, and John who was two, and her daughter Mary who was five.  Her eldest son Robert was already working away from home at that time, while missing son Albert, aged six years, was a visitor at the home of farm labourer William Grose at Lower Rosewin Row in the parish of St Clement in Truro, who continued to live in that area until the start of the new century.  The couple’s youngest son John was baptised at Philleigh in the middle of May that same year and one month later the family was attending the funeral of the boy’s father in St Philleigh Church

William Henry Collett died on 22^nd June 1881 at the age of 44 and was buried in the churchyard at St Philleigh.  His death certificate reveals the horrible truth of his death, which was suicide by hanging, and it was the coroner’s records which state he had been admitted to the asylum in October the previous year.  Eight years after his death, his son Edward married for a second time and on the marriage certificate Edward gave his late father’s occupation as being that of a policeman.  A single headstone marks the grave of William H Collett, and the same grave and headstone was used for his parents Robert Davey Collett and Grace Collett in 1884 and 1888 respectively (see Headstone Epitaphs)

Widow Grace Collett was 53 in 1891 and was living within the Truro, St Just registration district with her youngest son John who was twelve years old.  Also living there with her was her two-year-old grandson William H Collett, the son of Edward Charles Collett, whose wife had died during the previous year.  Ten years later in 1901, Grace Collett of Philleigh was still living there at 63, but was on her own by then.  Sometime during the following decade Grace move away from Philleigh and settled in St Just where she was recorded as living at the time of the census in 1911, when she was 73 years old

The update of this family line at the end of 2025 raised a major issue.  This may bring into question whether, or not, son Albert was really a member of this family, following the discovery of the mass baptism record at St Paul’s Church in Truro on 11^th April 1875 for over a dozen mothers from the Truro Union Workhouse, either as single mothers, or as widows, with the addition note that the child’s father had died.  In the case of Albert Edward Collett, who may have been born at the end of 1874, his mother was named as Bessie, for whom no record has been found

21Q38 – Robert Davey Collett was born in 1861 at Illogan, near Redruth

21Q39 – Edward Charles Collett was born in 1865 at Kea, near Truro

21Q40 – Elizabeth Charles Collett was born in 1868 at Truro

21Q41 – James Henry Collett was born in 1872 at Truro

21Q42 – Albert Edward Collett was born in 1874 at Truro

21Q43 – Mary Lavinia Collett was born in 1876 at Truro

21Q44 – John Collett was born in 1878 at Philleigh

Anne Collett [21P44] was born at Treworthal in Philleigh on 3^rd January 1840 and was baptised at Philleigh on 23^rd February 1840, when the parish register confirmed that she was the daughter of shoemaker Robert Davy Collett residing at Treworthal in Philleigh.  She was one year old in 1841, was 11 years of age in 1851, and was twenty-one years old in 1861, each time living with her family.  Anne never married but stayed at the family home looking after her aging parents when all the other members of the family had left.  According to the census in 1881 Anne was 40 years old and was a spinster living with her elderly parents at Treworthal.  At that time, she was a boot binder presumably working alongside her boot and shoemaker father Robert Davey Collett

Anne never married and spent the latter part of her living looking after her elderly parents, both of whom died during that decade in 1884 and early 1888.  Eight months after her mother passed away the death of Anne Collett, aged 48, was recorded on 5^th October 1888 Anne Collett died, after which she was buried in the churchyard of St Philleigh Church where a gravestone marks the plot.  The inscription on the headstone gives a clue to how she must have been viewed by the family.  It reads “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints”  The Will of Anne Collett was proved at Bodmin

James Collett [21P45] was born at Treworthal in Philleigh on 1^st June 1842 and was baptised at Philleigh on 24^th July 1842, the son of shoemaker Robert Davey Collett and Grace Dingle.  In the 1851 Census for the area of Philleigh he was eight years old and was living with his family, and was still there ten years later at the age of 18.  According to the Philleigh census conducted in 1871 James Collett aged 28 and from Philleigh was a boot and shoe maker working with his cobbler father Robert and his brother Francis (below), who was also a boot and shoe maker, when still living at the family home.  It was over five years after that census day when James Collett married Mary Ann Dingle at Philleigh on 30^th December 1875, Mary Ann having been born at Philleigh during 1840

Mary Ann was very likely related in some way to James’ mother, so it is therefore possible that James Collett and Mary Ann Dingle were cousins.  By the time of the next census Mary Ann had presented James with three children.  His occupation in 1881 was again confirmed as being that of a shoemaker, when James aged 38 and Mary aged 40 were living at ‘village lane’ in St Just-in-Roseland with their three children who were all born there.  Richard Collett was four, Mary A Collett was three, and Benjamin Collett was one year old

Ten years later, according to the census for St Just-in-Roseland in 1891, James Collett was 48, and his wife Mary Ann Collett was 50.  Still living there with them were their three children, Richard aged 14, Mary Ann aged 13 and Benjamin who was 11.  It was eighteen months later that Mary Ann Collett nee Dingle died from deep vein thrombosis in her leg while still living at St Just-in-Roseland, where she was buried on 4^th September 1892, aged 52

By the time of the next census in March 1901, widower James Collett, aged 58 and confirmed as having been born at Philleigh, was still working as a shoemaker at St Just.  None of his three children had left home by then, and none of them was married, and they were recorded as Richard Collett aged 24, Mary Collett aged 23 and Benjamin Collett who was 21.  By April 1911 the census for St Just-in-Roseland confirmed that James Collett, at 68, was still living there with two of his three children.  They were Richard who was 34 and Mary Ann who was 33

The death of James Collett aged 95, was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 133), following his passing at St Just in Roseland, Cornwall, on 13^th June 1937.  It is understood that, at some time during his life, in addition to being a shoemaker, he also had a second occupation as a grocer.  Probate for his estate of just £65 was granted in London on 27^th October 1937 to Mary Ann Collett, spinster, and Benjamin Dingle Collett, a farm labourer.  The absence of a mention of his eldest child is an indicator that Richard Collett had already passed away by then, having die in London during 1932

It is very interesting that the picture of James Collett (above), extracted from a much large family group photograph of what looks like a family picnic or day out, also features a very young Martha Collins who many years later married James’ eldest son Richard.  Judging by the age of James in the picture, he would appear to be in his fifties perhaps, meaning that the photograph was very likely taken during the last decade of the old century, with his son Richard not marrying Martha Collins until 1911

21Q45 – Richard Collett was born in 1876 at St Just-in-Roseland

21Q46 – Mary Ann Collett was born in 1877 at St Just-in-Roseland

21Q47 – Benjamin Dingle Collett was born in 1879 at St Just-in-Roseland

Francis Collett [21P46] was born at Treworthal in Philleigh on 22^nd September 1844 and was another son of Robert and Grace Collett, whose birth was registered at Truro (Ref. ix 307) during the last three months of 1844.  A month after he was born Francis was baptised at Philleigh on 27^th October 1844, with his baptism record revealing that his father Robert Davey Collett was shoemaker, whose family was residing at Treworthal in Philleigh.  Francis was six years old in the 1851 census for the Philleigh area  and was 16 years of age in the 1861 Census for Treworthal, when he was living there with his family.  Francis followed his father and older brother James (above) by becoming a boot and shoemaker, as confirmed in the census of 1871 when Francis was 25 and still living with his family in Philleigh.  On that census day, it seems very likely that Francis was preparing for wedding day, since the married of Francis Collett and Elizabeth Richards took place six months later, on 14^th October 1871 at Philleigh, where Elizabeth had been born on 16^th June 1843.  By 1881 the couple, aged 36 and 37 respectively, were living in Treworthal where Francis was still employed as a shoemaker, while Elizabeth managed a grocer’s shop in the village and was described as a grocer and tea dealer.  Both of their children were listed in the census as having been born at Philleigh, and they were Elizabeth aged eight years and William who was six

Ten years later in 1891, only the same four members of the family were still living at Treworthal within the Truro & St Just registration area.  Francis Collett was 46 and a merchant, his wife Elizabeth was 47, their daughter Elizabeth Collett was 18, and their son William who was 16.  It was therefore sometime between 1881 and 1891 that Francis ceased his work as a boot maker and devoted his time to working in the village grocer’s shop with his wife.  That was situation was also confirmed in the census of 1901 when Francis Collett, aged 56, and Elizabeth Collett, aged 57, were both described as having the same occupation, that of a grocer.  Unlike the earlier census records, on that occasion Elizabeth gave her place of birth as St Just-in-Roseland, while her husband’s birth place was still Philleigh

In the census of 1911 Francis and Elizabeth were still residing in the village of Treworthal.  Francis Collett, who was confirmed as having been born there, was 66, while his wife Elizabeth, who was confirmed as having been born at St Just, was 67.  Living with the couple, and perhaps looking after them in their old age, was their married daughter Elizabeth Grace Woodward, with her husband William Woodward, and their son Cyril Woodward

Twelve years after that, Francis Collett died at Treworthal on 11^th March 1923 at the age of 78 and was buried in the churchyard of St Philleigh Church in the village of Philleigh.  His death was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 164).  At the time of his death, it was his married daughter Elizabeth Grace Woodward who dealt with the probate service in Bodmin, which was completed on 6^th April that year.  Within the documentation, Francis Collett of Treworthal, Philleigh, was described as a retired storekeeper, and his personal effects amounted to £166 12 Shillings and 3 Pence.  Four years later his wife Elizabeth died on 20^th February 1927 when she was 83, following which she was buried with her husband.  A single headstone marks the joint grave on which is engraved the words “Until the day break and the shadows flee away”  It was also Francis Collett who started the Family Bible which is now held by his great-great-grandson Mick Underhill

21Q48 – Elizabeth Grace Collett was born in 1872 at Philleigh

21Q49 – William Collett was born in 1874 at Philleigh

Richard Davey Collett [21P47] was born at Treworthal in Philleigh on 18^th February 1847, and was baptised at Philleigh on 7^th March 1847, with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. ix 335).  He was the seventh child and youngest son of Robert Davey Collett and Grace Dingle.  The Philleigh census in 1851 recorded him as Richard D Collett when living at Treworthal with his family at the age of four years, when every member of the household incorrected as born at Philleigh.  Ten years later in the next census in 1861 he was simply Richard Collett aged 14, when he was still living at Treworthal with his family.  Three years later Richard Davey Collett died on 5^th March 1864 aged 17 and was buried at Philleigh on 8^th March 1864, a month after his younger sister Elizabeth Grace Collett (below) was buried there when the cause of death for them both was scarlet fever.  The two of them were laid to rest with their older brother Robert Davey Collett (above) who was buried in the churchyard of St Philleigh Church in 1842, where a single headstone marks the grave of all three children of Robert Davey Collett and his wife Grace (see Headstone Epitaphs)

Elizabeth Grace Collett [21P48] was born at Treworthal in Philleigh on 12^th December 1851, with her birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 171) during the first quarter of 1852, after which she was baptised at Philleigh on 11^th January 1852, the last known child of Robert Davey Collett and his wife Grace Dingle.  By the time of the April census in 1861 she was recorded in the census return as being aged nine years.  Sadly, on 7^th February 1864 when she was twelve years old, Elizabeth Grace Collett died from scarlet fever and was buried with her brothers Robert Davey Collett and Richard Davey Collett in the churchyard of St Philleigh Church on 9^th February 1864, with her premature death recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 132).  A single gravestone inscribed with all three of their names marks the grave (see Headstone Epitaphs)

Grace Collett [21P49] was born at Philleigh in 1841 when her birth was registered at Truro (Ref. ix 316) during the second quarter of the year.  The Treworthal census in 1841 included Grace who was only a few days old, when she was living with her parents John Collett, a shoemaker, and Eliza Willis.  After the death of her paternal grandmother, Grace, and her younger brother John, and their parents, were living with their widowed grandfather at his home in Philleigh in 1851, when Grace was recorded as nine years old rather than 10.  It was the same situation in 1861 with Grace described as 19 instead of 20, by which time her father John was a widower when they were living in Philleigh with her brother John

Ten years later at the time of the 1871 Census, Grace was unmarried and was still living with her elderly  father in Philleigh at the age of 29, when she was very likely keeping house for her father who was still working as a shoemaker.  Following his death just over two years later, Grace left Cornwall and moved to Bristol where, in 1881 Grace Collett aged 39 was assistant housekeeper at a lodging house at 23 All Saints Road in Clifton.  The lodging house was the home and property of the widow Hermina Collett, aged 41, who had been born at Sidmouth in Devon.  The census stated their relationship was that of cousins, the family connection being through Hermina’s later husband James Henry Collett (below) who was Grace’s cousin.  Grace’s father John Collett was the brother of James Henry’s father William Collett

Grace Collett was still living with her cousin in 1891 when she was 49 and was living with Hermina and her son Willie at Barton Regis in the Clifton area of Bristol.  It was around seven years later that Grace Collett died aged 56 when her death was recorded at the St Columb register office (Ref. 5c 59) during the second quarter of 1898.  By that time in her life, her address was given as The Vicarage House at Crantock in Cornwall, where she was presumably working in domestic service right up to her passing.  It was in the churchyard at Crantock Church that her body was laid to rest after she died on 3^rd March 1898.  The Will of Grace Collett was proved at Bodmin on 30^th March 1899, when the sole beneficiary was Francis Collett

Mary Chipman Collett [21P51] was born at St Just on 12^th September 1840, just over a year after her parents Fanny Chipman, nee Collett, and William Chipman were married at Philleigh.  Although her birth was registered at Launceston (Ref. ix 143) during the third quarter of 1840 as Mary Chipman, it was as Mary Chipman Collett that she married Alfred Richards at Truro on 10^th August 1863, when her date of birth was confirmed as stated above.  Alfred was a farm bailiff who, in 1871 was 34 and born at St Neots west of Liskeard, when he and Mary C Richards aged 30, were recorded at St Agnes with their three children.  They were Mary L Richards who was seven, Elizabeth A Richards who was three, and Beatrice Richards who was one year old.  By that time the couple had given birth to four children, with Eliza Jane Richards baptised on 16^th July 1865 not surviving.  

Their first child Mary Louisa Richards was baptised on 17^th January 1864 – born six months after their wedding day, when her mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Collett.  Later children were Samuel G Richards (born 1873 at St Agnes) and Fanny Richards (born 1877 at Kenwyn) who, together with older sister Beatrice aged 11, were the only three children recorded with their parents in 1881.  Two years after that census day, Mary gave birth to Catherine Richards, their last child.  Alfred Richards died before the end of the century, so Mary C Richards from Truro was 62 and a widow by 1901, when she was living at Dover in Kent with her mother-in-law, 95-year-old Mary A Richards.  And it was at Dover register office that the death of Mary C Richards from Cornwall was recorded (Ref. 2a 1292) in 1913 when she was 73

Mary Ann Collett [21P52] was born at Philleigh in July 1841, the eldest of five children of William Collett and Asenath Dowrick, when her birth was registered at Truro (Ref. ix 310) during the third quarter of the year.  The child’s baptism was recorded in the St Mawes Wesleyan Circuit Records on 7^th September 1841, with a note that she was eight weeks old.  In 1851, when she was nine years old, Mary Ann was living with her family at White Lane in Philleigh, and ten years later she was still living with them at the age of 19.  Sometime during the next few years Mary Ann and her three brothers (below) all left the family, so by 1871 it was only her younger sister Sarah who was living with her parents at White Lane.  By that time, it is assumed that Mary Ann was married

John Kitto Collett [21P53] was born at Philleigh in October 1842, the eldest of three sons of William Collett and Asenath Dowrick, whose birth was registered at Truro (Ref. ix 302).  He was four weeks old when he was baptised at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in St Maws, at the southern-most point of the Roseland Peninsula, with the St Mawes Wesleyan Circuit Records confirming the date as 17^th November 1842.  He was eight years in 1851 when living with his family at White Lane in Philleigh, and was still living there in 1861 when he was 18.  Sometime before 1871 he married Jane who was born at Phillick in 1843.  This is understood to be Phillack near St Ives, and during the next ten years their marriage produced five children for John and Jane.  In 1871 the census return recorded the young family as John K Collett aged 28, his wife Jane who was 27, and their baby Mary Ann Collett who was under one year old.  Whether the census enumerator made a mistake in 1881, or whether it was an error in translation, but John K Collett was stated as being a blacksmith who had been born at Phillick, as was every other member of the household

At that time in April 1881 John K Collett, aged 38, and his family were living in Bodriggy Street in Phillack.  John’s wife was recorded as Jane Collett who was 37, and their five children were Mary Ann who was 10, James H Collett who was nine, John Collett who was six, Elizabeth E Collett who was three, plus one month old Bessie R Collett.  Four years later the young family was robbed of their mother when Jane Collett aged 41 died at Bodriggy Street with her death recorded at Redruth (Ref. 5c 193) during the first quarter of 1885, and was buried at Phillack on 8^th March 1885.  It was her burial record that confirmed she was still living at Bodriggy Street in Phillack.  Eighteen months later Mary Ann Collett of Bodriggy Street was buried with her mother on 16^th September 1886 at the age of 15.  The remainder of the family was still living at Phillack five years later, when 48-year-old blacksmith John K Collett was a widower who had his three youngest children still living with him, albeit assisted by unmarried servant Mary Wearne aged 47.  The three children were John Collett who was 16, Ellen Collett who was 13, and Bessie who was 10 years old, all of whom were stilling attending school

Five months after that census day, John Kitto Collett of Bodriggy Street, died at Phillack where he was buried on 16^th August 1891, with his death at the age of 48, recorded as simply John Collett at Redruth register office (Ref. 5c 140).  Having lost their father when they were so young, John’s two youngest children, and their old brother James, may have continued to live at Bodriggy Street in Phillack, under some form of supervision, where certainly Elizabeth and Bessie were recorded in the Phillack census for 1901.  By that time, and for the two sisters to survive, they were working as general domestic servants at the Phillack home a grain merchant and his family.  Elizabeth E Collett was 23, and Bessie J Collett was 20, but unlike the earlier census returns, on that occasion, their place of birth was given at Hayle in Cornwall, which was certainly the location confirmed in the baptism record for Bessie Jane.  The two Collett sisters were the only people of the Collett name still living in Phillack at that time

21Q50 – Mary Anne Collett was born in 1870 at Philleigh; died at Copperhouse in 1886

21Q51 – James H Collett was born in 1872 at Philleigh

21Q52 – John R Collett was born in 1874 at Philleigh

21Q53 – Elizabeth Ellen Collett was born in 1877 at Philleigh

21Q54 – Bessie Jane Collett was born in 1881 at Philleigh

Robert Davey Collett [21P54] was born at Philleigh in 1842, his birth recorded at Truro (Ref. ix 254) during the last three months of that year.  He was the third child and second son of William Collett and Asenath Downick, and it was a year later, at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in St Mawes, that he was baptised under his full name on 26^th December 1843.  By the time of the census in March 1851, he was seven years old when he was still living with his parents at White Lane in Philleigh.  Upon leaving school Robert also left Philleigh when he went to work for farmer Joseph Dash at Gerrans, about two miles south of Philleigh.  According to the census in 1861, Robert Collett was a carter aged 17 from Philleigh and was employed as the one boy on Treleggan Farm in Gerrans.  Joseph Dash was the brother of Elizabeth Collett nee Dash, the wife of Amos Collett [21O11].  Living at the adjacent farm cottage in Gerrans, was William Collett and his family, and he was Robert’s father’s cousin from Philleigh, and not Robert’s father, as might have been expected.  No record of Robert Collett of Philleigh has been found in any census after 1861

James Henry Collett [21P55] was born at Philleigh on 1^st December 1845, the youngest of the three sons of William Collett and Asenath Dowrick.  His birth, using his full name, was registered at Truro (Ref. ix 299) before the end of that year.  The St Mawes Wesleyan Circuit Records state that he was baptised on 2^nd January 1846 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in St Maws.  He was five years old in 1851 when he was living with his family at White Lane in Philleigh, and was still living there with them in 1861 at the age of 16.  Eight years later, the marriage of James Henry Collett and  Hermina Coles was recorded at St Thomas Devon (Ref. 5b 80) during the third quarter of 1869.  Once married, the couple settled in Bristol where their son was born, although the family retained contact with Devon and Cornwall for the three years of their marriage before great sadness was placed on the young family.  The census in 1871 recorded the family in Bristol St Philip’s as James Henry Collett aged 25 and from Philleigh in Cornwall who was a carpenter, his wife Hermina Collett from Sidmouth in Devon who was 31, and their son William Henry Collett who was ten months old and born in Bristol

Tragically, twelve months after that census day, James Henry Collett was in Devon when he died at the end of March 1872 and was buried at Torquay Cemetery on 30^th March 1872 at the age of 26, with his premature death recorded at Newton Abbot (Ref. 5b 125).  Nine years later, the 1881 Census described his widow Hermina Collett from Sidmouth in Devon as 41 and the proprietor of a lodging house at 23 All Saints Road in Clifton, Bristol.  Living with her at that time, and assisting her run the lodging house, was spinster Grace Collett from Cornwall age 39, the first cousin of her late husband James, who was described as assistant housekeeper.  The absence of Hermina’s son at that time was due to him being educated at 2 Frederick Street in the St Philip’s district of Bristol when he was ten years old and recorded simply as William Collett of Bristol

Ten years later as the head of the household, Hermina Collett from Devon was 51 and continuing to manage the lodging house in Clifton supported by Grace Collett who was 49.  Two other members of the family were living with them that day in 1891, the first being her son William H Collett aged 20, the second being Hermina’s niece Florence J Furse from Devon who was 11.  At the start of the next decade Hermina’s son became a married man and started a family of his own, while he was still living in Bristol.  According to the Bristol census in 1901, Hermina Collett aged 61 and from Sidmouth in Devon, was living with her son William and his wife, as she was again ten years later in 1911 when she was 71, but at 50 Claremont Road within the Bishopston area of Bristol.  Fifteen years later, Hermina Collett died on 3^rd March 1926 at the age of 86, with her death recorded at Gloucestershire register office (Ref. 6a 257), who was then buried at Canford Cemetery & Crematorium in Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol

21Q55 – William Henry Collett was born in 1870 at Bristol St Philips

Sarah J Collett [21P56] was born at Philleigh in 1847, the youngest of the five children of William Collett and Asenath Dowrick.  No record of her birth has been found within the records at Truro, in addition to which Sarah was missing from the 1851 Census listing for the family which was living in White Lane at Philleigh at that time.  However, she was back living with them in 1861, when she was 13 years of age.  In the next census of 1871, Sarah was simply recorded as S J Collett of Philleigh, the daughter of William Collett and his wife Asenath who were still living at White Lane in Philleigh although, rather curiously her age was noted as 16, rather than 23, which may have just been a transcription error.  With no record for Sarah Collett having been found in 1881, it must be assumed that she was married by then

Susanna Collett [21P57] was born at Philleigh where she was baptised on 18^th March 1821.  In the first census in 1841 she was still living at Philleigh with her family when she was 20.  Six years later Susanna, as the daughter of Peter Collett and Margery Broad, married James Ferrell at Philleigh on 13^th May 1847.  Upon the death of Susanna’ father in 1865, two of Susanna’s children were mentioned in his Will.  They were grandchildren Samuel Ferrell and Mary Ferrell.  In 1866 William Collett (below) married Emma Jane Ferrell who was very likely the younger sister of James Ferrell

Samuel Collett [21P58] was born at Philleigh, where she was baptised on 2^nd November 1823, another child of Peter Collett and Margery Broad.  At the time of his premature death, he was living in Church Town, Philleigh, and was buried at the Philleigh parish church on 4^th April 1840

Jane Broad Collett [21P59] was born at Philleigh and baptised there on 30^th October 1825.  She was confirmed as being aged 15 in the 1841 Census when she was living at Philleigh with her family.  It was also at Philleigh where Jane Broad Collett, daughter of Peter Collett, married Joseph Ward on 8^th August 1850.  Joseph was baptised at St Gerrans on 15^th December 1822, the son of Richard Ward.  Following their wedding Jane and Joseph moved to Truro where their first three children were born.  However, before their first child was born, and only seven months after they were married, Jane Ward nee Collett was visiting her parents at Church Town in Philleigh, when in the census of 1851, she was described as a policeman’s wife, aged 25 and from Philleigh

It was Joseph’s work as a Parish Constable at Truro and Camborne that was the reason for the family moving from Truro to Camborne where the couple’s fourth child was born.  By 1858 the family were living at St Just in Penwith, and that same year the Cornwall County Police Constabulary was established.  Joseph was promoted to Inspector while at St Just in Penwith and it was there that the couple’s next five children were born.  Sometime shortly after the death of her father in July 1865, the family made a final moved to Chyandour near Penzance where the couple’s last child was born.  It was as Jane Ward that she was referred to in her father’s Will

Over the months following the birth of their last child, Jane developed consumption and sadly died on at Chyandour on Christmas Eve in 1867, leaving her husband to bring up ten children.  However, it was at nearby Gulval that Jane was buried on 28^th December 1867, the cause of death recorded as chronic disease of knee joints and tubercular disease of the lungs.  It was also around that time Joseph was suffering with failing health, when he was the first officer to be invalided out of the Cornwall Constabulary.  His departure from the force, secured with it a pension of one hundred guineas, set the pension standard for all future retirements

Following his retirement, he spent his final years at Gulval where he died on 27^th November 1870 at the age of just 48, the cause of death being a haemorrhage of the lungs.  Their children were: Eliza Jane Ward (born 22.10.1851); Ellen Ward (born 21.01.1853); Richard John Ward (born 20.04.1854); Joseph Ward (born 21.01.1856); Alfred Ward (born 25.08.1858); James Ward (born 15.06.1859); William Henry Ward (born 07.02.1861); Peter Collett Ward (born 05.04.1863); Albert Ward (born 29.03.1865); and Arthur Ward (born 21.12.1866)

Jane and Joseph are the great-great-grandparents of Bill O’Reilly who, with Myra Cordrey, manages and maintains the wonderful Cornwall OPC database which has been extensively used in compiling The Cornwall Line of the Collett family.  Additional thanks must also go to Bill for his help and assistance with updating this file, following publication of an earlier version displayed on the Collett website at the end of May 2008

Catherine Collett [21P60] was born at Philleigh where she was baptised on 29^th August 1827.  Tragically, one month later she died and was buried at Philleigh on 23^rd September 1827

Catherine Collett [21P61] was born at Philleigh in 1829 and was named after her recently deceased sibling.  It was at Philleigh that she was baptised on 3^rd January 1830, another daughter of Peter and Margery Collett, who was eleven years old in the census of 1841.  Ten years later she was 21, by which time she was working as a housekeeper at premises in Treworlas, the next village to Philleigh.  Almost exactly nine years later, Catherine Collett, aged 30, married her cousin Francis Collett (below), aged 25, at Philleigh on 3^rd March 1860, the event recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 271).  Francis was the son of James Collett and had been living with Catherine’s family since before the census in 1851, where he was working as an apprentice blacksmith with Catherine’s father

At the time of the census in 1861, Francis 27 and Catherine 31 were confirmed as husband and wife when they were still living with Catherine’s parents at Philleigh.  Also, on that same day in 1861, Catherine was with-child and, exactly one month later to the day, she presented Francis with their first child.  Following the death of her mother three months later in August 1861, Catherine and Francis continued to live with Catherine’s father at Philleigh, until his death in 1865.  In his Will proved in August 1865, Catherine’s husband Francis Collett was referred to as son-in-law.  For the continuation of the story of the life of Catherine Collett go to Ref. 21P68

Peter Collett [21P62] was born at Philleigh in 1835 and was baptised at the Wesleyan Church in St Mawes on 16^th August 1835, the last child born to Peter Collett and Margery Broad.  He was five years old in the Philleigh census of June 1841 and 15 in the Church Town, Philleigh census of 1851.  Also living with the family at Church Town in 1851 was Peter’s cousin, seventeen-year-old Francis Collett (below) who was a blacksmith’s apprentice.  During the next decade Peter left Philleigh and, by 1861 at the age of 25, he was living and working in the Penryn & Falmouth district of Cornwall and was still a bachelor.  Just four months after the census day, Peter’s mother died, followed by his father four years after that

It was during the following year that Peter Collett, aged 30, married the much younger Emily Hosking, aged 19, at Phillack on 28^th March 1866.  Their wedding was recorded at Redruth (Ref. 5c 370) during the first quarter of the year.  Emily was born in 1848 and was the youngest daughter of George and Eliza Hosking of Phillack.  In 1861, Emily was 13 years of age and was living with her family in Phillack.  During the year prior to his wedding, Peter’s father (Peter Collett) died in July 1865 and, in his Will, Peter was referred to as ‘my son Peter Collett of Phillack’

Just over one year after their wedding day, Emily presented her husband with their first child, and over the following four years two more children were born into the family, while they were still living at Phillack.  So, by the time of the 1871 Census for the Redruth & Phillack area the family comprised Peter Collett 35, Emily Collett 23, Edith E Collett who was four, Maud M Collett who was two, and Willie H Collett who was five months old.  Emily was presumably with-child on the day of the census, since later that same year the couple’s fourth child was born at nearby Hayle

A total of three children were added to the family while they were living at Hayle near Phillack, following which the whole family had moved to London by the time of the birth of Peter’s and Emily’s seventh child.  It seems it was from London that the family sailed to Australia before the end of the 1870s, since it was there in Victoria that the couple’s final two children were born.  The family initially settled in Victoria but, not long after, made their home in Melbourne.  Sadly, when the youngest child was around three years old, Peter Collett simply walked out on his family and his whereabouts after that time have never been discovered.  Nor has any record of his death ever been unearthed

21Q56 – Edith Emily Collett was born in 1867 at Phillack

21Q57 – Maud Mary Collett was born in 1868 at Phillack

21Q58 – William Hosking Collett was born in 1870 at Phillack

21Q59 – Nellie Collett was born in 1871 at Hayle near Phillack

21Q60 – Frank Collett was born in 1873 at Hayle near Phillack

21Q61 – Peter Collett was born in 1875 at Hayle near Phillack

21Q62 – Alfred Collett was born in 1876 at London

21Q63 – Edward Percival Collett was born in 1881 at Sandridge, Victoria

21Q64 – Horace Collett was born in 1884 at Port Melbourne, Victoria

Ann Billing Collett [21P63] was born at St Gorran in 1825.  By 1851 both of Ann’s parents had died and in the 1851 Census she was recorded as Ann Collick aged 25 and at that time she was living at the home of Peter Whetter.  He was probably her cousin or her uncle, since Ann’s mother was Philippa Whetter the daughter of Jacob Whetter, prior to marrying her father, James Collett.  Later that same year Ann married widower Thomas Ball at Philleigh on 4^th December 1851.  Thomas’ previous wife had been Nancy Collett [21O13] whom he had married on 19^th December 1840 at Gerrans, Nancy having been his second wife and Ann’s aunt two-times removed.  In the 1860s as Ann Billing Ball, she was one of the witnesses to the writing of the Will of her uncle Peter Collett [21O45] who died on 3^rd July 1865

Susanna Collett [21P64] was born at St Gorran in 1827 although her age was given as being 12 in the 1841 Census for St Austell & Truro

Susan Collett [21P65] was born at St Gorran in 1829 and she later married Michael Mitchell at Philleigh on 29^th December 1849

Mary Collett [21P66] was born at St Gorran in 1831 and was ten years of age in the Bodmin, St Austell & Truro census of 1841 when living with her mother Philippa, and her two younger brothers Francis, and Joseph (below)

Francis Collett [21P67] was born in 1833 at St Gorran near Mevagissey, where his mother Philippa Whetter had been born before she married James Collett.  In June 1841 he was seven years old when he was living with his mother, sister Mary (above), and brother Joseph (below) within the Bodmin, St Austell & Truro area.  What is interesting is that in the 1851 Census, Francis Collett was 17 years old and living at the Church Town, Philleigh home of his uncle and master blacksmith Peter Collett and his wife Margery Broad, where he was described as nephew and his occupation was that of a blacksmith’s apprentice.  Therefore, it is very likely that Francis went to live with his uncle on leaving school, to learn how to become a blacksmith

As a result of Francis living and working with his uncle Peter, from around 1848 until 1860, he must have fallen in love with his cousin Catherine Collett, Peter’s youngest daughter.  What is known is that he married (1) Catherine Collett (above) at Philleigh on 3^rd March 1860.  Their marriage record confirmed that Francis was the son of James Collett, and that Catherine was the daughter of Peter Collett.  The census the following year confirmed that Francis was 27, his wife Catherine was 31, and that they were living in the Church Town area of Philleigh with Catherine’s parents.  In addition to that, Catherine was heavily pregnant with the couple’s first child, who was born exactly one month to the day after the 1861 Census.  In the end, the marriage produced a total of seven children for Francis and Catherine, and all of them born while the couple were living at Philleigh.  The Church Town, Philleigh census for 1871 confirmed that Francis’ and Catherine’s family had increased to five children, although by then six children had been born into the family

It was also at that time that Francis Collett was 37 and was working as a blacksmith, and it seems highly likely that he had taken over the family business previously managed by Catherine’s father.  His wife Catherine was 41 and their five surviving children were Samuel, who was nine, Margery, who was eight, Francis, who was seven, Catherine, who was five, and Albert who was three years old.  Tragically, the latest addition to the family, Edward, had only survived a short while after the birth, and that was the reason he was missing from the census record in April 1871

Their loss was partially compensated five months later when Catherine presented Francis with their seventh and last child.  However, eighteen months later at 43 years of age, Catherine Collett died on 14^th April 1873 and was buried in the churchyard of St Philleigh Church in the village of Philleigh on 17^th April 1873.  During the following years Francis Collett married (2) widow Rebecca Glanville, formerly Rebecca Collett [21P72] who was born at Whitstable in Kent in 1840.  Rebecca was the daughter of Francis Cock Collett, the brother of Francis’ father James Collett.  Therefore, Francis and Rebecca were first cousins.  Perhaps because of Rebecca’s age there were no children resulting from the marriage

According to the 1881 Census for the village of Philleigh, Francis was eight years older than his new wife, he being 48, while Rebecca was 40.  Francis’ occupation was that of a blacksmith for which he employed one man to assist him, and that was John Hawkins aged 20 and of Philleigh.  In addition to his blacksmith business, Francis also had a smallholding of 13 acres which appeared to be farmed by his two oldest sons Samuel 19 and Francis 17

All his children had been born at Philleigh and those still living at Church Town in Philleigh with him in 1881 were his two eldest sons, plus daughter Kate aged 15 and his two youngest sons Albert 13, and Edmund who was nine.  Only his daughter Margery was absent from the family home on that day.  A double tragedy hit the family in 1886 and 1890 when, first Francis’ daughter Margery died, and that was followed by the death of his son Francis.  So, by the time of the census of 1891 only the three youngest children were still living at Philleigh with their parents and they were aged 25, 23 and 19 respectively, although the census recorded Edmund’s name in error as Edward.  The children’s father was listed as 57, while his wife Rebecca was 50, and by that time Francis Collett’s occupation was that of a farmer

Ten years later in 1901 all the children had left the family home in Philleigh except for bachelor Edmund who was twenty-nine and was still recorded as being a farmer’s son as he had in previous census returns.  The census that year confirmed that Francis Collett had been born at Gorran and that, even though he was 68 years old, he continued to work as a farmer.  His wife Rebecca Collett from Kent was 60, and still living with them was their daughter Katie who was 34.  It was just over one year later that Francis Collett died at Philleigh on 19^th May 1902 and was buried with his first wife Catherine, and alongside the grave of his two children Margery and Francis in the churchyard of St Philleigh Church in Philleigh.  A single headstone marked his and his wife’s grave on which it stated he was 68 when he died, together with the inscription “Forever with the Lord”

Upon the death of her husband, Rebecca left Philleigh and moved to Kenwyn in Truro and at the time of the census in 1911 she was living there at the home of her stepson Albert Collett and his family.  Rebecca Collett was 70 years old by then and amazingly still had another twenty years of her life in front of her.  It was on 26^th February 1932 that Rebecca Collett died at the age of 92 and was buried in the churchyard of St Philleigh Church in the village of Philleigh.  It would appear from the two epitaphs on the headstone that marks her grave, that Francis’ daughter Catherine Collett, who died twenty years later in 1952, was also buried in the same grave in the churchyard at Philleigh (see Headstone Epitaphs)

21Q65 – Samuel James Collett was born in 1861 at Philleigh

21Q66 – Margery Collett was born in 1862 at Philleigh

21Q67– Francis Collett was born in 1863 at Philleigh

21Q68– Catherine Collett was born in 1865 at Philleigh

21Q69 – Albert Collett was born in 1867 at Philleigh

21Q70 – Edward Peter Collett was born in 1869 at Philleigh

21Q71 – Edmund Collett was born in 1871 at Philleigh

James Collett [21P68] was born at Gorran in 1836 and he was five years old in the June census of 1841 for the St Austell & Truro registration area.  By that time in his young life his father James Collett appears to have died.  Tragically, James’ mother Philippa died five years later and it has not been determined exactly what happened to James after 1846 when he was made an orphan, but it seems likely that he was taken into care by a family in Philleigh, since it was there that he said he was from when he married in 1871

The only confirmed record of James Collett prior to that time was in the census of 1861 when he was 25 and listed as being a member of the Royal Navy and ‘at sea in foreign parts or colonies’  What is known is that he was married on two occasions, the first time to (1) Ellen Cornelius Ripper at Philleigh on 7^th November 1863.  The marriage produced two daughters for the couple, although it may have been the second of them which resulted in the death of Ellen on 19^th September 1869 at the age of 35, following which she was buried at Philleigh in the grounds of St Philleigh Church (see Headstone Epitaphs)

It was less than two years later, on 14^th March 1871, that widower James Collett of Philleigh, the son of James Collett and Philippa Whetter, married (2) Cecilia Paul at the Church of St Paul in Truro.  Cecilia was the daughter of Andrew Paul.  Two weeks after they were married James and Cecilia were living at White Lane in Philleigh.  The census that year recorded the family as follows.  James Collett from St Gorran was 34 and a travelling draper, while his wife Cecilia Collett from St Day (in Gwennap) was 24.  It was also at St Day that James’ eldest daughter from his previous marriage had been born.  She was Clara Augusta Collett who was four, while her younger sister Alice Maud Collett was two years old and born at Truro.  James was wealthy enough to employ a servant, in the form of 18 years old Annie Hubber from St Columb, who was living with, and working for, the family at that time.  Living just two doors away from James and his family, was William and Asenath Collett with their daughter Sarah J Collett who was James’ uncle, one-step-removed

Just over ten months after they were married Cecilia presented her husband with the first of their three children, who was born at Philleigh during the last week of January 1872.  Tragically he only survived for eleven weeks when he died on 19^th April 1872.  Over the next few years two more children were added to the family while they were still living at White Lane.  However, further tragedy hit the family when James Collett, then aged only 38, died at Truro on 7^th January 1875, following which he was buried with his first wife Ellen in the churchyard at Philleigh.  A single gravestone in the churchyard of St Philleigh Church bears the following inscription “In affectionate remembrance of Ellen Cornelius the beloved wife of James Collett of this parish who died at Truro Sept 19^th 1869 aged 35 years – Her end was peace” under which is “Also the above James Collett who died Truro Jan 7^th 1875 aged 38 years – In sure and certain hope of Resurrection to eternal life” (see Headstone Epitaphs)

It seems the death of her husband resulted in Cecilia taking the children north to Lancashire, although the reason is not known.  What is known is that, according to the census of 1881, the widow Cecilia Collett and her two children and two stepchildren were living at 91 Breck Road in Everton on Merseyside.  Cecilia was 34 and had been born at Gwennap St Day between Redruth and Penryn, and her occupation was that of a confectioner.  Living with her were James’ two daughters by his first wife, Clara A Collett who was 14 and born at Gwennap St Day and Alice M Collett aged 12 years who was born at Truro, as well as her own two children by him, Florence L Collett and James A P Collett who were aged eight years and six years respectively

According to the next census in 1891 Cecilia was still residing at 91 Breck Road in Everton but curiously not under the name of Collett.  While she was most likely the actual head of the household, as she was ten years early, the head of the household that year was named as John K Luke from Brazil who was 42 and a painter.  Incorrectly, Cecilia Collett aged 44 and from St Day in Cornwall was named as Cecilia Luke, whose occupation was again a confectioner.  Living with the couple were the two youngest children of James Collett, Florence L Collett who was 18 and James A P Collett who was 16, both described as born at Truro, but with no occupation.  The last person included on the census return was Frank J Luke, who was seven years old and born at Radcliffe in Lancashire, the son of John Luke.  It therefore seems very likely that John Luke was a widower and claimed Cecilia was his wife to cover the embarrassment of their domestic situation

Just after the end of the century Cecilia Collett from Gwennap was still living at Breck Road in Everton where she was 53 and was then working as a florist.  Living there with her in March 1901 was her married daughter Leonora Heaton who was 28, the previously named Florence L Collett.  Cecilia Collett was again living at 91 Breck Road ten years later.  Her place of birth was confirmed as Gwennap in Cornwall and at that time she was recorded as being 64 and a florist, who had given birth to three children – only two living.  On that occasion there was another Collett listed in the Everton census of 1911, and he was 21-year-old Henry Collett who was living at an ‘institution’, while her married daughter was still living there, may be still with her mother since no record of her husband has been found to date

21Q72 – Clara Augusta Collett was born in 1867 at Gwennap St Day

21Q73 – Alice Maud Collett was born in 1869 at Truro

The following are the three known children on James Collett by his second wife Cecilia Paul:

21Q74 – Archibald Luke Collett was born in 1872 at Philleigh

21Q75 – Florence Leonora Collett was born in 1873 at Truro

21Q76 – James Andrew Paul Collett was born in 1875 at Truro

Joseph Collett [21P69] was born at St Gorran in May 1841 and was just fourteen days old on 6^th June 1841 according to the Bodmin, St Austell & Truro census when he was living with his mother Philippa Collett 40, his sister Mary Collett who was 10, and his brother Francis Collett who was seven.  The census that day stated they were residing at Rescassa in Gorran.  Sadly, by the time of the next census in 1851, Joseph Collett from Gorran, who was 10 years old, was a pauper and a scholar, an inmate at the St Austell Union Workhouse.  No other Collett was recorded there, with no further record of Joseph Collett being found after that day

Sarah Johns Collett [21P70] was born at Wexford in Ireland during 1836, the first child born to Francis Cock Collett and Sarah Johns.  Shortly after the birth, she and her parents moved to Seasalter in Whitstable, Kent, but around 1845 the family moved to the Scilly Isles where Sarah’s father was a coastguard.  According to the Tresco census in 1851 Sarah Johns Collett from Wexford was 14 and had left school but had no job of work, so it is assumed that she was helping her mother look after the younger members of the family.  By 1861 Sarah J Collett was 24 and she and her sister Grace (below) were residing within the St Mary’s district of the Scilly Isles, while the rest of their family had moved to Falmouth.  And it was while at St Mary’s that she met and married William Rogers on 17^th May 1862.  William was aged 25 and was a shoemaker of St Mary’s, the son of shoemaker Isaac Rogers.  Sarah was also 25 and of St Mary’s and was listed as the daughter of coastguard Francis Collett.  Three and a half years later Sarah’s younger sister Susan Collett (below) married William Rogers’ brother Isaac Rogers at St Mary’s

Grace Collett [21P71] was born at Seasalter in Whitstable in Kent in 1838, where it is believed she lived with her family until around 1847, when they moved to the Scilly Isles for her father’s work as a coastguard.  In the Tresco census in 1851 Grace Collett from Seasalter in Kent was 12 years old and still attending the local school. It was on the Scilly Isles at St Mary’s that Grace was living with her older sister Sarah (above) in 1861 when she was 22.  Ten years later Grace was still a spinster aged 32 and was the only child of Francis and Sarah Collett to still be living with them at St Mary’s in Scilly.  There appears to be no record of Grace in the 1881 Census and she may have been married by then

Rebecca Collett [21P72] was born at Seasalter in Whitstable, Kent, in 1840, with her birth registered at Blean in Kent (Ref. x 26) during the third quarter of that year.  When she was five years of age her parents moved to the Scilly Isles with their children, where Rebecca Collett from Seasalter in Kent was 10 years old.  It was just over eight years later that she was married by banns to Philip Glanville on 31^st May 1859.  Philip Glanville of Tresco was a 29 years old coastguard and was the son of labourer John Glanville.  Rebecca was ten years younger than her husband and was recorded as being of Bryher, was aged 19, and was the daughter of coastguard Francis Collett.  It seems that Philip Glanville died during the late 1860s or early 1870s since, as the widow Rebecca Glanville, she later married her cousin Francis Collett prior to 1881, he having lost his wife in 1873.  Once married the couple settled in Philleigh.  For the continuation of the story of the life of Rebecca Collett go to Ref. 21P67

Susannah Collett [21P73], who was referred to as Susan, was born at Seasalter in Whitstable during 1842, when her birth was registered at Blean in Kent (Ref. v 25) during the last three months of the year.  By 1846 the family had left Kent and had settled on the Scilly Isles where four of Susan’s youngest siblings were born.  According to the census in 1851 Susannah Collett from Seasalter in Kent was eight years of age and was attending school while living with her family in Tresco.  Sometime in the mid-to-late 1850s the family, less her three older sisters, moved to Falmouth where they were living in 1861 when Susan was 18.  Sometime during the next four and a half years Susan returned to the Scilly Isles where she married Isaac Rogers at St Mary’s on 30^th December 1865.  Isaac was the brother of William Rogers who had married Susan’s sister Sarah (above) in 1862 and was the son of shoemaker Isaac Rogers

Isaac junior was 32 and of St Mary’s at the time of the wedding ceremony and was employed as a shipwright.  Susan was described as of full age and of St Mary’s and would have been 23 compared to her husband of 32 years.  Her father was confirmed as Francis Collett, a coastguard.  Over the next fifteen years or so she presented her Isaac with five children, all of whom were born at St Mary’s.  However, by 1881 Susan was a widow aged 38 living at The Parade in St Mary’s with her five children.  Her place of birth was confirmed as having been Whitstable and her occupation was that of a lodging house keeper, which might indicate that she was today’s equivalent of a landlady.  In addition to her five children, Susan had living with her, her widowed mother Sarah Collett who was the assistant lodging house keeper.  The children of the family were: Isaac Rogers (born 1866); Elizabeth Rogers (born 1867); William Rogers (born 1868); Clara C Rogers (born 1870); and Joseph J Rogers (born 1871)

William Francis Collett [21P74] was born at Seasalter in Whitstable in 1844, with his birth registered at Blean in Kent (Ref. x 34) during the third quarter of that year.  By the time of the census in 1851 William Francis Collett from Seasalter in Kent was six years of age and attending school in Tresco on the Scilly Isles to where his family had moved around 1845.  Before he reached his sixteenth birthday in 1861, he and his family were much travelled.  After starting out in Kent, and then living on the Scilly Isles, his family moved to Falmouth where most of them were living on the day of the census in 1861.  Before 1870 the family had moved back to the Scilly Isles, and it was there in St Mary’s that William Francis Collett was living when he died at just 26 years of age.  He was buried at St Mary’s on 2^nd February 1871, with his premature death recorded at the Scilly Islands (Ref. 5c 249)

Mary Johns Collett [21P75] was born at Tresco on the Scilly Isles in 1846 and her second name was her mother’s maiden-name.  Sadly, she did not survive and was buried in Tresco on 17^th August 1846.  Neither her birth, nor her infant death, were registered on the Isles of Scilly, an indication as to how short a time she was alive

Joseph Mills Collett [21P76] was born at Tresco in 1848, a son of Francis Cock Collett and Sarah Johns.  It was as Joseph Mills Collett that he appeared with his family in the Tresco census of 1851 when he was two years old, although his birth was recorded on the Scilly Isles as John Mills Collett (Ref. 9 239) during the third quarter of 1848.  By 1861 Joseph, and most of his family, were living at Falmouth, when he was 12 years of age

Richard James Collett [21P77] was born at Tresco in 1852 and was eight years old and living with his family at Falmouth in 1861.  Shortly after that Richard and his parents returned to the Scilly Isles where, in 1871 at the aged of 18, he was living at St Mary’s with his father, his mother and his older sister Grace.  Richard married Elizabeth Ann Jenkins of Bryher on 28^th October 1875 at St Mary’s.  Elizabeth at 26 was three years old than Richard and was the daughter of boatman Samuel Jenkins.  Richard of St Mary’s was listed as a boot and shoemaker and his father was recorded as lifeguard Francis Collett deceased

By the time of the 1881 Census their marriage had produced two children for the couple, both born at St Mary’s where the family was living in Well Lane.  His wife Elizabeth A Collett was four years older having been born at St Mary’s in 1848.  Richard’s occupation was that of a master boot and shoemaker and he was employing one apprentice at that time.  On that occasion Elizabeth was very likely with-child, since the couple’s third child was born later that same year.  Ten years later and their family was almost complete, there having been a further three children born into the family.  For the census of 1891 the family was listed as still living on the Isles of Scilly.  Richard was aged 38 and living with him was his wife Elizabeth and their five children Lillie G Collett 14, Francis H Collett 13, Clara E Collett, who was nine, Annie M Collett, who was seven, and Ethel J Collett who was four years old.  Elizabeth was very likely with-child once more on the census day as the couple’s sixth and last child was born later in the year

Just after the turn of the century the whole family was still together, with exception of their only son Francis who had joined the Royal Navy by then.  The family was still living at St Mary’s where Richard was 48 and was working as a boat man.  His place of birth was again confirmed as having been Tresco.  The census record also confirmed that his wife Elizabeth, who was 51, had been born at St Mary’s, as had all their children.  Apart from himself, the only other member of the family listed with an occupation was Richard’s daughter Clara who was a dressmaker at the age of nineteen.  The other children still living at the family home were listed as Lillie 24, Annie 17, Ethel 14, and Nannie who was nine years old.  By the time of the next census in April 1911 only two of Richard’s children were still living on the Scilly Isles with him and Elizabeth.  Richard James Collett was 58 and a barman on a pleasure boat, his wife Elizabeth Ann was 62 and a boarding-housekeeper, Annie Maud Collett was 27 and assisting her mother with the boarding-house, and Nannie who was 19.  Staying at the boarding-house were six gentlemen, one of whom was Richard’s father-in-law Samuel Jenkins who was 90

It was nearly twenty years later that the death of Richard James Collett was recorded at the Isles of Scilly register office (Ref. 5c 321) during the first three months of 1930 when he was 77, and was buried at St Mary’s Old Church after he passed away on 20^th February 1930

21Q77 – Lillie Grace Collett was born in 1876 at St Mary’s on the Scilly Isles

21Q78 – Francis Henry Collett was born in 1877 at St Mary’s on the Scilly Isles

21Q79– Clara Elizabeth Collett was born in 1881 at St Mary’s on the Scilly Isles

21Q80 – Annie Maud Collett was born in 1883 at St Mary’s on the Scilly Isles

21Q81 – Ethel Janis Collett was born in 1887 at St Mary’s on the Scilly Isles

21Q82 – Nannie Evelina Collett was born in 1891 at St Mary’s on the Scilly Isles

Frances Collett [21P78] was born at Tresco in 1857 but did not survive beyond nine weeks.  Following her death, she was buried at Tresco on the Scilly Islands on 25^th April 1857, the youngest of the nine children of Francis Cock Collett and his wife Sarah Johns

Joshua Collett [21P79] was born at St Michael Penkevil, possibly at the end of 1837 or early in 1838, with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. ix 337) during the first quarter of 1838, and was baptised at  St Michael Penkevil on 2^nd February 1838.  At the age of three years, Joshua Collett was living with his parents at Churchtown, with his two younger sister Elizabeth and Ellen, their grandfather Hugh Collett senior, and maternal grandmother Rebecca Ward.  In 1851 the St Michael Penkevil census that year included Joshua Collett a school boy of 13, still living there with his family

By 1861, he was unmarried at the age of 23, when he was working alongside his father as a blacksmith, when the family was again living in St Michael Penkevil.  It must have been just after the census day that Joshua emigrated to North America, where his three children were born in the early 1870s.  Adjusting to life in the new world may have been difficult for the young Collett family since during the mid-1870s Joshua and the children made the return trip back to Cornwall.  That raises the possibility that his first wife had had died in Canada following the birth of their third child in 1873.  The next event in his life was when the marriage of Joshua Collett, a widower, and Matilda Burr which was recorded at Hackney in London (Ref. 1b 609) during the third quarter of 1879.  Matilda was born at Mereworth, Kent in 1839 and, prior to their wedding day, Matilda had given birth to son George Collett at Battersea in London in 1878

According to the next census in 1881, Joshua Collett was a married man but there was no wife living with him, when he was a blacksmith employing one man and a boy to work with him at The Praze in St Gluvias Penryn.  The census that year recorded Joshua aged 43 as married and living with two of his three children who were both born in Canada.  The missing child was his daughter Ellen who was staying with Joshua’s married sister Ellen Coombe and her husband at Iron Mill in Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire.  In addition to his two children, his widowed sister-in-law Sarah Collett aged 39 of Tanworth-in Arden, Warwickshire was staying with Joshua at that time, and with her was her one-year-old daughter Elizabeth who was born at Penryn and described as Joshua’s niece.  That would indicate that Sarah had been married to Joshua’s brother who had since passed away.  Therefore, the corresponding age fit would place Sarah’s husband as Joshua’s younger brother James (below)

Curiously, that same census day in 1881, Joshua’s wife Matilda was recorded living at St Michael Penkevil at the home of Joshua’s unmarried brother Hugh Collett and their 74-year-old Elizabeth Collett.  With Matilda was her son George Collett who was two years old.  Eight years later Joshua Collett died in 1889 and was buried at St Gluvias on 28^th July 1889 at the age of 51, with his death recorded at Falmouth register office (Ref. 5c 103) during the third quarter of the year.  It also seems likely that Joshua’s second wife Matilda never fully accepted the role as stepmother to his three earlier children since, following his death, and before the next census in 1891, the three children were taken into the care of their uncle Hugh Collett (below), with Matilda just keeping her son George

That appeared to be the only option open to the family as Joshua’s sister Elizabeth had died around the same time as Joshua, and his only other male sibling James had died ten years earlier.  Joshua’s only other surviving sibling was his sister Ellen Coombe (below) was still living in Gloucestershire by then.  The next census in 1901 placed Matilda Collett of Mereworth as 61 and living at St Gluvias, where her late husband was buried, who still had her unmarried son George Collett living there with her at the age of 21.  Ten years later in April 1911, Matilda of Mereworth was 72 and was still living at St Gluvias with her son George. 

Three other Colletts were living in St Gluvias at that time, of which only Annie Collett aged 27 has not been accounted for, and she was the only one born there.  She may have been the base-born daughter of Elizabeth Ann Collett, aged 50, who was living with her elderly widowed mother Ann Collett

21Q83 – Elizabeth Maria Collett was born in 1871 at Stratford, Canada

21Q84 – Ellen Collett was born in 1872 at Stratford, Canada

21Q85 – William Hugh Collett was born in 1873 at Stratford, Canada

The following child was born to Joshua Collett by his second wife Matilda:

21Q86 – George Collett was born in 1878 at Battersea, London

Elizabeth Collett [21P80] was born at St Michael Penkevil in 1839 and was baptised there on 18^th August 1839.  It seems she never married and lived with her parents at St Michael Penkevil where she also died aged 51.  Her death was recorded there on 1^st August 1890

Ellen Collett [21P81] was born at St Michael Penkevil and it was there that she was baptised on 25^th October 1840.  She was still living there with her family in 1851 at the age of 10, and was 20 years old in 1861.  By the time she was 40 in 1881 Ellen was married to William G Coombe of Wickham Bishop in Essex where he had been born in 1846.  William was a gardener and the childless couple were living at Iron Mills in Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire.  Staying with them was Ellen’s niece Ellen Collett, the daughter of Ellen’s brother Joshua (above) who had recently returned from Canada where his eight-year-old child had been born

James Collett [21P82] was born at St Michael Penkevil early in 1842, when his birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c ix 324) during the second quarter of that year.   He was almost six months old when he was baptised at St Michael Penkevil on 18^th September 1842, a son of Robeert and Grace Collett.  He was aged 18 at the time of the 1861 Census when he was still living with his parents at St Michael Penkevil.  During the late 1870s James married Sarah who was born at Tanworth-in Arden, Warwickshire in 1842, who may have been Sarah Green, the daughter of William and Sarah Green who was baptised at Tanworth-in-Arden on 24^th April 1842.  Tragically, by 1881, Sarah was a widow and was staying with her brother-in-law and James’ brother Joshua (above) at his home in The Praze in St Gluvias, Penryn.  With Sarah was her one-year-old daughter Elizabeth Collett who was born at Penryn and described as Joshua’s niece.  The child’s age and James’ absence that census day indicates he died after she was birth

The death of James Collett was recorded at Falmouth (Ref. 5c 128) after which he was buried at St Gluvias on 3^rd October 1880 at the age of 38, when he and Sarah were listed as living in Penryn.  As a widow in Penryn, Sarah eventually returned to her late husband’s home village of St Michael Penkevil where she died on 7^th August 1887 at the age of 47, with her passing recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 79).  Following her death, Sarah’s twelve-year-old daughter Elizabeth was taken into the care of her uncle Hugh Collett (below)

The birth of daughter Elizabeth Collett may have happened, either at the end of 1879 or early in 1880, when it was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 138) during the first three months of the latter.  In 1901 Elizabeth was 21 and the niece of Hugh Collett, a blacksmith, one of two nieces living with him at St Michael Penkevil, the other niece was Ellen Collett from Canada, with whom Elizabeth was living and working in 1911.  The census that year recorded the two cousins residing at Enfield in Middlesex, north of London, where Ellen Collett (above) from Stratford, Ontario was 38 and a shopkeeper selling confectionery and tobacco.  Described as assisting with the family business was 31 Elizabeth Collett from St Michael Penkevil, both ladies being unmarried

21Q87 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1879 at St Michael Penkevil

Hugh Collett [21P83] was born at St Michael Penkevil in 1846 and it was there that he was baptised on 21^st June 1846.  He was still living there with his parents in 1851, 1861 and 1871, aged four years, 14 years, and 24 respectively, another blacksmith like his father who was the only child still living with his parents.  Originally, Hugh had not been located within the census of 1881, but it has since been discovered his surname was transcribed as Pollett and not Collett.  As Hugh Pollett, aged 34, he was still living at St Michael Penkevil that year, his address in the village was simply given as No. 11 and his occupation as head of the household was confirmed as that of a blacksmith.  Living with him was his mother Elizabeth of Philleigh who was 74, together with his unmarried sister Elizabeth aged 41, who was performing the role of housekeeper for her brother.  Both brother and sister were confirmed as having been born at St Michael Penkevil.  Completing the household was Hugh’s sister-in-law Matilda Collett (Pollett) aged 42 and of Mereworth in Kent, together with her son George aged two years who was listed as Hugh’s nephew.  It may be assumed that she was perhaps the second wife of Hugh’s brother Joshua Collett (above)

Hugh never married and was still living at St Michael Penkevil and working as a blacksmith in 1891.  By that time four major catastrophes had befallen his family which dramatically changed Hugh’s life.  The first tragedy was the death of his older brother, James (above) who died around 1880.  That left his widow Sarah to raise their daughter which she did with the support of Hugh and James’ older brother Joshua, until Sarah died in 1887.  Three years later Hugh’s housekeeper and elder sister Elizabeth died around the same time that Joshua also died.  That left Joshua’s three Canadian born children and James and Sarah’s daughter without any other family member to take care of the four children, so that duty fell to Hugh.  Hugh’s only other sister Ellen was married and was living in Gloucestershire, so he really was the only possible solution to the crisis

According to the 1891 Census bachelor Hugh Collett was 44 when he was still living at St Michael Penkevil, and was continuing to work as a blacksmith.  Living with him was his niece Ellen Collett aged 18 who was born in Canada, her brother William H Collett also born in Canada who was 17, and their cousin and Hugh’s other niece Elizabeth Collett aged 11, all of whom had been made orphans by the recent deaths of their respective parents

Ten years later only nephew William had left the home of his uncle Hugh and the reason for that was because he was to be married.  According to the census of 1901 Hugh was 54 and was still working as a blacksmith in St Michael Penkevil.  And still living with him were his two unmarried nieces, Ellen Collett from Canada who was 28 and performing the duties of housekeeper for her uncle, and the younger Elizabeth Collett from St Michael Penkevil who was 21 simply listed as living with her uncle.  It was six years later that the death of Hugh Collett was recorded at the Royal Cornwall Infirmary in Treliske, on the outskirts of Truro, on 14^th June 1907, his passing then recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 98).  His personal effects, amounting to £165 10 Shillings, were subject to probate at Bodmin on 9^th July that year, when his niece Ellen Collett, a spinster, was named as the sole executor.  For clarity, Ellen was the daughter of his deceased brother Joshua Collett (above).  The notice of his death confirmed that the occupation of Hugh Collett of St Michael Penkevil was that of a smith.  Less than four years after the death of their guardian, Hugh’s nieces Ellen and Elizabeth Collett were living in London at the time of the census in 1911

Henry Collett [21P84] was born at St Michael Penkevil in 1848, with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5a ix 334) during the second quarter of that year.  He was baptised at St Michael Penkevil on 8^th August 1848, the sixth child and youngest son of Hugh Collett and Elizabeth Ward.  Tragically, he did not survive, with the premature death of Henry Collett recorded at Truro (Ref. 5a ix 212) when he was two years of age

Emma Collett [21P85] was born at St Michael Penkevil in 1849 and was baptised at the end of that year on 23^rd December 1849.  As with the baptisms of all her siblings (above), her parents were recorded as Hugh and Elizabeth Collett, the last of their seven children.  However, just like her brother Henry (above) Emma also suffered an infant death, which was recorded at Truro (Ref. ix 224) later that same year

John Vivian Collett [21P86] was born in 1833 at Camborne where he was baptised on 1^st March 1834.  The baptism record recorded his surname incorrectly as Collect.  His second Christian name was taken from his mother’s maiden-name.  Tragically, John’s mother Catherine died shortly after the birth of John’s brother Henry (below) and the two boys were then taken into the care of the Vivian family, who were their grandparents, at their home in Camborne.  And it was there that John, who was seven, and Henry, who was five, were recorded as living in the first national census in June 1841, although their surname was spelt with only had one t.  William Odgers Collett, the boy’s father, remarried in December that year and sometime after John and Henry returned to live with him and his new wife Jane

Ten years later in 1851 John, aged 17, and his brother who was15, were still living with their father at Treluckey Mill midway between Cuby-with-Tregony and St Michael Caerhays.  Seven years later, the marriage after the reading of banns for John Collett and Elizabeth Jane Knight was conducted at the Parish Church in Creed on 8^th June 1858, when they were both of full age and residing in Creed.  John was a miner, the son of William Collett, a miller, while Elizabeth was the daughter of miner Benjamin Knight.  The two witnesses were William Knight and Mary Ann Knight, most likely Elizabeth’s sibling, since it is known her mother was Jane Knight.  By the time of the 1861 Census, they had two children and were living at Trevenna in Creed within the St Austell registration district, where both of their children had been born.  They were Catherine Collett who was two years old, and Caleb Collett who was only two weeks old.  John Collett was 27 and his place of birth was given as Camborne, while his wife Elizabeth Jane Collett was 24 and from Roche.  John’s occupation at that time was that of a tin miner

During the next decade a further three children were added to the family with the 1871 Census recording the family as John aged 37 and born at Camborne, an agricultural labourer, Elizabeth from Roche who was 34, when their Creed born children were Catherine aged 12, Caleb aged 10, Edith who was eight, and William who was five, with Florence who was two years old and born after the family had settled in St Ewe.  At that time, they were living in the village of St Ewe in St Austell, Mevagissey registration district, when John’s mother-in-law Jane Knight, a widow from Luxulyan near St Austell was staying with the family, and even at the age of 60 years, was described as a labourer.  The reference to the couple’s youngest daughter as Florence may well be a misinterpretation of the name Salome who would have been aged two years in early April 1871.  She was possibly born in late 1868 and was baptised at the Bible Christian Chapel in Paramore on 2^nd June 1869.  Certainly, it was as Salome that she was listed in the census of 1881 at 12 years of age.  Therefore, the original assumption, that they may have been twin sisters, is probably incorrect and, until further evidence to contrary is unearthed, it will be assumed that Florence and Salome were one and the same daughter of John and Elizabeth Collett

Shortly after the census day in 1871 the couple was blessed with the arrival of another daughter Lavinia.  And on 8^th October that same year Lavinia was baptised at St Ewe where the family still living and where, according to the baptism record, her father John was employed as a husbandman.  Rather strangely the baptism listed in the St Ewes’ parish records was a joint ceremony for Lavinia and her slightly older sister Salome who had been baptised with a different church less than two years earlier, perhaps indicating a change of faith.  Apparently just two more children were added to the family, one either side of the 1881 Census Day.  By the time of the census John was working as a clay labourer.  His place of birth was confirmed as Camborne and his age as 47.  His wife Elizabeth was 44 and had been born at Roche five miles north of St Austell where the family was then living at 6 Wheal Prosper in Roche

Living with the couple in April 1881 was their son William aged 16 and a clay labourer like his father, and the family’s latest child David aged 4.  Also living with them were their daughters Salome aged 12 and Lavinia who was nine.  The three eldest children had been born at St Ewe while David had been born after the couple had moved to Roche.  Within the following year Elizabeth presented John with their ninth child and last known children who was born while the family was still living at Roche, where it appears they spent the rest of their life.  By 1891 only the three youngest children were still living with the couple at Roche.  They were Lavinia aged 20, David aged 14, and Richard who was eight years old.  John was then 57 and his wife 53.  Just after the turn of the century only Richard then aged 18 was still living with his parents at Roche and both father and son were employed as china clay workers.  John was confirmed as being 67 and born at Camborne, while his wife Elizabeth was 64 years, and both she and his son were born at Roche

John Vivian Collett died at West Goonbarrow in Roche on 1^st November 1908 at the age of 75, with his death recorded at St Austell register office (Ref. 5c 68) during last quarter of that year.  The administration of his personal effects, amounting to £157 9 Shillings and 3 Pence, was conducted at Bodmin on 8^th February 1909 when his occupation was confirmed as a clay labourer and when his widow was named as Elizabeth Jane Collett.  It was just over two years later that Elizabeth Jane Collett nee Knight died at Roche on 12^th January 1911 when she was 73, with her death recorded at St Austell register office (Ref. 5c 75)

21Q88 – Catherine Collett was born in 1858 at Creed

21Q89 – Caleb Knight Collett was born in 1861 at Creed

21Q90 – Edith Jane Collett was born in 1862 at Creed

21Q91 – William Collett was born in 1866 at Creed

21Q92 – Salome Collett was born in 1868 at St Ewe

21Q93 – Lavinia Collett was born in 1871 at St Ewe

21Q94 – David Knight Collett was born in 1877 at Carbus, near Roche

21Q95 – Richard Knight Collett was born in 1882 at Roche

Henry Collett [21P87] was born in 1835 and that possibly took place at Camborne where his brother John (above) was born.  However, unlike his brother who was baptised at Camborne, Henry was baptised at St Ewe on 25^th December 1835.  A little while after Henry was born his mother Catherine died, possibly as result of his birth or during the birth of another child that also did not survive.  So, by June 1841 Henry’s father William Odgers Collett was a widower, and Henry aged five years and his older brother John who was seven, were being looked after by their grandparents at Camborne.  Henry’s father was married for a second time in December 1841 and sometime thereafter Henry and his brother John returned to live with their father and his new wife Jane, their stepmother.  Ten years later in 1851 Henry was 15 when he was still living with his father at Treluckey Mill, but by 1861 he had left the family home and was living and working in the Penzance area of Cornwall, where he was recorded as a bachelor at 24.  No other record of Henry after that time has so far been found

George Collett [21P88] was born and baptised at Cuby-with-Tregony on 9^th April 1842, just before he died and was buried there.  Those two church records were the only evidence of his very short life as the third child of William Odger Collett, but the first by his second wife Jane Miners

Mary Jane Collett [21P89] was born at St Michael Caerhays in 1843 and was the fourth child and eldest daughter of miller William Odgers Collett and second wife.  She was around five years old when her father took over Treluckey Mill between St Michael Caerhays and Cuby-Tregony and was included in the census of 1851 in error as Mary Jane Collick aged seven years.  However, ten years later she was correctly listed in the census of 1861 as Mary J Collett who was 17 and from St Michael Caerhays when she was living with her family at Treluckey Mill within the Probus & Truro registration district.  Sometime thereafter, the family left Treluckey Mill and in 1871, when spinster Mary J Collett was 27, she was still living with her elderly parents, but at 3 Stanbury Row in Cuby-with-Tregony, where she was described as working on a farm as an agricultural labourer.  The only other siblings living at the family home on that occasion were Jean (aka Eden) Collett 13 – another agricultural labourer, Fanny Collett 12, and Edwin Collett who was six

No record of her has been found within the 1881 census, while by 1891, when Mary Jane Collett was 47 and had no written occupation, who was probably looking after her 80-year-old father and 71-year-old mother at St Clement, south-east of Truro.  One other member of the extended Collett family was living and working  at their home, and she was Nellie Collett aged 17 and a domestic servant, who was incorrectly described as a niece of William Collett.  She was too young to be a niece and, on digging deeper, Nellie has been unveiled as the base-born daughter of Mary Jane Collett.  Following the death of her parents before the end of the century, Mary Jane Collett was 57 in 1901 when she was a pauper (how her father was described in 1891) and an inmate at the Truro St Clements Union Workhouse, where she was performing duties of a domestic servant

The birth of her daughter, Ellen Collett (Nellie), was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 159) during the first quarter of 1874, and was subsequently baptised at St Paul’s Church in Truro on 25^th October 1874.  The church baptism record confirmed she was the daughter of unmarried mother Mary Jane Collett of the Union, one of eight children from Union whose mothers were all unmarried.  At the age of seven, Ellen was attending school while living at St Clement with her mother in 1881.  The census return also stated that Ellen was born at Truro Union, workhouse?

21Q96 – Ellen Collett was born in 1874 at Truro

William Collett [21P90] was born at St Michael Caerhays on 9^th August 1845 and he was later baptised at Cuby-with-Tregony on 2^nd November 1845.  He was the fifth children of labourer William Odger Collett, but the third child by his second wife Jane Miners, whose birth was registered at St Austell (Ref. ix 25).  By the time of the census in 1851 William, aged six years, was living with his parents at Treluckey Mill, when their surname was recorded incorrectly as Collick.  Just before his twenty-first birthday William married (1) Emma Jane Ferrell with their wedding day recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 260) during the second quarter of 1866.  Emma presented William with two children before she passed away during the March quarter of 1874.  Both children were born at Ladock where Emma had been born in early 1838.  Emma Jane Ferrell seems likely to have been the younger sister of James Ferrell who married Susanna Collett (above) at Philleigh on 13^th May 1847.  Susanna’s father was Peter Collett and in his Will of 1865 his grandchildren Samuel Ferrell and Mary Ferrell were named as beneficiaries under the terms of the Will

During the year following the death of his wife, William married (2) Jane Smith at St Leonards-on-Sea near Hasting on 22^nd April 1875.  Jane had been born at St Leonards and was baptised on 22^nd March 1844 in Hastings.  However, William returned to Ladock with Jane, as it was there that the couple’s first five children were born.  In 1881 the family of seven was living at Bissick Mill in Ladock where 35-year-old William Collett from St Michael Caerhays was a corn miller, and his wife Jane from St Leonards, Sussex, was 37.  Their children were William who was 14, Elizabeth Jane who was 12,  Ellen Maud who was five – all attending school, plus Emily Mary who was two, and Annie who was under one year old

Shortly after the April census day in 1881, the family temporarily moved to Hayle near St Ives, where the couple’s sixth child was born, before moving east to the south coast of Cornwall at Budock Water near Falmouth, where the family was residing in 1891 at College Row.  By then William was 45 and still working as a miller, and Jane was 48, who had added another two children to their family after moving to Falmouth, with their births registered at Penryn.  Although the family had been expanded by the three children new children, only five of the eight were still living with William and Jane in 1891, and they were Ellen Maud who was 15 and a dressmaker’s apprentice, Emily Mary who was 12, Annie who was 10, Kate who was eight, and Clara Louisa who was six – all attending school, plus son Arthur James who was four years of age.  Every member of the household, except Jane from Sussex, was simply recorded as born in Cornwall

The family was still recorded within the Falmouth registration district for the next census in 1901, but had moved the short distance to the north of Falmouth to Penryn.  William from Caerhays was 55 and still working as a miller, when his wife Jane from St Leonards was 57.  Living with them were their daughters Ellen M Collett from Ladock who was 24 and a dressmaker, Emily M Collett from Ladock who was 22 and a grocer’s assistant, Annie Collett from Ladock who was 20 and a dressmaker’s assistant, Katie Collett from Hayle who was 18 and a draper’s apprentice, and their son Arthur J Collett from Budock Water (Penryn) who was 14 who had completed his education, but had no occupation stated.  The couple’s eldest daughter Elizabeth had already left the family home by then, while their youngest daughter Clara Louisa Collett had suffered a premature death at the end of 1899 when she was only fifteen years of age

It was towards the end of 1902 that the death of Jane Collett, nee Smith, was recorded at Falmouth register office (Ref. 5c 109) when she was 58.  Around two years later the third marriage of William Collett and (3) widow Mary Lucilla Nicholls, nee Tremayne, was recorded at Falmouth register office (Ref. 5c 336) during the last three months of 1904.  Mary was born around 1850 and on the day of the census in 1911, William Collett from St Michael Caerhays was living at Tavistock in Devon with his new wife Mary Luscilla Collett.  William was 65 and his wife was 60.  William Collett and his third wife Mary both died at Falmouth during the June quarter of 1926

21Q97 – William Collett was born in 1866 at Ladock

21Q98 – Elizabeth Jane Collett was born in 1868 at Ladock

The following are the children of William Collett by his second wife Jane Smith:

21Q99 – Ellen Maud Collett was born in 1876 at Ladock

21Q100 – Emily Mary Collett was born in 1878 at Ladock

21Q101 – Annie Collett was born in 1880 at Ladock

21Q102 – Kate Collett was born in 1882 at Phillack in Hayle

21Q103 – Clara Louisa Collett was born in 1884 at Budock Water, near Falmouth

21Q104 – Arthur James Collett was born in 1886 at Budock Water, near Falmouth

George Collett [21P91] was born at St Michael Caerhays with his birth registered at St Austell (Ref. ix 25) during the fourth quarter of 1847.  He was baptised at Cuby-with-Tregony on 26^th September 1847 and confirmed as the son of labourer William Collett of St Michael Caerhays and his wife Jane.  Not long after he was born his father became the miller at Treluckey Mill where George, aged four years, and the family were recorded in error as Collick in the census of 1851.  It was the following census in 1861 which described George Collett as being 13 and born at St Michael Caerhays, with no occupation, when he was still living with the family at Treluckey Mill.  Six years later, the banns of marriage for George Collett, a bachelor of the parish of Cuby, and Louisa Jenkins, a spinster of the parish of Tregony St James, were read on 10^th, 17^th, and 24^th February, with Louisa having been born at Tregony in 1847.  The couple was then married at Cuby-with-Tregony on 12^th March 1867, with their wedding day recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 227) during the first quarter of the year.  And it was at Cuby that the settled and where all their six children were born

By 1871 the family living at Tregony comprised George Collett from St Michael Caerhays, a mason by trade, and his wife Louisa from Tregony both aged 24, and their daughters Alma Collett who was three, Mary H Collett who was one year old, and new arrival Emma R Collett was between three and six months.  Sadly, for whatever reason, George did not survive to see his children into adulthood as he died at the age of 29, with his death recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 103) during the second quarter of 1877.  By the time of the census in 1881, widow Louisa Collett was 33 and was living with five of her six children by her late husband at Bridgend near Lostwithiel in the district of St Winnow.  It appears she had moved there after the death of her husband, and it was there also where she had a relationship with a certain Mr Smith, perhaps John Smith, following which she gave birth to the first of three further children

According the Bridgend census of 1881, Louisa was working as a charwoman to support her young family, which was made up of Mary Collett who was 12, Emma Collett who was 10, George Collett who was eight, Joshua Collett who was six, and William Collett who was four.  Also living with the family was her son by another man, one-year-old John Smith of Devonport who was described as a boarder.  Louisa’s missing eldest daughter Alma Collett, who was 14, was working away from home as a general servant at the home of farmer Walter H Wevell at Polmenna Farm in nearby Lostwithiel.  During the next year or so, Louisa moved again, on that occasion to Truro, where she settled in the St Clement district of the city, where she gave birth to two more children

It was also at East Rosewin Row within Truro St Clements that Louisa and her family were residing on the day of the census in 1891.  Louisa Collett from Tregony was still earning a living as a charwoman at the age of 44, while still living with her were her three sons by George Collett and the three sons born after he had died.  They were described as George Collett aged 17, Joshua Collett aged 15, William Collett aged 14, Johnny Collett (previously Smith) who was ten, Sidney Collett who was seven and Stanley Collett who was three years old.  Just after the turn of the century Louisa, at the age of 55, was living at Mitchell Hill in St Clement Urban, a suburb on the fringe of the City of Truro.  Living with her were three of her children, sons Joshua Collett who was 23 (sic), Sydney Collett who was 16, and Stanley Collett who was 12, all three of them listed as born in Truro.  Curiously, no obvious record of Louisa Collett has been found in the census of 1911, when she would have been 65 years old.  Just prior to the census day that year, her youngest son Stanley had sailed to Canada, who may have been accompanied by his mother.  However, the death of Louisa Collett, nee Jenkins, was recorded in Cornwall register office (Ref. 5c 143) during 1929, when she was 84 years old

21Q105 – Alma Collett was born in 1868 at Cuby-with-Tregony

21Q106 – Mary Harriet Collett was born in 1869 at Cuby-with-Tregony

21Q107 – Emma Rachel Collett was born in 1870 at Cuby-with-Tregony

21Q108 – George Collett was born in 1872 at Cuby-with-Tregony

21Q109 – Joshua Collett was born in 1874 at Cuby-with-Tregony

21Q110 – William James Collett was born in 1876 at Cuby-with-Tregony

The following are the three children born to Louisa Collett after the death of her husband:

21Q111 – John Collett was born in 1880 at Lostwithiel

21Q112 – Sidney Collett was born in 1884 at Truro

21Q113 – Stanley Collett was born in 1888 at Truro

James Collett [21P92] was born at Treluckey Mill near Cuby-with-Tregony on 22^nd September 1849, while curiously, no record of his birth has been located.  At the age of one year in 1851 and 12 years in 1861 when he was attending school, he was still living at Treluckey Mill with his family.  Some years later, when he was a resident of Brighton in Michigan USA, he informed people that he had been born at Brighton in England.  However, he did not fully explain that the Brighton he was referring to was a hamlet in Cornwall, just a few miles from where he was born, and not the well-known seaside resort in Sussex frequented by successive Kings of England.  On the day of the census in 1871, James Collett from Tregony was 22 and working as a railway porter by which time he was a lodger staying at the Liskeard lodging-house managed by widow Jane Govett from St Keyne in Cornwall, where two other railway porters of the same age were lodgers

Just after that day, and within the second quarter of 1871, the marriage of James Collett and (1) Jane Reynold was recorded at Liskeard (Ref. 5a 115).  Jane’s birth was registered at Redruth (Ref. ix 263) during the last quarter of 1850 and was the youngest daughter of miner James Reynolds and his wife Mary.  Shortly after they were married, they left England for North America where they arrived before 1873.  It is thought that the couple initially sailed to Canada to be reunited with James’ cousin Joshua Collett [21P79] who was living at Stratford in Ontario, midway between Detroit and Toronto in the early 1870s.  James was a joiner and a carpenter, while Joshua was a blacksmith.  Following the birth of his third child in 1874, Joshua returned to Cornwall with his three children

Joshua’s return to England may have been the reason that prompted James and Jane to leave Canada to cross the border, the short distance to Brighton in Michigan, about forty miles north-west of Detroit.  Prior to that, the couple’s first child was born while James and Jane were still residing in Canada, who may have been born at Stratford where Joshua’s son was also born before he left for England.  The couple’s remaining five children were born at Brighton, Michigan.  It was during that first decade in North America that James established himself as a successful builder and by 1881 he had built the Old Town Hall at 200 West St Paul Street in Brighton, Michigan for the sum of $2,300.  Also, that same year he completed the building of St Paul’s Episcopal Church in the same street.  However, tragedy struck the family during the few months after the birth of their only son when Jane died in 1885.  She was buried at the Old Village Cemetery in Brighton.  Following her death James left Brighton and moved his family to nearby Detroit in April 1886

Sometime later James was joined by his nephew Caleb Knight Collett [21Q89] who had travelled to Michigan with his grandmother in early 1885.  James was the half-brother to Caleb’s father John Vivian Collett, both James and John having the same father William Odgers Collett but with different mothers.  Upon arrival in the USA Caleb had initially worked in the Calumet and Hecla copper mines in the Michigan Upper Peninsula before eventually being employed by his uncle James as a carpenter.  For the next nine years he continued with his building work, whilst tending to the needs of his six children until, on 18^th August 1895, he married (2) Susan Parshall Abraham

By the turn of the century James had returned to Brighton and in August 1904 it was reported in the local newspaper that James Collett and a force of carpenters were building a house for a Mister Purdy.  It was also around that time when he was working on the construction of an elementary school to the north of Union School on Rickett Road in Brighton.  That opened in the summer of 1905 and was a brick and cement construction rather than the more usual wood.  It may be of interest to note that, because of the importance of James Collett to the town of Brighton in Michigan, the town’s Historical Society has been trying for many years to trace his life back to his English roots.  But in truth it was his own reference to the fact that he came from Brighton in England that only served to confuse the matter, until now that is

James Collett, the husband of Jane Reynolds and Susan P Abraham, who was born at Cuby, Cornwall in 1849, died on 9^th March 1938 at Tampa, Hillsborough County in Florida

21Q114 – Edith Collett was born in 1873 at Stratford, Canada

21Q115 – Mary Collett was born in 1874 at Stratford, Canada

21Q116 – Lillie Collett was born in 1877 at Stratford, Canada

21Q117 – Bertha Collett was born in 1880 at Stratford, Canada

21Q118 – Lillian Collett was born in 1882 at Stratford, Canada

21Q119 – James Henry Collett was born on 29^th September 1884 at Stratford, Canada

Joshua Collett [21P93] was born at Treluckey Mill near Cuby-with-Tregony in late 1851, with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. ix 323) during the last three months of 1851.  He was another son of William Collett and Jane Miners, his second wife, who were recorded living there on the day of the census in 1851.  It was at the parish church Cuby-with-Tregony that Joshua Collett was baptised on 11^th April 1852.  At nine years of age, he was still living with his family at Treluckey Mill and on leaving school Joshua also became a miller like his father.  According to the census of 1871 he was living and working with George Body, a miller, in the village of St Clement to the east of Truro.  Joshua Collett from Cuby was 19 years old in the St Clement census that year when he was described as a working miller and a boarder with the family of George Body and his wife Mary.  Whether a result of an accident, or some illness, the death of Joshua Collett aged 24 was recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 111) during the second quarter of 1876

Elizabeth Ann Collett [21P94] was born at Treluckey Mill near Cuby-with-Tregony on 23^rd August 1853, with her birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 164), a daughter of William and Jane Collett.  At seven years of age, Elizabeth A Collett was still living with her family at Treluckey Mill in 1861.  By the time of the next census in 1871 she had left the family home which, by then was in Cuby-with-Tregony.  After a further ten years, when Elizabeth Collett was 26, she was living and working in Kenwyn, just north of Truro.  According to the census of 1881 she was employed as a cook and domestic servant at the home of biscuit manufacturer and confectioner John C Furniss at Lemon House in Kenwyn.  Although her stated age of 26 years conflicts with her estimated date of birth the census recorded accurately that she was born at Tregony.  She lived all her life in Cornwall and it was at Truro that she was living when Elizabeth Ann Collett died there on 2^nd February 1928 at the age of 74

Susan Emma Collett [21P95] was born at Treluckey Mill near Cuby-with-Tregony in 1855 when her birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 178) during the second quarter of 1855, another daughter of William and Jane.  On being baptised at the parish church on 27^th May 1855 as Susan Emma, she was described as the daughter of miller William and Jane Collick residing at Cuby Mill.  She was aged six years in 1861 when Susan E Collett and her family were still living at Treluckey Mill.  What happened to her after that day is not known, except that she was not living with her family in 1871

Eden Collett [21P96] was born at Treluckey Mill near Cuby-with-Tregony, either at the end of 1856 or early in 1857, with her birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 169) during the first three months of 1857.  However, her name was entered as Ena Collett, a misunderstanding of Eden.  She was four years old in 1861 when she was living with her family at Treluckey Mill, where her father was the miller.  Ten years later, as Jean Collett, she and her family were living at 3 Stanbury Row in Cuby-with-Tregony when she was 13 and had completed her education and was already working as an agricultural labourer, most likely with father and old sister Mary J Collett (above).  It was during the first three months of 1879 that the marriage of Eden Collett and Frederick Brown was recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 179).  The marriage produced at least eleven children for the couple, and by 1881 Frederick Brown from Plymouth was 28 and a miller’s labourer, his wife Eden Brown was 24, and their first child was Alberta Brown who was one year old and born in Truro.  On the day of the census that year the family of three was living at Paul Quick Cottage in St Clement, while lodging with them was pork butcher John Hore from Kenwyn who was 27

Five more children were added to the family during the 1880s, which by 1891 comprised Frederick who was 38, Eden who was 34, Alberta who was 11, Edith Jane who was nine, Stephen who was seven, William John who was four, Caroline who was three and Florence who was under one year old.  On that occasion they were recorded at St Clement within the Truro & Kenwyn census registration district.  Five more children were born into the family during the last decade of the century and all of them born at St Clement, where the family was still living in March 1901.  By then Frederick was a grocer’s waggoner aged 49, Eden was 44, Alberta was 21 and a dressmaker, Edith J Brown was a draper’s assistant at 19, Stephen was 17 and an auctioneer’s clerk, William J Brown was 14 and a stable boy, Caroline was 13, Florence was 10, Frank was nine, Jessie was seven, Mary Gwendoline was four, John was two and Arnold was one year old.  After a further ten years the family had reduced in size with just four of the children still living with Frederick aged 58 continuing to work as a waggoner for a grocer, and Eden who was 53.  Alberta Brown was 31, Caroline Brown was 23, Florence Brown was 20 and Arnold Brown was 11

Eden Brown, nee Collett, who had been born at Cuby in 1857, subsequently travelled to America with Frederick and their youngest child, since the three of them were recorded in the US Census of 1920.  It was at New London in Connecticut, that Frederick Brown from England was 67, a labourer at a dye works, who had entered the country in 1913, who was living in rented accommodation at Suter Street, midway between Chase Street and Palmer Street.  That day his wife Eden Brown from England was 62 and had joined her husband in 1914, while Arnold Brown was 19 and working as a machinist in a machine shop, who had also travelled across the Atlantic with his mother in 1914.  Eleven years after that day, Eden Brown aged 74 died at Westerly in Washington County, Rhode Island on 5^th August 1931

Fanny Collett [21P97] was born at Treluckey Mill near Cuby-with-Tregony towards the end of 1858 where she was baptised on 26^th December 1858, when her birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 168) during the fourth quarter of that year.  Fanny Collett was two years old in the census return for Treluckey Mill in 1861, although the family left the mill during the following decade.  By the time of the census in 1871, Fanny was 12 years of age and still attending school, when she was one of just four children still living with their parents at 3 Stanbury Row in Cuby-with-Tregony.  Nine year later, Fanny Collett married Harry Cock on 17^th April 1880 at the Parish Church in Kenwyn.  Harry was 22 years old and a miller of Kenwyn, the son of farmer William Cock, while Fanny was also 22 and from Tregony, the daughter of labourer William Collett.  The couple signed the register in their own hand, when the witnesses were Frederick Brown - the husband of Fanny’s sister Eden (above), and Stephen Holloway

On the day of the census one year later, the couple was residing in Kenwyn, where Harry was 23 and a miller, and Fanny was 22.  That day, Fanny was already expecting the imminent birth of the first children, who would be the first of seven children born in that decade, with all seven recorded with then in 1891.  Harry was 33 and a miller, Fanny was 32, when their children were listed as Louisa Cock aged ten, Augusta Cock aged nine, William Cock aged eight Mabel Cock aged six, Edwin Cock aged four, Clara Cock aged three, and Gertrude Cock who was one year old

Three more children were added to the family before the end of the century, by which time the enlarged family was again recorded in Kenwyn in 1901.  Head of the household Harry was continuing his career as a miller, when he was 43, Fanny was 42, and all ten children were living with them.  They were Louisa Jane Cock was 19 and a dressmaker, Augusta Emma Cock was 18, William Harry Cock was 17 and a brewer’s bottler, Mabel Alice Cock was 16, Edwin Cock was 15, Clara Fanny Cock was 13, Gertrude Ada Cock was 11, George Collett was nine, Lottie Rosabel Cock was seven, and Bertha Cordelia Cock was four years old

Before the end of the next year, Fanny Cock, nee Collett, died at Kenwyn on 21^st December 1902, with her passing at the age of 44 recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 97).  Just over eight years after that sad event, widowed Harry Collett was 52 and a miller still living in Kenwyn, but with just his two youngster daughters Lottie, housekeeper, and Bertha at school, aged 18 and 14 respectively.  It was on 24^th June 1924 at Kenwyn that Harry Cock died at the age of 64

Edwin Collett [21P98] was born at Cuby-with-Tregony in 1865, when his birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 169) during the second quarter of that year.  He was baptised there of 4^th June 1865, the last child of William Odgers Collett a miller at Treluckey Mill and his second wife Jane Miners.  According to the 1871 Census he was six years old and living with his parents and three older siblings at 3 Stanbury Row in Cuby-with-Tregony.  By 1881 Edwin was the only member of his family still living with his parents at 29 Flore Street in Tregony.  His occupation at the age of 16 was an agricultural labourer like his elderly father.  It was at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 230) that the wedding of Edwin Collett and (1) Martha Jane Truscott was recorded during the first three months of 1889.  Janie, as she was known, was the daughter of farmer and dairyman John Truscott of Tregony and his wife Nancy Woolcock of Cuby-with Tregony.  Once married the couple settled in Tregony where their son Percy was born.  That was confirmed by the Truro & Probus census of 1891 when Edwin was 26, Janie was 24, and their son Percy was one year old

On the day of the census, Janie was looking forward to the birth of the couple’s second child who was born later that same year.  Tragically, she did not survive the ordeal, but mercifully for Edwin, the child, his second son and namesake, did.  The premature death of Martha Jane Collett, aged 25, was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 96) as the 30^th day of November 1891, after which she was buried at Tregony Old Cemetery with St Cuby Churchyard on 6^th December 1891, when the headstone described her as Martha Jane Truscott Collett.  In an instant Edwin went from being a married man with two children, to a widower with a new-born baby, and a two-year-old son to look after.  As a result of that dire situation, it seems highly likely that Edwin enlisted the help of his late wife’s parents to take in and care for the two boys.  Around eighteen months later, the marriage of widower Edwin Collett and (2) Fanny Batson Pill was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 232a) during the third quarter of 1893.  It was while the couple was still in Truro that the first two of their five known children were born.  Sometime during 1897 and 1898 the family left Cornwall to set up home in Essex, and it was while the family was living at Walthamstow that their last three children were born

By that time, Percy Collett, Edwin’s eldest son from his first marriage, had rejoined the family to make the move to north London with his father and stepmother and his two half-siblings.  It would also appear that Edwin’s younger son from his first marriage, did not make the move to Walthamstow, instead choosing to stay with his maternal grandparents.  According to the census in March 1901, Edwin Collett was 36 and was employed as a joiner when he and his family were living at 16 Clacton Road in Walthamstow.  His wife Fanny was 37 and from Truro, and the four children living there with them were Percy aged 11, George who was six, Gladys who was four, and Jack who was one year old.  By that time Edwin’s nine-year-old son Edwin L Collett was confirmed as still living with his grandparents in Tregony

During the following three years two more children were born to Edwin and Fanny who moved house again during that same period.  By April 1911 the family was living at 12 Devonshire Road in Walthamstow and comprised carpenter and joiner Edwin Collett aged 46 and from Cuby, Fanny Collett from St Clements aged 47, together with five of their six children.  They were George who was 16, Gladys who was 14, Jack who was 11, Frank who was eight, and Fred who was six.  Both of Edwin’s two sons from his first marriage were missing on that occasion and, although no record of Percy Collett has been found anywhere in Great Britain in 1911, since he had joined the Royal Navy, Edwin L Collett was still living in Cornwall at the age of 19.  Six years later in 1917, Edwin and Fanny were living at 1 Cornwallis Road in Walthamstow when they received the tragic news that their son Jack had been killed during the Great War.  It is now known that Edwin Collett was residing at Oxford Road in Enfield when he died on 3^rd September 1948 at the age of 83, his death recorded at the South Western Essex register office (Ref. 5a 251) during the third quarter of 1948.  Probate for this estate of £336 3 Shillings and 2 Pence was settled in favour of his widow Florence Hannah Collett

21Q120 – Percy Collett was born in 1889 at Tregony

21Q121 – Edwin Llewelyn Collett was born in 1891 at Tregony

The following are the children of Edwin and his second wife Fanny:

21Q122 – George Odgers Collett was born in 1894 at Truro

21Q123 – Gladys Ada Collett was born in 1896 at Truro

21Q124 – Jack Collett was born in 1899 at Walthamstow, London

21Q125 – Frank Collett was born in 1903 at Walthamstow, London

21Q126 – Fred Collett was born in 1904 at Walthamstow, London

CHARLES HARCOURT COLLETT [21Q1] was born at Edmonton in Middlesex on 13^th May 1884, the only child of Charles Benjamin Collett and his wife Tamar Harriet Harcourt Brown.  It was also at Edmonton that his birth was registered (Ref. 3a 314).  Following the death of his mother in 1886, Charles H Collett was six years old in 1891 when he was living with his elderly father in the Lambeth area of London.  He was only fourteen years old when his father passed away during 1900, and that may have been the reason why one year later his place of birth was incorrectly given as Tottenham in the census of 1901.  By that time, he was 16 years old and working as a stock brokers clerk, when he was a boarder at the Clapham home of Archibald Grover Bowie and his family.  No record for Charles has been located within the next census of 1911 although it is known that he was married prior to 1924, but was unable to obtain a divorce from his wife when the marriage failed

It was under those circumstances that he therefore partnered with Mrs Elsie Alice Goodwin-Rookledge in 1924.  Elsie was born at 8 Ashburnham Road in Greenwich on 23^rd July 1896, the daughter of William Alfred Goodwin and his wife Catherine Susan Goodwin.  Like Charles, Elsie had also been married before, but her marriage to Harold Dalby Rookledge [21Q1b] had been declared null and void when she left her husband during the honeymoon upon discovering the truth that he was already married and therefore a bigamist.  She did however retain the Rookledge name as stated on her null and void marriage certificate.  From her first marriage Elsie had conceived a child while on honeymoon but the child died within two weeks of being born on 29^th March 1922 – see Appendix D, at the end of the third section of Part 21 – [21R1b].  All the children from the partnership between Charles and Elsie were born in England where Charles was a well-known actor and appeared in many early cinematic films

In 1933, prior to the birth of their youngest child, he returned to South Africa to continue his work in Johannesburg where he became a radio broadcaster for the South African Broadcasting Corporation.  He was reputed to have one of the best-known voices on South African radio with whom he later became Chief Announcer.  He also produced and took part in many plays and productions.  Between 1922 and 1947 Elsie was a draper’s assistant with the Belfast company of Robinson & Cleaver at their Regent Street shop.  Before that time, she had worked at Cheeseman’s Store.  Separated from her partner in 1933, the burden of bringing up the four children was placed solely on her shoulders and in 1934 she and the children moved to Carshalton.  Charles died in Johannesburg in 1953, while Elsie died at Carshalton in Surrey in December 1973.  It was only during the spring of 2009 that details of a further child of the family came to light.  She was Charles’ and Elsie’s second daughter Joy, who was born a year after the couple’s first child.  This information had not been revealed until now because, for whatever reason, it was decided that Joy should be given up for adoption, which she was during January 1928 when she was four months old

21R1 – Heather Wanda Rookledge Collett was born in 1926 at Christchurch, Hampshire

21R2 – Joy Rookledge Collett was born in 1927 at Christchurch, Hampshire

21R3 – Nigel Harcourt Rookledge Collett was born in 1929 at Wandsworth, London

21R4 – Jean Margaret Rookledge Collett was born in 1932 at Clapham, London

21R5 – GORDON CHARLES ROOKLEDGE COLLETT was born in 1933 at Clapham, London

Peter Thomas Collett [21Q2] was born in 1843, the only son and eldest child of Peter Thomas Collett and Dinah Henderson, whose birth was registered at Poplar (Ref. ii 293) during the third quarter of that year.  Upon the death of his father in 1858, it was during the following year, when Peter junior was sixteen years of age, that he was named as a recipient of his father’s military pension.  Seventeen years later, Peter Thomas Collett, aged 33, and the son of Peter Thomas Collett, married Sarah Gardiner, who was 32 and the daughter of William Gardiner, at Farnham in Surrey on 16^th September 1876, the event recorded at Farnham (Ref. 2a 143).  No record of any children has been found, nor where the couple was living in 1881.  However, in 1891, the childless couple was residing at Bishops Road in Hackney where Peter Thomas Collett aged 47 was living on his own means, his place of birth simply London.  Sarah Collett from Surrey was 46

Ten years after that day, the pair was living on Clarence Road, Hackney in 1901, when Peter was 57 and a tobacconist and shopkeeper from Bromley in Kent, and his wife Sarah was 56 and born at Farnham in Surrey.  Sarah died eight years later, aged 64, her death recorded at Hackney register office (Ref. 1b 394) during the first quarter of 1909.  The London Electoral Roll for 1910 identified Peter Thomas Collett at 149 Clarence Road in Hackney.  After a further two years, Peter was still the owner of 149 Clarence Road, but was residing at 29 Spurstowe Road, off Amhurst Road in Central Hackney

Elizabeth Collett [21Q4] was born at Probus where she was baptised at the parish church on 22^nd December 1850, the eldest child of John Collett and his wife Catherine Hoskins.  Her earlier birth had been registered at Truro (Ref. ix 319) during the third quarter of 1850 and for the census in 1851 she was listed with her parents still residing at Probus when she was around nine months old.  It was again at Probus that her brother John (below) was born before the family settled in the hamlet of St Erme.  In 1861 she was aged 10 and in 1871 she was aged 18 and on both occasions was recorded at the family home at Tresillian Road in St Erme with the Truro St Clement registration district

John Hosking Collett [21Q5] was born at Probus and was baptised there on 20^th June 1852, the eldest son and second child of John Collett and Catherine Hoskin/Hoskins/Hosking.  On registering his birth at Truro (Ref. 5c 152) during the second quarter of 1852, his name was simply recorded as John Collett.  However, on being baptised he was given the name John Hosking Collett, which was how he was described at other times in his life.  Not long after he was born his father’s work as a maltman/maltster resulted in the family settling in nearby St Erme.  As John H Collett from Probus he was nine years old in 1861 when the family home was on Tresillian Road in St Erme.  On completing his schooling, John took up the trade of a carpenter, and was an apprenticed carpenter to John Crocker, with whom he was living and working at Ladock in 1871 at the age of 19.  Probably because his family was residing in St Erme, John Croker gave the census enumerator his place of birth as St Erme and not Probus.  At just twenty years and five months of age, John Hosking Collett married (1) Dinah Ellen Hooper at Ladock on 24^th November 1872.  John was 20 and a carpenter living at Ladock, whose father John Collett was a clerk employed by Mr Carne in St Erme.  Dinah was 18 and a daughter of William Hugo Hooper and Frances Coade and was baptised at St Enoder in Cornwall on 28^th July 1854.  Both John and Dinah signed the register in their own hand, while the witnesses were William Hooper and John Collett

Their wedding was recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 243) during the fourth quarter of 1872, when it seems highly likely that Dinah was already with-child on that day since, within the next three months, Dinah gave birth to a son who was baptised at Ladock on 25^th February 1873, the same day that Dinah was buried there, aged 19.  Tragically for John, his son died shortly after the child’s mother, with his death recorded at Truro during the second quarter of the same year, following which he was buried at Ladock with his mother, on 11^th April 1873

Just over four years after those tragic events, John Hosking Collett, a widower and the son of John Collett, was married by banns to (2) Maria Nance at St Paul’s Church in Truro on 12^th August 1876, Maria being the daughter of Thomas Nance, a plasterer.  Their wedding was recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 218) during the third quarter of 1876, when John Hosking Collett was a widower, and a carpenter the son of John Collett a merchant’s clerk.  Once married the couple left Cornwall to seek a new life in London.  In 1881 John H Collett from Tresillian in Cornwall was 28 and a joiner living within the Kensington area of the capital city.  His wife Maria Collett from Truro in Cornwall was 25 and, by then, their marriage had produced a daughter Annie Collett who was one year old, who had been born at Chelsea.  The family of three was living at 72 Ifield Road in the West Bromley area of London, not far from Chelsea.  Lodging with the family was joiner William H Lewis from Walmer in Kent who was 29.  Ten years later in 1891 it was just joiner John Collett from Tresillian aged 39, a married man, who was living in the St George Hanover Square & Belgrave area of London with his daughter Annie Collett who was 10 years old and born at Bromley.  Where John’s wife was that day has still to be determined

No trace of any member of the family has been found after that time, with the birth of daughter Annie Collett registered at Chelsea (Ref. 1a 359) during the second quarter of 1880, hence she was one year old in 1881.  Accepting she was 10 years of age in 1891, it is possible that the Annie Collett aged 21 in 1901, who was single and a tailoress living and working as a boarder at the City of London home of cigar sorter James Evans and his family, may have been the daughter of John and Maria.  Perhaps James knew her parents were both from Cornwall, and that may have been reason why he informed the census enumerator that Annie had been born in Cornwall

21R6 – William John Collett was born in 1873 at Ladock

The following is the only known child of John Hosking Collett by his second wife Maria Nance:

21R7 – Annie Collett was born in 1880 at Chelsea, London

James Thomas Collett [21Q6] was born at St Erme and was baptised at Probus on 23^rd December 1855.  He was another son of John and Catherine Collett whose birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 187) during the first three months of 1856.  As James T Collett he was five years of age in 1861 when he and his family were living at Tresillian Road in St Erme, where he was still living with his family in 1871 when, as James Collett of St Erme, he was 15 and working as a cart driver.  Seven years later, as simply James Collett married Ellen Cowl with whom he had had two children by the time of the census of 1881.  The wedding took place after the reading of banns at St Paul’s Church in Truro on 7^th September 1878, when James’ father was confirmed as John Collett a maltster, while Ellen was the daughter of William Cowl, a labourer.  The marriage was recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 193) again between James Collett, a maltster, and Ellen Cowl, both residing within the parish of St Paul’s Truro.  At that time, and like many other members of the Collett family, James was living at Tresillian Road in St Erme where he was aged 23 and was employed as a maltster’s man.  His place of birth was confirmed as having been at St Erme.  His wife was Ellen of nearby Truro St Clement where their first child had also been born.  Their two children in 1881 were John who was two years old and Sidney who was three months.  By 1891 the extended family was living at Gilles in St Erme and comprised James Collett aged 36 who was a maltster, Ellen Collett aged 32, and their seven children who were all born at Tresillian Road in St Erme.  John Collett was 12 and at school, as was Sidney Collett who was 10, Nellie Collett who was eight, and Edith Collet who was six, plus Charles Collett who was four, Gertrude Collett who was two, and baby Blanche Annie Collett who was not yet one year old

Nine years later their daughter Ellen Collett (Nellie in 1891) suffered a premature death, so was not with her family for the census in 1901.  That census day, James Collett was recorded at St Erme as a maltster who was 45 who had been born at Tresillian Road.  Ellen his wife was 42 and her place of birth was given as Truro St Clement to the east of Truro.  The children living with the couple on that occasion were Charley 14, Gertrude 12, Annie 10, and Beatrice who was seven.  All four of the children were recorded as having been born at Tresillian, the same as their father.  According to the census of 1911, James and Ellen Collett were still living in St Erme although, by that time, only one of their children was still living with them, plus two grandchildren.  Head of the household James Collett of St Erme was 56 with no stated occupation, when his wife of 33 years was Ellen Collett from St Clements Truro was 53.  The couple’s recently marriage daughter Blanche Annie was named as Anne Mitchell aged 21 and from St Erme who had been married for four years.  The two grandchildren were the two children of the couple’s older married daughter Edith Horwell.  They were Charles Hart Collett Horwell aged two and born at Tresillian Road in St Erme, and Charles Kenny Horwell who was only a few months old and born at Truro St Clements

21R8 – John Collett was born in 1878 at Truro St Clement

21R9 – Sydney Collett was born in 1880 at St Erme

21R10 – Ellen Collett was born in 1882 at St Erme

21R11 – Edith Collett was born in 1884 at St Erme

21R12 – Charles Collett was born in 1886 at St Erme

21R13 – Gertrude Collett was born in 1888 at St Erme

21R14 – Blanche Annie Collett was born in 1890 at St Erme

21R15 – Beatrice Collett was born in 1893 at St Erme

Peter Thomas Collett [21Q7] was born at St Erme, with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 188) during the first quarter of 1857, the fourth child of John Collett and Catharine Hoskins who was baptised at Probus on 31^st May 1857.  Tragically, only three months later he died and was buried at Merther on 14^th March 1858.  He was thirteen months old when he died at St Erme, with his death recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 145)

Catherine Jane Collett [21Q8] was born at St Erme in 1858 when her birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 179) during the third quarter of the year.  She was baptised at Probus on 26^th December 1858, but only survived for around a year when she died at St Erme and was buried at Merther on 22^nd July 1859.  Her death was recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 103)

Catherine Jane Collett [21Q9] was born at St Erme, with her birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 193) during the last three months of 1859.  On being baptised at Probus on 8^th April 1860 she was confirmed as the daughter of John Collett and his wife Catharine Hoskins.  She was one year old in the St Erme census of 1861 and was 11 in the following census of 1871 when on both occasion she was living there with her family.  Ten years later, the 1881 census for Probus included 22-year-old Catherine Collett of Probus who was a housemaid and domestic servant at the Probus home of William James a farmer of 460 acres employing 20 farm hands.

Emily Collett [21Q10] was born at Tresillian Road in St Erme during December 1860 when her birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 177) during the first quarter of 1861.  She was living with her family at St Erme on the day of the census in 1861 when she was three months old, but four months later she died and was buried at Merther on 8^th August 1861 aged nine months.  She was another child of John Collett, a maltster from Merther, and his wife Catherine from St Allen, whose infant death was recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 101)

Emily Collett [21Q11] was born at Tresillian Road in St Erme towards the end of 1862 and baptised at Probus on 22^nd December 1862 using the name of her older sister who had died during the previous year.  She was seven years old and 18 years of age in the next two census returns when she was living with her parents at Tresillian Road in St Erme.  After her father died in 1890, Emily Collett was 28 when she was still living with her widowed mother at St Erme in 1891, and again in 1901, by which she was a married lady with a husband and three children, when her elderly mother was head of the household.  The marriage of Emily Collett and Frederick Walters after the reading of banns took place at the parish church in St Erme on 7^th August 1892 when the bride was a spinster of St Erme at 28 and the daughter of John Collett, a clerk, deceased.  The groom was 25, a bachelor and a railway labourer of St Erme, whose father was farmer John Walters.  Their wedding was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 198) during the third quarter of 1892

According to the St Erme census in 1901, Emily Walters from St Erme was 38, her husband was Frederick Walters from St Agnes who was 32 and a general labourer for a local farmer, daughter Mabel G Walters was seven, Herbert Walters was four, and Norah Walters was one-year-old, all three children born at St Erme

Louisa Collett [21Q12] was born at Tresillian Road in St Erme during the summer of 1865, with her birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 171) during the third quarter of the year.  It was nearly a year later, that she was baptised at Probus on 20^th May 1866, the youngest child of John Collett and his wife Catherine Hoskin/Hoskins/Hoskings.  Louisa was five years old in 1871, and was 16 in 1881 when she was still living at Tresillian Road in St Erme with her family

Bessie Collett [21Q13] was born in Truro on 19^th January 1865 and was the eldest daughter of former naval seaman James Collett and his wife Mary who were married at Truro in 1863.  Following the birth of her sister at Truro when Bessie was two years of age, they were baptised together in a joint ceremony at St Mary’s Church in Truro on 14^th March 1871 when they were respectively six years of age and four years old, and when their father was described as a labourer.  The census conducted at the end of March in 1871, included Bessie Collett who was six years old and living in Truro with her mother and two of her three younger sisters, the fourth and last child was born two years.  Although her mother was described as married, her father may have been working away from home, but returned shortly thereafter to father the fourth child.  Sometime after the birth, and before the next census in 1881 James Collett died, the four sisters being raised by their mother.  By 1881 Bessie Collett was working as a tailoress at the age of 16, when she was still living with her widowed mother and the rest of her family at Boscawen Row in St Mary’s Truro.  Two years later the four sisters were orphaned when their mother died during the spring of 1883

Eliza Jane Collett [21Q14] was born at Truro on 22^nd January 1867, and was just over four years old when she was baptised at St Mary’s Church in Truro with her older sister Bessie (above) on 14^th March 1871, another daughter of labourer James and Mary Collett.  In the census of 1871, she was living with her mother Mary, her older sister Bessie (above), and younger sister Caroline.  Where her father was that day has not been determined.  Her father died during the next ten years and in 1881, when she was 14 and still at school, Eliza J Collett was living with her widowed mother Mary Collett at Boscawen Row in St Mary’s Truro, and her three sisters Bessie, Caroline, and Johanna.  What happened to the four sisters after their mother died in 1883 is still not known.  Eight years after that, in 1891, Eliza Collett was 23 and a general domestic servant at the New Street, Falmouth home of schoolmaster Isaac W Manger from London

Joanna Collett [21Q15] was born at Truro in 1869 and died there the following year, another daughter of James and Mary Collett, who death was recorded there (Ref. 5c 120) age the age of one year.  Two years later, the next daughter born into the family was given the same name

Caroline Collett [21Q16] was born during the month of February in 1871 and was one month old on the day of the Truro census in 1871.  Her birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 172) during the first quarter of the year.  As in the case of her sister Eliza Jane (above), Caroline was also around four years old when she was baptised in Truro on 12^th January 1875, the third daughter of James and Mary Collett.  Following the death of her father during the second half of the 1870s, Caroline was ten years old and living with her three sisters and their widowed mother at Boscawen Row in Truro.  A difficult time followed for the sisters when their mother died in the first half of 1883

It was in 1907 that Caroline Collett from Truro married to become Caroline Helps who gave birth to two daughters shortly after.  That situation was confirmed by the 1911 Census, when 40-year-old Caroline Helps was head of the household at St Clements Truro.  She was married although her husband was absent from the family home, Caroline just having her two young daughters with her.  They were Francis May Helps who was three, and Mary Irene Helps who was two years of age, both born many miles away at Mullion

Johanna Collett [21Q17] was born at Truro in 1873 but no record of her birth has been found.  She was the last of the four daughters of James and Mary Collett, who was baptised at Truro on 12^th January 1875 in a joint service with her older sister Caroline (above).  She was eight years of age in the Truro St Mary’s Census in 1881, when she was living at Boscawen Row with her widowed mother and her three older sisters, who were made orphans when their mother died in 1883

Sidney Charles Collett [21Q18] was born at Newton Ferrers, to the east of Plymouth, possibly at the end of 1876, with his birth registered at Plympton (Ref. 5b 235) during the first three months of 1877.  And it was at Newton Ferrers that he was living with his parents Charles and Emma Collett in April 1881 at the age of four years.  During the following few years his father died and so, by the time of the census in 1891, 14-year-old Sidney C Collett was stilling living at Newton Ferrers but only with his widowed mother Emma.  Sometime during the 1890s his mother returned to Holbeton – east of Plymouth, the village where she was born, and that may have been where he met his future wife.  It was almost ten years later, when Sydney Charles Collett was 24, that he married Bessie Rogers, their wedding day recorded at Plymouth register office (Ref. 5b 433) during the first three months of 1901.  The census that year recorded the couple as living in the St Budeaux district of Plymouth where Sidney was working as a baker, a business he had taken over from his mother who, in that same year, was described as a retired baker.  Sidney C Collett was 24 and from Newton Ferrers, while his wife Bessie Collett was 23.  Bessie was very likely to have been with-child on the day of the census at the end of March in 1901, since the first of the couple’s three children was born later that same year, the birth being recorded at Plympton register office, east of Plymouth

Seven years after the birth of their first child, Bessie presented Sidney with their second son when they were living ten miles north of Plymouth in the village of Buckland Monachorum, where the family of four was recorded in the Tavistock area of Devon in 1911.  The birth of the couple’s second child was recorded at Tavistock register office.  The census return listed the family as Sydney Charles Collett from Newton Ferrers who was 34 and a poultry farmer, his wife Bessie Collett from Plymouth who was 33, their son Russell Collett who was nine, whose place of birth was recorded as St Rudmere (?) in Devon, and their youngest son Ivor Collett who was two years old and born at Buckland Monachorum.  Staying with the family was Sydney’s mother 57-year-old Emma Collett from Holbeton, near Plymouth.  There was then a large gap in years between the birth of the couple’s second and third child, whose birth was also recorded at Devonport register office towards the end of 1919

Forty years later when he was residing at 18 Corporation Road in Peverell, Plymouth but was taken into the South Devon and East Cornwall Hospital in Plymouth where he died on 12^th March 1951. The death of Sydney Charles Collett was recorded at Plymouth register office (Ref. 7a 2059) during the first quarter of 1951 and administration of his estate of £179 4 Shillings and 6 Pence was granted to his daughter Betty Climo, the wife of Charles Clifford Climo

21R16 – Russell Clifford Collett was born in 1901 at Devonport

21R17 – Ivor Victor Roy Collett was born in 1908 at Buckland Monachorum

21R18 – Betty Collett was born in 1919 at Devonport

Clara Collett [21Q19] was born at St Erme at the end of 1898, the eldest of the three known children of John Collett and Sarah Grace Murton, her birth recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 127) during the first quarter of 1899.  On the day of the census in April 1901 Clara, aged two years, and her younger sister Ada (below), were recorded at the family home in St Erme with their parents, when their mother was anticipating the arrival of a third child, who was for later that year.  The completed family was together again in 1911 when they were residing in St Erme, where Clara Collett was 12.  It may be odd, but in 1901 her place of birth was given as St Erme, while in 1911 it was said to be Tresillian, the same as her two siblings, a possible reference to Tresillian Road in St Erme where they were born.  All that is currently known about Clara Collett is that she was still not married by the time her father died in 1932.  Probate for John Collett of Tresillian was granted jointly to his daughter Clara Collett, a spinster, and William George White, a farmer.  The value of his personal estate was said to be £1,739 2 Shillings

Ada Maud Collett [21Q20] was born at St Erme on 20^th December 1899, with her birth recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 128) during the first three months of 1900, the second of the three children of John Collett, a farmer and grocer, and his wife Sarah.  A year later, when Ada was around fifteen months old, she and her sister Clara (above) were living with their parents John and Sarah at St Erme.  The family was again living at St Erme in 1911 when Ada Maud Collett was 11 years of age and at school.  Fourteen years later, the marriage of Ada Maud Collett and George C H Bunt was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 287) during the last quarter of 1925.  Their marriage produced two children for the couple, and they were Audrey B R Bunt in 1926 (Ref. 5c 175), and Peter G Bunt in 1931 (Ref. 5c 157), both births recorded at Truro register office with their mother’s maiden-name confirmed as Collett.  Ada lived all her life in Cornwall, where she died on 10^th April 1969 at the age of 70, when her death was recorded at Cornwall register office (Ref. 7a 509), after which her body was laid to rest at Penmount Cemetery in Truro where she was living when she passed away

Charles Glencoe Collett [21Q21] was born at Tresillian Road in St Erme after March 1901 and was the youngest of the three children of John Collett and Sarah Grace Murton, his birth recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 127) during the second quarter of that year.  He was nine years old in the census of 1911 when living at St Erme with his family, when his place of birth recorded as Tresillian.  The death of Charles G Collett on Christmas Day was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 150) during the last month of 1930 when he was 29.  Judging by the probate announcement, Charles was a bachelor when he died and it was his father John Collett, a retired farmer, who was named as the administrator of his estate valued at £3,616 17 Shillings and 4 Pence, a substantial amount of money for a young man back in those days.  The final address for Charles Glencoe Collett was recorded as Gillies in Tresillian, Probus in Cornwall

William James Collett [21Q22] was born at Camborne early in 1861 with his birth registered at Redruth (Ref. 5c 315) during the second quarter of that year.  He was the first-born child of Martins William Collett by the first of his three wives Mary Sims.  It was later in his father’s life that he was recorded as William Collett, whereas son William James was sometimes recorded as simply James.  However, in the census of 1871, William James Collett from Camborne in Cornwall was 12 years old and was already earning a living as an operative at a cotton factory in Cheadle Bulkeley in Cheshire, where he was living with his family.  It was shortly after he was born that his family moved to Lancashire, via Plymouth, and then Cheshire, where they were living at 49 Greenough Street in Wigan on the day of the next census in 1881.  That year, James Collett was nineteen years old and was described a joiner, like his father, but ‘out of employment’ at that time

Edith Collett [21Q23] was born in 1865 at Camborne, the second child of Martin Williams Collett and his first wife Mary Sims, who remains a mystery.  Apart from living with her family at Cheadle Bulkeley near Stockport in Cheshire in 1871, when she was six years old and born at Camborne in Cornwall, no record of her birth has been found, with just her death recorded at Stockport (Ref. 3a 35) during 1872, when she was reported to still be six years of age

John Jenkin Collett [21Q24] was born at Plymouth in 1868, where his birth was registered (Ref. 5b 275) during the third quarter of the year.  He was another son of Martin and Mary Collett who when John was only one year old, took the family to the north of England, and initially settled in Stockport, before moving to Wigan.  At the age of 12, John Collett from Plymouth and his family were living at 49 Greenough Street in Wigan.  Twenty years later, John J Collett from Plymouth was married with a son, when he was 32 and a scenic artist living at Hulton Street, Ordsall in Salford, Manchester, Lancashire.  His wife was Mary Collett from Prestwich in Lancashire who was 30, while their Manchester born son Victor Collett was three years old.  Boarding with the family were Staffordshire born sisters Alice A Ansell aged 27 and Ellen D Ansell aged 19, who were both employed as shirt machinists

The birth of Victor Collett was recorded at Manchester register office (Ref. 8d 247) during the second quarter of 1897.  However, two years later it was as Victor Collette, the son of John Jenkin Collette and his wife Mary Collette, that he was baptised in St Clements Church at Ordsall-in-Salford on 29^th October 1899.  Not long after that, the family of three sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and, according to the US Census of 1910, they were recorded at Los Angeles Assembly District 71.  John J Collette was 41, Mary Collette was 39, and Victor Collette was 12, with all three born in England.  The census form stated the couple had been married for fifteen years, had arrived in America during 1904, and that John was an artist working in a theatre.  Eight years later John Jenkin Collett from England died in Los Angeles on 19^th November 1918

21R19 – Victor Collette was born in 1897 at Manchester

Frederick Collett [21Q25] was born at Cheadle Bulkeley near Stockport at the end of 1870, with his birth recorded there (Ref. 8a 55) during the first quarter of 1871, another son of Martin Williams Collett from Cornwall, joiner, and Mary Sims of Wigan.  Curiously, the only census that he was recorded in was in 1881 when he was living with his family at 49 Greenough Street in Wigan, when he was nine years of age and attending school.  Shortly after that census day, his mother died, and his father was married for a second time in 1884.  By 1891, when Frederick would have been nineteen, he had already left the home of father and stepmother in Wigan.  He may have joined the armed forces and served overseas, because no obviously record of him has been found in the United Kingdom from 1891 through to 1911. At the end of his life Frederick Collett of Ince-in-Makersfield, within the Borough of Wigan, was 74 years old when he died on 17^th February 1945, and was buried there at the Lower Ince Cemetery

Gertrude Florence Collett [21Q26] was born at Cheadle Bulkeley, Stockport, in 1875, her birth as simply Gertrude Collett registered at Stockport (Ref. 8a 51) during the second quarter of the year.  She was the daughter of joiner Martin Williams Collett and his wife Mary Sims, with whom she was living in 1881, following her parents move from Cornwall to Lancashire.  At that time, Gertrude was six years old when she was living with her family at 49 Greenough Street in Wigan.  However, around six years later it would appear that her mother Mary died during childbirth, after which her father married Elizabeth, as confirmed by the census in 1891 when Gertrude from Stockport was 16.  Ten year later, at the time of the census in 1901 when, for the first time in her life, she was named as Gertrude F Collett who was 25 and working as a domestic cook at the Wigan home of elderly widow Anne Darlington and her two middle-aged spinster daughters Annie and Ellen, all three ladies living on their own means.  On that occasion she gave her place of birth as Plymouth, which was where her older brother John was known to have been born.  Ten years later Gertrude Collett was unmarried at the age of 36 when she was once again living with her three-times-widowed father William Collett at 23 Frederick Street in Ince-in-Makerfield, Wigan, where her younger half-brother Thomas (below) was still living with his father

Six months later her father passed away and her half-brother Thomas Collett emigrated to America, perhaps even taking Gertrude with him, since it is now established that Gertrude Florence Collett from England and a single lady aged 75, was residing in Los Angeles on the day of the US Census in 1950 on 10^th April, at a time in her life when she was taking in lodgers.  It is interesting that her half-brother Thomas Pilling Collett died in Los Angles during May 1964, while her older brother John Jenkin Collett (above) died in Los Angeles in November 1918

Charles Collett [21Q27] was born at Wigan in February 1881 and was listed as being one month old if the census that year, living with his family at 49 Greenough Street in Wigan.  His birth was registered at Wigan (Ref. 8c 61) during the first three months of 1881.  Following the death of his mother Mary around 1887, his father re-married and in 1891 Charles Collett was 10 years old and living in Wigan with his father and stepmother and two of his siblings.  No further record of him has been found after that time

Thomas Pilling Collett [21Q28] was born at Wigan on 10^th March 1888, when his birth was registered at Wigan (Ref. 8c 51) during the second quarter of the year.  He was the only child from the second marriage of Martin Williams Collett and Elizabeth Pilling, the second of his father’s three wives.  Thomas was three years of age in the Wigan census of 1891 and was six years old when his mother died at Wigan at the start of 1895.  It was later that same year, when his father married widow Frances Pemberton, and she and her four unmarried daughters moved in with Thomas and his father.  That situation was confirmed in the Wigan census of 1901 when they were living at School Lane, where Thomas Collett was 13 and still attending school.  Thomas was still living with his father in 1911, but at 23 Frederick Street in Ince-in-Makerfield, Wigan, with his unmarried half-sister Gertrude Collett (above) returning to act as their father’s housekeeper, by which time in his life Thomas was 23 and a coal miner on setter working underground.  Tragically, it was there also that his father died six months later

Following the death of his father on 26^th October 1911, Thomas sailed to a new life in America and it was during 1918 that he became an American citizen.  It was on 13^th December that year that he enlisted with the United States Air Force, while he was residing at 2320 Hunter Street in Los Angeles, California.  Thomas Pilling Collette, born on 10^th March 1888, was recorded as Private Collette, attached to 147 Spruce Squadron.  The only other known fact regarding Thomas, is that Thomas Pilling Collette died at Los Angeles on 28^th May 1964, at the age of 76

Joseph Harris Collett [21Q29] was born at Feock on 7^th November 1869, the eldest of the two known children of Joseph Harris Collett and Emily Gay.  His birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 177) during the last quarter of the year.  He was one year old at the time of the Feock census in 1871, and was 11 years of age ten years later, when he and his sister Lena (below) were living at Carnon Downs near Feock, with their mother, while their father was already living and working in America, to where the family eventually emigrated.  In December 1883 Joseph was still attending Wes Day School in Truro, his school book being held by his present-day family in America.  In 2013 the United States Colorado Naturalisation Certificate dated 12^th December 1882 for his father Joseph Harris Collett is proudly displayed on the office wall of his great-granddaughter Allyson Nixon nee Collette, and it was from that date that the family name had the E added to the end of their surname

While it may have been the Colorado Silver Rush which attracted the family to the New World, it was at Lake Charles in Louisiana that the family settled and where Joseph’s father established Collette’s Grocery Store.  On 29^th November 1894 Joseph Harris Collette married Ida King, the sixth child of the Reverend Cyrus A King and Frances Ellen Parkins, who was born on 24^th July 1872 at Schuyler in Nebraska.  The marriage produced five children for the couple, including a set of twins, and by the end of the century Joseph owned a saw-mill and lumber business near Lake Charles, where all their children were born.  Joseph Harris Collette was only 43 years of age when he died at Edna in Louisiana on 16^th January 1913, just six months prior to the death of his father at Lake Charles.  His widow lived a long life, since it was on 20^th October 1956 that Ida Collette nee King passed away at the age of 84.  At that time in her life her address was 704 Iris Street in Lake Charles, the timber property having been specifically built for Ida and Joseph Collette

21R20 – Alpha Harris Collett was born in 1895 at Lake Charles, Louisiana

21R21 – Donald Allan Collett was born in 1896 at Lake Charles, Louisiana

21R22 – Mabel Edna Collett was born in 1896 at Lake Charles, Louisiana

21R23 – Josephine Collett was born in 1902 at Lake Charles, Louisiana

21R24 – Edith Collett was born in 1907 at Lake Charles, Louisiana

Lena Emily Collett [21Q30] was born at Feock on 29^th December 1872, the younger of the two children of Joseph Harris Collett and Emily Gay.  Her birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 176) during the first quarter of the year, after which she was baptised at Feock on 6^th February 1873.  Lena was eight years of age when recorded with her mother and brother Joseph (above) while the three on them were awaiting a letter from Lena’s father to join him in America.  And it was there that Lena Emily Reimers, nee Collett, died on 30^th July 1948, with her death certificate providing the following information.  She was married, a housekeeper aged 75 years 7 months 1 week, who was residing at 1386 Pipkin Street, where she had lived for 26 years, the wife of Henry G Reimers of the same address.  She had been born at Truro, Cornwall, England, on 30^th December 1872, with her parents named as Joseph H Collett and Emily Gay.  The cause of death was cerebral Thrombosis, and it was two days after she had passed away that Lena was buried at Graceland Cemetery in Lake Charles in Louisiana

Ada Jessie Collett [21Q31] was born at Feock in 1874, the only known child of Thomas Collett and Ellen Dunston, and her birth was recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 169) at the start of the year.  A few months later, she was baptised using her full name at Truro on 3^rd April 1874.  It was as Ada J Collett, aged seven, that she was living with her family at Carnon Down in Feock in 1881, as she was in 1891 when she was 17 years old.  Less than three years later the marriage of Ada Jessie Collett and John Locke was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 193) during the first three months of 1894.  On the day of the next census in 1901, John Locke was 37 and a farmer of Feock, his wife Ada J Locke from Feock was 27, and their daughter Constance W Locke of Kea who was one year old.  A second daughter was added to the family a couple of years later, with the four members of the family residing at Perranzabuloe in 1911.  By that time John was 46 and Ada Jessie was 37, when Constance Wilmot Locke was 11 and Mildred Bernice Collett Locke was seven.  Nine years later, the death of Ada J Locke was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 151) during the second quarter of 1920, following which Ada Jessie Locke of Polglaze, Perrancoombe, was buried at Perranzabuloe on 9^th June 1920 at the age of 46

Charles Edward Collett [21Q32] was born in Cornwall on 25^th August 1876, with his birth simply as Charles Collett registered at Redruth (Ref. 5c 218) during the third quarter of that year.  That was around nine months after his parents, Hannibal Collett, a mason, and Mary Manuel, were married towards the end of the previous year.  When his parents travelled to America in May 1878, Charles was not listed with them, perhaps because he was still a babe-in-arms.  However, much later in his life and after he had married (1) Lucy Risch in 1904, he completed a Petition for Naturalization in the USA on 25^th August 1914, with the legal paperwork confirming the following information.  Firstly, his name, date and place of birth, were stated, when he and Lucy were residing at Sidney, Richland County in Montana, from where Charles’ occupation was that of an attorney

Next, the petition recorded that he had sailed from Liverpool to New York in 1878, and was an honourably discharged soldier applying for citizenship.  His wife Lucy was from St Paul in Minneapolis, with whom he already had two children, who were also born at St Paul.  They were William Rich Collett who was born on 4^th January 1907, and Margaret Lynda Collett who was born on 23^rd August 1908, both living with Charles and Lucy at Sidney.  The form required Charles to denounce any allegiance to George V, King of Great Britain & Ireland.  After completing the petition, it took until 1^st May 1917 for citizenship to be approved

The first recording of Charles Edward Collett in an American census, was in 1900 when he was a bachelor aged 24 from England, who was a student boarding with the Rich family at Keowitt Avenue, St Paul City, Ramsey County in Minnesota.  On that occasion, his date of birth was recorded in error as 23^rd August 1876.  He may have lived with the family for some years, and later used the family’s surname as a forename for his first child.  Five years later, Charles E Collett from England was 29 and an attorney who, together with his recently acquired wife Lucie S Collett, was still living at Keowitt Avenue with printer William Rich and his wife Lydia

According to the City of St Paul census in Ramsey County in 1910, Charles had been married for six years, but was working away from his wife Lucy that day, and was a lawyer employed by a law firm, who was 33 years old and a lodger with the Holley family.  At the age of 42, Charles Edward Collett of Sidney, Montana, and born on 25^th August 1876, his First World War Registration Card confirmed he was an American citizen and a lawyer, whose wife was Lucy Risch Collett.  The date of registration was 9^th December 1918

The next census in 1920 for Richland Montana, included all four members of the family.  Head of the household Charles E Collett from England was 43 and a County Attorney, his wife Lucy R Collett – amended to Lucie R Collett from Minnesota was 39, and their two children were William Richard Collett who was 13 and born at Minnesota, as was Margaret L Collett who was 11.  Renting a room in the property was Ruth H Humphrey aged 27 who was a teacher at a public school, described as a ‘roomer’  The district of Sidney in which the family was living was recorded as Sidney School District 45

It was a similar situation in 1930, with the family home still being within the Sidney School District, but on the day of the census that year, the couple’s two children were absent, although recorded as living there just the same.  Charles was 53 and an attorney at law, Lucy was 49, William R Collett was 23, and Margaret L Collett was 21, both still unmarried, and again with no occupation like their mother.  The other member of the household was Ethel M Huck who was 41 and a housekeeper, while the property in which they were living was valued at $5,000

During the following decade, Charles was widowed and, on 30^th November 1939 at Falls Church, Fairfax County in Virginia, Charles Edward Collett, a widower aged 63, married (2) Louella Orange Webb, the 61-year-old unmarried daughter of William West Webb and Eliza Jane Atcheson.  Charles was confirmed as born in Cornwall England, an attorney, and the son of Hannibal Collett and Mary Manuel, who was residing at 2818 Rittenhouse in Washington DC.  Louella was from Paoli in Indiana and was residing at 3133 Connecticut Avenue in Washington DC.  Charles Edward Collett was 80 years of age when he died at Los Angeles in California on 29^th March 1957.  The death certificate confirmed that he was an attorney at law, and that he was already widowed for a second time in his life.  The informant of his passing while at Braewood Sanitorium was his daughter Margaret Bryant, when his last home address was 2194 Dudley Street, Pasadena, Los Angeles

21R25 – William Richard Collett was born on 4^th April 1907 at St Paul, Minneapolis

21R25 – Margaret Lynda Collett was born on 23^rd August 1908 at St Paul, Minneapolis

William Hannibal Collett [21Q33] was born in Kansas City on 19^th January 1884, the second known child of Hannibal Collett and Mary Manuel, both from Feock in Cornwall.  He is known to have married Mary Ashley and was just over forty years of age when he died at Minneapolis, Hennepin County in Minnesota, on 2^nd August 1925.  The death certificate confirmed that he was the husband of Mrs Mary Collett, the son of Hannibal Collett and Mary Manuel, who had been born in Kansas City

Five years earlier William H Collett from Kansas and his wife Mary, were recorded in the Hennepin County census in 1920.  Their place of residence was 8^th Precinct in Minneapolis City, where William H Collett, of English parents, was 37 and a plumber having his own shop.  Mary L Collett from Wisconsin was 36, and living with the couple was William’s mother-in-law and brother-in-law.  They were Harriet S Ashley, a widow at 61, and Theodore Ashley who was 21, a clerk working for the government

The World War One Registration Card for William Hannibal Collett reveals a few more details about his short life.  Dated as 9^th December 1918, it described him as tall, slender, with brown eyes, and dark hair, native born on 19^th January 1884, so aged 34, and living at 310 Humbolt North, Minneapolis, Hennepin County.  His occupation was a steam fitter (plumber) having his own business, when his nearest relative was Mary Louise Collett, his wife, address as above

Thomas Davey Collett [21Q34] was born at Philleigh in 1858, his birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 175) during the second quarter of the year.  He was around six months old when he was baptised at Philleigh on 31^st October 1858, the eldest child of Thomas Collett, a labourer, and Ann Morse.  It was around the time of his second birthday, that Thomas died, his death recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 114) during the second quarter of 1860.  He was buried at Philleigh on 14^th May 1860, when the parish burial recorded that he and his family were living at Treworthal

Elizabeth Ann Collett [21Q35] was born at Philleigh in 1860, her birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 161) during the third quarter of the year.  It was at Philleigh parish church that Elizabeth Ann Collett, daughter of labourer Thomas and his wife Ann, was baptised on 2^nd February 1861.  Sometime after she was born the family moved from Philleigh, ten miles west, to set up home at St Stithians and just west of St Gluvias.  And it was there in 1871 that she was living with her family aged ten years.  Ten years later and at the age of 20, Elizabeth A Collett was still living at the family home at 18 Sunny Corner in St Stithians where she was listed as a mother’s helper

Elizabeth never married and was the only child still living with her parents at Kennall Vale in St Stithians in 1891 when she was thirty.  Over the following years her father died, when she and her mother moved to St Gluvias just east of St Stithians and north of Penryn where, in 1901, Elizabeth was 40 and her mother Ann said she was 67.  There was only one other Collett living at St Gluvias in 1901 and that was dairymaid Annie Collett aged 17 who was born there in 1883, the eldest child of Elizabeth’s brother William Henry Collett (below).  By April 1911, Elizabeth Ann Collett from Philleigh was 50 years old and was residing in the Ponsanooth area just north-west of St Gluvias with her 75-year-old mother Ann Collett from Veryan

William Henry Collett [21Q36] was born at Philleigh in 1862, with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 165) during the last three months of the year.  He was then baptised at Philleigh parish church on 28^th December 1862, the son of Thomas Collett and Ann Morse.  He was eight years old in 1871 when he was living with his family at St Stithians.  On leaving school he worked as an agricultural labourer, probably with his father, and was still living with his family at Sunny Corner in St Stithians in 1881.  Eighteen months later, the banns of marriage for William Henry Collett and Elizabeth Ann Bath (both residing in the Parish of St Gluvias), were read on each of the first three Sundays of December in 1882.  The actual wedding ceremony was conducted at the Church of St Budock in Falmouth on Saturday 23^rd December 1882, when William Henry Collett, son of Thomas Collett, was 20 as was Elizabeth Ann, the daughter of John Bath.  The event was recorded at Falmouth (Ref. 5c 314)

The couple’s first child was born and baptised at St Gluvias, before the three of them moved to Mylor Bridge, just north of Penryn, where the next three children were born, although still baptised at St Gluvias.  Another family move took place after the census day in 1891, with the last child born at Stithians to the west of St Gluvias.  On the day of the census in 1891, the couple and their first four children were recorded at Goonreath in Mylor.  William H Collett was 28 and a farm labourer, his wife Elizabeth A Collett was also 28, when the four children were Annie J Collett who was seven, Mary E Collett who was five, Beatrice S Collett who was four, and William C Collett who was two years of age

By the time of the census of, 1901 the family of six was living at Gwennap, midway between Redruth and Penryn.  The census listed William H Collett as aged 38 and born at Philleigh who was working as a domestic gardener and his wife Elizabeth A Collett as 38 and born at St Gluvias.  Their daughters were Mary aged 15, and Beatrice aged 13, both working as apprentice tailoresses, when the sons were William who was 12, and Thomas who was five.  For whatever reason the family, excluding their eldest daughter, left Gwennap during the next decade, when they moved east to Perranarworthal, while the couple’s eldest daughter remained in Gwennap

The reason for the move may have been a better job opportunity for William, then in his 40s, on the railway, and most likely at nearby Perranwell Station.  Just one year prior to the census in 1911, the death of William Henry Collett, aged 47, was recorded at Falmouth register office (Ref. 5c 96) during the second quarter of 1910.  The remainder of his family was recorded at Perranwell Station in Perranarworthal in 1911, where his wife widow Elizabeth Collett from St Gluvias was 48 and head of the household, having no occupation, her daughter Beatrice Collett from Mylor who was 23 and a machinist working in a shirt factory, and her two sons William and Thomas Collett.  William Collett from Mylor was 22 and a domestic gardener, while Thomas Collett from St Stithians was 15 and a clerk employed by a miller and a merchant.  Just under six years later, the death of Elizabeth Ann Collett was recorded at Falmouth register office (Ref. 5c 234) during the first three months of 1917, when she was 56

21R27 – Annie Jane Collett was born in 1883 at St Gluvias

21R28 – Mary Ellen Collett was born in 1886 at Mylor Bridge

21R29 – Beatrice Sarah Collett was born in 1887 at Mylor Bridge

21R30 – William Charles Collett was born in 1889 at Mylor Bridge

21R31 – Thomas J Collett was born in 1895 at Stithians

Mary Collett [21Q37] was born at Philleigh in 1866, her birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 178) during the first three months of that year.  It was at Philleigh where she was baptised on 10^th June 1866, the youngest child born to Thomas Collett and Ann Morse.  She was aged five years in 1871 and was 15 years old in the 1881 Census.  On both occasions she was living at 18 Sunny Corner in St Stithians with her family, when her place of birth was confirmed as Philleigh.  It was eight years later at the age of 23 that she married James Henry Burley, aged 25, at Perranworthal on 22^nd April 1889.  Their wedding was recorded at Falmouth register office (Ref. 5c 269).  James was born at Tregony in 1863, the son of agricultural labourer William Burley and his wife Susan A Burley, both of Tregony

In 1881 James was 17 and was also working as an agricultural labourer while he was still living with his family at Pellean Cross in Perranworthal.  He was the second oldest child in the family of seven brothers and three sisters.  Sometime during the year after they were married Mary presented James with their first child Cloelinda Burley who was born at Gwennap in 1890.  The following year the census of 1891 revealed that Mary aged 25, and Cloelinda Burley who was not yet one year old, were living with the Redruth & Gwennap registration district with James Burley’s sister Elizabeth and was described as ‘living on her own means’

Her husband James has not been accounted for in the census and it has since been discovered that he had sailed to America.  Mary and her daughter were eventually reunited with him in Montana and it was there that their second child was born.  He was William Thomas Burley who was born at Montana in 1893.  Not long after the birth of their son the family returned to Cornwall.  The exact reason for the move has not been established, since there was nothing significant happening in the USA at that time.  It therefore seems likely that Mary may have become homesick and wished to return to her native roots

Once back in Cornwall the couple were blessed with the birth of their third and fourth offspring, they being Ethel Burley who was born in 1895 and James Henry Burley who was born in 1897, both having been born at Gwennap.  By the time of the 1901 Census for Gwennap, Mary Burley of Philleigh was 35 and living with her were her four children Cloelinda who was ten, William who was seven, Ethel who was six, and James who was four and, yet again, there was no mention of Mary’s husband James Burley

During the next decade a further two children were added to the family, so by April 1911 the family living at Frogpool in Perranwell was made up of James Burley from Tregony who was 47 and a farmer, his wife Mary Burley from Philleigh who was 45, William Thomas Burley from America who was 17 and a greengrocer, Ethel Burley who was 16 and working in a tape factory, James Henry Burley who was 14 and working on the farm with his father, Frederick Burley who was eight and at school, and Lillie Burley who was four years old.  Apart from their eldest son, all the other children were recorded as having been born at Gwennap.  The later death of Mary Burley was recorded in Cornwall (Ref. 5c 141) in 1926, when she was 61.  This is the family line of Lynne Sanders who kindly provided the information relating to the children of Mary Collett and her husband James

Robert Davey Collett [21Q38] was born at Illogan near Redruth where his birth was registered (Ref. 5c 257) during the last three months of 1860.  Not long after he was born, his parents moved back to Philleigh where his father had been born and where Robert was baptised on 14^th April 1861, the son of labourer William Henry Collett and Grace Jewell of Illogan.  Further moves saw the family living at Kea, south of Truro, in 1865 and at the time of the 1871 Census he was 10 years old when he was living with his parents and brother Edward (below) in the town of Truro itself.  Sometime after leaving school, he left home to work as an agricultural labourer on the 300-acre farm of Giles Williams at Barn Farm in Ruan Lanihorne just two and a half miles from Philleigh where he was at the time of the 1881 Census.  When he was 27 years of age the marriage of Robert Collett married (1) Elizabeth Ann Hancock was recorded at St Columb (Ref. 5c 127) during the third quarter of 1888, when they were married at St Issey, two miles south of Padstow, on 18^th August 1888.  Elizabeth was born in 1857 at Warleggan, six miles east of Bodmin, where she was baptised on 18th January 1857, the daughter of Robert and Jane Hancock.  Over the remaining years of the century Elizabeth presented Robert with at least three children

By that time in his life Robert was a member of the Cornwall Constabulary and during the year after their wedding day, Elizabeth presented him with their first child.  On that day the couple was living at Wadebridge in land from Padstow while, by 1891 the family of three was residing at St Breock, one mile west of Wadebridge.  The census that year recorded the family as Robert Davey Collett aged 30 who was a police officer with the Cornwall Constabulary, his wife Elizabeth Ann Collett who was 32, and their son Stanley Warne Collett who was one year old.  It was very likely it was Robert’s work as a policeman that was the reason the family moved a couple of times during the following decade, with their next two children born at St Wenn, west of Bodmin, and at St Blazey, near St Austell.  After the birth of their daughter, the family made a return journey north to the Wadebridge area of Cornwall, where they were recorded in the census of 1901

According to the census return that year, police constable Robert Davey Collett was living at Molesworth Street in Wadebridge when he was 40 and gave his place of birth as Illogan.  Living with him was his wife Elizabeth Ann Collett from Warleggan who was 43, together with their three children.  They were Stanley Warne Collett who was eleven and born at Wadebridge, John Percy Collett who was eight and born at St Wenn, and Gwendoline May Collett who was three years of age and born at St Blazey.  It was less than three years later when the death of Elizabeth Ann Collett, aged 45, was recorded at Bodmin register office (Ref. 5c 59) during the first three months of 1904

Following her passing it was one year later that Robert Collett married (2) Jemima Bishop, the event recorded at St Columb (Ref. 5c 135) during the first quarter of 1905, the marriage producing a further two children for Robert.  By 1911 Robert Davy Collett from Illogan had retired from the police force and was recorded as a 50-year-old police pensioner who was living with his family within the St Austell Urban registration district of South Cornwall.  His much younger wife was Jemima Collett from St Kew who was 44, and still living with Robert were the three children from his previous marriage, together with the two latest arrivals.  Stanley W Collett was 21 and born at Wadebridge, John Percy Collett was 19 and born at St Wenn, and Gwendoline Collett was 13 and born at St Blazey.  The first of Robert and Jemima’s children Thomas C Collett was five years old and born at Lostwithiel, while daughter Doris Collett was three years of age and had been born after the family settled in St Austell

The death of Robert D Collett, aged 78, was recorded at Truro register office Ref. 5c 126) during the second quarter of 1939.  By that time, Robert had been widowed for a year, with the death of his wife recorded at Truro during 1938 (Ref. 5c 98) when she was 71.  In 2022, Robert Davey Collett was the only Collett of this family line to have been born at Illogan.  Appendix A, at the end of this section of Part 21, includes another connection to the village of Illogan, which lies two miles from Redruth

21R32 – Stanley Warne Collett was born in 1889 at Wadebridge

21R33 – John Percy Collett was born in 1892 at St Wenn

21R34 – Gwendoline May Collett was born in 1897 at St Blazey

The following are the two children of Robert Davey Collett by his second wife Jemima Bishop:

21R35 – Thomas C Collett was born in 1905 at Lostwithiel

21R36 – Doris Collett was born in 1907 at St Austell

Edward Charles Collett [21Q39] was born at Kea just south of Truro in 1865, with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 185) during the summer of that year, after which he was baptised at Kea on 22^nd July 1865, another son of labourer William and wife Grace.  He was five years old in the 1871 Census for the Truro & St Clements registration district when he and his brother Robert (above) were the only siblings living there with their parents.  At the age of 15, he was employed as an agricultural labourer in the village of Treworthal where he was living with his parents William Henry Collett and Grace Jewell.  This photograph of Edward was taken at Sardis in British Columbia on 12^th September 1938, almost exactly three months before the death of his second wife Annie who also featured in the original picture with his son Henry Lake Collett and his grandson Robert David Collett.  Picture supplied by Neil Collette in 2013

Nearly six years later Edward married, the much older, (1) Ann Williams Johns at Portloe near Veryan on 7^th February 1887.  Ann was 35 at that time, having been born at Veryan on 3^rd October 1852, compared to Edward who was 21.  Ann’s father was Cornish fisherman Peter Blamey Johns, and her mother was Mary Ann Williams Caddy.  It is understood by one source, although so far not verified, that Ann Williams Johns was a direct descendent of John T Collett (Ref. 52G1) of Little Gidding in Huntingdonshire and his London born wife Susanna Ferrar – see the Appendix B at the end of this section of Part 21

By 1881 Ann’s mother had died, so at that time in her life, when she was 27, she was living at Portloe where she was acting as housekeeper to her widowed father Peter who was 64.  Her wedding at Veryan, six years later to Edward Ceollett, was followed by the birth of three sons.  The first of them was born while Edward and Ann were still living in Veryan, but shortly after the birth the family of three settled in Ladock, seven miles north of Veryan, where the couple’s next two children were born.  Tragically, Ann died during the birth of her twin boys who both survived the ordeal, and following which she was buried just after they were born, during the first week of June 1890

Following the death of their mother, the three boys were taken into the care of their widowed grandmother Grace Collett nee Jewell.  However, by the time of the census in April 1891, it was only the oldest son William, who was 12, who was still living with Grace Collett.  By that time the twin brothers had been separated and had been placed in the care of two of the brothers of their late mother in Portloe near Veryan, the details for which can be found under their individual entries.  At that same time in 1891, widower Edward Collett aged 25 and from Kea, was working as a general servant and gardener at Oatlands, near Stoke Damerel in Devon.  His employer and the owner of that property, was John E Scott, the father of Robert Falcon Scott who, ten years later, was more well-known as Scott of the Antarctic.  It was also around that time in 1891 that Edward met and married (2) Ann (Annie) Bowden Gribble.  The story within the family is that Edward did not admit to already having three children, which came as a shock to Annie when he brought the eldest boy into the family home.  Perhaps he never admitted to having the twins at all, because they remained living with the two separate Johns families of his first wife

According to the census in 1881, Annie Gribble from Stonehouse in Plymouth was 11 years old and was living in the village of Loddiswell near Kingsbridge in Devon with her family.  Her father was Henry Gribble, a labourer from Loddiswell, and her mother was Ann Gribble also of Loddiswell.  There was no mention of the name Bowden, although the Cornish records include previous marriages between the Bowden and Gribble families.  The marriage of Edward Charles Collett and Annie Bowden produced a further ten children, all of them born within the Plymouth area, although the first three were born at 61 Palmerston Street in Millbridge, their births recorded at Stoke Damerel register office, the remainder at Plymouth register office.  In each case of the baptism of the children, Edward’s occupation was always recorded as a coachman.  After the birth of those first three children, and following the infant death of the third child, the family left 61 Palmerston Street in the Millbridge area of Plymouth, when their new home was at Mount View Cottage in the Hartley area of north Plymouth, from where the next four children were baptised.  The family’s last address in Plymouth was 21 Corporation Road in the Pennycross area of Plymouth, where the last three children were born, with the last two suffering infant deaths

It is very interesting that on 25^th October 1892, a certain John Collett Bowden was buried in the grounds of the Parish Church at Phillack in Hale near St Ives, who was described as residing at St John’s Street, Copperhouse in Hale, that street running parallel to Bodriggy Street in Copperhouse, the home of John Kitto Collett [21P53] and his family

The Plymouth census conducted at the end of March in 1901, recorded the family at Mount View Cottage in Hartley as Edward Collett aged 35 and a domestic coachman, Annie B Collett who was 31, Edward’s sole surviving son from his first marriage, William Collett who was 12, plus the children born by his second wife, Henry L Collett who was eight, Beatrice Collett who was seven, George Collett who was four, and Annie B Collett who was three years old.  However, by that time the couple had lost two children, Alfred George Collett and Elsie May Collett, who had suffered infant deaths

Just over three years after the death of the couple’s nineth child and one year after the birth of their last child, Edward Charles Collett sailed out of Liverpool on 30^th April 1908 on board the SS Kensington bound for Canada, to seek a new life for his family.  And it was while he was there that he received the sad news from England that his youngest child had died during the first few months of 1909.  Just after the census day on 2^nd April in 1911, Edward’s eldest son from his second marriage, Henry Lake Collett, also made the journey across the Atlantic Ocean to join his father in Canada

Following the departure of her husband, Annie continued to live at 21 Corporation Road in Pennycross, Plymouth, with just five of her ten children, together with Edward’s son William from his first marriage.  And it was at 21 Corporation Road that they were still living in April 1911 when they were recorded in that year’s census.  Annie Collett was 41, her son Henry was listed as Harry Collett aged 18, George was 14, Annie was 13, Winnie was eight, and Alfred was six years old.  Her stepson William Henry Collett was 22 and was also living in the Devonport area at that time.  The only surviving child not mentioned on the census return was Annie’s eldest daughter Beatrice who would have been 17, and it is now known that she had gone to live with relatives in America, rather than Canada

It was three years later, on 2^nd May 1914, that Annie Collett and the rest of her young family sailed from Liverpool on board the White Star Dominion Line ship SS Canada to be reunited with her husband, whom she had not seen for six years, and her eldest son Henry who had made the same journey three years earlier.  According to the passenger list, those travelling with Ann Bowden Collett aged 44 in steerage third class were her daughters Ann Bowden Collett aged 16 and Winifred Collett who was 11, and her son Alfred Collett who was nine, the ship arriving at Quebec City on 12^th May, with the reason for their journey being “taking them to their father”.  Missing from the list was Annie’s son George who had sailed from Bristol to Nov Scotia on 8^th January 1913.  The only member of the family to remain in England was William Henry Collett, the only surviving son from the first marriage of Edward Charles Collett

 The Canadian Census of 1916 recorded that the family was once again back together and living in a house in West Calgary, as shown on the right.  Head of the household was Edward C Collett aged 50, and with him was his wife Annie who was 46, Harry 23, George 21, Winnie 13, and Alfred who was ten years old.  The only absentees were Edward’s and Annie’s two daughters, Beatrice Collett, who was living in America, and Ann Bowden Collett, whose whereabouts at that time have not been determined.  Edward Charles Collett died at Sardis near Chilliwack in British Columbia to the east of Vancouver on 29^th December 1943.  And it was also at Sardis that the couple was living five years earlier in 1938 when his wife passed away at the age of 68. 

The death of Ann Bowden Collett was recorded at Chilliwack as having taken place on 6^th December 1938

21R37 – William Henry Collett was born in 1889 at Veryan

21R38 – Edward Charles Collett was born in 1890 at Ladock

21R39 – James Arthur Collett was born in 1890 at Ladock

The following are the children resulting from Edward’s second marriage to Annie Gribble:

21R40 – Henry Lake Collett was born in 1893 at Stoke Damerel

21R41 – Beatrice Annie Collett was born in 1894 at Stoke Damerel

21R42 – Alfred George Collett was born in 1895 at Plymouth

21R43 – George Edward Collett was born in 1896 at Plymouth

21R44 – Ann Bowden Collett was born in 1897 at Plymouth

21R45 – Elsie May Collett was born in 1899 at Plymouth

21R46 – Winifred Louise Collett was born in 1902 at Plymouth

21R47 – Alfred John Collett was born in 1904 at Plymouth

21R48 – Christopher Thomas Collett was born in 1905 at Plymouth

21R49 – Florence Eveline Collett was born in 1907 at Plymouth

Elizabeth Grace Collett [21Q40] was born at Truro in 1868, and was baptised there on 22^nd January 1869, the daughter of William Henry Collett and his wife Grace Jewell.  Tragically it was just over seven months later that Elizabeth Grace Collett died on 31^st August 1869

James Henry Collett [21Q41] was born at Truro where his birth was registered (Ref. 5c 289) during the first three months of 1872, and where he was baptised on 7^th March 1872, the son of William Henry and Grace Collett.  He was nine years old in the 1881 Census when he was living with his family in the village of Treworthal in the parish of Philleigh [Filley].  His father William Henry was absent for the census, although his mother Grace was still recorded as being married.  However, just two months later his father died and was buried in the churchyard at St Philleigh Church in the village.  In 1891 James H Collett was nineteen and had left the family home, but was still living within the Truro & St Just registration district where he was working

It was on 4^th April 1900, that the marriage of James Henry Collett aged 28 and the son of William Henry Collett, and Elizabeth Jane Buse took place at St Minver, near Padstow, where she was born.  By that time in his life James was a constable with the Cornwall police, as confirmed by the census in 1901 when he and Elizabeth were living in Lanteglos to the east of Fowey.  James H Collett was 29 and Elizabeth J Collett was 30 and was very likely with-child on the day of the census that year, as the couple’s first child was born shortly thereafter.  Also, not long after they were married couple left Lanteglos when they moved nearer to Elizabeth’s family in Padstow when they settled in Camelford twelve miles to the north-east of Padstow.  Over the next ten years Elizabeth presented her husband with five children, the first two of which were born at Camelford

After the birth of their second child, the family of four moved nearer to the coast at Tintagel where the next three children were born and where the larger family was living in April 1911. The census that year confirmed that James Henry Collett from Truro and his wife Elizabeth Jane Collett of St Minver were both 40.  The couple’s five children at that time were James Roy Collett who was nine and born at Camelford, Kathleen Collett who was seven and born at Camelford, Richard Collett who was five, Angelina Collett who was two, and Francis Collett who was one year old, all of them born at Tintagel

The death of James Henry Collett took place on 29^th February 1952 in St Minver, after which he was buried in the graveyard at the Church of St Menefreda at St Minver Highlands.  He was buried in the same grave as his wife, the death of Elizabeth Jane Collett nee Buse having taken place seven years earlier on 8^th February 1945.  Also buried there, and named on the single headstone, was their daughter Angelina Collett who was 24 when she died in 1932

These are the five children of James Henry Collett and Elizabeth Jane Buse, from the previous page:

21R50 – James Roy Collett was born in 1902 at Camelford

21R51 – Kathleen Collett was born in 1904 at Camelford

21R52 – Richard Collett was born in 1906 at Tintagel, Camelford

21R53 – Angelina Collett was born in 1908 at Tintagel, Camelford

21R54 – Francis Thomas Collett was born in 1910 at Tintagel, Camelford

Albert Edward Collett [21Q42] remains a mystery who may have been born at the end of 1874, or the beginning of 1875.  While he has always been included here as simply Albert Collett, one of the children of William Henry Collett and his wife Grace Jewell, it has been revealed in 2025 that he was baptised at St Paul’s Church in Truro on 11^th April 1875 as Albert Edward Collett.  He was one of fourteen children subjected to a mass baptism that day, when their mothers were either single/unmarried, or a widow – with “father died” entered against their name.  All the mothers’ abode were recorded as Union – which may have been the Truro Union Workhouse.  Certainly, Albert was not living with his own family in the 1881 Census, when he was six years old and confirmed as having been born at Truro, but was a visitor at the home of farm labourer William Grose at Lower Rosewin Row in the parish of St Clement in Truro.  He was still living with the Grose family in 1891 when Albert Collett was 16 and a general labourer, then described as boarding with the family.  Following the death of William Grose during the 1890s, Albert Collett aged 26 and a Bath-stone sawyer was a lodger with Elizabeth Grose, a widow, at her home in Truro St Clement.  Having no obvious direct relationship with the Grose family, it is most likely that he was placed in the care of the family in an action that removed him from his unmarried mother, and out of the union workhouse

Fourteen months later, the marriage by banns of Albert Collett and Harriet Ann Hocking was conducted at St Paul’s Church in Truro on 14^th June 1902, quickly followed by the birth of the couple’s first child.  On their wedding day Albert was 27 and a labourer who was residing at 12 Lower Rosewin Row, with his father simply recorded as deceased.  Harriet was 23 and the daughter of miller Joseph Hocking, who was living at 7 Lower Rosewin Row in Truro.  One of the witnesses was Laura Hocking, the other Leonard Roovery.

It was also at the Church of Paul that their daughter was baptised on 8^th October 1902, by which time the family’s home address was 20 St Clements Street in Truro.  By the time of the birth of their second child, the family home was at Rosewin Row where Albert was a labour on the baptism record for daughter Myrtle on 18^th November 1903, having been born one month earlier on 14^th October 1903.  Upon the joint baptism of their next two children Gwendoline and Albert junior at St Paul’s on 15^th August 1906, their parents were recorded as Albert Edward Collett and Harriet Ann of 16 East Rosewin Row in Truro, when their father was working as a labourer.  The parish register also confirmed at Gwendoline May had been born on 10^th November 1904, with her brother Albert Edward born on 20^th June 1906.

The couple’s last two children were born, one before the census of 1911, and one just after that census day.  Amelia was born on 30^th September 1909 and was baptised on 27^th October 1909 another daughter of Albert and Harriet Collett of 15 Lower Rosewin Row, with Eileen born at 12 Lower Rosewin Row in Truro on 21^st June 1911 and baptised on 31^st August 1911.  For both those occasions, their father was still working as a labourer, although on the day of the census, in between, Albert was not recorded with his wife and family in Truro.  The completed census return, having no head of the household, described Harriet Collett as 32 and born at Haslingden in Lancashire, who had been married for nine years, and the mother of five children all born in St Clements Truro.  They were Olive Collett who was eight, Myrtle Collett who was seven, Gwennie Collett who was six and born at Frogmore St Clements, Willie Collett (?) who was four, and Phyllis Collett who was one year old

As Albert Edward Collett, aged 55, he was still living in the Truro area of Cornwall when he died on 6^th November 1930, when his death was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 142) during the fourth quarter of the year simply as Albert Collett.  Less than two years after losing his father, the marriage of Albert Edward Collett, junior, and Dorothy W Tonkyn was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 241) during the second quarter of 1932

21R55 – Olive Irene Collett was born in 1902 at Truro

21R56 – Myrtle Winifred Collett was born in 1903 at Truro

21R57 – Gwendoline May Collett was born in 1904 at Truro

21R58 – Albert Edward Collett was born in 1906 at Truro

21R59 – Amelia Phyllis Collett was born in 1909 at Truro

21R60 – Eileen Grace Collett was born in 1911 at Truro

Mary Lavinia Collett [21Q43] was born at Truro in 1876 with her birth registered there (Ref. 5c 144) during the last quarter of the year.  When she was baptised in Truro on 4^th September 1876 she was simply named as Lavinia Collett, daughter of William and Grace.  However, it was as Mary L Collett that she was four years old in 1881 when living at Philleigh with her family.  Thanks to Neil Collette in North America, we now know that Mary Lavinia Collett married Arthur Edwin Hobbs who was born in 1878.  In the census return for 1901, Mary and Arthur were living in the City of Gloucester, but had no children on that occasion.  Mary L Hobbs was 24 and from Truro, while her husband Arthur E Hobbs was 23 and from Tewkesbury.  Over the next decade Mary presented her husband with five children, the first two being born in Gloucestershire at Brockworth and then Tewkesbury, before the family settled in Hucclecote near Brockworth, where the other three children were born.  In 1911 Mary and her family were living at Foxhall in Hucclecote where Arthur Edwin Hobbs aged 33 and from Tewkesbury, was a Prudential Insurance Agent.  His wife Mary Lavinia was 34 and from Truro, while their children were as listed below

Violet Lavinia Hobbs was nine, Gladys Mary Hobbs was seven, Reginald John Hobbs was five, William Arthur Hobbs was two, and Grace Ellen Hobbs was just one month old.  It is known that Arthur’s eldest son Reginald John Hobbs left the family as soon as he was old enough, at which time he emigrated to Canada, apparently because of his father’s excessive drinking habit.  Many years later, towards the end of the 1940s, Mary Lavinia Hobbs nee Collett sailed to Canada to visit her son Reginald Hobbs of Banff, and his wife Grace Doreen Louise Hobbs nee Collett.  It is also known within the family that on more than one occasion Mary Lavinia considered emigrating to Canada herself

John Collett [21Q44] was born at Philleigh during the summer of 1878, with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 141) during the third quarter of that year, which would tie in with him later saying he was born on 29^th August.  He was approaching three years of age when he was baptised at Philleigh on 15^th May 1881, the youngest of the seven children of William Henry Collett and his wife Grace Jewell.  Prior to that, on 3^rd April 1881, he was listed as being two years old when he was living in the village of Treworthal with his family.  Just one month after he was baptised his father died and was buried at St Philleigh Church, in a grave he shared with his own parents, John’s grandparents.  By 1891 John was twelve years old and was the only child still living with his mother Grace Collett in the Truro & St Just area.  It was just over seven years later in July 1898 that John enlisted with the Royal Navy, and we are grateful to Sue Collett [21T25] in Australia who has kindly provided details extracted from his naval records.  Curiously within his application form his date of birth was given as 29^th August 1881, over three months after he was baptised.  His first few months were spent on the training vessel HMS Northampton which, up until 1894 had been an armoured cruiser, but which was later taken out of service in 1905.  Later during 1898 he spent some time on the light cruiser HMS Curacao

By February 1899 he was on board the training vessel HMS Vivid I and in May that same year he served for a few months on board HMS Cleopatra.  After that initial year undergoing his naval training John Collett signed on for twelve years on the 29^th August 1899 and was assigned to HMS Cleopatra as an Ordinary Seaman.  Sadly, he contracted Erysipelas, known as St Anthony's fire, and was hospitalised at McKelvie Infectious Hospital in Oban Scotland, where he died on 15^th September 1899

Richard Collett [21Q45] was born at St Just-in-Roseland in 1876, the eldest of three children of James Collett and Mary Ann Dingle, with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 155) during the spring of that year.  And it was there at four years of age in 1881 that he was living in the village lane with his shoemaker father and the rest of his family.  By 1891 the family was still residing at St Just-in-Roseland when Richard was 14 and was continuing his education at school, the eldest of the three siblings.  After his mother died in September 1892, all the other members of the family were still living together at St Just in 1901.  At that time Richard was still a bachelor at 24 and was working as an insurance agent.  Ten years later he was still living with his father James and sister Mary Ann (below) at St Just-in-Roseland when Richard Collett was 34 and an assurance agent

It was just over one month later that Richard Collett married Martha Collins (below) at the Wesleyan Chapel in St Mawes on 5^th May 1911, with their wedding recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 275).  The chapel register recorded that Richard was 34 and a life assurance agent of St Just Lane in St Just-in-Roseland, and that he was the son of grocer James Collett.  Martha was described as 31 years old and of Commercial Road in St Mawes, the daughter of grocer George Collins.  The witnesses at the ceremony were Martha’s parents George and Lillian Collins.  Thanks to Rosemary Ann Evans, nee Collett, the granddaughter of Richard and Martha Collett, we now know that their marriage produced two sons, as listed below, and that Richard was working as a market gardener at some stage in his life

His father, James Collett of St Just-in-Roseland, died in 1937 five years after Richard had died in a London Hospital from a brain tumour at the age of 56, hence why it was only his younger sister and brother (below) who were named during the probate process for the Will of James Collett.  The death of Richard Collett from Cornwall was recorded at London register office (Ref. 1b 25).  It was Sue Collett [21T25] in Australia who provided the actual date of the death of Richard Collett who died on 26^th August 1932 at St Pancras in London.  Prior to his death, his granddaughter Rose confirmed that Richard had suffered with extremely painful headaches which had been diagnosed as having been caused by overwork, stress, and nervous tension.  His widow Martha was his beneficiary and his Will was proved at Bodmin on 30^th September 1932.  After the death of her husband, Martha Collett became a Methodist Local Preacher and was active in the Roseland Circuit until well into her 80s.  Martha Collett nee Collins died on 12^th August 1968, with her passing recorded at Cornwall register office (Ref. 7a 248) at the age of 88

21R61 – Richard Grenville Collett was born in 1912 at St Just-in-Roseland

21R62 – Douglas Percival Collett was born in 1919 at St Just-in-Roseland

Mary Ann Collett [21Q46] was named after her mother and was born in 1877 at St Just-in-Roseland, with her birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 147) during the third quarter of that year.  By 1901 she was still living there at 23, and was performing the duty of housekeeper for her father James and her two brothers Richard (above) and Benjamin (below), following the death of her mother in 1892.  Mary Ann Collett was still a spinster in 1911 when she was 33 and keeping home for her father James Collett and her brother Richard Collett.  Mary was still not married when her father died in 1937, as confirmed by the probate service which named Mary Ann Collett, a spinster, and her brother Benjamin Dingle Collett (below), as the joint executors of his estate.  It was on 24^th January 1961 that Mary Ann Collett, a spinster, died at Falmouth in Cornwall, presumably while she was in hospital there.  During the next month her personal effects valued at £354 10 Shillings were the subject of the probate when her sister-in-law Martha Collett (the wife of Richard Collett above), a widow, was named as the sole executor at Bodmin on 17^th February 1961.  The notice of probate also confirmed that Mary Ann’s place of residence prior to her death was at St Just Lane in St Just-in-Roseland

Benjamin Dingle Collett [21Q47] was born on 1^st July 1879 at St Just-in-Roseland and was one year and nine months old at the time of the census in 1881.  His second forename came from his mother’s maiden-name, with his full name registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 139) during the third quarter of 1879.  Following the death of Mary Ann Collett nee Dingle in 1892, Benjamin was still living at St Just-in-Roseland with his widowed father James Collett in 1901 at the age of 21.  His occupation at that time was that of a contractor’s labourer.  Three years after that census day, the marriage of Benjamin Dingle Collett and Ann Richards was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 238) during the spring of 1904.  By April in 1911, the couple was living in Philleigh where Benjamin Dingle Collett of St Just was 31 and a farm labourer, while his wife Ann Collett from Sithney near Helston was 30.  The only other known facts about Benjamin at this time are that he was still a farm labourer in 1937 when he was named as joint executor of his father’s estate with his sister Mary (above), and that he died in March 1955 and was buried in the churchyard of St Philleigh Church in the Roseland village of Philleigh

It is also known that, eleven years after his death, his wife Annie died in May 1966, when her passing at the age of 85 was recorded at Cornwall register office (Ref. 7a 179) during 1966.  The single headstone that marks their grave has the following inscription “In loving memory of Benjamin Dingle Collett beloved husband of Annie Collett who died March 6^th 1955 aged 75 years.  Also, of the above Annie Collett who died May 16^th 1966 aged 85 years - Reunited”.  At the foot of the headstone are the words “Erected by her brother R J Richards of Mawgan, Helston” (see Headstone Epitaphs)

Elizabeth Grace Collett [21Q48] was born at Treworthal in the parish of Philleigh on 14^th December 1872, the only known daughter of Francis Collett and his wife Elizabeth Richards, whose birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 149) at the end of that year.  It was at Treworthal in the grocer’s shop managed by her mother, a tea dealer, when her father was a boot and shoemaker, that Elizabeth G Collett was living with her family in 1881 when she was eight years old, and again in 1891 when she was 18 and a grocer’s assistant, working alongside her mother.  Five years later, during the second quarter of 1896, the marriage of Elizabeth Grace Collett and William Woodward was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 229).  The marriage produced three children from which only one survived

One of the children who did not survive was Mildred Irene Woodward who was baptised at the Wesleyan Methodist Church St Maws on 18^th September 1899 when she was around four or five months old, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Woodward, St Maws being the southern-most point of the Roseland Peninsula.  The birth of Mildred Irene was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 122) during the second quarter of 1899.  At the time of the next census in 1901, the childless couple was incorrectly recorded under the surname Woodware when they were living at 19 Torrs in Countisbury near Lynton & Lynmouth, North Devon.  William Woodward from St Just-in-Roseland was 33 and a coastguard, when his wife Elizabeth Grace Woodward was 28 and from Philleigh.  Their daughter had travelled to North Devon with them, and was one year old when she was buried at Countisbury just prior to 31^st March 1901.  After that sad event, the couple returned to Cornwall, and it was at Elizabeth’s parents’ home in Treworthal Philleigh that their two sons were born, with William Francis Woodward born in 1905 and Cyril Woodward born in 1907.  The birth and death for the first of them was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 109) during the last three months of 1905, who died on 11^th December 1905 (Ref. 5c 83).  Cyril’s birth was also recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 111) during the third quarter of 1907

Four years later, the census in 1911, confirmed it was at the home of her parents that the three members of the Woodward family were living on the day of the census.  Head of the household Francis Collett, aged 66 and from Treworthal, had taken over the role of grocer from his wife who, by then was keeping home for her family.  Elizabeth’s husband William Woodward from St Just-in-Roseland was 43 and a naval pensioner who was helping his father-in-law in the grocer shop.  Elizabeth Grace Woodward from Treworthal Philleigh was 38 and assisting in the family business, while son Cyril Woodward was just three years old and born in Treworthal.  It was twelve years later, at Bodmin on 6^th April 1923, that Elizabeth Grace Woodward, wife of William Woodward, was named at the proving of the Will of her father Francis Collett who had died at Treworthal during the previous month on 11^th March 1923. 

As a tribute to his sister, later in his life and as a married man, Cyril Woodward named his two eldest daughters as Mildred Woodward, and Irene Woodward

William Collett [21Q49] was born at Treworthal in the parish of Philleigh on 2^nd December 1874, the only known son of Francis and Elizabeth Collett.  His birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 144) during the last month of that year, and he was six years old in the Treworthal census of 1881 and was 16 in the same census in 1891 and, on both occasions, he was living at the grocer’s shop of his parents in Treworthal.  It was during the final three months of 1893 at Truro (Ref. 5c 265) that the marriage of William Collett and Elizabeth Ann Hooper was recorded, and within the first quarter of the following year their daughter was born at Treworthal.  Although not confirmed as Elizabeth Mary Collett, the birth of Lizzie Collett was recorded at Truro register office (Ref. 5c 135) during the first three months of 1894.  Sometime between then and the end of the century William joined the Cornwall constabulary and left Treworthal for St Columb Major, near Newquay

By the end of March in 1901 he was employed as a second-class police constable, when he was living and working at St Columb Major, with his wife and child.  William Collett was 26 and from Philleigh, while his wife Elizabeth was 27 and had been born at Gerrans.  It seems likely that his work with the Cornwall police force later resulted in a move for the family, since by April 1911 William and his wife and daughter were living in the Liskeard area of Cornwall.  William Collett of Philleigh was 36, his wife Elizabeth Ann Collett was 37, and their daughter Elizabeth Mary Collett was 17

Two years later P C William Collett was shot in the leg during the China Clay Strike of 1913.  At that time there were several small companies running about seventy pits in the mid-Cornwall area, creating a big difference in workers' pay and conditions.  As workers from the various pits compared notes on their weekly pay packet, many grew angry at the variety of wages being paid, leading up to strike.  It started after one firm, Carne Stents based in Trewoon in mid-Cornwall, went back on a promise to pay wages fortnightly

For about three months 5,000 china clay workers stood firm on their calls for a pay increase of five shillings more a week, and for their wages to be paid fortnightly, not once a month.  Most of the companies initially refused the calls, leading to a strike which overwhelmed the local police force.  The situation came to a head when one of the strike's leaders, Howard Vincent, shot P C William Collett from Lostwithiel in the leg.  That incident shocked the strikers, who were already thinking about ending the strike.  Although they went back to work without a deal, within weeks the clay firms started to agree to the workers’ demands.  Despite the injury to his leg William Collett lived a long life, his death at the age of 88 years recorded at Liskeard register office (Ref.7a 61) during the final three months of 1963

21R63 – Elizabeth Mary Collett was born in 1893 at Treworthal

James H Collett [21Q51] was born at Phillack in 1872, with no obvious record of his birth having been located.  He was the second child and eldest son of John Kitto Collett and his wife Jane, whose older sister Mary Anne died aged 15 in 1886.  He was nine years old in 1881 and was living with his family at Bodriggy Street, Copperhouse in Hale, south of Phillack in Hale near St Ives.  Thereafter it has not been possible to locate James in any later census and, previously, he had been confused with the son of William and Grace, James Henry Collett [21Q41] of Philleigh who became a policeman

John R Collett [21Q52] was born at Phillack in 1874, when his birth was registered at Redruth (Ref. 5c 263) during the final quarter of that year.  In the census of 1881, when he and his family were living in Bodriggy Street, Copperhouse in Hale.  His place of birth, like that of every member of the household, was recorded as Phillick.  His mother Jane died in 1885 and, in 1891 he was living with his widowed father and two younger sisters Elizabeth and Bessie (below), when he was 16 and still at school.  It was during August in 1891 that his father John Kitto Collett passed away, with John junior only surviving his father by two years when he was buried at the Parish Church in Phillack on 2^nd May 1893 aged 19 years.  The burial record confirmed he had been living on Bodriggy Street when he died

Elizabeth Ellen Collett [21Q53] was born in 1877 possibly at Bodriggy Street, Copperhouse in Hale just south of Phillack in Hale where she was living with her family in 1881 aged three years.  Her birth was registered at Redruth (Ref. 5c 247) during the last three months of 1877.  At that time her father and blacksmith John Collett and her family was living in Bodriggy Street in Phillack.  Ten years later in the 1891 Census she was listed as Ellen Collett aged 13 who was living with her widowed father and two siblings John (above) and Bessie (below).  Following the death of her father in August 1891 and hen her brother John in May 1893, Elizabeth E Collett aged 23 was still living at Phillack in 1901 where she was working as one of three female general domestic servants at the home of grain merchant William P Trevithich and his family.  One of the other two servants was her younger sister Bessie, both of whom gave their place of birth as Hayle instead of Phillack, as stated in Bessie’s baptism record.  Ten years later Elizabeth Ellen Collett from Hayle was 33 in 1911 when she still unmarried, but by which time she was living in Penzance

Bessie Jane Collett [21Q54] was born at Bodriggy Street in Copperhouse, Hale (just south of Phillack in Hale) on 27^th February 1881 and was just one month old at the time of the census on 3^rd April 1881 when living with her family at Phillack.  Her birth, under her full name, was registered at Redruth (Ref. 5c 239), while it was at the Parish Church in Phillack that she was baptism six months later on 12^th October 1881, the same record confirming her date of birth as given above.  It was that same entry that stated her parents were residing at Copperhouse in Hayle.  Bessie was only four years of age when her mother Jane suffered a premature death, and was five year old when her older sister Mary Anne died.  In the following census for Phillack in 1891, Bessie was aged ten years and was being looked after by her father John Kitto Collett and two older siblings John and Ellen (above) at Bodriggy Street in Phillack, where her blacksmith father employed a domestic servant as a housekeeper

When her father died five months later, followed by brother John in 1893, Bessie and her sister Elizabeth (above), with both of them residing in the Phillack, Hale area in 1901, where the sisters were employed by grain merchant William P Trevithick and his family.  Bessie J Collett from Hayle was 20 and was a general domestic servant, as was Elizabeth, two of the three servants employed there that day.  One unconfirmed source states Bessie Jane Collett aged nearly 92 died on 10^th February 1973, but at Groton, New London County in Connecticut, USA

William Henry Collett [21Q55] was born at Bristol St Philip’s on 14^th May 1870 with his birth registered at Clifton (Ref. 6a 134) but returned to Cornwall with his parents to be baptised at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in St Maws on 21^st August 1870, the son of James Henry Collett and his wife Hermina Cole.  He was ten months old at the time of the census of 1871 when he was living with his father James Henry Collett and his mother Hermina.  It was just one year later that his father died, leaving William to be raised by his mother.  He attended boarding school at 2 Frederick Street in the St Philip’s district of Bristol when he was ten years old.  His mother at that time was running a lodging house at 23 All Saints Road in Clifton, ably assisted by her later husband cousin Grace Collett.  On completing his education William returned to live with his mother, and her cousin Grace, in the Clifton district of Bristol, as confirmed in the 1891 census, when William H Collett from Gloucestershire was 20 years of age and working as a cashier at a building company.  His mother was recorded as Hermina Collett from Devon who was 51, a widow, and a lodging-house keeper, with Grace Collett from Cornwall aged 49 and an assistant lodging-house keeper

It was on 2^nd June 1900 that William Henry Collett married Gertrude Katherine (Kate) Bremner at the church of St Andrew-Montpelier in Bristol, when William was described as 30 years old and the son of James Henry Collett.  By March 1901 the couple was still living in Bristol and according to the census return William H Collett was 30 and a builder’s cashier, while his wife Gertrude K Collett was 28.  Living with the couple was William’s mother Hermina Collett who was 61.  Just two weeks after the census day in 1901 the couple’s first child was born and she was named after her grandmother Hermina.  The birth of Hermina Mary Collett was recorded at Bristol (Ref. 6a 227) during the second quarter of 1901.  The couple’s second child was added to the family three years later when Gertrude presented William with another daughter who, it would appear, was named after his mother’s late cousin Grace Collett who had been living with his family for over twenty years

For whatever reason William’s eldest daughter was not living with the family in 1911.  According to the April census that year William Henry Collett from Bristol was 40 and a builder’s cashier when he was living at 50 Claremont Road in Bishopston, Bristol.  His wife of ten years Gertrude Kate Collett was 38 and born at Bristol St Philips, while their daughter Grace was six years old and had been born in the Horfield district of Bristol.  Still living with the family was William’s 71-year-old mother Hermina Collett, but on that same day their daughter Hermina was staying with Gertrude’s widowed mother in Bristol.  The census return also confirmed that Gertrude had given birth to two children, both of whom were still living in April 1911.  Supporting the family in their seven-roomed property was domestic servant Minnie Annie Atkins who was 14 and from Winford in Somerset

The family eventually settled in Weston-Super-Mare where their daughter Grace was married in 1937, and it was there also that Gertrude and William were living when they both died during the month of March in 1942.  Neither of them was reported to be a casualty of the Second World War, so it seems likely their passing was due to natural causes.  Their address at that time was of Core Hill on Downside in West Town, Weston-Super-Mare.  Gertrude Kate Collett nee Brenner died on 4^th March 1942 and her estate of £420 14 Shillings and 3 Pence was administered by Lloyds Bank.  When William Henry Collett died nine days later, on 13^th March 1942, probate of his estate amounting to £25,307 1 Shilling and 10 Pence was also granted to Lloyds Bank

21R64 – Hermina Mary Collett was born in 1901 at Bristol

21R65 – Grace Collett was born in 1904 at Horfield, Bristol

Edith Emily Collett [21Q56] was born at Phillack on 16^th July 1867, and it was there also where she was baptised on 6^th September 1867.  On registering her birth at Redruth (Ref. 5c 271) during the third quarter of the year, she was recorded at Edith Emilie Collett.  At the time of the Phillack census of 1871, Edith E Collett was four years old and was living with her parents and two younger siblings, Maud and Willie (below).  Not long after the census day that year, the family left Phillack when they moved to nearby Hayle for just a short while, after which the family moved to London, before starting a new life in Australia

Maud Mary Collett [21Q57] was born at Phillack on 10^th October 1868, with her birth registered at Redruth (Ref. 5c 279) during the last three months of that year, after which she was baptised at Phillack on 5^th November 1868, the second child of Peter Collett and Emily Hosking.  It was as Maud M Collett aged two years that she was listed with her family at Phillack in the census of 1871.  In the following years the family made a temporary move to Hayle, before heading for London, prior to leaving England for Australia

William Hosking Collett [21Q58] was born at Clifton Terrace in Phillack on 29^th September 1870, with his birth registered as Willie Hosking Collett at Redruth (Ref. 5c 259) during the last three months of 1870.  It was at Phillack that he was baptised on 10^th November 1870, the son of Peter Collett and Emily Hosking.  At the time of the Redruth & Phillack census in 1871, Willie H Collett was recorded as being five months old while living at Phillack with his parents and his older sisters Edith and Maud (above) at Clifton Terrace.  Not long after he was born his family travelled the short distance to Hayle, where his sister Nellie (below), and brother Frank were born.  After a few years living at Hayle, William’s parents first took the family to London, before finally emigrating to Australia towards the end of the 1870s, where the family was completed by the birth of William’s last two siblings

When William was living with his family in Melbourne around 1887 his father mysteriously walked out on the family and was never seen again.  Sometime later, perhaps during the following decade, William returned to England and to Cornwall, where he married Hannah White on 11^th May 1897 at Phillack Church.  Once married William returned to Australia with his bride, and it was there that they raised their family.  Not long after they were married Hannah presented William with a son who was born during 1898, and he was followed two years later by a daughter

William Hosking Collett died while attending the Mercy Private Hospital in East Melbourne on 27^th April 1945 at the age of 74, and was buried the following day at the Fawkner Memorial Park, in Coburg Cemetery in East Coburg in Victoria.  The same grave site, Plot No. 1142, was also used by his wife in 1936, by his married daughter Myrtle in 1934, and by his son Leslie in 1956.  Hannah Collett aged 66, was buried at Fawkner Memorial Park in Coburg Cemetery on 15^th February 1936.  William Hosking Collett was the great-grandfather of Richard William Collett who was born in 1962 and who was living in Melbourne, Australia in 2009/2010

21R66 – Leslie Harold Collett was born in 1898 at Victoria, Australia

21R67 – Myrtle Ivy Collett was born in 1898 at Victoria, Australia

Nellie Collett [21Q59] was born at Hayle near Phillack on 28^th August 1871, and her birth was registered at Redruth (Ref. 5c 261) during the third quarter of the year.  At two months old, she was baptised at Phillack on 18^th October 1871, when her name was recorded as Nelly Collett and her parents confirmed were Peter and Emily Collett

Frank Collett [21Q60] was born at Hayle on 22^nd March 1873, whose birth was registered at Redruth (Ref. 5c 281) during the second quarter of the year.  He was baptised at nearby Phillack on 15^th December 1873.  The baptism record for Frank, like those of his four siblings above, gave his parents’ names as Peter and Emily Collett

Samuel James Collett [21Q65] was born at Philleigh on 7^th May 1861, his birth recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 183) during the second quarter of the year.  Two weeks after, he was baptised on 23^rd May 1861 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in St Mawes, the son of Francis and Catherine Collett.  At the time of the Philleigh census in 1871 Samuel was nine years old and was attending the village school.  Ten years later, when he was 19, he was still living at Philleigh with his family and was described as a farmer’s son.  He later left Cornwall for London where he married Ada who was born at Kennington in 1866.  The marriage of Samuel James Collett, aged 39, and Ada Elizabeth Harriet Warmington, who was 28, took place on 14^th January 1901 at the Church of St John the Evangelist in East Dulwich.  The marriage register confirmed that the father of the groom was Francis Collett, while Ada’s father was named as Frederick Warmington.  It seems they did not have any children and by 1901 they were living at Fulham where Samuel J Collett of Philleigh was working as a manager of a clothes shop.  His wife was listed as Ada E Collett aged 34

Margery Collett [21Q66] was born at Philleigh around 11^th September 1862, and it was there that she was baptised on 2^nd October 1862.  Her birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 154) during the third quarter of 1862, while the parish baptism record stated that she was 21 days old.  By the time of the Philleigh census in 1871, Margery was eight years old, although she was recorded in error as Margaret.  By the time of the next census in 1881, Margery’s mother Catherine Collett nee Collett had died, and her father Francis Collett was married to Rebecca Glanville his cousin, the former Rebecca Collett.  However, Margery was absent from the family home on that occasion and her exact whereabouts has not yet been determined.  It was five years later that Margery Collett, the daughter of first cousins Francis Collett and Catherine Collett, died on 15^th June 1886 at the age of 23.  Three days later, on 18^th June 1886, Margery was buried in the churchyard of St Philleigh Church in the village of Philleigh.  Four year later Margery was joined by her brother Francis (below) in a shared grave (see Headstone Epitaphs)

Francis Collett [21Q67] was born at Philleigh towards the end of 1863, with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. 181) during the first three months of 1864.  He was seven years old at the time of the Philleigh census of 1871.  Ten years later he was working on his father’s thirteen acres smallholding at the age of 17, when he was described as a farmer’s son.  During the middle of the following decade Francis’ sister Margery (above) died and four years after her passing, Francis Collett died on 7^th March 1890 at the age of 26, following which he was buried with his sister in the grounds of St Philleigh Church.  A single headstone marks their joint grave, on which they are referred to as beloved daughter of Francis and Catherine Collett, and her beloved brother (see Headstone Epitaphs).  The grave and its headstone stand alongside the joint grave and headstone for Margery’s and Francis’ parents, their mother having been buried there in 1873, while their father was not buried there until 1902

Catherine Collett [21Q68], who was referred to as Kate in the national census records, was born at Philleigh on 30^th November 1865, when her birth was registered as Catharine Collett at Truro (Ref. 5c 165) during last quarter of the year.  She was baptised on 29^th January 1866, with the event recorded within the St Mawes Wesleyan Methodist Circuit.  She appeared as Catherine in 1871 at Philleigh aged five years, and two years later when she was seven, her mother Catherine died.  In the census returns for 1881 and 1891 for Philleigh she was simply referred to as Kate Collett aged 15 and 25 respectively, a farmer’s daughter.  By 1901 she was still not married and was continuing to live with her elderly father Francis Collett and her stepmother Rebecca.  She was listed as Katie Collett aged 34, who had been born at Philleigh, where she was still living at that time.  Her father died during 1902 at which point in her life it seems Catherine went to live with her married brother Edmund (below) at his home in Philleigh.  Her stepmother Rebecca went to live with Catherine’s brother Albert (below) at that time in Kenwyn near Truro

In the Philleigh census of 1911 Catherine Collett of Philleigh was 44, while it was forty-one years later that spinster Catherine Collett died on 8^th August 1952 at the grand old age of 87.  After she was buried with her stepmother close to other family members in the grounds of St Philleigh Church in the village of Philleigh where she appears to have lived all her life (see Headstone Epitaphs).  It would appear from the headstone that marks the grave, that Catherine had happily accepted her father’s second wife Rebecca, since the single headstone carries an inscription for each of the two ladies

Albert Collett [21Q69] was born at Philleigh on 31^st August 1867 with his birth registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 152) during the third quarter of that year.  He was later baptised on 16^th October 1867 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in St Mawes.  In the Philleigh census of 1871 Albert was three years old, but just two years later his mother died.  By 1881 his father had re-married, and in the census that year he was living with his father and his stepmother, who was also his aunt, at the age of 13.  Albert was still living at the family home in Philleigh in 1891 at the age of 23, when his occupation was that of an outfitter’s assistant.  Just before the end of the century, Albert was on the Isles of Scilly, where he married Elizabeth Rogers, a Scilly Islander, their wedding recorded there (Ref. 5c 449) during the third quarter of 1899. 

Eighteen months after that day, the couple was living at Kenwyn, a suburb on the north side of Truro, where Albert was employed as an outfitter and shopkeeper.  Both he and his wife, who was born on the Isles of Scilly, were 33 years of age.  Albert and Elizabeth’s one and only child was born towards the end of 1901.  Ten years later, in April 1911, Albert Collett of Philleigh was 43 and a tailor and outfitter, his wife Elizabeth Collett from the Isles of Scilly, and living with them at Kenwyn was their son Albert Edward Collett who was nine years old and Albert’s stepmother, the widow Rebecca Collett who was 70 and from Somerset.  Supporting the family was domestic cook Fanny Maria Cocks from Feock who was 39.  Albert Collett was 70 when he died on 11^th August 1938, with his death recorded at Cornwall register (Ref. 5c 108) after which his Will was proved at Truro on 6^th October 1938, when his wife and son were named as the joint beneficiaries

21R68 – Albert Edward Collett was born in 1901 at Truro

Edward Peter Collett [21Q70] was born at Philleigh on 4^th December 1868 when his birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 160) before the end of the year, and it was at Philleigh that he was baptised on 21^st February 1869.  Sadly, he would have been around six months old when he died, his death recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c 114) during the second quarter of 1869

Edmund Collett [21Q71] was born at Philleigh on 5^th September 1871 and, although no baptism record has been located for him, his birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 142) during the third quarter of the year.  What is known is that around the time he was 18 months old, his mother Catherine passed away.  During the following years his father Francis Collett remarried, so by 1881 Edmund was nine years old and was living at Philleigh with his father and stepmother, who was also his aunt Rebecca.  The school records for Edmund show that he started at Gerrans School on 26^th May 1884, having previously attended Philleigh Parochial School.  He only spent just two years at Gerrans School before he left on 11^th June 1886 at the age of 15.  It was from the Gerrans School records that his date of birth has been determined.  By 1891 Edmund had returned to the family home in Philleigh, where he was recorded as being 19 and a farmer’s son

In March 1901 Edmund was still a bachelor at 29 and was still living at the family home in Philleigh with his father, farmer Francis Collett, where Edmund was once again described as a farmer’s son.  During the following year his father died, and a little while later Edmund married Margaret Jane.  It seems unlikely that Edmund and Margaret never had any children since, by April 1911, they were a childless couple living in Philleigh when they were both 39 years old.  Living with them at that time was Edmund’s older unmarried sister Catherine who was 44.  In the churchyard of St Philleigh Church in Philleigh is a gravestone with the inscription “In Loving Memory of Edmund Collett died February 13^th 1941”.  Close by is a separate headstone with the inscription “In Loving Memory of Margaret Jane Collett died March 4^th 1942” (see Headstone Epitaphs)

Clara Augusta Collett [21Q72] was born at Gwennap St Day in 1867, the first child of James Collett by his first wife Ellen Cornelius Ripper who died when Clara was around three years old.  Her birth was registered at Redruth (Ref. 5c 239) during the third quarter of 1867.  By the time of the census in 1871 Clara’s father had re-married, when he and his family was residing at White Lane in Philleigh where Clara Augusta Collett was four years of age.  Sadly, for Clara, her father died when she was eight years old, after which her stepmother took the family north to Lancashire.  The next census in 1881 recorded the family at 91 Breck Road in Everton.  Clara A Collett from Gwennap St Day in Cornwall was 14 and had completed her schooling but was not credited with an occupation, so presumably she was helping her confectioner stepmother look after her younger sibling Alice and two half-siblings Florence and James

During the next decade Clara and her sister Alice made the long journey back to Cornwall and on the day of the census in 1891 the pair of them was recorded as staying with their widowed aunt Caroline R Lloyd at 14 Ford Street in St Austell.  Caroline was 48 and a dressmaker who had been born in St Austell who had living with her a sister-in-law, Emma Bickle, who 57 and from Newton Ferrers who was married and living on her own means.  Clara A Collett was 24 and from St Day, whose occupation was that of a milliner, while her sister Alice M Collett was 22 and from Truro who had no stated occupation.  Both were described as the nieces of Caroline Lloyd.  Completing the household was another dressmaker and her assistant, plus two domestic servants

It was just over four years after that when Clara Augusta Collett married William Alexander Coon, with their marriage recorded at Plymouth (Ref. 5b 526) during the last three months of 1895.  William was a gentleman’s outfitter who had been born in St Austell, and was considerably older than Clara.  Although married in Plymouth, the couple settled in St Austell where Clara gave birth to their daughter, and it was in St Austell that the family of three was living in March 1901.  The census that year listed them as William A Coon, who 42 and a merchant tailor, his wife Clara A Coon who was 34, and their daughter Madeline M Coon who was two years old

It was the same situation ten years later when, according to the St Austell census of 1911, William Alexander Coon was 50, Clara Augusta Coon was 39, and Madeline Maud Coon was 12.  The stated ages of Madeline’s parents are very curious, since Clara would certainly have been 44, while William would have been 53.  William Alexander Coon was born around 1857, the eldest son of mercer and tailor Alexander Coon from St Mewan who ran his business from Church Street in St Austell

Madeline Maud Coon later married Henry Philip Lawton Higman and as such, she was the sole beneficiary of the Will of her widowed mother following her death in 1938.  The death of Clara Augusta Coon nee Collett was recorded at St Austell register office (Ref. 5c 89) during the second quarter of that year when she was 71, with probate of her personal effects valued at £1,117 9 Shillings and 4 Pence granted to Madeline Maud Higman

Archibald Luke Collett [21Q74] was born at Philleigh in January 1872, the first of three children of James Collett and his second wife Cecilia Paul.  His birth was registered at Truro (Ref. 5c 154) during the first three months of the year.  Tragically, he only survived for eleven weeks when he died on 19^th April 1872, with his infant death recorded at Truro (Ref. 5c ) during the second quarter of the year.  Archibald Luke Collett was buried in the grounds of St Philleigh Church on 23^rd April 1872, where a single headstone marks the grave (see Headstone Epitaphs)

Florence Leonora Collett [21Q75] was born at Truro in 1873, where her birth was recorded (Ref. 5c 171) during the first two months of that year.  It was also in Truro that she was baptised on 10^th March 1873, the second of the three children of James Collett by his second wife Cecilia Paul.  While still very young her father suffered a premature death, following which her mother took Florence, her brother James (below) and two half-siblings north to Lancashire.  In 1881 the family of widow Cecilia Collett was living at 91 Breck Road in Everton where Florence L Collett from Truro was eight years of age.  She was still living at the same address ten years later when she was 18, although she was not credited with an occupation, so she may have been assisting her mother who was a confectioner.  It was during the first quarter of 1900 that the marriage of Florence Leonora Collett and William Heaton was recorded at West Derby register office (Ref. 8b 1049) in Everton during the second quarter of the year

Whether William Heaton was a member of the army or the royal navy has not been determined but no record of him has been discovered, either in the census of 1901 or 1911.  Instead, the childless Leonora Heaton, aged 28 and from Truro, was staying with her mother at Breck Road in Everton in March 1901, and it was the same situation ten years after in 1911 except that her name was incorrectly recorded in the census return as Headon.  F Leonora Heaton from Cornwall was 38 and five years earlier she had given birth to a daughter Leonora C Paula Heaton

James Andrew Paul Collett [21Q76] was born at Truro in 1875, with his birth recorded there (Ref. 5c 169) during the first quarter of that year, but as James Andrew P Collett.  His baptism, as James Austin Paul Collett, was conducted at Truro on 16^th May 1875 when he was confirmed as the son of James Collett and his wife Cecilia.  No long after he was born his family died, as a result his mother took the family north, where they settled in Everton.  It was at 91 Breck Road that the family was residing in 1881 when James A P Collett from was six years of age.  He was still living at that address in 1891 at the age of 16, where he had a younger half-brother, the son of his mother and John Luke.  Tragically it was at the Liverpool register office (Ref. 8b 78) during the third quarter of 1898 that his death was recorded there at the age of 23 under the name of James Andrew P Collett

Lillie Grace Collett [21Q77] was born at St Mary’s on the Isle of Scilly in 1876, the eldest daughter of Richard James Collett and Elizabeth Ann Jenkins, whose birth was registered at Scilly Islands (Ref. 5c 323) during the second quarter of the year.  Lillie was four years old at the time of the census in 1881, when she and her family were living at Well Lane in St Mary’s.  Ten years later she was fourteen and in 1901 she was 24 and unmarried while still living with her parents at St Mary’s.  Sometime after that she married Mr Kaye with whom she had two children before the next census in 1911.  That census revealed her husband was absent from the family home on the island of Guernsey.  Lillie Kaye from the Isle of Scilly was 34 and her two children were Lillie May Kaye who was eight years old, and Irene Kaye who was three years old.  Neither of the girls had been born on Guernsey

Francis Henry Collett [21Q78] was born at St Mary’s on the Isle of Scilly in 1877, the only son among five daughters of Richard James Collett and Elizabeth Ann Jenkins.  His birth was registered at Scilly Islands (Ref, 5c 314) during the second quarter of 1877.  In 1881 at the age of three, Francis was living with his family at Well Lane in St Mary’s.  Francis was 13 in 1891 when he was still attending school in St Mary’s, but on leaving school he joined the Royal Navy and was therefore absent from the family home by March in 1901.  It was during a period of shore-leave that Francis married Clara Thompson who was born at St Mary’s in 1880.  Their wedding day was recorded at Scilly Islands register office (Ref. 5c 433) during the third quarter of 1904, after which the couple settle in Stoke Damerel in Devonport where their first three children were born.  Clara was very likely the sister of Richard Thompson who married Francis’ younger sister Clara Elizabeth Collett (below) during the summer of 1901

By the time of the census in April 1911, Francis was once again absent from the family home at 47 Ford Hill in Stoke and was recorded in the census as being overseas with the Royal Navy.  His wife Clara from St Mary’s Scilly was 30 years old and was living at Ford Hill with her third children.  They were Francis Collett who was six, Betsy Collett who was five, and Richard Collett who was two years old.  Also living with the family at that time was Francis’ unmarried sister Ethel Collett (below) who was described as sister-in-law to head of the household Clara

Francis Henry Collett was still residing at 47 Ford Hill in Stoke Damerel in Devonport thirty-three years later where he died on 26^th December 1944.  Probate of his Will, valued at £2,188 16 Shillings and 10 Pence was granted at Llandudno on 10^th March 1945 to his widow Clara Collett.  Almost exactly twenty-one years after his passing his wife passed away at Freedom Fields Hospital in Plymouth.  Clara Collett nee Thompson of 47 Ford Hill in Stoke died on 10^th December 1965 at the age of 87 and it was at Plymouth register office (Ref. 7a 736) that her death was recorded.  Probate of her personal effects of £3,924 was settled on 18^th January 1966 in favour of Richard John Collett, a storehouse assistant at the HM Dockyard in Plymouth

21R69 – Francis Thompson Collett was born in 1905 at Stoke Damerel

21R70 – Elizabeth Collett was born in 1906 at Stoke Damerel

21R71 – Richard John Collett was born in 1908 at Stoke Damerel

Clara Elizabeth Collett [21Q79] was born at St Mary’s on the Isle of Scilly in 1881, after the census day on the third April.  Her birth was registered at Scilly Islands (Ref. 5c 283) during the second quarter of 1881.  She was listed living with her family at St Mary’s in the next two census returns; in the first of them in 1891 she was nine years old, and in 1901 she was a dressmaker at the age of nineteen at St Mary’s.  The banns of marriage for Clara Elizabeth Collett, a spinster of the parish, and Richard Thompson, a bachelor of the parish, were read in church on 4^th, 11^th, and 18^th August in readiness for their wedding day.  That event was recorded at Scilly Islands register office (Ref. 5c 456) during the third quarter of 1901.  Through their marriage, Clara’s brother Francis (above) later married Richard’s sister Clara Thompson

The census for St Mary’s in 1911 identified the couple still residing there, when Richard Thompson was 33 and a carpenter who had been born there.  His wife of ten years, Clara Thompson, was 31 and of St Mary’s, when their five children were: Richard T Thompson aged 10; Jack Thompson who was nine; Vernon Thompson who was six; Arthur Thompson who was four; and Elna Collett who was one year old.  Completing the household was Vera Cox who was 20 and a general domestic servant from St Just

Five more children were added to the family during the next decade and they were: Emma M Thompson in 1913; Nancy L Thompson in 1914; Cecil Thompson in 1916; Lilian M Thompson in 1917, and Frank C Thompson in 1920 when, in each case, the mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Collett

Annie Maud Collett [21Q80] was born at St Mary’s on the Isle of Scilly in 1883 where her birth was registered (Ref. 5c 286) during the first quarter of that year.  She was seven years old in 1891 when still living there with her family.  She was also still living with her parents at St Mary’s in both 1901 when she was seventeen, and again in 1911 when she was unmarried at twenty-seven years of age

Ethel Janis Collett [21Q81] was born at St Mary’s on the Isle of Scilly in 1887, her birth recorded there (Ref. 5c 287) during the second quarter of that year.  In 1891 she was four years old, and in 1901 she was 14 years old, when she was still living with her family at St Mary’s on the Isle of Scilly.  When her brother Francis became a married man, it was Ethel who living with his wife Clara while he was away in the Royal Navy.  By April 1911 the family of sailor Francis Collett was living at 47 Ford Hill, in Stoke in Devonport, previously known as Stoke Damerel, where unmarried Ethel Collett from the Isle of Scilly was also living at that time aged 24

Nannie Evelina Collett [21Q82] was born at St Mary’s on the Isle of Scilly on 5^th July 1891 and that took place sometime after the census day, which that year was on the fifth of April.  Under her full name, her birth was recorded at Scilly Islands register office (Ref. 5c 267) during the third quarter of 1891.  Nannie E Collett was nine years old in March 1901 when she was living with her family at St Mary’s on the Isle of Scilly.  She was also living there with her parents ten years later in April 1911 when she was 19.  She never married and it was as Nannie Evelyn Collett that she died on 12^th March 1979 and was buried at St Mary’s Old Church churchyard at the age of 87

Elizabeth Maria Collett [21Q83] was born in Canada in 1871 and it is believed that this may have been at Stratford in Ontario, midway between Detroit and Toronto.  Sometime after the births of her two younger siblings, they and their father Joshua returned to England and settled at St Gluvias in Penryn.  By 1881 Elizabeth was living with her blacksmith father Joshua and brother William (below) at The Praze in St Gluvias.  Although listed as married, the children’s mother was not at the family home on that day.  Elizabeth Maria was aged 9 at that time, and ten years later she was 19 and was still living at St Gluvias but with her widowed stepmother Matilda Collett

Ellen Collett [21Q84] was born at Stratford in Ontario in 1872.  Following her family’s return to England sometime between 1875 and 1880 possibly without her mother, Ellen was looked after by her aunt Ellen Coombe nee Collett the sister of Ellen’s father.  This was confirmed in the next census in 1881 which placed Ellen, who was eight years old, as living at Iron Mill in Minchinhampton with gardener William G Coombe, aged 34, and his wife Ellen Coombe who was 40 from St Michael Penkevil.  Ten years later, and following the death of her father Joshua in 1890, Ellen and her brother William (below) were living at St Michael Penkevil with their uncle Hugh Collett who was their only surviving relative

By 1901 Ellen aged 28 was still a spinster and was the housekeeper for her uncle Hugh.  The census confirmed Canada as her place of birth.  Six years later, during the summer of 1907, Ellen’s uncle and guardian died in the Royal Cornwall Infirmary, following which Ellen Collett, a spinster, was named as the sole executor of his estate of £165 10 Shillings.  Not long after the death of her uncle, Ellen, and her cousin Elizabeth Collett (below), both of whom were living with uncle Hugh Collett before he died, moved to Enfield in Middlesex, north London, where they had a shop selling confectionery and tobacco, where they were recorded in April 1911 as Ellen Collett from Stratford, Ontario who was 38 and the shopkeeper, with Elizabeth Collett from St Michael Penkevil who was 31 and assisting her cousin in the family business

William Hugh Collett [21Q85] was born at Stratford in Ontario in 1873.  Shortly after he was born, he and his two sisters (above) left Canada with their father and returned to St Michael Penkevil but without their mother.  By 1881 William was seven and was living with sister Elizabeth (above) and his father Joshua at The Praze in St Gluvias in Penryn where Joshua was a blacksmith.  On leaving school William took up his father’s trade as a blacksmith and worked with him until his death in 1889.  The 1891 Census showed that William H Collett, aged 17 and from Canada, was living at St Michael Penkevil with his uncle Hugh who was also a blacksmith

On 4^th June 1900 at Probus, William Hugh Collett married Elizabeth Jane Fugler who was born at Probus in 1875.  She was the daughter of John Fugler and William was confirmed as the son of Joshua Collett.  According to the 1901 Census, the couple had left Cornwall and had moved to the neighbouring county of Devon.  The census record stated that 27-year-old William was a blacksmith living at Littleham with his wife Eliza who was 25.  William’s place of birth was listed as being Canada.  Unfortunately, there are two villages called Littleham in Devon, one very near Exmouth and the other in North Devon just south of Bideford, so at this time it has not been determine which was their place of residence.  Although no record of the couple has been found in the census of 1911, it was during 1910 that the name of William Hugh Collett was registered as a blacksmith of Penkevil within the Kelly’s Directory

George Collett [21Q86] was born at Battersea in London in 1878 and was baptised at the Church of St George the Martyr on 24^th November 1878, the son of Joshua Collett and his second wife Matilda.  He was two years old in April 1881 and at that time he was with his mother Matilda Collett of Mereworth in Kent, and the pair of them staying with George’s uncle Hugh Collett at St Michael Penkevil.  Also living in the same house was George’s aunt Elizabeth Collett and his grandmother Elizabeth Collett of Philleigh, the sister and mother of blacksmith Hugh Collett [21P83]

Ten years later the 1891 Census recorded George as being ten years of age and living with his mother Matilda at Gluvias in the Falmouth & Penryn registration district.  Also living in the same area, and possibly with George and Matilda, was Elizabeth Maria Collett aged 19, who was born in Canada.  If it can be proved that Matilda was the second wife of Joshua Collett then it would make sense that Elizabeth Maria, the eldest of Joshua’s children, was living with her stepmother.  Just after the turn of the century George was 22 and was working as a journeyman builder while still living at St Gluvias with his mother Matilda.  The census in 1901 confirmed his place of birth as being Battersea.  Ten years later George Collett from Battersea was 31 and was still a bachelor living with his mother Matilda Collett at St Gluvias

Elizabeth Collett [21Q87] was born at St Michael Penkevil in 1879 and was the only child of James and Sarah Collett.  Her father died within a year of her birth following which she and her mother lived with Elizabeth’s uncle Joshua Collett.  When tragedy struck again in 1887 with the death of her mother, orphaned Elizabeth was accepted into her uncle’s family at St Michael Penkevil.  She was just eight years old at the time and joined Joshua’s family of three children who had been born in Canada, although their mother was not living with their father.  That situation was enjoyed for just two short years before Joshua died in 1890 aged 53.  The only surviving adult members of the family then were aunt Ellen Collett who was married and living in Gloucestershire and uncle Hugh Collett of St Michael Penkevil

It was therefore incumbent on Elizabeth’s uncle Hugh to take on all four children.  This was confirmed in both the 1891 and 1901 censuses.  In the first of them Elizabeth was 11 and in the second she was 21 when she was recorded as ‘living with uncle’, together with her cousin Ellen Collett (above).  Some years after, and most likely following the death of her uncle in 1907, Elizabeth moved to London, possibly for reasons of work, and in April 1911 she was living in the Edmonton area of the city with her cousin Ellen Collett.  The census return that year recorded them as Elizabeth Collett from St Michael Penkevil, a spinster of 31 years, and Ellen Collett from Ontario who was 38

Catherine Collett [21Q88] was born at Creed in 1858 but was baptised at Cuby-with-Tregony on 26^th December 1858.  Shortly after she and her brother Caleb (below) were born, their parents moved to nearby Grampound where the family was living in 1861.  By that time Catherine was two years of age and her place of birth was confirmed as Creed.  Over the next ten years Catherine and Caleb were joined by three new siblings and by 1871 the whole family was living at St Ewe near St Austell, where Catherine was confirmed as being aged 12 years.  By 1881 Catherine had moved to the north of England and to Accrington in Lancashire where she was living with her married sister Edith Wellington nee Collett (below).  Catherine Collett was listed in the census return as being twenty-two and from St Austell, when she was working as a domestic servant

During the next eight years Catherine, who was known as Kate, continued to live with her sister whose family moved to Haslingden south of Accrington in the 1880s.  And it was while she was living at Haslingden that she married Stephen Polkinghorne during the first quarter of 1889.  Stephen was born on 8^th October 1860 and so was about two years younger than Catherine, although the difference in their stated ages varied in subsequent census returns.  At the timer of his death, the parents of Stephen were noted as Stephen Polkinghorne and Mary Ann Knight of England, his mother possibly being related to Catherine’s mother Elizabeth Jane Knight or even her sister, which would make Catherine and Stephen first-cousins

By the time of the next census, two years later in 1891, Catherine was temporarily staying with her other sister Salome Taylor (née Collett) and her husband William Taylor at their home in Burnley.  The census listed Catherine Polkinghorne of Creed as 32, and ten years older than her sister Salome, and with her was her daughter Annie Polkinghorne who was under one year old and born at Accrington.  Her husband Stephen Polkinghorne was missing from the census return on that occasion.  The reason for his absence was because he had travelled to America during the previous year, with the objective of setting up a new home there for him and his family.  Catherine and his daughter were to join him there later, which they did just over a month after the census day which, that year was 5^th April 1891

Almost immediately after the census day it would seem, Catherine and her nine-month-old daughter Annie sailed out of Liverpool on board the steam-ship, the SS Pavonia, which first stopped at Queenstown in Ireland, before completing the Atlantic crossing to Boston in Massachusetts on 11^th May 1891.  Once in America, Catherine would have been reunited with her husband and possibly even her two brothers Caleb and William Collett, who had emigrated there nearly ten years earlier

On meeting up with Catherine, Stephen Polkinghorne would have seen his daughter Annie for the very first time.  From Boston, the family then made the overland trek, perhaps by rail, to Redridge in Michigan where they initially settled.  The spelling of their name changed after that time.  Just less than nine years later, according to the United States census of 1900, the family was living at Osceola in Houghton County, Michigan, by then.  The couple wase listed as ‘Katherine Polkinghorn aged 41 and her husband Steven 39’.  By that time, three further children had been added to the family, so the four children were Annie Polkinghorn who was ten, Salome Polkinghorn who was six, Harold Polkinghorn who was four, and Stephen V Polkinghorn who was who was one year old.  Ten years later, fifty-one-year-old Katherine Polkinghorn and her family were living at Stanton in Michigan and, by that time in 1910, she had presented her husband with their fifth and final child.  That was Cecil Polkinghorn who was seven years old, the other children being Annie 20, Salome 16, Harold 14, and Stephen who was 11.  The children’s father on that occasion was Stephen aged 50

The couple was still living at Stanton in 1920 when the family was recorded as Stephen who was 60, his wife Katherine who was 59, Annie who was 29, Salome who was 26, Harold who was 24, Stephen V Polkinghorn who was 21, and John Cecil Polkinghorn who was 16 and previously recorded as Cecil.  According to US records Katherine Polkinghorn nee Collett died sometime shortly after the census day in 1920, since by 1923 the record of the death of Stephen Polkinghorn indicated that he was a widower aged sixty-two and eleven months and nine days

Stephen Polkinghorn died on 17^th September 1923 and was buried at Houghton, the cause of death being general paresis.  The full record confirmed he had been in the USA for thirty-one years, and that he had been living at 57 Redridge for the last twenty-three years of his life.  His daughter Salome, who nursed her father through his final years, was born on 9^th September 1893 at Hubbell in Michigan and never married and died from tuberculosis on 26^th October 1935 at the age of forty-two and one month and seventeen days.  She was buried at Forest Hill three days later.  At the time of her death, Salome had been working as a nurse at the local hospital for the previous six years, and had been living at 98 Sheldon Street in Houghton for the past six years

APPENDIX A - The Illogan (near Redruth) Connection

Robert Davey Collett [21Q37] was born at Illogan in 1861, where his parents were also married, but was then baptised at the parish church in Philleigh.  He was the only member of his large family born at Illogan

Francis (Frank) Thomas Collett [21R54], who was born at Tintagel early in 1910, and his wife Margaret Mary Collett, both died at Illogan in 1966 and 1987 respectively.  Whether there was a connection to the following gentleman, Hugh, is not known, but he has been included here in the hope that one day his family line might be inserted within this branch of the family.  What is perhaps interesting though, from his birth to his death, his surname was predominately recorded as COLLICK, with COLLETT for just the census returns in 1891 and 1901

Hugh Collett [21q4] was born early in 1862 at Breage, three miles west of Helston, with his birth registered at Helston (Ref. 5c 257) during the first three months of 1862 as Hugh Collick, one of the six sons of Hugh Collick [21p1] aged 22 and Elizabeth Jane Andrew aged 19 when they were married at Breage on 25^th December 1856, when Hugh’s father was Hugh Collick born in 1835, and Elizabeth’s father was John Andrew.  In the earlier census, conducted at Ashton, Breage in 1861, Hugh’s parents were recorded at Hugh Collick 26 and a tin miner, Elizabeth J Collick 23, who had with them their first child Hugh Collick [21q1] who was four years old, having been born at Germoe, Penzance on 15^th April 1857 and baptised there on 25^th December 1857.  That son must have died shortly after that census day because, ten years later, eight-year-old Hugh Collick was living with his family at Ashton, Breage in 1871, the son of Elizabeth Collick aged 35, a miner’s wife from Breage.  That day he was the middle son of Elizabeth’s five sons, the others being Edward Collick [21q2] who was 11, Thomas Collick [21q3] who was nine, John T Collick [21q5] who was five, and Isaac Collick [21q7] who was two years of age, all of them born at Breage.  On that day in 1871, Elizabeth’s husband and their two eldest daughters were absent from the family home, with two more daughters added to the family in 1872 and 1876.  By 1881 Hugh’s father had died and son Hugh himself had left the family home and was working on the nearby farm of Josiah C Lobb at Sithney, Helston, where he was employed as an indoor farm servant at the age of 19.  Also, by that time, Hugh’s four younger sisters were living at Breage with their widowed mother.  Elizabeth J Collick was 44 and a housekeeper, Carrie Collick [21q6] was 15, Mary W Collick [21q8] was 12, Maria Collick [21q9] was nine, and Clara Collick [21q10] was six years old

The later marriage of Hugh Collick and Thomasine Annie Bray, also born at Breage, was recorded at Helston during the last three months of 1883 (Ref. 5c 358). It is very likely that they met through their work at the tin mine, with Ann Bray being 18 in the census of 1881, when she was described as a tin mineress who was living with her mother and two younger sisters at Illogan Downs in Illogan.  The couple’s first three children were born at Breage, prior to a family move to Camborne, where two more children were added to the family.  The 1891 Census identified Hugh Collett and his family as living in Treswithin Down in Camborne, where Hugh Collett, at the age of 29, was still employed as a tin miner.  Annie Collett was 28 and their five children were Hugh Collett who was seven, Bessie Collett who was six, John Collett who was five, Mabel Collett who was two years old, and Florrie Collett who was just three months old and born at Camborne

All the other children had been born at Breage, including Mabel whose later place of birth was said to be Camborne.  Living with the family in their three-roomed accommodation was Annie’s widowed mother Ann Bray from Camborne who was 51 and living on her own means.  With her was her younger child, her daughter Esther Bray who was 14 and from Breage who was still attending school

The family’s time in Camborne was short-lived, with the couple’s next two children born back at Breage before the family eventually settled in Crowan, three miles south of Camborne, where the last two children were born.  All of this was confirmed in the Crowan census of 1901 when the family was recorded with the surname of Collett.  By that time Hugh Collett from Breage was 37 and a mason’s labourer, his wife Annie B Collett was 36, and living with them were seven of their eleven children.  They were John J Collett who was 15 and a mason’s labourer, Mabel Collett who was 13 and born at Camborne, as was Flora J Collett who was 11, Ethel Collett who was eight and born at Breage, as was Lily Collett who was five, while both Charlie Collett who was four, and Richard Collett who was nearly one year old, had been born at Crowan

The census conducted in 1911 confirmed that the family had moved to Illogan, just north of Camborne, by that time, but once again their surname was as Collick.  Hugh Collick from Breage was 48 and a general farm labourer living at Druids Lodge, with his wife Annie Collick who was 47 and born at Breage.  The children still living with them at Illogan were Bessie Collick who was 26 and a tin mine worker, Lily Collick who was 16 and another a tin mine worker, Charles Collick who was 14 and a tin streams labourer, and Richard B Collett who was 11 and attending school

All the children were confirmed as having been born at Breage.  Other members of the family were also recorded at Illogan in the census that year and they were eldest son Hugh who was 28 and Jack (John J) who was 24, also confirmed as having been born at Breage.  It was also at Illogan that both Hugh Collett (senior) and his youngest son Richard R B Collett died and were buried.  Hugh Collett was eighty-one years old when he died on 20^th May 1943, his passing recorded at Cornwall register office (Ref. 5c 200), following which he was buried at Illogan on 1^st June 1943, with his son who had died in 1926.  The parish burial recorded stated that Hugh Collick had been residing at 5 Wills Row, Park Bottom, Illogan prior to his death

21r1 – Hugh Collett was born in 1883 at Breage

21r2 – Bessie Collett was born in 1884 at Breage

21r3 – John J Collett was born in 1886 at Breage

21r4 – Mabel Collett was born in 1888 at Camborne

21r5 – Flora J Collett was born in 1891 at Camborne

21r6 – Ethel Collett was born in 1893 at Breage

21r7 – Lily Collett was born in 1895 at Breage

21r8– Edward Charles Collett was born in 1897 at Crowan

21r9 – Richard R B Collett was born in 1899 at Crowan

Hugh Collett [21r1] was born at Breage at the end of 1883, with his birth registered at Helston (Ref. 5c 193) during the first quarter of 1884, the first of the nine children of Hugh Collett and Thomasine Annie Bray.  Up to around 1887 the family continued to live at Breage after which they moved to Treswithin Down in Camborne, where Hugh Collett was seven years old in 1891.  Shortly thereafter the family returned to Breage, before moving to Camborne, with them living at Crowan in 1901, by which time Hugh Collick was 18 and was working as a domestic servant at the Crowan home of elderly farmer Joseph Semmens and his large family.  It was during the second quarter of 1910 that the wedding of Hugh Collett and Edith Aver was recorded at Redruth register office (Ref. 5c 353).  One year later, Hugh Collick from Breage was 28 and living at Illogan, where he was working as a carter at a tin mine.  His wife Edith Collick of Illogan was 24 and had given birth to twin daughters, while completing the household was Edith’s younger sister 15-year-old Lottie Aver, a framer working in the tin streams industry.  At the end of the following year Edith presented Hugh with a son, who birth was recorded at Redruth register office (Ref. 5c 307) during the fourth quarter of 1912, when the mother’s maiden-name was confirmed as Aver.  Hugh Collick was 78 when his death was recorded at Cornwall register office (Vol. 7a 116) in 1962

21s1 – Gwendoline May Collick was born in 1910 at Illogan

21s2 – Ida Pearl Collick was born in 1910 at Illogan

21s3 – Charles H Collick was born in 1912 at Illogan

John J Collick [21r3] was born at Breage during 1886 and was five years old in 1891 when he and his family were living at Treswithin Down, Camborne.  Ten years later he was 15, by which time the family had moved to Crowan and during the first decade of the new century another move followed, to Illogan where Jack Collett was 24. On the census day in 1911 Jack and his older brother Hugh were recorded there, but no with their parents, who had also settled there.  Later records indicate that a John J Collett, age 29, married Lily Bate who was 23 and the daughter of John Bate.  The wedding took place at Crowan in 1915, when the groom’s father was named as Thomas Collett rather than Hugh Collett.  However, it was ten years later that the death of John J Collett was recorded at Redruth register office (Ref. 5c 198) during the third quarter of 1924 when he was 38.  He was then buried at Redruth on 11^th September 1924

Edward Charles Collick [21r8] was born at Crowan on 28^th December 1896, his birth recorded at Helston register office (Ref. 5c 179) during the first quarter of that year.  In 1901 he was recorded as Charlie Collett aged four years, at Crowan (near Camborne) with his family, with whom he was still living at the age of 14 in 1911, but at Druids Lodge in Illogan, by which time he was a labourer working in tin streams.  The later death of Edward Charles Collick aged 74, was recorded at Cornwall register office (Vol. 7a 309) in 1971

Richard R B Collick [21r9] was born at Crowan to the south of Camborne during 1900 and was simply recorded as Richard Collect in the census of 1901.  All that is currently known about him is that he died at Illogan near Camborne on 14^th June 1926 when he was only 26 years of age, and when his father was confirmed as Hugh Collett who was buried at Illogan seventeen years later

APPENDIX B – Possible Connection to Part 52

From an unconfirmed source on the internet website www.ancestry.com there is information alluding to the fact that Ann Williams Johns, who married Edward Charles Collett [21Q39], was herself a descendent of the Collett family of Little Gidding in Huntingdonshire.  An investigation into this has failed to verify that the assumption is correct but, for completeness, the original brief details are provided below, about which there are many unresolved questions.  Ann Williams Johns [1852-1890] was the daughter of Peter Blamey Johns [1816-1890].  His parents were John Johns and Rachel Blamey, while the parents of Rachel Blamey were Peter Blamey and Frances Curgenven.  The father of John Curgenven was Richard Curgenven and his wife was Frances Collett [21K6] [see their full family below].  Frances Curgenven, nee Collett, was the daughter of John Collett [21J1] and his wife Elizabeth Ball who, it is claimed, was the great-granddaughter of John Collett of Little Gidding and his wife Susanna Ferrar, who feature in Part 52 – The England to Baltimore Line under Ref. 52G1

FACT:  The Curgenven and Blamey families are linked with the Collett family, as confirmed in the 1744 Will of Richard Collett [Ref. 21K9] in which Francis Curgenven (nee Collett) [Ref. 21K6] and the wife of Richard Curgenven, and their daughter Rachel Blamey, the wife of Benjamin Blamey of Veryan, were named beneficiaries (see their details under Ref. 21K6 in the first section of Part 21)

Query:  Another Rachel Blamey was baptised at Mevagissey on 27^th November 1791 and was the daughter of Richard and Mary Blamey.  While another Rachel Curgenven was baptised at St Kew in Cornwall on 26^th December 1794 and she was the daughter of John and Ann Curgenven

Query:  Was Frances Collett married to Richard Curgenven or William Curgenven?  One record shows Frances Collett was married to William Curgenven, while another says she died in 1762, but that she married Richard Curgenven alias Lean around 1711 – see below

Query:  On 26^th March 1779 Frances Curgenven married her cousin Peter Blamey at Veryan, where Frances was baptised on 6^th or 18^th November 1757.  Frances ‘Fanny’ Curgenven and Peter Blamey had the same grandparents, Richard Curgenven (1675-1747) and Frances Collett (1685-1762)

Query:  Richard Curgenven was originally baptised Richard Lean, the son of William Lean, who died in 1689, and his wife Rachel Richard who were married in 1667.  It was around the time that Richard married Frances Collett in 1711 that he adopted the name Curgenven, very likely taken from the name of the place in Cornwall, near Camborne.  It was two years after their wedding day that the surname Curgenven was first used in England by Richard as a witness at a baptism conducted in Veryan, Cornwall, perhaps even his first-born child with Frances.  The Will of William Lean was dated 28^th April 1690, so this may have been at the proving of the Will – see additional note below.

It is very interesting that the official Curgenven website provides the following information.  In 1683 the Reverend Thomas Lean (1644–1712) was appointed Headmaster at Sherborne School in Cornwall at the age of 39, from where he retired in 1695.  Thomas' brother, William Lean married Rachel Richard who died in 1689 and 1692 respectively.  Shortly after that, Thomas was given legal charge of the younger children, John, Thomas, and Peter, and it was Thomas who changed their birth names from Lean to Curgenven, Thomas having no children of his own.