John Collins of Maidstone

Father may be Joseph W. Collins

http://shaybo-therisingtide.blogspot.com/2011/08/descendants-of-joh...

1. John1 Collins was born Abt. 1569 in England, and died Abt. 1644 in Maidstone, Kent Co., England (Source: Anst File#: SKJ1-85 & 20SB-GJM.). He married Unknown Abt. 1587 in Kent Co., England (Source: LDS.). She was born Abt. 1571 in England.

Children of John Collins and Unknown are:

• 2 i. Katherine2 Collins, born February 22, 1588 in Maidstone, Kent Co., England; died Aft. 1661 in Surry Co., VA (Source: LDS.).
• + 3 ii. John Collins, born Abt. 1590 in Maidstone, Kent Co., England; died July 15, 1686 in Essex Co., VA. Married 1) Unknown 2) Elizabeth Caulfield [NO] 3) Margaret Weeks. Father of William Collins (1615-1687)
• 4 iii. William Collins, born Abt. 1601 in Maidstone, Kent Co., England; died Aft. 1650 in Surry Co., VA (Source: LDS.). (No family)

[Notes for William Collins:] William Collins, age 34, sailed for Virginia on the "Plain Joane", Richard Buckam, Master. He departed London on May 15, 1635. On the passenger list, there is another William Collins, age 20, who is believed to be his nephew. Source: List of Immigrants to America in the period 1600-1700 by Hotten, pp. 78-79.

Information from other sources:

John1 Collins was born Abt. 1569 in England, and died Abt. 1644 in Maidstone, Kent Co., England (Source: Anst File#: SKJ1-85 & 20SB-GJM.). He married Unknown Abt. 1587 in Kent Co., England (Source: LDS.). She was born Abt. 1571 in England.

Notes for John Collins:

Events in history and additional information: 1600: Charles Stuart was born on November 19, 1600. 1625: He became King Charles I in March. 1631: King Charles granted John Collins the title Keeper of the Gaol of Maidstone. This was a titled position and could be passed to heirs. 1635: The "Plain Joane" departed London on May 15, 1635 bound for Virginia. Richard Buckam was the ship's master. John (I)'s son William, age 34, was aboard. 1637: A civil war began in Scotland and lasted until 1640. 1642: The English civil war began. Supporters of King Charles were known as Cavaliers. Supporters of Parliament were called Roundheads. 1644: John Collins died and his son John (II) inherited his title. 1646: Charles placed himself in the hands of the Scottish Army in May. 1647: The Scottish Army turned him over to Parliament in February. 1647: Charles escaped to Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight in November. 1648: The Battle of Maidstone was fought. 1649: King Charles I was executed on January 30, 1649.

Notes about John: John Collins was born in England in 1569. He had at least three children. King Charles I, by his letters patent dated February 27, 1631, granted John Collins the title Keeper of the Gaol (Prison) of Maidstone. In addition, this patent gave John the gaol house in Maidstone and custody of all its prisoners. This was a titled position of power and influence similar to that of high sheriff in older times, and it could be passed on to heirs. John Collins died in 1644. By his will, he left his son John his title and the house and all the irons, implements, fees, appurtenances, and prisoners. Maidstone is about 35 miles South East of London in the direction of Dover. Collins' descendants are still living in Maidstone in the year 2001.

Sources for the above: 1) History of Kent County England Vol. 2, p. 110; 2) History of the Collins Family of Caroline County Virginia by Herbert Ridgeway Collins, 1954; 3) The Collins and Travis Families and Their Allies by Mary Collins Landon, 1982; 4) World Family Tree Vol. 11, tree 0778; and 5) various references from the LDS.

FROM: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53808

...[t]he prison belonging to the corporation, [was] formerly called the Brambles. (fn. 5) This prison appears to have belonged antiently to the archbishops of Canterbury, and continued so till archbishop Cranmer, in the 29th year of king Henry VIII. exchanged the prison house of this town with that king. (fn. 6) In king Charles I.'s reign it remained in the king's hands; for by his letters patent, in 1631, he granted the office of keeper of it, and the custody of all prisoners there, to John Collins for his life; who, by his will, in 1644, gave his patent of the king's gaol in Maidstone, with all the irons, implements, fees, and appurtenances to his son of the same name.

The public gaol of the western division of the county of Kent was formerly placed most inconveniently in the very middle of the town, to its great annoyance, where it remained till 1736, when on a petition of its inconvenient situation, near the market place, of its being much decayed, and that there was no gaol for debtors, an act was obtained for erecting another in the room of it, together with a bride well, in another part of the town. This, after some intermission, was accomplished, and a capacious strong building of stone, with large outlets and conveniences for this purpose, has been erected near the out parts of the town, in East-lane, which has been lately still further strengthened and enlarged at a large expence,at the charge of the western division of the county.

From: 'The town and parish of Maidstone: Town and manors', The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 4 (1798), pp. 260-307.

Notes on John Collins Sr (1569-1644), John Collins Jr (1590-1686) and William Collins (1615-1686)

John Collins Sr. was created hereditary Keeper of the Gaol for Maidstone by King Charles I in 1631. This was a titled position with property rights. The title passed to John Collins Jr. upon the death of John Collins Sr in 1644.

All three Collins men had been supporters of King Charles I. The antagonism against King Charles was very strong in the 1630s and 1640s, making the Collins men very anxious. William Collins emigrated to Virginia on 15 May 1635 aboard the ship Plaine Joane. When King Charles was executed by Parliament in 1649, John Collins Jr realized he was in serious danger. John Collins Jr left England sometime before 2 Oct 1655 and joined his son William in Virginia.

Comments

• 1. No one knows when the John Collins who settled in colonial Surry County, Virginia arrived in the colonies. No one knows which of the several John Collins recorded as immigrants to colonial Virginia settled in Surry County. No one can state with certainty who his ancestors were. To assume he was the John Collins of Maidstone, England is conjecture.
• 2. The wife of John Collins of Surry County was not Elizabeth Caufield. His spouse remains unknown.
• 3. In his will John Collins identified "my dear son John Collins." No recorded documents associate him with a William Collins regardless of location in Virginia.

That's it for my notes. Comments and suggested correction and additions are solicited.

Bob Carney Williamsburg, VA

References

• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5L5-QJT
• http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/COLLINS/1999-02/09198...
• < HM Prison Maidstone from Wikipedia
• < Maidstone prison. >
• https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/collins/957/
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=93402885
• Prewitt, Richard A. The Collins Book: Joseph Collins and Lucy Marchbanks, their descendants. < PDF >
• Descendants of John Collins I < PDF > “The first two generations are very questionable and are in dispute by many. They are placed here only a guide to do additional research, to prove or disprove.”