An American Family History

Henry Collins, Jr.

“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists."
― Franklin D. Roosevelt

A housewright built houses. Housewrights also chopped down the trees and carved the wood into boards.

Essex County, Massachusetts was created on May 10, 1643 by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, when it ordered "that the whole plantation within this jurisdiction be divided into four sheires."

In 1688, during the Glorious Revolution, the Protestant king and queen,William and Mary, took the English throne from Catholic King James II. The bloodless revolution profoundly impacted the American colonies.

Henry Collins, Jr. was born on October 29, 1629 in Stepney Parish, London, Middlesex County, England. His parents were Henry and Ann Collins. He immigrated to America with his parents on the Abigail in 1635.

He married Mary Tolman. Mary was born in 1630 and was the daughter of Thomas and Sarah Tolman.

Henry and Mary's children, who were all born in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, included:
Henry Collins (1657),
Hannah Collins Brown (1659/60, married Thomas Brown),
John Collins (1662),
Sarah Collins (1665/66),
Rebecca Collins Newhall (1668, married John Newhall), and
Eleazer Collins (1673, married Rebecca Newhall).

Henry made his living as housewright.

. . . in 1673, Thomas Laughton, cleric, in behalf of the selectmen of Lynn, "receivinge a note from the worshipfull maior William Hathorne and mr Henry Bartholemew a comittee chossen to see some re-paire to be done att the greate Bridge in our Towne did agree with Henry collins Juniar and Joseph Collins to repaire the same for Wm they were to haue three pounds.

In 1691 his mother left him her horse.

Mary died on February 27, 1714 at Lynn and Henry died on October 14, 1722.

Children of Anne and
Henry Collins, Sr.

Anne Collins

Henry Collins, Jr.

John Collins

Margery Collins Williams

Hannah Collins Ingersoll

Joseph Collins

Mary Collins Johnson

Benjamin Collins

Ralph and Thankful Shepherd and their children and Henry and Ann Collins and their children came to America together on the Abigail. She arrived in Boston about October 8, 1635. The passengers were infected with smallpox.

Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.

map

1677 Map of New England
click to enlarge

Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts was first settled by English Puritans in 1629 and was first incorporated in 1631 as Saugus.

Smallpox is caused by of two viruses: Variola major and Variola minor. Symptoms include a rash and blisters. The mortality rate for V. major is 30–35% and for V. minor is about 1%. Long-term complications include scars, blindness, and limb deformities.

divider

Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts was settled in 1635 by English Puritans.

New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, Volume 1 edited by William Richard Cutter

Thomas [Tolman], son of Thomas Tolman, of Devonshire, England, was born in England, December 9, 1608, died June 8, 1690; his will was dated October 29, 1688. The family tradition says that he came to New England in the ship Mary and John in 1630.

He settled in Dorchester, and owned land extending from the sea to the Dedham line. He owned also land in what is now Canton, Stoughton and Sharon. The first mention of him on the Dorchester records is:

It is ordered that Goodman Tolman's house be appointed for the receiving any goods that shall be brought in whereof the owner is not known.

He signed the church covenant in 1636, and was admitted a freeman, May 13, 1640. He located near Pine Neck, now Port Norfolk, and his house stood within a hundred feet of Pine Neck creek, on the west side, and on the north side within about two hundred feet, the creek forming an elbow there. ..

He married (first) Sarah;
(second) Katherine , who died November 7, 1677.

Children:
1. Thomas, born 1633, died September 12, 1718, aged eighty five years; married, November 4, 1654, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Johnson, of Lynn, Massachusetts; she died December 15. 1726; Thomas was admitted with his wife into the Dorchester church, May 17, 1674; he was made a freeman in 1678; his house stood about one hundred feet from "Ashmont street" in "Tolman's Lane" children: Thomas, Mary, Samuel, Daniel.
2. John
3. Sarah, married, March 18, 1659, Henry Leadbetter; died April 20, 1722.
4. Rebecca, married James Tucker.
5. Ruth, married Isaac Royal; died May 1, 1681.
6. Hannah, born July 27, 1642, died August 4, 1729; married (first) George Lyon, (second) William Blake.
7. Mary, married Collins, of Lynn.

Any man entering a colony or becoming a a member the church, was not free. He was not forced to work, but his movements were carefully observed to see if they followed the Puritanical ideal. After this probationary period, he became a "freeman." Men then took the Oath of a Freeman where they vowed to defend the Commonwealth and not to overthrow the government.

In Colonial America Goodman was a courtesy title before the surname of a man not of noble and Goodwife or Goody was the courtesy title for a married woman not of noble birth.

A deponent (dep^t, dpnt) gives testimony under oat.

The rod or perch or pole is a surveyor's tool equal to 5 1⁄2 yards.

Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusettsby George Francis Dow, Essex Institute, 1916

Copy from the Salem court records, 30-4-1671, of the report of Wm. Hathorne, Edmond Batter and Henry Bartholomew, who laid out the highway as it then ran along by the sea side, four rods wide, etc. Copy made by Hilliard Veren, cleric.

Henry Collins, aged about forty-two years, deposed that he with his brother John Collins, being at work at Mr. Ralph King's when the layers out were there, the latter desired them to go along to drive the stakes, which they did. Some of the gentlemen asked how long the stakes would stand, and Mr. King said in a short time he would make substantial bounds which would remain, and that deponent and his brother should help him. They heard no more about it, but the stakes were soon gone and a fence was set by Mr. King, etc. John Collins, aged about forty years, deposed the same. Sworn in court.

Mister ( Mr.) was derived from master and Mrs. and Miss were derived from mistress. They indicated people of superior social status in colonial America.

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