Some of the records of Cape Cod before 1827 were lost, largely due to fires,
so the information about Joseph's parents and birth is qualified in the sources with a probably[1]
According to Collins: "Joseph Collins was born probably in the 1640s of unknown parents..."[2]
Some sources include him as Joseph, the son of Joseph Collins (son of Henry, born 1606 in Ireland), who travelled to Lynn Massachusetts with his family in 1635. These sources note his mother was Anna and two siblings Henry, born 1830 and a sister named Margery[3][4], however this isn't consistent with the facts for this family. It seems more likely he was a more distant relative of the Collins family in Lynn.
On May 20, 1671, he married first Ruth (Ruby) Knowles on May 20, 1671 in Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts[5][6][2][3][4][7]. They had at least eight children, all born in Eastham, including:
Joseph died on February 18, 1723/4 in Eastham.[2][3][4]
Sources
↑Familysearch explains about the loss of records in Barnstable before 1827, and recommends sources, including the Brownson notes listed here
↑ 2.02.12.22.3
Collins, Stanley Newcomb. Jr., "Joseph Collins of Eastham and three Generations of his Descendants", New England Historic and Genealogical Register, Boston, New England Historic and Genealogical Society, Vol. 151, (January, 1997), pages 3-30, NEHGR
↑ 3.003.013.023.033.043.053.063.073.083.093.103.113.12Genealogical notes of Cape Cod families by Brownson, Lydia B.; Norton, Doris V.; Held, Grace V.; Publication date 1967; Publisher Lydia B. Brownson; Digitizing sponsor Federally funded with LSTA funds through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners; Contributor Sturgis Library; Volume 47 ((Thaxter to Twining), see page 211 for Joseph son of Henry born 1606, and Joseph son of Joseph who matches this profile
↑ 4.004.014.024.034.044.054.064.074.084.094.104.114.12History of Cape Cod: Annals of Barnstable County; by Frederick Freeman; Publication date 1862; Digitizing sponsor Google; Book from the collections of Harvard University; see the footnote at the bottom of page 347 for the family of Joseph Collins (scanned version includes covers and blank pages, so the info appears on page 399 in the version given here)
↑
"Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC4N-WQW : 4 December 2014), Joseph Collins and Ruby Knowles, 20 May 1671; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 778,357, 905,406.
↑Torrey's New England Marriages to 1700 Volume 1, page 357 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015, which states COLLINS, Joseph (-1723/4) & 1/wf Ruth KNOWLES (-1714); 20 Mar 1671/2; Eastham {Freeman 374; MD 3:229, 6:204; Linnell-Snow 13, 46; Smith-Bryant 169, 188, 233; Cape Cod Lib. 32:28; Reg. 6:44, 69:91, 79:292; Harding 1; Higgins 71; Knowles 292; Treat 286; Sv. 1:435; NYGBR 47:23}
See also:
Town records, 1654-1863 [Eastham, Massachusetts], database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G979-QNYN : 27 September 2022), , FHL microfilm 007009743, image 330, Eastham, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Transcribed by order of the Town in 1856 by, H. Doane 2d, Town Clerk, Marriages, Births, & Deaths, 1654-1797, Page 3.
Josiah Paine, "Early settlers of Eastham; containing sketches of all early settlers of Eastham", Library of Cape Cod History & Genealogy, vol. 32, book 2 (Yarmouth, Massachusetts: C.W. Swift, 1916), 28-9; digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GPTZ-RXW?i=248&cat=166355); imaged from FHL microfilm 1004003.
Joseph Collins was constable in 1700. Was on the jury several times and was one of the appraisers of the estate of Samuel Smith in 1690. This is one of the events that show that he was closely connected with the Smith family. His first wife, Ruth Knowles, died Aug. 28, 1714, and he married a second wife, Sarah Pike, whom he mentions in his will.
Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA
Probate and Guardianship Records, Vol 3-6, 1720-1747
The will of Joseph Collins is preserved in the files of the Probate Court, in Barnstable, Mass. It gives certain effects to his daughter, Lydia Higgins and her husband, Isaac Higgins.
He mentions his oldest son, John Collins. To his wife, Sarah, he gives one third of his estate and names her executrix. The remainder of his estate is to be equally divided between his living four sons and three daughters. (M.D. v. 6. p. 204)
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Joseph by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA.
Y-chromosome DNA test-takers in his direct paternal line on WikiTree:
Collins-11427 and Collins-993 appear to represent the same person because: Both are married to the same woman. According to his Find-a-Grave profile (#51540545), he was born in Massachusetts, not England.
Joseph is a direct relative. I probably adopted his profile with the intent of working on it at some point. Maybe the time has arrived!
UPDATE: Joseph is NOT a direct relative. But thanks to everyone who has been so encouraging, I have found my Joseph, and been able to sort out a few people who lived at the same time, and had the same name.
It appears that many of the children here belong to the other Joseph Collins. The children that were born in Lynn are most probably the ones belonging to Joseph Collins. See Essex Genealogist 10:205-6 for a list of that Joseph's children's names.
UPDATE: Joseph is NOT a direct relative. But thanks to everyone who has been so encouraging, I have found my Joseph, and been able to sort out a few people who lived at the same time, and had the same name.