John Collins II (abt. 1590 - 1692)

Born about 1590 in Maidstone, Kent, England

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Weekes) Collins — married Apr 1684 in Essex, Virginia

Died 1692 at about age 102 in Surry, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Chet Snow [send private message], Brandi Collins [send private message], and Sandy Edwards [send private message]

This profile is part of the Collins Update Jan 2024 Name Study.

This Profile Represents John Collins II (1590-1692); of Surry, Virginia (Lawnes Creek Parish)

• This profile is a collaborative work-in-progress. A Collins Family Profile clean up was initiated in 2021 to sort through some of the conflicting information on this family.

• Debunking the Myths. Collins was a very common name in Virginia from early times, and certainly there were more than one Collins family present in many areas of the Virginia colony. Unfortunately many early Virginia records were destroyed during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars so birth, marriage and death records are practically non existent. As a result, no one can state with certainty who the ancestors of John Collins of Surry are.

• That said, one is left to rely on wills, books, manuscripts, family history publications of which there are many ---each with conflicting information. The following geneology.com forum written by Bob Carney of Williamsburg, Virginia discusses some of the conflicting information on John Collins and his assumed son, William Collins. https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/collins/1489/.

• Can you contribute information or sources? Recent research availability has helped to solidify some of the mis-information; Researchers are encouraged to reverify (and add source) information; making adjustments to profiles as necessary.Links are provided for reference and convenience only (and are considered unreliable / unproven unless sources are contained within).

Biography

This profile represents John Collins II who settled in Lawnes Creek Parish, Surry, Virginia in the mid 17th century and died there about 1692-1693. There are lots of theories however but no birth records or marriage records have been found to date.^[1]

His will, which was written in 1692/1693, is on record, recorded in Surry County Deed and Will Book 4, page 342, he mentions a minor son, John and no other children or wife. ^[2]

Several books have been written asserting that John Collins, who was born in 1590, in Maidstone Kent Virginia, came to America from England about 1755 and settled in Lawnes Creek, Surry County, Virginia. It has been said that he is the son of John Collins I(1659-1644) who was granted the title, "Keeper of the [Maidstone] Gaol (aka Gael)" in Kent, England by King Charles I in letters patent, dated February 27, 1631. This may be true, but at this point we don't know for certain. ^{[3] [4]}

The assertion that John Collins II is said to have arrived in Surry County, Virginia in 1655 is based on a 2 October 1655 transaction where George Frizell and Thomas Moore, received a land patent for 650 acres in Northampton County on 2 October 1655 for transporting 13 persons to the colonies, one of whom was a John Collins (Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, 1623-1666, p. 324).

However, there was another John Collins that was transported to the colonies. On 12 July 1665 of Capt. Anthony Fulgham received 1600 acres in Isle of Wight County for transporting 30 persons to the colonies one of whom was a John Collins. (Nugent, Cavaliers and Pioneers, 1623-1666, p. 476). ^[5]

Another unknown is confirming the identity of any wife (or wives) v he might have had. Some say he married three times but there are no records to confirm. The three suspect wives are:

Elizabeth Unknown

Margaret Weeks^[6]

Elizabeth Caufield Disproven p. 4-6 ^[7]

1. Elizabeth Unknown: About 1612, when 22 years old, John is said to have married a 17-year old woman, first-name "Elisabeth," whose surname remains Unknown. ^[8]

2. Margaret Weeks:

• First theory: John is said to have married Margaret Weeks in England and they were the parents of William Collins born about 1615. Said William sailed aboard the ship Plain Jane in 1635. ^{[9] [10]}

• Second theory: John Collins II, married a third time in 1684 at the age 93 to Margaret Weeks (abt.1660-)' the Virginia-born daughter of Abraham Weeks. She was nearly 70 years younger than John when they married in April 1684 in Abraham Week's plantation home in Essex County, Virginia. Abraham Weeks signed estate papers on July 7, 1686, in Essex County, Virginia for a John Collins. However, John Collins II lived his life in Surry County, Virginia, so this may be another/ or son of John Collins, ^{[11] [12]}

3. Elizabeth Caufield (1630-1676: John Collins is said to have married Elizabeth Caufield, the only daughter of William Caufield and Dorcas Unknown, of the parish of Chippoakes in Surry County. However this theory has been disproved with the discovery that Elizabeth (Caufield) Seward (abt.1643-1676) was actually the wife of William Seward Sr (abt.1640-bef.1703) (1640-1703) They were married about 1669 in Surry, Virginia. Their three children include: Elizabeth SEWARD (1670-1737), John SEWARD (1674-1699) and Mary SEWARD, (1676 - deceased)

Although Elizabeth died before her brother in 1676, at the age of 33, Captain Robert Caufield (abt.1641-abt.1692), in his will dated 2 January 1691 ^[13] left parts of his estate to “niece Elizabeth, wife of William Holt,” “niece Mary, wife of James Bruton,” and “nephew John Seward”; these two “nieces” and one “nephew” were respectively daughters and son of William Seward who made his will 16 March 1702-03 and named his daughters, Mary Bruton and Elizabeth Holt (his son, John Seward, had predeceased him in 1699). It should be noted that John Collins was also named in Robert Caufield’s will (he received 800 pounds of tobacco), but was in no way connected with Robert’s sister, Elizabeth Caufield. In close proximity to the reference to John Collins in this will, Robert Caufield refers to ". . . "my loving wife Elizabeth." See Robert Caufield (abt.1641-abt.1692) profile to view a copy of his will.

Bob Carney points out that: "It should be noted that John Collins was named in Robert Caufield’s will (he received 800 pounds of tobacco), but was in no way connected with Robert’s sister. In close proximity to the reference to John Collins in this will, Robert Caufield refers to ". . . my loving wife Elizabeth . . ."One early compiler of Collins genealogy apparently confused a poorly structured abstract of the will as indicating that it was a referral to an Elizabeth who was the wife of John Collins. Careful inspection of a microfilm copy of the will shows that this was not the case; unfortunately, subsequent compilers repeated the error. In summary, it is extremely unlikely that Elizabeth Caufield (Seward) was the wife of John Collins. ^[14]

We know John Collins (1569 - 1644) of Surry had a minor son named John (1590 - 1692 , which he mentioned in his will, but there is no mention of a William. Various family genealogies attribute John to being the father of William Collins (1615 - 1687, of Maidstone, Kent England, who in 1635 at the age of 20, set sail aboard the ship Plain Joan from London to Virginia. ^[15] Their was also another William Collins, age 34 aboard attributed to be his uncle, but that also has not been proven. This would make one of them born about 1601 and the other in about 1615. In total there were 84 men, 80 of which were all between 14 and 36. This suggests that these younger men with no wives or children with them were coming to Virginia to work. ^[16]

One last detail to ponder, if John Collins of Surry County was indeed born in 1590 he would have been 102 years of age at the time of his death in 1692.

Sources

Links are provided for reference and convenience only (and are considered unreliable /unproven unless sources are contained within).

1. ↑ (Birth "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NL7H-K2F : 5 February 2023), John Collins, 1589. Christening Event Date 25 May 1589; Event Place Brookland, Kent, England vs 1590 Maidstone Kent England.
2. ↑ Will of John Collins ' The last will and testament of one John Collins of the psh. of Lawnes Brooke in the County of Surry make this my last will as followth this 20th day ye 9br. 1693. Imp: I give & bequeath in sole my dear son John Collins all my goods and chattles whatsoever belongs ...... towards his maintenance untill he comes to the age of twenty one years & what remains thereto to be paid him by my Exos. hereafter indicated. It is my will Sarah Sandburne the wife of Daniell Sandburne shall have the bringing up of my said child. I give unto Will Goodman one thousand weight of tobacco for the keeping of my child this year. It is my will that in case my son dyes before he comes to age that what remains of the estate I have left him . . It is my will that my Exs. distribute it equally amongst the children of Roberta Goodman, Jeane N..by and Elisa. J..ard. I nominate and appoint my dear friends Arthur Allen and Samuel Newton Excts. of this my last will and testament. In witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand & seale the day and year above written.

   Signed Sealed acknowledged Jno. Collins Seale inn presence of:

   John Coker

   Maury Wiggs

   Jos. T. Thorpe

   Thomas Thorpe

   At a Court held for the County of Surry Jany ye 2d 1693 the above will proved in court by the oaths of John Coker and Joseph Thorpe. Test.W. EdwardsCoCrt.
3. ↑ Johnson, Nancy Foley, and Prewitt, Richard A.. The Collins Book: Joseph Collins & Lucy Marchbanks, Their Descendants. United States, n.p, 1996. Digital Version: http://www.lauderdalecountymsarchives.org/uploads/2/6/2/1/2621480/the_collins_book_-_joseph__collins__lucy_marchbanks_-_their_descendants.pdf
4. ↑ Descendants of John Collins 1569 Maidstone England, August 18, 2011 http://shaybo-therisingtide.blogspot.com/2011/08/descendants-of-john-collins-1569.html
5. ↑ Carney, Bob. William & John Collins of Colonial VA. Williamsburg, Virginia. https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/collins/1489/
6. ↑ John Collins Margaret Weeks 1684
7. ↑ https://highlanderjuan.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Herbert-R-Collins-History-and-Genealogy-of-the-Collins-Family-Caroline-County-VA-1569-1954.pdf digital PDF (searchable) Collins, Herbert Ridgeway Collins History of Caroline County
8. ↑ Prewitt, Richard A. "The Collins Book" online link [http://www.lauderdalecountymsarchives.org/uploads/2/6/2/1/2621480/the_collins_book_-_joseph__collins__lucy_marchbanks_-_their_descendants.pdf
9. ↑ The Rising Tide Blogspot, Descendants of John Collins 1569 Maidstone England online link: http://shaybotherisingtide.blogspot.com/2011/08/descendants-of-john-collins-1569.html
10. ↑ List of Immigrants to America in the period 1600-1700 by Hotten, pp. 78-79
11. ↑ World Family Tree Vol.11, Tree 0778, cited on Collins Family Genealogical Research by Ted Collins 2015.
12. ↑ Caroline County Virginia Christ Church Parish, Virginia Marriages, 1653-1812
13. ↑ Davis, Eliza Timberlake, “Wills and Administrations of Surry County, Virginia, 1671-1750,” originally published Smithfield, VA, 1955; reprinted Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1995, 1998.
14. ↑ Carney, Bob. William & John Collins of Colonial VA. Williamsburg, Virginia. https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/collins/1489/
15. ↑ Hotten, John Camden, Editor. The Original Lists of Persons of Quality, Emigrants, Religious Exiles, Political Rebels, Serving Men Sold for a Term of Years, Apprentices, Children Stolen, Maidens Pressed, and Others who Went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700: With Their Ages, the Localities where They Formerly Lived in the Mother Country, the Names of the Ships in which They Embarked, and Other Interesting Particulars. From Mss. Preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office, England. United Kingdom, Chatto and Windus, London 1874. pp. 78-79. Visit google for Free PDF download.
16. ↑ Dunn, Michael Collins. 330 Years (Plus) of Collinses in America, copyright 2000. http://www.tamandmichael.com/COLHIST2.htmhttp://www.tamandmichael.com/COLHIST2.htm

Additional Available Sources

*Collins, Herbert Ridgeway. History and Genealogy of the Collins family of Caroline County, Va., and Related Families, 1569-1954. Richmond, VA: The Dietz Press Inc., 1954

• Hasted, Edward. "The town and parish of Maidstone: Town and manors." The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 4. Canterbury: W Bristow, 1798. 260-307. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol4/pp260-307

• • Landin, Mary Collins. The Collins and Travis Families and Their Allies: The Interrelationships of Twenty-five Southern Colonial Families and Their Development. United States, M.C. Landin, 1982.

• Collins Virginia Roots and the Search for the Immigrant, All material copyright 2000, Michael Collins Dunn http://www.tamandmichael.com/COLHIST2.htm

See Also

• (sourced) FHC Common (Marchbanks) File w/some irregularties Use w/Caution John Collins II February 11 1590 – 15 July 1686 • LDG3-NSM m Margaret Weeks
• (unsourced) Geneanet File - Mari TURNER (turner5678