Ancestors of Selina Elizabeth Collins - The Allman, Collins, Naish and Newell families of Hampshire and Wiltshire
Selina Elizabeth Collins was the daughter of John Collins and Anne Allman, born about 1815 in London and christened at St. Martin in the Fields church in Westminster, London. Her maternal grandparents were Stephen Allman and Betty Naish. Paternal grandparents are probably Thomas Collins and Ann Marsh of Timsbury. Selina Elizabeth Collins married a Benjamin Collins on Christmas Day 1851, in Timsbury, Hampshire. We are fairly certain they are first cousins but research is ongoing.
Selina's background
- Her sister Sophia's memoir - recommended reading!
- John and Anne in London
- Selina's adult life in Hampshire, and London
Selina's parents did not have an easy life in London. I have discovered a removal order for John Collins (who was ill and could not work at the time), Ann and the children, at the London Metropolitan Archives. You can read the transcript of the removal order dated 22 December 1822, from the parish of Lambeth back to St. Martins.
Our most tantalising piece of evidence is a memoir hand-written in pencil, and it appears to be the story of Sophia Collins, sister of Selina Elizabeth. Read Sophia's memoir here.
The memoir indicates that John worked for "Mr Tooten", a milk and dairy salesman not from the Old Kent Road. Well, we aren't sure of the Old Kent Road connection, but we are confident that "Mr Tooten" is Ralph Tutin, listed as a cheesemonger in the London directories, in Chandos Street, in the parish of St Paul Covent Garden. Poor Mr Tutin does fall on hard times, and we wonder if it coincided with the Collins family's relocation to Lambeth parish, and subsequent removal. According to The Times, in June 1810, Tutin is declared bankrupt. He must have pulled himself together because he appears in the 1811 London Post Office Directory. However, hie is again declared bankrupt in February 1822.
Stephen Allman has been difficult to track down. We know that his wife Betty traveled to the Lying In Hospital in London to give birth to their youngest known child, Rebecca, who was born on 17 Jul 1783. At the time, Stephen was a carpenter in Salisbury, parish of St. Thomas. Research in Wiltshire has not revealed much and the later movements of Stephen and Betty are unknown.
Transcripts of local records, tax records and probate files
- Romsey Poor Rate tax books 1780-1816 - Naish, Newell and associated surnames
- more coming soon
Please note this is a work in progress! I will be adding additional content when I can.
