Joshua Collins
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 12 May 1825 - North Carolina
Christening:
Death: 21 Nov 1913 - Pomona, Los Angeles Co., Ca
Burial:
Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: Thomas Collins ( - )
Mother: Nancy (Abt 1804-After 1860)
Spouses and Children
1. *Elizabeth "Betsy" Mirah Essex (14 Feb 1830 - Bef 1900)
Marriage: 12 Nov 1846 - Rhea Co., Tennessee 1 2 3
Children:
1. Cyntha A. Collins (Abt 1848-Bef 1860)
2. Thomas Columbus Collins (1850-1878)
3. Nancy Ann Collins (1855-1938)
4. Sarah J. Collins (1858-1949)
5. William B. Collins (Abt 1861- )
6. Joshua J. Collins (Abt 1863- )
7. John M. Collins (1869- )
8. Alice L. Collins (Abt 1871- )
9. Isaac L. Collins (1877-1941)
Notes
General:
CENSUS:
<pre>1850 Rhea Co., Tennessee, 4th District; Sept 26; pg 577
269/269
Joshua Collins 25 MW NC $-- farmer
Elizabeth " 20 FW NC
Cyntha A. " 2 FW Tn
Thomas C. " 3/12 MW Tn </pre>
He is not in the Slave Schedule. His father-in-law Isaac Essex lives at 268/268. Nancy Collins lives at 295/295. William Collins lives at 247/247 in the 3rd district. William's son Alfred lives at 248/248, and another son Pincney lives at 251/251.
<pre>1860 Washington Co., Ar, Elm Spring Tsp., p.o. Elm Spring; Aug 8; pg 234
1603/28
Joshua Collins 35 MW NC ---/$200 Farmer
Elizabeth " 30 FW NC
Thomas " 10 MW Tn
Ann " 5 FW Ar
Sarah " 2 FW Ar </pre>
He is not in the Slave Schedule. His wife's father Isaac Essex lives at 1601/26. Robert Collins lives at 1598/23, Robert's sister Angeline and her husband Samuel Ward live at 1599/24, and Robert's father Martin Collins lives at 1691/113.
<pre>1870 Washington Co., Ar, Elm Springs Tsp., p.o. Elm Springs; Aug; pg 17
114/117
Joshua Collins 45 MW NC $300/$300 Farmer
Elizabeth " 40 FW NC K H
T. C. " 20 MW Tn At home
N. A. " 15 FW Ar At home
S. J. " 11 FW Ar At home
W. B. " 8 MW Ar At home
J. J. " 7 MW Ar At home
J. M. " 2 MW Ar At home
James Ford 24 MW Tn $800/$150 Laborer </pre>
Martin Collins lives at 137/142. Martin's son Mitchell lives at 136/141, and Mary Collins, the widow of his son Robert, lives at 138/143. Joshua's father-in-law Isaac Essex lives at 153/158.
<pre>1880 Washington Co., Ar, Elm Springs Township, ED 204; Jun 10; pg 16
133/136
Joshua Collins 53 NC Va NC Farmer
Elisabeth M. " 50 wife NC NC NC Keeping house
Sarah J. " 20 dau Ar NC NC Housework
William B. " 19 son Ar NC NC Laborer
Joshua J. " 17 son Ar NC NC Works on Farm
John M. " 12 son Ar NC NC Works on Farm
Alice L. " 9 dau Ar NC NC
Isaac L. " 3 son Ar NC NC </pre>
Mitchell Collins lives at 130/133. Joshua's daughter Nancy Ann and her husband Asa Evans live at 131/134.
In 1900 Joshua (75, May 1825, Wd, NC Eng NC) is living in the household of his son John M. Collins in Indian Territory.
In 1910 Joshua (84, Wd, NC Va NC) is living in the household of his daughter Mary Ann and her husband Asa A. Evans in Santa Ana, Orange Co., California.
LAND IN ARKANSAS:
On December 10, 1885 a tract of 159.44 acres in Washington Co. (W 1/2 NW 1/4 and NENW, Section 3, T17NR31W; SESW, Section 34, T18NR31W) was patented to Joshua Collins. On July 18, 1885 Joshua Collins sold that same tract to Andrew Essex for $500. (Washington Co. Deed Records O2/219)
JOSHUA'S PARENTS:
Joshua Collins married in Rhea Co. in 1846 at the age of 21. He had to have a reason to be there, and one possible explanation is that he came to Rhea County with his parents. On that basis he might be the son of William Collins or Nancy Collins, who in the 1850 census are living relatively close to each other. Joshua's death certificate says that his father was Thomas Collins, so one can conjecture that Nancy is Thomas's widow and that Thomas and William are brothers.
In 1860, 1870, and 1880 Joshua lives close to either Martin Collins or to his children. It seems highly likely that Joshua and Martin are related. Joshua is not Martin's son because Joshua was born 12 May 1825 and Martin's son Jesse was born 12 Jul 1825. It may be the case that Martin, William and Thomas Collins are brothers and that Joshua is Martin's nephew.
Nancy, William and Martin say that they were born in North Carolina, and their older children say that they (the children) were born there also. There is another Collins family in Rhea Co. which came from Virginia. Henry Collins arrived with his family in 1813. He was a tanner and distiller and was sheriff for three terms (1831-36). Three of his children married a member of another prominent family, the Darwins. Socially and economically the two Collins families seem to have been worlds apart, although they are sometimes close together in the census.
We need to find a marriage between a Thomas Collins and a woman named Nancy about 1820, bearing in mind that Thomas, Nancy and Collins are frequently occurring names. There is a Thomas Collins in the 1830 census of Lincoln Co., North Carolina whose wife in the 1850 census is Nancy, but it is clear that they moved from North Carolina to Georgia and are not Joshua's parents. The census suggests that they married about 1824.
Another Thomas Collins married Nancy Parker April 10, 1823 in Gates Co., NC, but, alas, Thomas Collins, 45, and Nancy, 48, are in the 1850 Gates Co. census as husband and wife.
DEATH CERTIFICATE:
According to California Death Certificate 13-034505 (504/218) Joshua Collins died in Pomona, Los Angeles Co., on November 21, 1913 of vascular disease of the heart. He had resided at the place of death for 3 years and in California for 6 years. He was a widower born in North Carolina May 12, 1825, and his age at death was 88 years 6 months 9 days. His father's name was Thomas Collins. The identity of his mother and the birthplace of his father were unknown. He was buried in Pomona on November 24. The informant was Ira H. Williams (a son-in-law of Joshua's daughter Nancy Ann, with whom he was living in 1910). Presumably the real source of the information was his daughter.
