Rose Collins (1869 – 1893)

                                    John William Collins (1893 – 1893)

Rose Flitter was born in 1869 in Newbury, the daughter of John and Fanny, nee Moss, Flitter.  

In the 1871 census Rose was recorded with her parents and sister Annie Louisa aged 4 in Wash Road in Newbury, her father John was a labourer. Rose’s mother Fanny died in February 1873 and she was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 22 February. Rose entered the National School in Newbury on 9 February 1874, one week after her sister Annie. Both then left on 18 February to join the infant school. Then the following year later Rose’s sister Annie died and she was buried on 13 December 1875 at Newtown Road Cemetery.

Rose’s father John remarried on 27 July 1879 at St John the Evangelist in Newbury to Elizabeth Hill. In the 1881 census Rose was recorded with her father and his second wife along with two sisters in The City in Newbury. Ten years later in the 1891 census Rose was living as a lodger in Chapel Street in Thatcham and working as a paper bag maker.

Rose married Charles Collins on 22 February 1892 at St John the Evangelist in Newbury. Charles was born in 1863 in Hampstead Norris, the son of William Collins. Charles was recorded as a carter and both were living in Hampstead Norris.

Just over a year later Charles and Rose had a son John William.

Rose died in June 1893 aged 23 and she was buried on 23 June 1893 at Newtown Road Cemetery after a service at St John the Evangelist in Newbury.

Two months later John William, son of Charles and Rose, died aged 5 months on 30 August 1893. H was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 6 September. An announcement appeared in the Newbury Weekly News dated 7 September as below.

COLLINS – Aug. 30, at Hambridge Road, John William, infant son of Charles Collins, aged 5 months.

No trace of any marriage of Charles after the death of Rose. In 1921 he was living at Weston near Welford and working as a farm labourer.

Rose’s parents John and Fanny were both buried at Newtown Road Cemetery, John on 23 December 1896 and Fanny on 22 February 1873. Two of Roses’s sisters were also buried at Newtown Road Cemetery, Annie Louisa on 13 December 1875 and Eliza on 13 March 1899.

Sources: