Harriet Collins (1827 – 1871)

Harriet Watts was born circa 1827 in Little Bredy in Dorset, the daughter of John and Elizabeth, nee Coombes, Watts. She was baptized on 26 August 1827 at St Michael and All Angels in Little Bredy.

In the 1841 census Harriet was recorded with her parents and four siblings in Beaminster in Dorset, her father John was an agricultural labourer. Ten years later Harriet was living with her widowed mother and four siblings in Little Bredy and she was a dressmaker.

Harriet married Manasseh Collins on 18 September 1856 at St James in Paddington. Manasseh was born circa 1828 in Ashbury in Berkshire. At the time of the wedding both were living in Charles Street in Paddington and Manasseh was an engine driver.

Manasseh and Harriet relocated to India soon after their wedding as sons William George and John Henry were born in Madras in circa 1861 and 1864 respectively. They returned to England soon after the birth of John as their daughter Jane Isabel was born in East Woodhay in 1866.

In the 1871 census Manasseh and Harriet were living in Enborne Road in Newbury with children William George aged 10, John Henry aged 7, Jane Isabel aged 4 and Edward James aged 1. Manasseh was a farmer employing two labourers and one boy and farming 77 acres.

A few months after the census Jane died in October 1871 and she was buried at Newtown Road Cemetery on 26 October.

Manasseh remarried in 1874 in Wiltshire to Ellen Edwards. The family then lived in Wiltshire and Manasseh remained a farmer, in 1881 he was running a dairy farm of 81 acres. He died on 18 May 1907 while living at Clovelly House, Stratton St Margaret in Wiltshire.

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