PART THIRTY-SEVEN

The Oxford City Line - 1820 to 2006

Updated October 2011

This part is a branch line taking off from Part One – 1800 to 1880 and starting with Richard Collett (Ref. 1N4) who was born at Whelford near Kempsford in 1824 and is the family line of Kevin Collett (Ref. 37S4) – see below

Up until November 2007 this had been a ‘closed line’ but thanks to information generously provided by Martin Davies from Stourton in the West Midlands this line has been opened up and brought up to the present time. This part holds a particular interest for Martin, not only because his ancestors were a Collett family of Oxford, but also more recently because his daughter Lynda married Kevin Collett in 2006.

Two of the brothers of Richard Collett from Part One have also been included here, as they too left the Gloucestershire countryside for a new life in the Oxford area.

To avoid confusion, it should be made clear that all references to Berkshire in this family line were valid prior to 1^st April 1974. On that date the Government introduced new boundary changes which resulted in the northern part of the Berkshire above a line from Swindon to Henley being absorbed into the new Oxfordshire.

It should also be clarified that in addition to the actual small village of South Hinksey to the east of the present day A34 Oxford By-Pass, the name South Hinksey also refers to a district of the City of Oxford immediately south of St Aldates whose backbone is the Abingdon Road (A4144). And it is the latter location that is the point of reference for this Collett line, as confirmed by their established addresses.

During development of this line a positive link to Part 34 – The Appleford Berkshire Line has been discovered (see Ref. 37N5) which may, at sometime in the future, provide a link between Part 34 and Part 1 – The Main Line.

The October 2008 update came courtesy of Stacey Hewitt (Ref. 37S5)

of Begbroke near Kidlington, the great granddaughter of Beatrice Collett

The March 2009 update was thanks to new information received from Dennis Collett

(Ref. 37Q8) of London and Jennifer Potter (Ref. 37Q11) of Chelmsford

37N1	Richard Collett (Ref. 1N4) was born at Whelford in 1824 and was baptised at Kempsford, there being no church in Whelford at that time. He left the family home in Gloucestershire and moved to Berkshire where he met and later married Sarah Speake on 12.06.1848 at South Hinksey.
	Sarah was born at South Hinksey in Berkshire on 16.11.1828 and was the eldest daughter and second child of Thomas Speake of South Hinksey and Elizabeth Reeson of Bishopstone in Wiltshire.
	In the 1851 Census, Richard and Sarah were listed as living still living in South Hinksey with their ten week old daughter Mary. Also living with them were Sarah’s parents Thomas and Elizabeth Speake.
	Within the following ten years the family continued to live at South Hinksey but by the Census of 1861 it had been extend to comprise daughters Mary, Elizabeth and Hannah and son Charles, all of whom were born at South Hinksey.
	Tragically Richard’s wife Sarah died in April 1868 so by 1871 Richard was a widower and his children were boarding with various families in Oxford including Richard’s brother John Collett (below) and his wife Mary Ann at their home at 5 English Row, who took daughter Hannah aged 12, with son Charles aged 14 and an errand boy staying at the home of Enoch and Harriet Surrage at nearby 8 English Row.
	By the time of the Census of 1881 Richard was aged 57 and was a widower living at a cottage in Church Lane in South Hinksey. He was living alone at that time and his occupation was that of milkman.
	Also in 1881 there were seventeen members of the Speake family living in South Hinksey, including Sarah’s widowed father Thomas, a former farm labourer aged 79.
	Just over four and a half years later on 01.11.1885 Richard died while still living at South Hinksey.
	37O1	Mary Collett	Born on 19.01.1851
	37O2	Elizabeth Collett	Born on 04.09.1853
	37O3	CHARLES JOHN JAMES COLLETT	Born on 27.04.1856
	37O4	Hannah Reeson Collett	Born on 04.10.1858
37N3	John Collett (Ref. 1N6) was born at Whelford during the first six months of 1828 and was baptised at Kempsford on 03.08.1828. It would appear that he accompanied his older brother Richard (above) in a move from Whelford to Oxford, possibly when he was around twenty years of age.
	Seven years later, on 08.01.1855, John married Mary Ann Speake the sister of Sarah Speake who married his brother Richard in 1848. The married also took place in the parish church of St Lawrence at South Hinksey where Mary Ann was born on 30.03.1836.
	It seems very likely that in the years prior to the wedding John and his brother Richard worked together, as Richard was a milkman and John was a dairyman’s labourer.
	Following his marriage to Mary Ann Speake, the couple’s first child was born later that same year while John and Mary Ann were still living at South Hinksey. However, sometime after the birth, and before the birth of their second child, the family moved to live nearer the centre of Oxford in the St Aldates district of the city where all of their remaining children were born.
	By the time of the 1871 Census the family were living at 5 English Row in St Aldates and comprised: John aged 43, Mary aged 34 and a tailoress, daughters Sarah A aged 15 and a domestic servant, Eliza R aged 11, Martha J aged 9 and Annie (Amy?) aged 4, and sons Joseph aged 13, Elijah aged 7 and William R G aged 7 months.
	Also living with the family were visitors Jane Swift of New Hinksey who was married and aged 20 years and niece Hannah Collett aged 12, the daughter of John’s brother Richard Collett of South Hinksey (above).
	Ten year later the 1881 Census reveals the family were still living at 5 English Row but now the family comprised: John aged 52 and still a dairyman’s labourer, Mary Ann aged 45 and still a tailoress, daughters Sarah Ann 25 an unmarried domestic servant, Elizabeth Reason 21 and a nurse, Martha Jane 19 and a tailoress probably working with her mother, Amy 14 and a nurse, Edith L 4, and sons Elijah J 17 and a boot closer, W R George 11 and Ernest A aged 9.
	Missing from the family list for this particular year was the couple’s eldest son Joseph who had left home and was married and living in London. It is interesting to note that living close by at 16 Floyd’s Row in St Aldates in April 1881 was John’s younger brother Charles and his wife and family.
	Just under ten years later Mary Ann died at South Hinksey on 09.12.1890 at the age of 55. John lived the life of a widower for the ten years after the death of his wife before he passed away on 14.10.1901.
	By the time of the census of 1901, just over seven months before he died, John was 72 and was working as a jobbing gardener whilst still living at St Aldates. Living with him and looking after him as his housekeeper was his youngest daughter Edith L Collett who was 24.
	37O5	Sarah Ann Collett	Born in 1855
	37O6	Joseph Collett	Born in 1858
	37O7	Elizabeth Reeson Collett	Born in 1860
	37O8	Martha Jane Collett	Born in 1862
	37O9	Elijah John Collett	Born in 1864
	37O10	Amy Collett	Born in 1867
	37O11	William R George Collett	Born in 1870
	37O12	Ernest Alfred Collett	Born in 1872
	37O13	Edith L Collett	Born in 1877
37N4	Isaac Collett (Ref. 1N7) was born at Whelford and was baptised at Kempsford on 26.09.1830. In 1851 he was aged 20 and was an agricultural labourer like his father and was living with his family in Kempsford. He married Emma Adams who was born in 1838 at Cumnor in Berkshire, to the west of Oxford.
	The family featured in the Census of 1871 as living at Kings Mill in Marston Lane in the New Marston area of Oxford, where Isaac was listed as being an agricultural labourer from Kempsford. The census also confirmed their ages as: Isaac 40 years; Emma 33 years; and sons Isaac William 3 years and Charles H aged only 11 months.
	On the birth certificate for his next son Francis, Isaac’s occupation was stated as being that of a labourer.
	By 1881 the family had moved and was living at 7 Cherwell Cottages in the St Clements area of Oxford. In this Isaac was listed as being aged 50 years and a cowman/agricultural labourer. His place of birth was stated as Whelford. Emma was 43 and listed as being a charwoman.
	The details for Emma and the couple’s first two children agreed with the details in previous census ten years earlier. However, since 1871 there had been two additions to the family; sons Francis aged 5 years and Frederick aged 2, both having been born at Oxford.
	By the turn of the century Isaac and Emma had moved and were living in the St Aldates district of the city. Isaac aged 70 was confirmed as having been born at Whelford and that he was ‘living on his own means’. His wife was confirmed as 63 and from Cumnor, and living with them were sons Francis 25 and Frederick 22.
	Judging by the census return for 1911, Emma had passed away by then, following which Isaac had been institutionalised. The census recorded that he was a widower and a resident at an institution in Wallingford at the age of 80 and that his place of birth was Kempsford in Gloucestershire.
	37O14	Isaac William Collett	Born in 1868
	37O15	Charles Henry Collett	Born in May 1870
	37O16	Francis Bertie Collett	Born in 1876
	37O17	Frederick J Collett	Born in 1879
37N5	Charles Collett (Ref. 1N8) was born at Whelford in 1832 and baptised at Kempsford on 28.04.1833, the son of Robert and Mary Collett. It would appear that he accompanied his brothers John and Richard to live in Oxford or at least followed them there a few years after their initial move away from Gloucester.
	The 1861 Census certainly confirms that Charles was living with his brother John and his family in St Aldates area of Oxford. The same census listed his future wife the unmarried Emma Collett aged 28 living at St Aldates with her one year old son William. According to later census records it would seem that William’s father was indeed Charles Collett.
	And so it was, just over two years after the census date, that Charles married Emma Sandall Collett who was then pregnant with their second child. Emma was the daughter of Philip and Martha Collett of Appleford as detailed in Part 34 – The Appleford Berkshire Line (Ref. 34O1). The question therefore is, were the two families known to each other and were they related?
	Emma Collett (Ref. 34P2) was born at Appleford in 1832 where she was baptised on 27.01.1833. She married Charles Collett of Whelford at Oxford sometime between April and June 1863, following which their second child was born.
	After they were married Charles and Emma continued living in St Aldates near to Charles’ brothers Richard and John (above) where the couple’s next three children were born, as confirmed by later censuses.
	By 1881 Charles and Emma were both aged 48 and of Whelford and Appleford respectively. They were living at 16 Floyds Row in the St Aldates district of Oxford, where Charles’ occupation was that of a builder’s labourer.
	Living with them at that time were their five sons William 21, Charles 17, Robert 15, John 12 and Frederick aged 7. Also living in the St Aldates district of the city was Charles’s older brother John with his wife and family (see details above).
	Floyds Row still exists in 2007 and is situated off the Abingdon Road (A4144) on the north side of the River Thames, or River Isis as the Thames is referred to in Oxford.
	According to the 1891 Census the family was still living in St Aldates at that time and comprised Charles and Emma both aged 58, together with their two youngest sons John aged 22 and Frederick aged 17.
	Sometime before the end of the century the family left the St Aldates area of Oxford and moved to the St Thomas district and it was there that they were living in 1901.
	Charles, who was working as a general carman, was aged 68 and was confirmed as having been born at Whelford. His wife Emma (listed as Gemma) was 68 and from Appleford, and living with the couple were their bachelor sons John aged 32 and Frederick 27.
	It is apparent from the census of 1911 that Charles died during the first ten years of the new century, since widow Emma aged 78 was still living in the St Thomas district of Oxford with just her bachelor son Frederick Alfred for company.
	37O18	William E Collett	Born in 1860
	37O19	Charles R Collett	Born in 1863
	37O20	Robert Collett	Born in 1866
	37O21	John Philip Collett	Born in 1868
	37O22	Frederick Alfred Collett	Born in 1873
37O1	Mary Collett was born at South Hinksey on 19.01.1851 and whilst she was listed as living with her parents in the 1851 and 1861 Censuses she must have been married by the age of thirty as there is no record of her in the 1881 Census.
37O2	Elizabeth Collett was born at South Hinksey on 04.09.1853. She was living with her parents at South Hinksey in 1861 but her whereabouts has not been discovered in 1871. By the time of the 1881 Census she was very likely married and, although not yet proved, it seems that she may have married Mr A Brown. If proved so, then she was married when aged around twenty years and gave birth to a daughter Catherine Brown shortly after.
	If it can be confirmed this is a correct assumption, then in April 1881 Elizabeth aged 28 and of South Hinksey, her husband aged 32 of Eton in Buckinghamshire and their daughter aged 8 and born in Oxford, were living at 33 Church Street in the St Ebbes district of Oxford where the head of the house was employed as a barman.
	The couple’s other children were: Albert 3, Rosa 2, Alfred aged just two weeks and all born at Oxford. Also listed with the family were niece Florence Levitt aged 9 and charwoman Clara Walker 19, both of Oxford.
37O3	CHARLES JOHN JAMES COLLETT was born at South Hinksey on 27.04.1856. Sadly his mother died just before his twelfth birthday leaving his father with the difficult task of having to stay in continued employment to support his family as well as looking after them.
	In order to assist him, other family members took the two younger children into their care. Charles stayed with the Surrage family at 8 English Row just a few doors from his uncle John Collett at 5 English Row in St Aldates where his younger sister Hannah was staying.
	As Charles approached the end of his teenage years, he met and married Laura Alice Aldridge who was born in Oxford on 17.02.1856. They were married at Dronfield in Derbyshire on 24.01.1875, the town of Dronfield lying midway between Chesterfield and Sheffield.
	The reason for this may have been that they “ran away” to be married, perhaps against the wishes of their parents as neither of them had yet reached their nineteenth birthday.
	Only their first child was born while Charles and Laura were living at Dronfield. After which the three of them returned to Oxford sometime between the middle of 1877 and mid-1879 where their other children were born.
	Just over six years after they were married Charles and Laura were both 24 were listed in the 1881 Census as living at 2 Shepherds Row in St Aldates Street within the St Aldates district of Oxford. Charles’ occupation was give as being that of a fireman at the nearby gas works on the bank of the River Thames, while his place of birth was confirmed as being South Hinksey.
	Living with the couple were their first two children William Collett who was four years old and of Dronfield, and Laura E Collett who was one year old and born at Oxford. Also living with the family was Charles’ mother-in-law 69 years old Elizabeth Aldridge of Oxford who was listed as married and the wife of a blacksmith.
	According to the census of 1891 the family comprised Charles 34, Laura 35, and their children William 13, Laura 11, Charles 9, Sarah 6, Edward 4, Catherine 2, and Albert who was not yet one year old. During the next ten years the family was extended further by the birth of another five children, including a set of twins.
	Their larger family was mostly still together at the time of the 1901 Census, with just three of the four oldest children having left the family home. The remainder of the family was still living within the St Aldates area of the city. Laura was 44 as was Charles whose occupation was that of a gas stoker.
	Still living with them were sons William 23, Edward 15, Albert 10, and George 7, and daughters Catherine 12, May 7, Frances 5 and Alice who was one year old. The couple’s youngest son Wilfred was absent from the family at that time, but was back living with them ten years later.
	Over that ten year period more of Charles’ and Laura’s children left the family home in Oxford. So by April 1911 the only children still living with them were Albert 20, George and May 17, Wilfred Frederick Frank Collett age 13, and Alice Gertrude Collett who was 11. On that occasion the children’s parents were recorded as being Charles John Collett and Laura Alice Collett who were both 54.
	Charles and Laura lived together in Oxford for almost another twenty-one years before they died within two weeks of each other. First Laura died on 07.03.1932 and was followed by Charles on 20.03.1932
	37P1	William Samuel Richard Michael Collett			Born on 25.05.1877
	37P2	Laura Elizabeth Collett			Born on 14.09.1879
	37P3	Charles John Collett			Born on 01.06.1882
	37P4	Sarah Collett			Born on 02.10.1884
	37P5	Edward Collett			Born on 06.06.1886
	37P6	Catherine Collett			Born on 02.06.1888
	37P7	Albert Collett			Born on 14.08.1890
	37P8	George Collett twin			Born on 06.07.1893
	37P9	May Collett twin			Born on 06.07.1893
	37P10	Frances Dorothy Collett			Born on 07.07.1896
	37P11	Wilfred Frederick Frank Collett			Born on 10.10.1897
	37P12	Alice Gertrude Collett			Born on 21.12.1899
37O4	Hannah Reeson Collett was born at South Hinksey on 04.10.1858 and following the death of her mother when she was just ten years old she was taken into the care of her uncle John Collett and his family at 5 English Row in St Aldates.
	Her second name originated from the maiden of her grandmother Elizabeth Reeson, the name often being spelt Reason or Riesen.
	By 1881 Hannah, now aged 23, had left her uncle’s house at 5 English Row and was working as domestic servant and house maid at the home of retired farmer William Brain aged 58 of Oxford and his wife Emma of Highworth in Wiltshire aged 48.
	The Brain family lived in a house named Arthurlee at 6 Crick Road within the St Giles district of the City of Oxford where Hannah was referred to as unmarried Anna Collett. Crick Road is still in existence in 2007.
	It may be of interest to note that, over many years, there had been previous occasions when the Collett name had been linked with that of the Brain family, although all of them in Gloucestershire.
	The earliest recorded event took place at Little Rissington in 1717 when Mary Collett married Thomas Brain, followed in 1747 when Anthony Collett (Ref. 11K4) married Ann Brain at Quinton, and again in 1828 when Henry Collett (Ref. 33L2) married Margaret Brain at Upper Slaughter.
37O5	Sarah Ann Collett was born at South Hinksey in 1855. She appeared in consecutive census records from 1861 to 1881 as living at the family home with her parents, and in 1871 and 1881 was listed as a domestic servant. By 1881 she was still unmarried but whether she was married after this time has still to be determined.
37O6	Joseph Collett was born at St Aldates in Oxford in 1858. At some stage in his early life he left Oxford and moved south, perhaps initially to Reading where he met his bride to be and where they may have married.
	It was at Reading where Lydia was born in 1859 whom Joseph married during 1880. Shortly after they were married the couple moved to London where, in late January or early February 1881, their first child was born.
	According to the 1881 Census which took place on 2^nd April, Joseph aged 23 from Oxford was an ironmonger’s smith, Lydia his wife was 22 from Reading and their daughter Beatrice was two months old and had been born in Kensington, although the later census in 1901 said Westbourne Park.
	Their address at that time was 163 Southam Street in Kensington, which was more than likely where their baby had been born. Southam Street backs onto the former Great Western Railway line to the west of Paddington Station.
	During the next ten years Lydia presented Joseph with a further five children, so by 1891 the family comprised Joseph 33, Lydia 32, and their six children Beatrice 10, Arthur 8, Mary 6, Albert 4, Frederick 2, and baby Ellen who was under one year old, all of them at Notting Hill near Westbourne Green.
	Just after the turn of the century the family was living at Hammersmith and the census revealed one extra child had been born into the family, and again born at Notting Hill like the previous five.
	Joseph aged 43 was a plumber, and working with him as a plumber’s mate was his son Arthur 18. Also working with them was probably George Collett (below) who was Joseph’s younger brother who was also a plumber.
	The rest of the family at that time was Lydia of Reading who was 42, daughters Beatrice 20, Mary 16, and Elsie 10 (previously referred to as Ellen), and sons Albert 14, Frederick 12, and Charles aged 4.
	By April 1911 Joseph was 53 and Lydia was 52 and they had left Hammersmith and were living at Brentford. With the couple were their sons Albert 24 and Charles who was 14.
	37P13	Beatrice C Collett				Born in January 1881
	37P14	Arthur R Collett				Born in 1882
	37P15	Mary A Collett				Born in 1884
	37P16	Albert J Collett				Born in 1886
	37P17	Frederick James Collett				Born in 1888
	37P18	Elsie L (Ellen) Collett				Born in 1890 at Notting Hill
	37P19	Charles E Collett				Born in 1896 at Notting Hill
37O7	Elizabeth Reeson Collett was born at St Aldates in 1860. By the time she reached twenty years of age she was working as a nurse but was still living with her family at 5 English Row in St Aldates. Like her cousin Hannah Reeson Collett (above), Elizabeth was also given the maiden name of her great aunt Elizabeth Reeson as a second Christian name.
	It would appear that she married and in 1911 she was living in the St George district of central London. The census that year recorded her as Elizabeth Reason Collett of Oxford aged 51.
37O8	Martha Jane Collett was born at St Aldates in 1862. In 1881 at the age of 19 Martha was following in her mother’s footsteps and was working as a tailoress, for which she was very likely working with, and being trained by, her mother.
37O9	Elijah John Collett was born at St Aldates in 1864 and although he was listed in the Censuses of 1871 and 1881 as living with his family at 5 English Row and employed in Oxford as a boot closer in the latter, he has not been located within either the 1891 or 1901 Census records. It must therefore be assumed that he may have emigrated, perhaps to either New Zealand or Canada as did later relatives.
37O10	Amy Collett was born at St Aldates in 1867. She was referred to as ‘Annie aged 4’ in 1871 but was restored to being ‘Amy aged 14’ in the 1881 Census at which time she was working as a nurse, like her older sister Elizabeth (above), and was still living at the family home at 5 English Row.
	It would appear that she never married and in 1901 was aged 34 and was working in the St Giles district of Oxford as a waiting housemaid. Ten years later she was recorded as Amy Collett aged 44 from St Aldates, by which time she had moved to the Headington area of the city.
37O11	William R George Collett was born at St Aldates in 1870. The ‘R’ in his name may have been for Richard after his great uncle Richard Collett or his wife and great aunt Elizabeth Reeson.
	Rather strangely, no record of his existence has so far been found apart from the 1871 and 1881 Census records when he was living at the family home at 5 English Row in St Aldates in Oxford.
	However, he was listed as George Collett of the city of Oxford in the 1901 Census when he was living at Hammersmith at the age of 31. George was working as a plumber and may have been working with his older brother Joseph (above) who was also living in Hammersmith with his family and was a plumber.
	And again it was as George Collett aged 41 and from Oxford that he was listed in the census of 1911. By then he had moved and was living in Brentford at that time, near to where his brother Joseph had also moved.
37O12	Ernest Alfred Collett was born at St Aldates in 1872 and by the age of twenty-seven he was employed as a boat builder living near to the River Thames in the St Aldates area of Oxford.
	Over the following years he married Edith with whom he was living according to the Oxford census of 1911. Ernest Alfred Collett was 39, while Edith Lydia Collett was 34 and both were confirmed as being born in the St Aldates area of Oxford.
37O13	Edith L Collett was born at St Aldates in 1877 as confirmed by the 1881 Census in which she was listed as being four years old while living with her parents at 5 English Row in St Aldates
	Following the death of her mother when she was twelve years of age, she remained living with her elderly father John Collett until his death in the late summer of 1901. Earlier that year, at the time of the March census day, Edith was 24 and was the only child of John Collett still living with him in the St Aldates where she was described as the housekeeper for her 72 years old father.
37O14	Isaac William Collett was born at Headington in Oxford in 1868 as confirmed by the Census in 1871 when he was listed as being aged 3 and living with his family at New Marston in Oxford.
	During the next ten years the family had moved into the City of Oxford and were living at 7 Cherwell Cottages in St Clements by April 1881 and where Isaac was now aged 13.
	More work needs to be done to determine what happened to Isaac as he does not appear to be listed in any of the census returns for 1891, 1901 or 1911.
37O15	Charles Henry Collett was born at Headington in May 1870 as confirmed by the Census in 1871 when he was listed as being aged 11 months and living with his family at New Marston in Oxford. By 1881 he was aged 11 and living at the family’s new address of 7 Cherwell Cottages in St Clements.
	At the age of 30 Charles, who was confirmed as having been born at Oxford, was a corporal serving with the cavalry in Essex.
	During the next few years Charles married Alice Elizabeth and by April 1911 the couple were living at Epsom in Surrey where Charles Henry Collett from Oxford was 40 and his wife Alice Elizabeth was 42.
37O16	Francis Bertie Collett was born on 04.02.1876 at Cold Arbour in the St Aldates district of Oxford on the south side of the River Thames. At the time of the 1881 Census he was listed as Francis B Collett aged 5 years and was living at 7 Cherwell Cottages with his family.
	Ten years later at the age of 15 he was living in the St Aldates district of Oxford but the address on this occasion in 1891 was 194 Marlborough Road, the home of his parents Isaac and Emma Collett.
	On 25.02.1900 Francis was married by banns to (1) Mary Ann Hawkins at the Parish Church of South Banbury. Francis Bertie was a bachelor aged 24 of 11 Bridge Street in Osney (Oxford) and was a railway checker with the Great Western Railway, the son of dairyman Isaac Collett.
	His bride Mary Ann was seven years older at 31 and was of the Causeway in Grimsbury just south of Banbury, the daughter of tailor Henry Hawkins of Brackley in Northamptonshire and Catherine of Whatcote in Warwickshire. The witnesses at the ceremony were Henry Hawkins and Elizabeth Hawkins (Mary Ann’s sister), and Frederick Collett the younger brother of Francis Bertie.
	Just over a year later by the time of the census of 1901 the couple were living at 11 Bridge Street in Osney in the St Thomas district of the city. Mary was 32 and Francis, who was 25, was still employed as a railway goods checker. Francis’ place of birth was confirmed as being Cold Arbour, in Oxford.
	Mary Ann had been born at Grimsbury in 1869 and in 1881 Mary Ann was aged 12 and was living with her family at 85 Causeway in Warkworth near Grimsbury.
	At the time of the 1901 Census the marriage of Francis and Mary Ann had not produced any children for the couple, but they were to be blessed with two children over the next three years and both of them were born at Oxford.
	By the time of the census of 1911 Francis Bertie was aged 35 and was still living in Oxford with his wife Mary Ann who was 42. Their son Reginald Francis was nine, while their daughter Doris Katherine was seven years old. The family was living at 98 Bridge Street in Osney where the two children were born, this being just a short walk from Oxford Railway Station, where Francis was a porter with the Great Western Railway.
	It would appear that not long after the census day in 1911 the family of four left Oxford and moved south to Reading. Since Reading is on the same main line railway as Oxford, it seems most likely that the move was prompted by Francis working for the GWR.
	Tragically it was at Reading that Mary Ann died early in 1912 (or 1914) following which, later that same year, Francis married (2) Ethel Emma Hermann. Ethel was born at Friskney in Lincolnshire on 07.09.1887 the daughter of James and Emma Hermann. Either at this time or a few years later Francis and Ethel were living back in Oxford.
	Their marriage is believed to have produced a further eight children for Francis and Ethel and all of them born at Oxford, although the details for only four of them are known at this time and are as listed below.
	Many years later it would appear that Francis moved again to Reading where he died on 02.09.1948 at the age of 72 while he was living at 280 Oxford Road in the town. The year this happened also coincided with the death of his daughter Margaret.
	At sometime following his passing, his widow returned to Oxford to live. Ethel survived her husband by twenty-three years and died at the Cowley Road Hospital in Oxford in 1971.
	On the occasion of the two marriages of his daughter Doris in 1921 and 1939 Francis was described on the marriage certificates as being (a) a motor driver, and (b) a van driver for a motor car manufacturer.
	37P21	Reginald Francis Collett	Born on 07.04.1903
	37P22	Doris Catherine Collett	Born on 20.01.1904
	37P23	William Collett	Born circa 1916
	37P24	Ida Collett	Born circa 1918 at Oxford
	37P25	Gwendoline Brenda Collett	Born in 1920 at Oxford
	37P26	Rene Collett	Born circa 1923
	37P27	Margaret Collett	Born in 1925
	37P28	Jack M Collett	Born in 1927
	37P29	Francis Collett	Born in 1929
	37P30	Dennis Desmond Collett	Born in 1932 at Oxford
37O17	Frederick J Collett was born within the St Clements district of Oxford in 1879. Two years later when living at 7 Cherwell Cottages in St Clements he was incorrectly listed as Frederick F Collett.
	Sometime later his family moved from St Clements to the St Thomas district of the city where, in 1901, he was still living at the family home. He was listed as Frederick J Collett aged 22 and his place of birth was stated as being Cold Arbour. At that time he was employed as a servant in one of the university colleges.
	During the next ten years Frederick married Edith and by 1911 the couple were living at Headington where Frederick was 32 and Edith was 33. No children were listed with them at that time.
37O18	William E Collett was born at Oxford in 1860 and one of his first jobs was as an engine cleaner with the Great Western Railway probably at the large main line station in Oxford.
	In 1881 he was aged 21 and was living at the family home at 16 Floyds Row in St Aldates. No record of William has been found in the census of 1911.
37O19	Charles R Collett was born at Oxford in 1863 and was a porter at a local china shop in Oxford while living at 16 Floyds Row with his family. Just as with his brother William (above), no record of Charles has been found in the census of 1911.
37O20	Robert Collett was born at Oxford during the months of April to June in 1866. On leaving school he was employed as a machine boy with a local printing company. Being a centre of learning, Oxford had many bookshops including the famous Blackwells, as well as many companies that printed books including the Oxford University Press and the Clarendon Press.
	Upon reaching twenty years of age Robert married (1) Mary Eliza Weller at Headington around May 1886. Nine months later their first child was born while the couple were living at 9 Cross Street, Cowley St John in Oxford. The child’s birth certificate confirmed the parents as milk carrier Robert Collett and Mary Eliza Collett formerly Weller. The birth was registered by Mary on 2^nd March 1887.
	Almost exactly one year before the next census day Mary presented her husband with their second child Lily Rose Collett who was born at 1 Swan Street, Osney in Oxford. The birth was registered at Oxford on 1^st May 1890 by the child’s mother and the entry confirmed the father as Robert Collett, a stableman, and his wife Mary Eliza Collett formerly Weller.
	According to 1891 Census for Oxford, Robert was aged 25, as was his wife Mary E Collett. Listed with the couple at 1 Swan Street in Osney were their two daughters Maud M Collett aged 3 and Lily R Collett who was one year of age, both having been born in Oxford.
	Five years later Mary was once again with child and gave birth to a son in the autumn of 1896. Tragically neither mother nor her son survived and the deaths of both were recorded at Headington during the last quarter that same year. Mary’s death was listed on page 491, while son Robert’s was on page 507, indicating that her baby lived for a short while after her death.
	Four years after suffering this double tragedy, Robert married (2) Ada Mary Green at Oxford during November 1900 who presented him with another daughter nine months later.
	Ada Mary Green was born at Oxford in 1868 and was the daughter of cab driver Samuel Green of Hill End in Berkshire and his wife Emma of Baydon in Wiltshire. In 1881 Ada was aged 12 and was the only child living with her parents at 45 Blackfriars Road in Oxford St Ebbes.
	However, when she was just 19 years old she gave birth to a base born child Lillian Lucy Green. The child was born 28.02.1888 at 54 Friars Street in St Ebbes and the birth was registered at Oxford by her mother Ada Mary Green on 5^th April that year. The name of the father was not included.
	The later census of 1891 Census revealed that Ada was still living with her parents who were both aged 50, with her daughter Lillian Green aged 3 years. Following the event of Ada marrying Robert Collett nine years later both females took on the Collett name.
	This was confirmed in the 1901 Census which revealed that Robert then aged 34 was married to Ada M Collett aged 32 and that they were living at 9 Wood Street in the St Ebbes district of the city.
	Living with them was Robert’s daughter Lily R Collett aged 10 from his first marriage, and Ada’s daughter Lillian L Collett aged 13. All four family members were listed as having been born in the City of Oxford. Robert’s older daughter Maud M Collett was then living with Robert’s brother John (below) where she was working as a domestic housemaid aged 14.
	By that time Robert was employed as a groom and cab driver just like Ada’s father. Ada was with child at the time of the census and four months later gave birth to the couple’s only known child.
	The birth of daughter Beatrice was registered by Ada on 18^th September 1901 and this confirmed the child’s parents as cab driver Robert Collett and Ada Mary Collett formerly Green and that their address was 9 Wood Street, Oxford St Ebbes.
	At the time of the Oxford St Ebbes census of 1911 Robert and Ada only had their youngest daughter living with them. The census return confirmed that Robert was 45, his wife Ada was 42, and their daughter Beatrice was nine years old.
	At some later time in his life Robert became a publican in St Ebbes. This was confirmed on the marriage certificate of his youngest daughter in December 1920. It also seems very likely that the man she married may have been known to Robert as his trade was given as a cellarman.
	The public house in question where Robert was the landlord was the Norfolk Arms on the corner of Bridge Street and Norfolk Street. This was demolished in more recent times to make way for the Westgate Shopping Centre.
	According to descendents of this family Ada’s daughter Lillian later stopped using the Collett surname and reverted instead to her baptised name of Lillian Lucy Green.
	37P31	Maud May Collett	Born on 02.02.1887
	37P32	Lillian Lucy Collett (stepdaughter)	Born on 28.02.1888
	37P33	Lily Rose Collett	Born on 01.04.1890
	37P34	Robert Collett	Born in 1896 and died in 1896
	37P35	Beatrice Victoria May Collett	Born on 11.08.1901
37O21	John Philip Collett was born at Oxford in 1868 as confirmed by the 1881 Census in which he was aged 12 and living with his family at 16 Floyds Row in St Aldates where it is likely he was born.
	By the time he was twenty-two John was still a bachelor and still living with his parents in St Aldates. A few years after and sometime during the 1890s he married Mary Ada who was born at Grimsbury near Banbury in 1869 and the couple initially settled in St Aldates.
	Shortly afterwards the couple left the city centre and moved to the St Thomas area of Oxford where there were living in 1901. At that time John was 32 and was employed as a letter carman, today’s equivalent of a special delivery postman.
	John’s wife Mary A Collett was aged 31 and living with them was their niece Maud who was working for them as a domestic housemaid at fourteen years of age. Maud M Collett was the daughter of John’s older brother Robert (above).
	It is not known whether John and Mary ever had any children of their own, but it seems unlikely since by April 1911 it was still just the couple that were living together in the Headington area of Oxford. John Philip Collett was 42 and his wife Ada was 39.
37O22	Frederick Alfred Collett was born at Oxford in 1873 as confirmed by the 1881 Census in which he was aged 7 and living with his family at 16 Floyds Row in St Aldates where it is likely he was also born.
	At seventeen years of age Frederick was living with his parents and his brother John (above) at his parents’ home in St Aldates. Over the next few years the family moved out of the city centre to the St Thomas area of Oxford.
	In the census of 1901 Frederick was aged 27 and was still a bachelor. He was employed as a porter in a shop in Oxford while still living with his parents in the St Thomas district of the city.
	Within the few years after 1901 Frederick’s father Charles died and by April 1911 Frederick was the only member of the family still living in the St Thomas area of Oxford with his elderly mother Emma.
37P1	William Samuel Richard Michael Collett was born at Dronfield in Derbyshire on 25.05.1877. Only the first year or two of his life were spent at Dronfield as his parents returned to their native Oxford before the birth of their second child and William’s sister Laura (below).
	The 1881 Census confirmed that William, aged 4 and born at Dronfield, and his sister Laura were living with their parents at 2 Shepherds Row in the St Aldates district of Oxford.
	According to the 1901 Census William aged 23 was still living at the home of his parents in St Aldates from where he was employed as a kitchen porter.
	At the age of twenty-eight William married Annie Keen the daughter of cloth cutter John and Lucy Keen of South Hinksey where Annie had been born in 1877. The marriage took place at South Hinksey on 18.11.1905.
	For the first five years of their life together William and Annie lived in South Hinksey where their first two children were born, although rather curiously the couple and their first child were recorded in the Abingdon census of 1911, and there may have been a good reason for this.
	Annie would have been expecting the birth of the couple’s second child who was born just over two months later. It is possible that Annie was being cared for in the Abingdon Cottage Hospital and that her husband and son Anthony were visiting her on that Sunday on 2^nd April 1911.
	The census return listed the three of them as being William Collett 34, his wife Annie who was 35, and their one year old son. Mother and son were both confirmed as born at South Hinksey.
	Perhaps where they were living in South Hinksey was getting over-crowded with the new arrival later that year, since it seems that the family of four moved to 38 Lake Street off the Abingdon Road in South Hinksey in 1912, where the couple’s next two children were born. Lake Street is still there in 2007.
	By the time of the birth of the couple’s fifth and last child, William and his family had moved nearer to the centre of Oxford and were living at 37 Marlborough Road in St Aldates and, again, this address is still there in 2007.
	William died on 03.01.1951 while living at 14 Pitt Road off the Abingdon Road in South Hinksey.
	Footnote: It was originally thought that William’s and Annie’s first child was Hilda May Collett but this has been disproved by the 1911 Census. Instead the Hilda May Collett who was born in 1909 was the daughter Annie and Philip Collett (Ref. 38P24) as featured in Part 38 – The Oxfordshire Stonemasons.
	37Q1	Anthony Collett	Born in 1909
	37Q2	Florence Annie Frances Collett	Born on 21.06.1911
	37Q3	William Frank Collett	Born on 12.05.1913
	37Q4	Charles Edward Collett	Born in 1915
	37Q5	Wilfred Collett	Born on 11.02.1918
37P2	Laura Elizabeth Collett was born at Oxford on 14.09.1879 and she married Francis Edward (Frank) King around the end of the century. According to the 1901 Census the couple were living at Cowley in Oxford where Frank, who was born at Cowley, was aged 24 and was working as a college servant. Laura was 21 and was employed as a washer laundress. With them was their son Frank who was one.
	A further four children were added to the family at Cowley over the next ten years, so by April 1911 the King family still living at Cowley comprised Francis Edward 34, his wife Laura Elizabeth 33, and their children Frank 10, Stanley 8, Leslie 6, Fred 3, and Thomas who was just one month old.
37P3	Charles John Collett was born at Oxford on 01.06.1882. On leaving school he took up an apprenticeship as a compositor with one of the many printing companies in Oxford. At the turn of the century aged 16 (sic) he was living in the St Thomas area of the city.
	During the next decade Charles joined the army and at the time of the census of 1911 he was confirmed as being overseas with the military at the age of 29.
	At the outbreak of war he joined up and was Sapper Collett 6798 with the 11^th Field Company of the Royal Engineers. He saw active service during the early months of the Great War but tragically he was killed on 11.01.1915.
	Charles’ name appears on Le Touret Memorial at Richebourg L’ Avoue south-west of Lille in France which was established to commemorate the 13,000 service men who lost their lives prior to 25^th September 1915 and who had no known grave of their own.
37P4	Sarah Collett was born at Oxford on 02.10.1884 and she later married Charles Wiggins. No trace of Sarah Collett, or Sarah and Charles Wiggins has been found in the census of 1911.
37P5	Edward Collett was born at Oxford on 06.06.1886. In the census of 1891 he was listed as Edward aged 4, whereas by 1901 he was incorrectly listed as Edmund Collett. At that time he had left school and, at the age of 15 years, was employed as a billiard maker while living with his family in St Aldates.
	No record of Edward has been found in the census of 1911 since it is known that he emigrated to New Zealand where he tragically died at Wairau Bar on 11.07.1912 at the age of twenty-six.
37P6	Catherine Collett was born at Oxford on 02.06.1888 and she later married Arthur Edward Albert Baughan who whom she had at least two children. By 1911 the family was still living in Oxford. Arthur was 28 and Catherine was 23, and their two children were Arthur Roland Collett Baughan who was born in 1907 and Frances Catherine Baughan who was born in 1909.
37P7	Albert Collett was born at Oxford on 14.08.1890, the son of Charles John James Collett and his wife Laurie Alice Aldridge. Albert was under one year old in the Oxford census of 1891 and was ten years old in 1901 when he and his family were still living there. He was again living with his parents in Oxford in April 1911, when he was 20. It was sometime during the next three years that Albert travelled to New Zealand, perhaps even drawn there by his older brother Edward (above) who had emigrated there just a few years earlier. There may also have been the attraction of a job offer by a member of his mother’s family – see below for further details.
	On 14^th December 1914 Albert Collett enlisted with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force at Trentham Camp, by which time he was not married, and gave his father’s name as Charles John Collett of 220 Marlborough Street at Grandpont, just south of Oxford city centre. On that same date he gave his occupation as that of a fisherman employed by W S Aldridge at Wairau Bar, Blenheim, who was presumably related to his mother. Curiously his date of birth was noted in his army record as 14^th August 1889 which, if correct, would mean that he was over eighteen months old at the time of the census of 1891, and not under one year old as stated therein.
	It was as Private Albert Collett 6/1491 of the Canterbury Infantry Regiment that he served a total of three years two hundred and ninety-one days, of which three years and ninety-two were spent overseas. He was in Egypt on 27^th March 1915 on his way to England. It was while he was in England that he married spinster Alice May Strange at Holy Trinity Church in Oxford on 29^th September 1915, and a time when Alice was residing at the home of her future parents-in-law at 220 Marlborough Street in Oxford. It seems highly likely that she remain living there until she and Albert could return to New Zealand at a later date.
	However, just over two months prior to their wedding day Albert was taken ill and on 7^th July was admitted to the military hospital in Devonport, Plymouth. From there he was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley near Southampton on 17^th July 1915, from where he was discharged on 22^nd July. He then reported for duty at the Weymouth Deport on 9^th August 1915. The following year, on 11^th January 1916, he was at Weymouth Camp, presumably prior to returning to frontline duties. Later that same year his military record stated that he had been “Detailed for duty at the Peel House on Regency Street in London” from 29^th May 1916, and was “Detailed on Command”. Perhaps he objected to being sent there, since he immediately went on two days absent without leave, and was deducted two days’ pay. That was the second time he had been awol, the first time on 14^th October 1915 when he should have been at the Tattoo at the M V Camp in Weymouth, as a result of which he forfeited one day’s pay.
	Something odd happened to Albert on 3^rd August 1916, with the first entry for that day stating he had returned from command in London, when he was sent to Hornchurch in Essex, but the very next entry stated that he had been “detailed on command back at the Peel House”. This was very likely due to another bout of sickness which was recorded on 4^th August. He was again back in hospital in London for a further three days from 15^th April to the 17^th April in 1917. Just a few months after that during July 1917 he arrived in France where, on 15^th August 1917, he lost his rank as private at Rouen when he was made cook. It would appear that he was the cook at Rouen for almost four months, when on 30^th November he relinquished the appointment of cook and was reinstalled as a private while he was still at Rouen.
	It seems likely that he was then put back on frontline duties again, during which he may have been injured or taken ill, since he was sent back to England and to Torquay on 5^th December 1917. It was on 1^st April 1918 that Albert was in Glasgow from where he sailed on board the ship Athenic back to New Zealand, where he arrived on 17^th May. It was on 30^th September 1918 that he was finally discharged from duty, being “no longer physically fit for war service, on account of illness contracted on active service”. For his involvement in the war, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
	The full diary of his military movements during his first year of service in 1915 was recorded in his army record as: March in Egypt; May in Gallipoli & the Dardanelles, where he was injured; June in Lebanon & Egypt, and in hospital in Heliopolis on 16^th June; July at Weymouth in England.
	Upon entry into military service Albert was described as being five feet four inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, having black hair, brown eyes, and a fresh complexion. Prior to leaving England for New Zealand Albert had served for two years with the Oxford Volunteers, and for one year with the Oxfordshire & Berkshire Light Infantry.
	Albert’s wife Alice Strange was born at Oxford in 1893, the daughter of journeyman bootmaker Joseph Peter Strange and his wife Sarah Golder Strange. In the census if 1901 and 1911 Alice was recorded as Edith Alice Strange, living in Oxford on both occasions at the age of eight and 18 respectively. Once Alice and Albert were reunited and living again in New Zealand Alice presented Albert with a son. However, there are some sources that indicate the child was born in Oxford.
	The only other known fact about Albert Collett is that he died in New Zealand on 12^th August 1946 at the Wairau Hospital in Blenheim, and was followed thirteen years later by his wife Alice who passed away at the Public Hospital in Christchurch on 11^th December 1959.
	37Q6	Wilfred Charles Collett	Born in 1920
37P8	George Collett was one half of a set of twins born at Oxford on 06.07.1893. Like his twin-sister May (below) he was seven years old at the time of the St Aldates census of 1901.
	About six months before George reached his seventeenth birthday he signed on with the Great Western Railway to work at the main line station in Oxford. This happened on 9^th February 1910. However, after also eighteen months employment with the GWR he resigned on 24^th July 1911.
	The census that year on 2^nd April recorded George as living with his family in the St Aldates area of Oxford, just a short walk from the railway station where he was working at that time when he was 17.
	Unlike his two older brothers (above), George emigrated to Canada where, on 04.12.1920, he married Henrietta Burwell at the Presbyterian Church at 19 Laws Street in Toronto, Ontario. Henrietta was born in 1896 and lived with her family at 7 Cadmans Court in Leeds before making the journey to Canada.
	It was at Toronto that the couple spent the rest of their lives together and where their only son was born.
	George died at Toronto on 28.01.1956 while Henrietta lived a widow’s life for the next twenty-seven years before she also died at Toronto on 08.05.1983.
	37Q7	George Frederick Collett	Born on 07.09.1924
37P9	May Collett was one half of a pair of twins born at Oxford on 06.07.1893 and was listed with her twin-brother George (above) as being aged 7 years in the Oxford St Aldates census of 1901.
	As a teenager she met Frederick Frank Stanley Poulter who was born at Oxford on 09.05.1890 and they were married just a month after her twentieth birthday. The wedding took place at St Aldates Church in Oxford on 21.08.1915.
	Almost three years after they were married Mae and Frederick emigrated to Canada on 01.04.1923 where they joined her brother George Collett (above) in Toronto.
	And it was at Toronto that Frederick died on 02.07.1950 followed, nearly twenty-one years later, by Mae who also died at Toronto on 18.02.1971.
37P10	Frances Dorothy Collett was born in Oxford on 07.07.1896 and was five years old by the time of the Oxford census of 1901 when she was living with her family in the St Aldates area of the city. Curiously no record of Frances has been located in the following census of 1911 so it is assumed that she had died while still a child.
37P11	Wilfred Frederick Frank Collett was born at Oxford on 10.10.1897 but was not listed with his parents in the census return for 1901. However, ten years later as Wilfred Frederick Frank Collett he was still living with his family in Oxford at the age of thirteen.
37P12	Alice Gertrude Collett was born at Oxford on 21.12.1899 and she later married Thomas Owen who was known as Tom Owen.
37P13	Beatrice C Collett was born at Westbourne Park near Kensington in January 1881 and was just two months old at the time of the 1881 Census in early April that year. She was living with her parents at their home at 163 Southam Street in Kensington near Paddington, which is still there today.
	Shortly after she was born the family moved to nearby Notting Hill where she was listed as being ten years old in 1891. By the time she was 20 she and her family had moved to Hammersmith. And it was while at Hammersmith in 1901 that Beatrice was working as a dressmaker’s assistant.
37P14	Arthur R Collett was born at Notting Hill in 1882 and was 8 in 1891. Ten years later he was 18 and was working with his father as a plumber’s mate at Hammersmith where they were living. Sometime during the next decade Arthur and his younger brother Frederick (below) left Hammersmith and moved to Edmonton where they were living in April 1911 when Arthur was 27
37P15	Mary A Collett was born at Notting Hill in 1884 and was 6 in the census of 1891. Upon leaving school she joined her older sister Beatrice working for a dressmaker. In 1901 they were both listed as dressmaker’s assistants while living with their parents at Hammersmith where Mary was 16.
37P16	Albert J Collett was born at Notting Hill in 1886 and was 4 years old in the 1891 Census. By the time he was 14 he had left school and was employed as an apprentice to a harness maker while still living with his family, which had moved to Hammersmith. Ten years later in 1911 he was still living with his parents at the age of 24, although by this time they were living at Brentford.
37P17	Frederick James Collett was born at Notting Hill in 1888 as confirmed by the 1891 Census when he was 2 and the 1901 Census when he was 12 and was living at Hammersmith. Ten years later he and his older brother Arthur were living at Edmonton.
37P21	Reginald Francis Collett was born at Oxford on 07.04.1903 and was aged nine at the time of the 1911 Census for Oxford. He was later married Florence Dodd who was born on 04.07.1905. Florence was the daughter of Annie Lydia Dodd nee Tyler and her marriage to Reginald produced one son for the couple.
	Reginald is understood to have met Florence through his sister Doris (below) whose son Gerard was fostered by Florence’s mother Annie Lydia Dodd.
	Reginald and Florence were living at Acton in London at the time of his death on 09.12.1961, following which Florence moved to Paddington where she died on 25.12.1976.
	37Q8	Dennis Francis Gerrard Collett	Born on 14.11.1931
37P22	Doris Catherine Collett was born at Oxford on 20.01.1904 and it was there that she was living with her family in 1911 aged 7. She was seventeen years old when she was married by banns to waiter Dutchman Gerardus van der Meer who was nineteen. The wedding took place at the church of St John’s in Waterloo Road in Lambeth registration district on 22.09.1921. Gerardus’ father was also Gerardus who was a printer, while Doris’ father was confirmed as Francis Bertie who was a motor driver. At that time the couple’s address was given as 124 York Road in South East London.
	The marriage produced two children for Doris and Gerardus. The first was Dora Cornelia who was born at Lambeth in 1922, who was followed a year later by Gerard Reginald who was born at Kingston-on-Thames in 1923. Not long after the birth of the second child Gerardus deserted his family and returned to his native Holland.
	Faced with the prospect of no income to support herself and her two very young children Doris was forced into domestic service. This in itself posed other problems and eventually her two children were taken into care. Daughter ‘Corrie’ was sent to an orphanage operated by Mrs de Vries, while son Gerard was fostered by Annie Lydia Tyler.
	It may be of interest to note that the mother of Gerardus van der Meer was Adriana Roose de Vries so it may be that Corrie was cared for by her grandmother.
	There must have been reluctance on behalf of her husband to grant Doris a divorce so that she could remarry. In the end though the marriage between Doris and Gerardus was finally dissolved in 1936 but not before Doris had taken up with Arthur ‘Blon’ Gridley with whom she had a daughter who was born at the end of March in 1931.
	Their daughter Patricia was eight years old when Doris eventually married Arthur Gridley at Southend-on-Sea on 10.07.1939. Arthur was a bachelor aged 38 and the son of general labourer Arthur Gridley and Elizabeth Barnham, while Doris Collett ‘otherwise van der Meer’ was 35 the daughter of Francis Bertie Collett a van driver for a motor car manufacturer.
	At the time of their wedding the couple were living at 17 Prittlewell Street in Southend and Arthur’s occupation was given as being a steel erector.
	Doris was living at 187 Rochford Road in Prittlewell near Southend-on-Sea in Essex when she died on 17.12.1964. The photograph above was taking on the day Doris’ daughter Patricia was married.
	And it was Doris’ daughter Patricia of Southend Road in Wakering, Essex that reported the death of her mother to the registrar’s office in Southend-on-Sea. The cause of death was recorded as a coronary occlusion and a coronary atheroma.
	By the time Arthur Gridley died just a few months later he had moved the short distance north from Prittlewell to Rochford where he was recorded as living at the time of his death in 1965.
	37Q9	Dora Cornelia van der Meer	Born on 10.05.1922
	37Q10	Gerard Reginald van der Meer	Born on 09.12.1923
	37Q11	Patricia Florence Gridley	Born on 31.03.1931
37P23	William Collett was born at Oxford and was the son of Francis Bertie Collett and Ethel Emma Hermann. Although his exact date of birth is not known it is thought to have been around 1916. What is known is that he died at Oxford in 1985.
37P25	Gwendoline Brenda Collett was born at Oxford in 1920, the daughter of Francis Bertie Collett and his wife Mary Ann Hawkins. Gwendoline later married to become Gwendoline Brenda Cox when she married George Cox. The couple then had a daughter Lorraine Cox, who at the time of her wedding became Lorraine (Laurie) Jackson. In May 2010 Laurie Jackson of Abingdon-on-Thames near Oxford, made contact and offered to provide more details of her mother’s family, which is still awaited.
37P26	Rene Collett was born at Oxford around 1923 and was the daughter of Francis Bertie Collett and Ethel Emma Hermann. What is definitely known about her is that she travelled to Australia where she died in 1993.
37P27	Margaret Collett was born at Oxford in 1925 and was the daughter of Francis Bertie Collett and Ethel Emma Hermann. Sadly she was only twenty-one years old when she died in 1948.
37P28	Jack M Collett was born at Oxford in 1927. It would appear that during his early life he was a milk delivery man, an occupation closely associated with earlier generations of this family.
	He later became a car driver, like his father, and eventually acted as chauffeur and general assistant to the comedian Francis (Frankie) A Howerd (1917-1992) – the photograph on the left. Jack also briefly held a similar position with the American film actor Burt Lancaster (1913-1992) when he was living in England – the photograph on the right.
	Following the death of his older half-brother Reginald Francis Collett (above) in 1961 Jack inherited the radio and electrical shop at 125 The Vale in Acton. The Vale today is the Uxbridge Road (A4020) in the vicinity of Acton Park.
	However, with no knowledge of the electrical trade, the business soon failed and as a result Jack was forced to close the shop. It seems likely that it was after this that he travelled to Australia to join his sister Rene Collett (above).
	It is not known how long he spent in Australia, but his return to England was prompted by the fact that he was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer.
37P29	Francis Collett was born at Oxford in 1929 where it would appear he spent most of his life, since it was at nearby Kidlington that he died during June 2006 and where he was buried on 19.06.2006.
37P33	Lily Rose Collett was born in Oxford on 01.04.1890 and was ten years of age in the census of 1901 when she was living with her parents in the Oxford St Ebbes area of the city. By April 1911 she was no longer living with her parents but was living and working in the Headington area at the age of 21.
37P35	Beatrice Victoria May Collett was born in the St Ebbes area of the city of Oxford on 11.08.1901. When in her teenage years her father Robert was a pub landlord in Oxford and it may have been through him that she met her future husband who was a cellarman at a wine store in Oxford.
	Francis Durham, who was born at Wigtoft in Lincolnshire in 1894, was referred to as Frank and he married Beatrice on 25.12.1920 in St Ebbes. The marriage certificate confirmed Beatrice’s age as 19 and Frank’s age as 26. It also confirmed that Beatrice’s father was publican Robert Collett.
	The marriage produced three children for the couple. Frank died in 1980 followed by Beatrice in 1985.
	37Q12	Frank Durham	Born in 1922
	37Q13	Gordon Durham	Born in 1923
	37Q14	Margaret Durham	Born in 1925
37Q1	Anthony Collett was born at South Hinksey in 1909 and was the first child of William Collett and Annie Keene of South Hinksey. This was confirmed by the census of 1911 when Anthony and his parents were ‘temporarily’ in Abingdon prior to the birth of the family’s second child which was also born at South Hinksey prior to the family moving to 38 Lake Street in Oxford.
	Previously the child’s first child was believed to have been Hilda May Collett but this was incorrect.
37Q3	William Frank Collett was born at South Hinksey on 12.05.1913 in the family home at 38 Lake Street just off the Abingdon Road in Oxford
	William later married Elizabeth (?) with whom he had two sons.
	37R1	Graham Collett	Date of birth unknown
	37R2	Malcolm Collett	Date of birth unknown
37Q4	Charles Edward Collett was born at South Hinksey in 1915 in the family home at 38 Lake Street just off the Abingdon Road. It would appear he lived all his short life in Oxford since he died on 12.02.1951 while a patient at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford.
37Q5	Wilfred Collett was born at St Aldates in Oxford on 11.02.1918, the birth taking place in the family home at 37 Marlborough Road. After the Second World War he met and married Gladys Joan Palumbo on 29.05.1948, Gladys having been born in Italy in 1922. The wedding ceremony took place at the Oxford Registry Office.
	The couple’s only child was born a year after they were married while they were still living in the Oxford area.
	37R3	Roger Anthony Collett	Born on 28.06.1949
37Q6	Wilfred Charles Collett was born in 1920, the only son of Albert Collett and his wife Alice Strange. It has always been thought that he was born in Oxford, where both his parents were born, but his father’s military records suggests that he was a resident in New Zealand from 1914, even though he married Alice in Oxford in 1915 and was in England for much of the Great War. His father sailed back to New Zealand in 1918, where he was discharged from service in September that year. It is therefore possible that Wilfred’s father later returned to England to collect his wife, and that was how Wilfred was born in Oxford rather than at Wairau Bar in Blenheim where his parents lived.
	It was at Oyster Bay in Port Underwood in New Zealand that Wilfred Charles Collett died during 1978.
37Q7	George Frederick Collett was born at Toronto in Canada on 07.09.1924, and it was there also that he died on 23.02.1978.
37Q8