Feb '02 Colliers of Mass Research Letter
February, 2002 Colliers of Massachusetts Research Update Feb. 18, 2002
INDEX
1)Database and surname numbers update.
2)North Yarmouth, Maine Lorings update-"Bill" Nye a Collier descendant.
3)Mass. Archives visit, 8-30-2001.
4)NEHGS Research,January, 2002.
5)Cemetery Records.
6)John Winslow/Mary Chilton Detour.
7)Dave Torrey’s Chesterfield Photos.
8)New Jersey Update.
9)Homepage Update.
10)New Correspondents.
1)Database and surname numbers update-
Although we know that numbers are not what makes a good family history, these figures will serve to show that we continue to gather information, and I think the surname numbers will be of some interest.
a)Through today’s postings, my database of Thomas and Susannah (---) Collier descendants and spouses contains 6,173 names.I continue to post new information daily, mostly from the well-recorded Loring family of Maine.
b)A draft genealogy starting with Thomas (2), without sources, biographical notes, etc. contains 1,065 "primary individuals (i.e., those who had known descendants and a numbered main entry)," and fills 233 pages.A similar draft starting with Moses (2) has only 67 prime individuals, and 16 pages.This is another indication of how sparse the New Jersey information is.
c)Of the more common surnames, the numbers now stand at:
COLLIER = 353
COLLYER = 71
LORING = 558
PRATT = 325
(I remind everyone once again that the "Collyer" surname became the common spelling among the New Jersey lines that we have been able to follow.Some older records for the families who usually spelled the name "Collier" also sometimes show "Colier, Colyer or Collyer," of course.The number of Pratt surnames has increased because I have gone more thoroughly through the Davenport "Genealogies of Cohasset….")
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2) North Yarmouth, Maine Lorings update-"Bill" Nye a Collier descendant-
A lot of my "genealogy time" continues to be devoted to the Collier descendants among the "Lorings of North Yarmouth, Maine."I have found more sources of information, and by the time I have worked my way through them all there will be few individuals of those lines not accounted for.Rev. Amasa Loring (1813 - 1890), with his son, Lincoln R. Loring (1844 - 1912), contributed most of the Maine information to the Loring Genealogy of 1917, which I continue to use extensively.I find myselfsometimeswishing that Rev. Loring had not had such copious supplies of pen, paper, and information.But, such uncharitable thoughts quickly pass, and his reams of information are certainly preferable to the lack of same in some of our other lines - mine included.
The Lorings of Maine had among their numbers many sea captains, and a considerable number of ministers, physicians, lawyers and politicians.They were a distinguished branch of the family.That was to be expected, of course, but it is nice to see the expectation confirmed.From their numbers I can add another author to the growing list among Collier descendants:the 19th Century humorist and Lyceum speaker, "Bill" Nye (1850 - 1897), born Edgar Wilson Nye in Shirley Mills, Maine.Mark Twain was an admirer of his work. His mother was Eliza Mitchell Loring, a g-g-granddaughter of the Rev. Nicholas Loring, who was the leading figure among the Lorings who left Hingham and Hull for North Yarmouth about 1735 - 1745.
3)Mass. Archives data, 8-30-01 -
I mentioned in the last newsletter that I visited the Massachusetts Archives briefly in August of last year.There is a great amount of material available there, most of it on microfilm.This was my second visit, and both trips have been productive, but studying microfilm is very tedious.Many of you are well aware of this, I know.I looked through a massive alphabetical card file the Archives maintains, as well.This appears to contain extracts of early town(and perhaps colony or state) records.On my next visit I need to determine the original source of these records.Among the more relevant:
a)There are two records of a John Collier ("Colyer" in one of the records) among the warders of the beacon at Hull, in 1673/4.If this was John (3), son of Thomas (2), he must have been only about 11 - 14 years old, as he was baptized by Rev. Peter Hobart on August 1, 1662.This seems rather young to have such a responsibility. Perhaps he was not baptized in infancy.The alternative possibility is that this is a record of the "lost" John Collier, who had land granted at Hull in 1642, but disappears from the records after that.
b)There are at least three records from Hull for Thomas (2): signing a petition (not described) in 1658;being a selectman in 1673/74; and apparently selling a portion of Brewster’s Island to the Town of Hull in 1680/81.
c)Lt. Gershom (3) Collier received payment for transporting stones to Castle Island, Boston Harbor, in 1701/02.This is indirect evidence that he might have been a ship owner.
d)Perhaps most intriguing of all, Jonathan Collier On Nov. 5, 1761 was "appointed as coroner
in Suffolk County."If this is indeed the Jonathan (4), son of Lt. Gershom and Elizabeth(Poole) Collier of Hull, it would explain why he is referred to as "Dr." in some Weymouth andGroton Vital Records.I have been surprised that I haven’t found more information on this Jonathan.Perhaps the explanation lies in the fact that he moved around so much: after his first marriage, he lived for various periods in Hull, Scituate, Weymouth and Groton.
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4)NEHGS Research,January, 2002 -
I have joined the NEHGS, so will be making a few trips to that great storehouse of information on Newbury Street, Boston, during the coming year.I spent a day there about 3 weeks ago and gathered quite a bit of confirming information on various individuals and branches of the family.I am incorporating this into my database, and will give some details in these newsletters as warranted.
The NEHGS even had a few pieces of new information on the Ohio Colliers !
5)Cemetery Records-
Among the new items found at the NEHGS was a typewritten record of gravestones in Chesterfield, Hampshire County, where several Collier and related families lived from about 1783 on.
In the Center Cemetery, at least as late as 1940, was an eroded stone marking the grave of Thomas (4) Collier, son of Lt. Gershom.This gives no new information, but confirms what we had.
Two stones away from the marker for Thomas is a gravestone marking the resting place of Susannah (Collier) James and her family.Her being in her 63d year at her death Nov. 4, 1820 is consistent with my supposition that she was the daughter of Moses (4) and Susanna (Foster) Collier, who had been born in Boston, September 20, 1758.Susannah (5) James was a niece of Thomas (4) Collier.
There many Collier descendants of other surnames whose gravestones still exist in Chesterfield.
(See my notes on Dave Torrey’s Chesterfield project, below.)
I have located some early Hull cemetery records, dating from about 1858.Even at that early date, the only gravestone of a Collier remaining in the Hull Village Cemetery was that of Thomas (3), son of Thomas (2) and brother of Lt. Gershom, who died in Hull, July 25, 1719.I would imagine that other early markers were either of a soft, easily eroded stone, or perhaps of wood.
There are a few "Collier" markers still remaining in Scituate.I understand the Cohasset cemeteries still have many memorials of the family, as that town was the last in the South Shore where many of the surname lived.I intend to visit those sites this summer.
6)John Winslow/Mary Chilton Detour-
Over the past month I have been corresponding with John Lindberg, ofPennsylvania, regarding the Collier/Winslow connections.In addition to the marriage of Thomas (4) Collier and Bridget Southworth, Bridget being a descendant of John Winslow and Mary Chilton (she of the Mayflower), there was at least one other Collier/Winslow connection.This was the marriage of "Sally" Spear Bray, and John Winslow, Jr., in 1809 Boston.Sally was a g-granddaughter of Joseph and Mary (4) (Collier) Spear, ofHull.
Mr. Lindberg was able to provide me with confirmation of the lineage of John Winslow, Jr., and other material, as well.It appears that no comprehensive genealogy of the Winslow/Chilton descendants has been done, although the first five generations are included in Vol. 15 of the "Mayflower Descendants…" series.Perhaps that will be my next project !
7)Dave Torrey, Worcester/Chesterfield-- photo project.My new postings homepage.
I have also been corresponding with Dave Torrey, of Massachusetts, who is doing some interesting work on Chesterfield.He has taken photos of many of the remaining gravestones in the
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various Chesterfield cemeteries, positing them on his site, and providing links from the photos to genealogical data.I hope to make another trip to Chesterfield with Dave in the coming months.
If you are of the lines which passed through Chesterfield, I would suggest looking at Dave’s material:
8)New Jersey Update-
I mentioned in my last newsletter that I had not been able to make much progress on the New Jersey "Collyers."While I do intend to visit the area of Basking Ridge at some point, we now do have some additional material.June Kennedy, Bernards Township Historian, has provided copies of "Collyer" material contained in card files maintained in the Township Library.This has given some new and confirming information.There appears to be no published work on the family lines there, although some material on related families exists.And, we have yet to make any connection to other descendants of Moses (2) Collier.At least six of his children seem to have gone with him from eastern Massachusetts to Woodbridge, NJ about 1683, and we have traced only the descendants of Thomas (3) ( 1664 - aft. 1718) more than one or two generations.
9)On the Homepage-
I have added some photos and portraits to the homepage – Jacob Collyer of New Jersey and Calif. (courtesy of Tim Kelley), a few of the Lorings of Maine, some of the "Deep Sea Captains of Cohasset," and a picture of the North America.I anticipate getting some better quality images at a later date.
I recently updated the list of names in the database which I post on the homepage.There are two lists:1) All Individuals, and 2) Collier/Collyer Only.The lists are now updated through December 31, 2001, and can be found in the "Related Files" section of the homepage.(Note that for privacy reasons the lists have only name, date of birth and date of death for each individual.No place names are given, and no relationships are shown.)
The homepage can be visited at:
10)New correspondentsupdate-
In addition to Dave Torrey and John Lindberg, mentioned above, Barbara Glover of Maine has gone above and beyond in providing some Maine Loring material.
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As always, I welcome corrections, comments or new material.
Wade Collier
Trumbull County, Ohio and Lunenburg, Massachusetts
"Colliers of Massachusetts" Project
Feb. 18, 2002