William Giles COLLINS

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: farm labourer living with aunt Elizabeth 18. 51, grocer and tea dealer Bath Street Frome 1861, publican Lamb Hotel 26 Stall Street Bath 1871, 1876 cousin Elizabeth Grist living with him It seems he really did marry Marion. Marion was from Bristol England and had married Alfred Davis at St Augustine Bristol 1870 and also under her maiden name would go on to have daughter Georgina Housley at Clifton Bristol 1876 and then marry under maiden name to Edward Coombe(s) at Bristol Register Office cellarman and claim to be same age as him (22) despite this being her third marriage. Georgina appears to be living as daughter of Marion's brother Alfred Housley in Toronto Canada 1901. Marion had a son Ernest and 2 grandsons by Coombes (whose youngest child incidentally by HIS second wife died in 1990!). Robert Phillips Housley died in Toronto 1876 but his widow Lydia stayed in Bristol as a visiting nurse dying 1885. My guess is that Marion and William didn't get away with their bigamous marriage and it seems both came home or were only marrying there for convenience - they must have gone their separate ways eventually as Collins died in 1882 Bath. And of the real wife Agnes Augusta she died as Agnes Augusta Collins at 17 Inkerman Road Islington, August 1900 age 63, likely at the home of her erstwhile daughter Annie Button.

William married Augusta Agnes COMPTON on 28 Jan 1856 in Kingston Deverill Mere RD. (Augusta Agnes COMPTON was christened on 18 Oct 1835 in Kingston Deverill.)

William next married Marion Annie Lydia HOUSLEY on 13 Oct 1873 in Cobourg Ontario. (Marion Annie Lydia HOUSLEY was born about 1851.)