SCOTT COLLINS FAMILY OF PEEBLESSHIRE.
In the Tweedsmuir Parish Church there is a stained glass memorial window with the following inscription:-
In Loving Memory of my forbearers who worshipped in these uplands, dedicated by Nanette Scott Collins - Scranton PA, USA.
Who these forebearers were is a bit of a mystery as there are no Collins buried in the Tweedsmuir Kirkyard and there are no Collins listed in the nineteenth century census' for Tweedsmuir. The plot thickens as genealogy research has revealed that the family appear to have no connection with Tweedsmuir at all. The research indicates that the family are from Peebles and Traquair and that the main burial plot for the family is in Traquair Kirkyard which is about twenty miles to the east of Tweedsmuir but is still in Peeblesshire.
The research shows that Nanette Scott Collins was born 20-02-1887 in Scranton, PA. It looks as if she was the only child of William Scott Collins and Kathyrn (Surname unkown.)
Her father William was born in 1858 in Elcho Street in Peebles and Kathryn born in Michigan in 1855 of Irish parents.
Her grandparents were James Collins born 1835 in Traquair and Janet Stodart born 1838 in Yarrow.
Her greatgrandparents were William Collins born 1801 in Temple Midlothian and Janet Scott born 1801 in Pennecuik, Midlothian.
Her uncle Walter Collins born 1869 in Elcho Street, Peebles also emigrated to the USA and married Agnes Allan and had several children in the USA.
The headstone in Traquair Kirkyard has the following inscriptions-
William Collins of Traquair, Avenuehead born 1801 died 22-03-1877, wife Janet Scott born 1801 died 16-02-1888 aged 86, children Florence born 1827 died 1831, Florence born 1832 died 1833, Margaret born 1837 died 1847, Helen born 1829 died 1897, Mary widow of Mungo Lawrie born 1826 died 11-08-1901, Janet born 1852 died 26-12-1903, William born 1840 died 06-04-1908, James born 1835 died 06-09-1908.
The last named on the inscription ,James, was Nanette Scott Collins' grandfather.
A CD with images of the headstones and the inscriptions in Traquair Kirkyard is available to purchase from the extensive collection of M.I.s held by The Borders Family History Society.
A skeletal family tree for the Scott Collins family follows below followed by a full family tree in "website" format.-
Descendants of James Collins.
(Updated 16-09-2015)
Generation No. 1
1. JAMES COLLINS He met FLORENCE BEARTHENRIGG.
Children of JAMES COLLINS and FLORENCE BEARTHENRIGG are:
2. i. WILLIAM COLLINS, b. 1801, Temple, Midlothian.; d. 22-03-1877, Avenuehead Traquair..
ii. JAMES COLLINS.
Generation No. 2
2. WILLIAM COLLINS (JAMES1) was born 1801 in Temple, Midlothian., and died 22-03-1877 in Avenuehead Traquair.. He met JANET SCOTT. She was born 1801 in Pennecuik, Midlothian., and died 16-02-1888 in Avenuehead, Traquair..
Children of WILLIAM COLLINS and JANET SCOTT are:
i. MARY COLLINS, b. 1826, Peeblesshire.; d. 11-08-1901, Glenview, Innerleithen.; m. MUNGO LAWRIE.
ii. FLORENCE COLLINS, b. 1827, Peeblesshire.; d. 1831.
iii. HELEN COLLINS, b. 23-10-1829, Traquair, Peeblesshire.; d. 1897.
iv. FLORENCE COLLINS (2), b. 1832, Peeblesshire.; d. 1833.
v. JANET COLLINS, b. 28-12-1832, Traquair, Peeblesshire.; d. 26-12-1903.
3. vi. JAMES COLLINS, b. 29-03-1835, Traquair, Peeblesshire.; d. 06-09-1908.
vii. MARGARET COLLINS, b. 1837, Peebleshire; d. 1847.
4. viii. WILLIAM COLLINS, b. 28-08-1839, Traquair, Peeblesshire.; d. 06-04-1908, Glenview, Princes Street, Innerleithen..
Generation No. 3
3. JAMES COLLINS (WILLIAM2, JAMES1) was born 29-03-1835 in Traquair, Peeblesshire., and died 06-09-1908. He met JANET STODART 17-06-1857 in Peebles., daughter of JAMES STODART and MARGARET BEATTIE. She was born 1838 in Yarrow, Peeblesshire..
Children of JAMES COLLINS and JANET STODART are:
5. i. WILLIAM SCOTT COLLINS, b. 1858, Elcho Street, Peebles..
ii. JAMES COLLINS, b. 1859, Elcho Street, Peebles..
iii. MARGARET N COLLINS, b. 1862, Elcho Street, Peebles..
iv. JANET S COLLINS, b. 1867, Elcho Street, Peebles..
6. v. WALTER COLLINS, b. 1869, Elcho Street, Peebles..
4. WILLIAM COLLINS (WILLIAM2, JAMES1) was born 28-08-1839 in Traquair, Peeblesshire., and died 06-04-1908 in Glenview, Princes Street, Innerleithen.. He met MARY ANNABELLE POLL. She died 25-10-1923.
Child of WILLIAM COLLINS and MARY POLL
i. JANET SCOTT COLLINS, b. 1868; m. GREGORY STEWART, 19-06-1906, Walkerburn; b. 1867.
Generation No. 4
5. WILLIAM SCOTT COLLINS (JAMES3, WILLIAM2, JAMES1) was born 1858 in Elcho Street, Peebles.. He met KATHRYN A COLLINS (KATE) 1886. She was born 1855 in Michigan, USA..
Child of WILLIAM COLLINS and KATHRYN (KATE) is:
i. NANETTE SCOTT COLLINS, b. 20-02-1887, Scranton Ward 2, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania..
6. WALTER COLLINS (JAMES3, WILLIAM2, JAMES1) was born 1869 in Elcho Street, Peebles. He met AGNES ALLAN. She was born 1871 in Scotland..
Children of WALTER COLLINS and AGNES ALLAN are:
i. WALTER S COLLINS, b. 1896, Pennsylvania..
ii. EVELYN U COLLINS, b. 1899, Pennsylvania..
iii. JEANETTE S COLLINS, b. 1901, New York..
iv. GRACE COLLINS, b. 1907, New York..
v. JAMES ALLAN COLLINS, b. 13-03-1911, New York..
(Descendants in Peeblesshire and USA)
The above research does question why there is a Scott Collins memorial window in Tweedsmuir Parish Kirk.
Nanette and her mother did visit Scotland arriving in Glasgow on the California on 06-11-1908. Neither had been to Scotland before. One presumes that it was during this visit that the arrangements were made for the memorial inscription. One cannot imagine that they made a mistake and chose the wrong church - surely if there was an error this happened after they had left Scotland - only conjecture!