James Draper Collier

I had an exciting enquiry from a potential distant relative, where we appeared to share James Collier as an ancestor.

Up until the enquiry, I had 2 main entries For James Collier in my website

Collier Family - Progress Report

James Collier Silk Weaver b c 1765
married St Matthews, Bethnal Green 22.12.1785
Elizabeth Mason b c 1765

Charles Collier bp 4.9.1803
Silk Weaver of Bethnal Green
married St Dunstans, Stepney 25.8.1822
Eliza Adams b c 1803/4

(subsquently Charles Collier married Maria Sanders in Croydon in 1863)

Silk Weavers named Collier - Register in Families

Weaver 101. (Gen. 1) James Collier, Weaver (1803-1839)
- born circa 1765
- married Elizabeth Mason 22.12.1785 St Matthews, Bethnal Green
- father of Charles Collier, Silk Weaver 103 per bp 4.9.1803 St Matthew's, Bethnal Green
- father of Joseph Collier, Silk Weaver 124 per bp 6.3.1808 St Matthew's, Bethnal Green
- Weaver of St John St per bp of daughter Jane at St Matthew, Bethnal Green 21.2.1813
- Silk Weaver per marriage of son Thomas Collier, Silk Weaver 172 (Widower) 16.9.1839 to Elizabeth Piper (Widow)
at St George in the East

Weaver 103. (Gen 2.) Charles Collier, Silk Weaver (1841-1853)
- bp 4.9.1803 St Matther, Bethnal Green
- son of James Collier Weaver 101
- married (1) Elizabeth (Eliza) Adams 25.8.1822 per IGI
- married (2) Maria (Sanders) Collier, Weaver 104 30.4.1863
- father of Emma (Collier) Cordell, Silk Weaver born 1831 bp 1844
- father of Sarah Collier, Weaver born c 1833/4
- Weaver per birth of daughter Ann Collier 28.2.1840 City of London Lying-in Hospital
- Silk Weaver, Pleasant Place, Bethnal Green
per 1841 Census (Age Circa 35)
- Weaver per bp 19.1.1844 of daughter Eliza Emma Collier St Matthew, Bethnal Green
- Weaver, 7 Tavistock Street, Bethnal Green per 1851 Census (age 41) - Weaver
per marriage certificate of daughter Emma 6.8.1850
marriage certificate of son Charles 15.10.1853
marriage certificate of daughter Maria 13.4.1856
marriage of daughter Clara 7.9.1863
marriage certificate of son George Feargus 25.12.1865
marriage of son Charles Henry 25.12.1870
- Silk Weaver, 11 Carters Rents, Spital Street, Mile End New Town
per 1861 (age 57) & 1871 Censuses (age 67)

Weaver 104 (Gen 2.) Maria (Sanders) Collier, Weaveress (1851)
- born 1810/11
- second wife of Charles Collier
- Weaveress,7 Tavistock St, Bethnal Green
per 1851 Census (Age 40)
- Slk Weaver, 11 Carters Rents, Spital Street, Mile End New Town
per 1861 (age 49) & 1871 (age 58) Censuses

James Draper Collier

My correspondent had developed the family tree on Ancestry a great deal:

Correpondent's Family Tree

Thomas Collier
married Sept 1735
Sarah Clifton

William Collier born 1734
married 1759*
Martha Draper born 1735

James Draper Collier
born 1766 bp 12.10.1766*
Married 22.12.1785**
Elizabeth Mason b 1765

Elizabeth Collier born c 1785-1788
married 1806**
William Lesurf born 1770

* St Leonards, Shoreditch
** St Matthews, Bethnal Green

It appears that Elizabeth may be Charles Collier's sister and if so my correspondent would be a distant cousin of my wife Chris.

Also until now I didn't know that James had the middle name Draper.

Second Family Tree on Ancestry

I came across another family tree in Ancestry. As the details for William Collier onwards are similar to my correspondent's family tree, I will add these entries to our own tree.

I will also update the entries under the Collier Parish Records and Silk Weavers named Collier.

William & Martha Collier

However the two family trees differ on William Collier's parents:

Other Family Tree

Daniell Collier born c 1661
married 30.3.1682**
Abigail Baker born c 1661

Matthew Collier born 1686
married 1.12.1714 (second marriage)#
Elizabeth Chesterman, Weaver born c 1687

Thomas Collier born 1714
Married c 1734
Sarah Coblens born c 1712

William Collier born 1734
married 1759*
Martha Draper born 1735

**St James, Dukes Place, City of London
# St Dunstan's, Stepney *St Leonards, Shoreditch

The second tree does identify a further son to William & Martha- William James Collier born 1764. It appears an earlier son William died as an infant.

It also had an error in it at this time, i.e. It includes another son for William & Martha - son Thomas Collier born 1779 but he is the son of William & Phebe Collier.

James Draper Collier

The second family tree does not list an Elizabeth Collier daughter of James Draper Collier.

I could not find a birth or baptism but my correspondent is a descendent. This does seem to be backed up by DNA matches from my correspodent's cousin to James Draper Collier's sons.

In fact, the two family trees had a different list of James Draper Collier's children:

Correspondent's Tree

1. Elizabeth Collier b c 1786
2. Thomas Collier b 1791
3. George Collier b 1801
4. Charles Collier b 1803
5. Mary Collier b 1805
6. Joseph Collier b 1808
7. Ann Collier b 1811
8. Jane Collier b 1813

Other Tree

1. Thomas Collier b 1791
2. John Collier b 1800
3. George Collier b 1801
4. Charles Collier b 1803
5. Mary Collier b 1805
6. Joseph Collier b 1808
7. William Collier b 1812 (no record traced)

Own Family Tree

Previously I had traced:

Thomas Collier
Charles Collier b 1803
Joseph Collier b 1808
Jane Collier b 1813

i.e. without Elizabeth, George, Mary and Ann from my correspondent's family tree, and
without John, George and Mary from the Other Tree

I will add:

Elizabeth b c 1786
John b 1800
George b 1801
Mary b 1805
Ann b 1811

Conclusions

Despite the differences between these two family trees, this is a big step foward for us in the identification of James Draper Collier & his family and parents.

It has also identied some additional Parish Records:

St Leonards, Shoreditch

William Collier born 16.12.1734 bp 6.1.1734
(Parents Thomas & Sarah Collier)

William Collier, Widower
married 4.2.1759
Martha Draper

Witness Thomas Draper

James Draper Collier born 17.9.1766 bp 12.10.1766
(Parents William & Martha Collier of Church End)

Saint Matthews, Bethnal Green

James Collier of Green St
buried 8.5.1836 (Age 67)

(There is an entry under a Find a Grave Index for James Draper Collier died May 1836)

This was the first enquiry that I have received where DNA has been a factor.

I am pleased to update our family tree but I will have to leave it to others to establish who the parents of William Collier born 1734 were.

There is a little disappointment that no further silk weavers were identified, though there were weavers in the Lesurf/Leserf Family.

Colin Bower
8 July 2024