47 



Miss Collinson thus continues the history of the family, in her 

 letter to Dr. Darlington, " Michael Collinson died in 1795, leaving 

 a son (my father), Charles Streynsham, and a daughter Marian, 

 (Mrs. Close,) who died in 1826. Mary (Mrs. Cator) died in 1804, 

 without children. 



My father returned to England in 1798, after thirty years residence 

 in India. My aunt, Mrs. Close, left one son, Edward, now (I believe) 

 a judge in New South Wales, married, and has children j but soon 

 after his mother's death he dropped all correspondence with my 

 father. My father had eleven children ; one boy died in childhood ; 

 but ten survived their father, and lived to grow up ; and now we are 

 but five. My three beloved, amiable, and brave brothers, were all 

 taken from us within two years ! The second (William Clinton 

 Peter,) in the 37th Regiment, N. T., died on the 30th January, 1840, 

 of a severe wound received at the taking of Pushoot ; the third 

 (Henry Redfearn,) of yellow fever, 8th May, 1840, in Jamaica, 

 whilst with his Regiment, the 64th ; and the eldest, a captain in the 

 18th Royal Irish, was killed, July 21st, 1842, at the taking of Chin- 

 Kang-Fou, in China : all three deserving of the numerous and high 

 testimonies to their worth, which we have received in letters from 

 the officers of their several regiments. One sister died in Leaming- 

 ton of a decline, in 1843 ; and another, last year, fell a victim to that 

 fearful scourge, cholera, at Boulogne, in France. It has pleased our 

 Almighty Father most repeatedly and severely to afflict us; and 

 though his mercy has enabled us to bear these heavy trials, yet no 

 time has yet enabled me to dwell or write upon them with compo* 

 sure. 



Two of my sisters are married, and have children. I believe, now, 

 all the descendants of our worthy ancestor, bearing the name of 

 Collinson, are my two sisters, Emily Frances, and Louisa, and 

 myself. It is a sad retrospect I have gone through, and you must, 

 dear sir, pardon any expression of my feelings, I have been led to 

 intrude upon you, in writing upon this melancholy subject." 



In a recent communication to the writer, Dr. Darlington says, 

 " From subsequent letters of my esteemed correspondent, Miss Anna 

 Maria Collinson, we learn that her two married sisters are named 

 Octavia Aylmer, and Georgiana Custance. Which is the elder we 

 know not ; but we gather from the letters, that Mrs. Aylmer resides 

 at Bath, and Mrs. Custance at Brussels. They have also an uncle 

 (Colonel Sowcrby) in Hertfordshire, Wales. It seems truly remarka- 

 ble, and melancholy, that nearly all the male posterity of the good 



