He liked music and left his musical
instruments and his music, printed and manuscript, to his grandsons
Samuel (b.1784) arid Benjamin (b.1790). He left his gun to grandson
Edward of Ixworth (b.1788). He left his eldest son Samuel, a saddle
and harness maker in Braintree, his land in Sihle Hedingham. He also
had considerable financial assets including four hundred pounds (about
£12,000 at 1990 prices) in Bank of England stock.
Another John Collis, born about 1725, was landlord of the Kings Head
inn at Castle Hedingham. He married Barbara Simpson at Great Yeldham
in. 1747. He died in 1785 at Castle Hedingham and his will names no
children.
Chelmsford
Probably the first Collis to arrive in Chelmsford was William Collis,
born in Braintreé in 1721, who came to the county town to pursue
the craft of carpenter. He was a great grandson of John and Mildred.
William married Elizabeth and their first son, also William, was born
in Chelmsford in 1745. William senior was quite successful as a carpenter
and builder, mainly in Moulsham hamlet , where he lived, but also in
the town. In 1777 he successfully bid for the work of replacing the
pews in St. Mary's church for £160 and in 1787 started building
a bow fronted shop and two brick houses, one for his second son James
Thomas, who had not only followed, his father as a builder hut was also
Workhouse governor. The shop and houses were never completed because
the site was required for the new Shire Hall but were sold to the County
Council for a total of £800.