IN MEMORIAM
John Collins quietly passed away at his son's home on Grosvenor Street West in Birmingham, England on 24th August 1852, aged 50, reportedly after much illness. At that time, life expectancy was between thirty and forty years of age, however, Collins' ill health and subsequent death was probably brought on through the harsh, unhealthy conditions he was exposed to during imprisonment as a political prisoner at the hands of the Whig government.
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Although it was a tragedy that Collins died before he had a chance to do all the things he undoubtedly wanted to do to improve the lot of the working man, he nevertheless played an important part as a nationally known leader in the Chartist Movement.
Born and raised in Birmingham, he became a leading spokesman for the Birmingham Political Union, and it was with great determination and oratory skill that Collins helped spread the word and encouraged the working classes to support the first National Petition for parliamentary reform.
His extraordinary efforts in Scotland and the north of England brought together the Scottish reformers and the English radicals, which in turn provided the impetus for the Great Glasgow Demonstration followed by the launch of the Chartist Movement in August 1838 at the Grand Midland Demonstration held at Holloway Head in Birmingham. Neither of those two pivotal demonstrations would have been possible without the tireless effort of John Collins. Nor did he limit his efforts to his home town, or Scotland and the North. He was incredibly hardworking in districts surrounding Birmingham and to the South, speaking anywhere, any place, so long as he could reach out to the common man - and not to forget the women too - as this report tells of a strenuous visit to the Banbury area in March 1839. Several political associations were formed there. |
Throughout his political career Collins advocated reform through peaceful means. However, he recognized men in desperate straits or through lack of education could be driven to support "physical force," and he was ready to defend the more militant members of the working class whom many had spoken against. As a man of moderation Collins always seemed to be in the mix for the social and political improvement of the people. Whether he was attending a dinner, a Town Hall meeting, or speaking before a great outdoor demonstration of several thousand, he was prepared to take a stand against violent words or action. He had the courage to oppose the loud, war-mongering likes of O'Connor and Stephens -- and it was ironic that of all the moderate men in the Chartist Movement, John Collins was imprisoned for criticizing police brutality during the Bull Ring Riot on July 4th 1839, and for defending the rights of the people of Birmingham to attend peaceful public assembly. (A subsequent investigation and report by the Birmingham Town Council confirmed police brutality and said their actions had incited the rioting.)
The public, for their part, donated money to Collins' family whilst he was in Warwick Gaol, and to no avail submitted numerous petitions for his release. His harsh treatment in prison was nothing short of persecution. Almost at the end of Collins' prison term, the government (magnanimously) offered him and his co-prisoner, William Lovett, early released so long as they agreed to certain restrictions. In keeping with the "noble specimens" they were, the two men rejected the offer and served out their time in their dark, filthy cell in Warwick Gaol.
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Collins was a firm believer in education as a way to improve the lives of the working class and secure their political and social rights. He was one of the leaders in the formation of the National Association of the United Kingdom whose plan called for schools and libraries and formed a large part of the book "Chartism: A New Organization for the People" that he co-wrote with William Lovett whilst in prison. Collins organized the stone laying ceremony for the The People's Hall in Birmingham, and along with Arthur O'Neill, Collins was pastor of the most famous of the Christian Chartist Churches which he founded in Birmingham in late 1840. In 1847 Collins was returned as Town Councillor for the Ladywood area of Birmingham.
"A NOBLEMAN BY NATURE, A TOOLMAKER BY TRADE"
John Collins rose from obscurity to become a Chartist leader and a Birmingham hero. However, with the onset of ill health and no longer able to carry on his political career and grocery business (1851 census) he seemingly disappeared from public life. Sadly, other than a brief death notice, his passing was not recorded in the newspapers, and equally sadly the City of Birmingham has never recognized this amazing Birmingham son and his accomplishments. There was possibly an extended obituary following his death that reportedly began "Few public men have preserved their political reputation in a more untarnished manner than did the subject of these remarks ....." and ended ....." carried him from the scene of his struggles, his ambition and his sufferings to that world where trouble is unknown." However, this has not been confirmed.
In the Words of Arthur O'Neill
In February 1885, almost 33 years after Collins' death, Arthur O'Neill wrote a letter to the Editor of the Birmingham Daily Post that began thus:
In February 1885, almost 33 years after Collins' death, Arthur O'Neill wrote a letter to the Editor of the Birmingham Daily Post that began thus:
"It is with some pride and pleasure that I lay before your readers some facts and scenes showing how the people of Birmingham threw themselves heart and soul into the Chartist Movement. Indeed it may well be said that nearly all that was noble, vigorous and wise had its origin and support in Birmingham, whilst its physical force and other follies were always resisted by the leaders here." O'Neill continued: "Much as I respect the London Men's Working Association and other political bodies of that day, none of them could be compared with that of Birmingham. If London could gather 30,000 in Palace Yard, Birmingham could gather 200,000 at Holloway Head ......... I well remember how John Collins went through many parts of Scotland, firing the people with the radical doctrines of Birmingham. Having been a frequent preacher in the surrounding district, he was welcomed to many of the churches ....."
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Among other remarks, O'Neill tells how Glasgow joined hands with Birmingham, and at the famous Glasgow Demonstration Attwood, Muntz, Douglas and Collins were met at the east end of Glasgow by some 200,000 sons of labour.
From the Pen of Henry B Stanton
In his book "Sketches of Reforms & Reformers of Great Britain & Ireland" Henry Stanton described John Collins as such:
"JOHN COLLINS, like William Lovett, came up from the ground tier of British society, and has brought along with him more of the marks of his 'order' than Mr L. He [Collins] has rode out a good deal of rough weather in defense of Chartist principles. On his release from Warwick jail, he was received with the warmest enthusiasm by congregated thousands of his Birmingham neighbors. "He afterward made a tour of Scotland, addressing audiences in the principal towns. I listened to one of his speeches. My mind having been filled with prejudices against him, I was prepared to see a monster. But there stood before me a stout, bold man, uttering the loftiest truths in a practical and pointed style, and with a tone and bearing conciliatory but firm - a man earnest in vindicating the depressed classes, who had shown courage in peril, endured persecution without repining, and now received applause without vanity - a nobleman by nature, a tool-maker by trade, but who never tried to make a tool of others, and was the last person who would submit to be made one himself." |
No gravestone marks John Collins' final resting place, but there could be no finer epitaph than Stanton's words to sum up Collins' noble spirit and his contribution to the Chartist Movement.
FINALITY
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It has been an honour and a privilege to discover this remarkable man was my 3rd Great Grandfather, and I thank him for his life, his example, and his legacy of good work in the 19th century fight for democracy and the working man's right to vote.