PART FIVE
The Tewkesbury Line – 1530 to 1630
This is the first of three sections of the fifth part of the Collett family
Updated June 2026
This first section of the Collett family of Tewkesbury was compiled many years ago, mostly from information contained in the files of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. As a consequence, it may not be as accurate as the other sections on the Collett website, which have been independently verified using other sources of information. Therefore, further work must be carried out to validate all the entries, unlike the second section [1630-1850] and third section [1850-200] which were first produced as a single file during the early 1990s and only divided into two sections in 2025 after it had been extensively expanded to include many more details.
The earlier generations of this family line resided in the Ashchurch area of Gloucestershire which is only two miles to the east of the city of Tewkesbury. And it was a Robert Collett of Tewkesbury who left a Will in 1559, who may have been the father of the first family listed below.
5E1 - Although the father of the four children listed below is not known at this time, it is possible that their mother was Joan Collett of Ashchurch whose Will was proved in 1546
5F1 – Richard Collett was born circa 1534 at Ashchurch
5F2 – John Collett was born circa 1537 at Ashchurch
5F3 – William Collett was born circa 1539 at Ashchurch
5F4 – Margery Collett was born circa 1545 at Ashchurch
Richard Collett [5F1] was born at Ashchurch around 1534 and was married around 1554. It seems likely that his first wife died possibly in childbirth during 1566 or shortly thereafter. The second marriage for Richard Collett at Ashchurch was to (2) Ellen Roberts on 5th February 1569. They had only been married for around four years when Richard Collett of Ashchurch died in 1573, with his Will proved in 1574
Following the death of her husband, widow Ellen Collett then married John Washbourne on 25th November 1574 at Ashchurch with whom she had a son Giles Washbourne who was born during the following year. Twenty-eight years earlier there is the recording of the Will of Joan Colet of Ashchurch in 1546, who may have been Richard’s mother
5G1 – George Collett was born circa 1555 at Ashchurch
5G2 – Robert Collett was born circa 1556 at Ashchurch
5G3 – Joan Collett was born circa 1557 at Ashchurch
5G4 – John Collett was born circa 1559 at Ashchurch
5G5 – Ann Collett was born circa 1560 at Ashchurch
5G6 – Ursula Collett was born circa 1562 at Ashchurch
5G7 – Joan Collett was born circa 1564 at Ashchurch
5G8 – Gillian Collett was born circa 1566 at Ashchurch
The following is the only known child of Richard Collett and his second wife Ellen Roberts
5G9 – Alice Collett was born circa 1571 at Ashchurch
John Collett [5F2] was born at Ashchurch around 1537 and he married Margaret Moody on 22nd May 1559 at Ashchurch where all their children were born and baptised. The Will of John Collett of Ashchurch was proved in 1587, indicating that he died when his youngest child was around six years of age
5G10 – Margaret Collett was born circa 1559 at Ashchurch
5G11 – Alice Collett was born circa 1560 at Ashchurch
5G12 – Thomas Collett was born circa 1563 at Ashchurch
5G13 – William Collett was born circa 1566 at Ashchurch
5G14 – Elizabeth Collett was born circa 1569 at Ashchurch
5G15 – Ann Collett was born circa 1570 at Ashchurch
5G16 – John Collett was born circa 1577 at Ashchurch
5G17 – James Collett was born circa 1579 at Ashchurch
William Collett [5F3] was born at Ashchurch around 1539 and he was married around 1559. The two children listed below were born and baptised at Ashchurch. The Will of William Collett of Ashchurch was proved during 1597, following his death perhaps in the preceding year when he would have been around 57 years old. Judging by the name of William’s known daughter, it seems highly likely that his wife was Elizabeth, since the Will of Elizabeth Collett of Ashchurch was proved in 1613
5G18 – Elizabeth Collett was born circa 1560 at Ashchurch
5G19 – John Collett was born circa 1566 at Ashchurch
Margery Collett [5F4] was born at Ashchurch around 1545, where she later married Robert Gynes on 1st February 1569. It is interesting that Margery’s nephew, John Collett, the son of her brother John (above), married Anne Gynes at Ashchurch in 1601. This begs the question, was Anne Gynes the daughter of Margery Collett and Robert Gynes. It is possible that Margery’s mother was Joan Collett of Ashchurch whose Will was proved in 1546, which might indicate that Joan died giving birth to her daughter
George Collett [5G1] was born at Ashchurch around 1555 and was the first-born child of Richard Collett by his first wife. He could have been married between 1575 and 1580 with his only known daughter Joan born and baptised at Ashchurch
5H1 – Joan Collett was born circa 1581 at Ashchurch
Robert Collett [5G2] was possibly born in 1556 and was baptised at Ashchurch on 24th September 1557 at Ashchurch
Joan Collett [5G3] was born around 1557 and was baptised at Ashchurch on 3rd February 1558. She was the third child of Richard Collett, but suffered an infant death
John Collett [5G4] was another son of Richard Collett who was born at Ashchurch around 1559 who was later married around 1582. All his known children were born and baptised at Ashchurch
5H2 – James Collett was born circa 1582 at Ashchurch
5H3 – Richard Collett was born circa 1584 at Ashchurch
5H4 – Katherine Collett was born circa 1589 at Ashchurch
5H5 – Alice Collett was born circa 1591 at Ashchurch
Ann Collett [5G5] was the fifth child and the eldest surviving daughter of Richard Collett who wife may have been Joan. Ann was baptised at Ashchurch on 9th June 1560, where she later married William Spiring on 27th May 1583
Ursula Collett [5G6] was born at Ashchurch where she was baptised on 6th September 1563, another child of Richard Collett by his first wife. It was also at Ashchurch where Ursula married Thomas Gibbs on 13th June 1587
Joan Collett [5G7] was born at Ashchurch in 1564 and was baptised there on 2nd February 1565 the seventh child of Richard Collett
Gillian Collett [5G8] was the eighth and last child of Richard Collett by his first wife who may not have survived the birth of Gillian, who was baptised at Ashchurch on 1st July 1566
Alice Collett [5G9] was born at Ashchurch where she was baptised on 21st November 1571, the only known child of Richard Collett by his second wife Ellen Roberts. Later, while she was still living in Ashchurch, Alice Collett married John Taylor at Ashchurch on 8th June 1592
Margaret Collett [5G10] was born at Ashchurch the first child born to John Collett and Margaret Moody who were married there during May 1559. Margaret would appear to have been born before the couple’s wedding, with her baptism conducted at Ashchurch on 2nd March 1559
Alice Collett [5G11] was born in 1560 at Ashchurch and was baptised there on 3rd January 1561, the second child of John and Margaret Collett
Thomas Collett [5G12] was the third child and eldest son of John and Margaret Collett of Ashchurch where he was born around 1563. It was also at Ashchurch that Thomas Collett married Bridget Cole on 16th September 1585
5H6 – Mary Collett was born circa 1586 at Ashchurch
William Collett [5G13] was baptised at Ashchurch on 14th July 1566 where he married Ann Gilbert on 9th July 1590 and where their children were born and baptised
5H7 – Bridget Collett was born circa 1591 at Ashchurch
5H8 – William Collett was born circa 1594 at Ashchurch
5H9 – Elizabeth Collett was born circa 1596 at Ashchurch
Elizabeth Collett [5G14] was baptised at Ashchurch on 2nd October 1569 where she married John Baker on 4th February 1593
Ann Collett [5G15] was baptised at Ashchurch on 7th March 1571. At the present time it has not been determined whether she married Philip Surman on 29th November 1598 at Ashchurch or Thomas Davies on 17th June 1599 at Ashchurch
John Collett [5G16] was baptised at Ashchurch on 3rd August 1578. It was also at Ashchurch that John married Anne Gynes on 26th October 1601, and it was there also that all their children were born and baptised, although it was only the name of John Collett that appeared on the baptism records
5H10 – Mary Collett was born circa 1601 at Ashchurch
5H11 – John Collett was born circa 1603 at Ashchurch
5H12 – Thomas Collett was born circa 1605 at Ashchurch
5H13 – Ann Collett was born circa 1607 at Ashchurch
5H14 – William Collett was born circa 1609 at Ashchurch
James Collett [5G17] was baptised at Ashchurch on 22nd March 1580, the eighth and last child of John Collett and Margaret Moody. And it was at Ashchurch that James Collett married Bridget Hitche on 13th October 1606
Elizabeth Collett [5G18] was the older of the two children of William Collett of Ashchurch whose wife may have been Elizabeth who died around 1613 and left a Will. It was at Ashchurch where Elizabeth was baptised on 22nd February 1561
John Collett [5G19] was born at Ashchurch where he was baptised on 25th July 1567, the son of William and his likely wife Elizabeth
Joan Collett [5H1] was born at Ashchurch where she was baptised on 2nd June 1581, the only known child of George Collett
James Collett [5H2] was the eldest of the four children of John Collett of Ashchurch. James was baptised at Ashchurch on 12th July 1583 and was twenty-years of age when he married Joan Haynes on 29th September 1610 at Ashchurch, where their children were born and baptised. In 1678 the Will of Joan Collett was proved, but if this was the wife of James Collett she would have been in her eighties when she died. Joan may have been the wife of a later member of this family, say for example Thomas Collett [5I4] who may have been in her fifties when she died
5I1 – James Collett was born circa 1611 at Ashchurch
5I2 – Mary Collett was born circa 1613 at Ashchurch
5I3 – John Collett was born circa 1615 at Ashchurch
Richard Collett [5H3] was another son of John Collett and was baptised at Ashchurch on 3rd March 1585. He was listed as of short stature suitable for Calyver in 'Men & Armour of Gloucestershire in 1608'. The later Will of Richard Collett of Ashchurch was proved on 31st May 1633
Katherine Collett [5H4] was the older of the two daughters of John and was baptised at Ashchurch on 3rd March 1590
Alice Collett [5H5] was the last child of John Collett and was born around 1591 and was baptised at Ashchurch on 8th June 1592
Mary Collett [5H6] was born at Ashchurch in 1586 and baptised there on 25th November 1586, the only known child of Thomas Collett and Bridget Cole
Bridget Collett [5H7] was baptised at Ashchurch on 28th November 1591 the eldest child of William Collett and Ann Gilbert. Bridget was still living at Ashchurch when her marriage to John Mann was conducted there on 21st October 1611
William Collett [5H8] was the only son of William and Ann Collett, and was baptised at Ashchurch on 3rd November 1594
Elizabeth Collett [5H9] was born at Ashchurch around 1596, the last of the three children of William Collett and Ann Gilbert. Elizabeth was nearing her twentieth birthday when she married Walter Garne on 10th May 1615 at Ashchurch
Mary Collett [5H10] was the eldest child of John Collett and Anne Gynes of Ashchurch and was baptised there on 5th September 1602
John Collett [5H11] was baptised at Ashchurch on 1st November 1603, the eldest son of John and Anne Collett, although no name for his mother was given on his baptism record. John was 24 when he married Joan Jenkins on 10th February 1628 at nearby Alstone, just three miles east of Ashchurch. The couple’s only known child was a son who was born at Alstone in 1641, which probably indicates that there were other children born during the intervening twelve years
5I4 – William Collett was born circa 1641 at Alstone, nr Ashchurch
Thomas Collett [5H12] was baptised at Ashchurch on 22nd November 1605. It is more than likely that he married around 1625 and had a son Thomas who was born around that same time
5I5 - Thomas Collett was born circa 1625 at Ashchurch
Ann Collett [5H13] was born at Ashchurch where she was baptised on 27th March 1607, one of the five children of John and Anne Collett
William Collett [5H14] was born at Ashchurch around 1609 and was the youngest child of John Collett and Anne Gynes. It was also at Ashchurch that he married Elizabeth Powell on 25th October 1630 with their only known son seemingly born in Tewkesbury
5I6 – William Collett was born circa 1631 at Tewkesbury
James Collett [5I1] was the first of the three children of James Collett and Joan Haynes. He was born at Ashchurch in 1611, and was most likely a honeymoon baby, as he was baptised at Ashchurch on 11th August 1611
Mary Collett [5I2] was born at Ashchurch around 1613 where she married William Hawkes on 5th May 1635, the only daughter of James and Joan Collett
John Collett [5I3] was born at Ashchurch around 1615, the third child of James Collett and Joan Haynes. It was also at Ashchurch where he married Elizabeth Price on 22nd September 1636
William Collett [5I4] was baptised at Alstone near Ashchurch on 8th August 1641, the son of John Collett and Joan Jenkins. William later married (1) Joan, although no record of their marriage has yet been found, but their son was baptised at Alstone in 1669. Not long after the birth of their son, or even at the time of his birth, Joan passed away, and on 24th June 1670 William married (2) Elizabeth Worly (Worley) at Alstone. Today, Alstone is in Gloucestershire but, back in those days, it was part of Worcestershire
5J1 – William Collett was born in 1669 at Alstone, nr Ashchurch
Thomas Collett [5I5] was born at Ashchurch around 1625 and it is likely that he married around 1645 and had a son who was born and baptised at Ashchurch
5J2 – Thomas Collett was born in 1646 at Ashchurch
William Collett [5I6] was born around 1631 at Tewkesbury where he married Eleanor around 1652. All their children were born and baptised at Tewkesbury
William and Eleanor’s family is shown at the start of the second section of this family line