Arthur Collins (antiquarian) facts for kids

Arthur Collins (1682–1760) was an English expert who studied old things, family histories, and past events. He is best known for his important book, Peerage of England. This book listed and described the noble families of England.

Arthur Collins's Life

Arthur Collins was born in 1682. His father, William Collins, worked for Queen Catherine. Even though his father spent a lot of money, Arthur received a good education. After his studies, Arthur worked as a bookseller. His shop was on Fleet Street in London, near St Dunstan's Church.

Arthur married around 1708. He lived to be 78 years old, passing away in 1760. He was buried in a place called Battersea. Arthur's son, Arthur Tooker Collins, became a Major General. His grandson, David Collins, later became the first Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania, an island in Australia.

His Famous Book: Peerage of England

Collins's most famous work was Peerage of England. The first version of this book came out in 1709. It was a single book. A second version followed in 1712. Over time, more and more volumes were added to the book. By 1778, the fifth version had eight volumes!

A publisher named Barak Longmate added even more information in 1784. Later, in 1812, Samuel Egerton Brydges updated the book again. He said Collins was a "most industrious, faithful, and excellent genealogist." This means Collins worked very hard and was good at tracing family trees. Brydges also noted that Collins sometimes praised noble people too much.

Other Books by Arthur Collins

Besides his Peerage, Collins wrote several other important books. In 1734, he published Cases of Baronies. He also wrote a five-volume book called Baronetage in 1741. This book was about baronets, another type of noble title.

Collins also wrote about famous historical figures. He published a book about the life of Lord Burleigh in 1732. Lord Burleigh was an important advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. In 1750, Collins wrote about the life of Edward the Black Prince. The Black Prince was a famous English warrior from the Middle Ages.

Collins also collected and published old letters. These included Letters &c. of the Sidneys in 1746. He also published letters from Rowland Whyte, who managed business for the Sidney family. In 1752, he wrote about the noble Families of Cavendish, &c..