Collins, Pat (Patrick), 1859 - 1943
Dates
- Existence: 12 May 1859 - 9 December 1943
Biography
Patrick Collins was born on 12 May 1859 in Chester, England. He was one of five children born to John Collins, an agricultural labourer and horse dealer of Irish descent. Pat left school in 1969, aged only ten years old to travel with his family.
In 1880 Pat married Flora Ross, the daughter of a Wrexham jeweller and moved to the West Midlands to work on the fairground industry. Within a decade, his business had prospered and he had become the leading showman in the region owning several steam-driven fairground rides. He was also an early presenter of moving pictures, both in travelling shows and in cinemas. At one point, he was running four separate fairs a week and owned thirteen cinemas and several skating rinks.
Pat Collins was one of the founders of the United Kingdom Van Dwellers Association in 1889 in Salford, later renamed the Showmen’s Guild, for which he served as president in 1908. Pat together with the then General Secretary, Reverend Thomas Horne, played an important role in developing the organization into an influential national body both among showmen and the government. Pat served as President of the Guild again in later years between 1920 and 1929.
Pat set his headquarters in Bloxwich in the borough of Walsall, and ran fairs across the whole of the Midlands. He also presented his rides and entertainments at the most important fairs in England including the Nottingham Goose Fair and fairs in Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Home Counties. By 1899 Pat was regularly covering a round of fairs in the Black Country and established Pat Collins, Ltd.
Pat also pursued a long and successful career in politics in Walsall, which lasted for over twenty years. In 1918 he served as liberal councillor in Walsall Council, in 1922 he became their Liberal MP, position he held until 1924, in 1930 he became an Alderman, in 1938 he served as Mayor of Walsall and in 1939 he was made a Freeman of the Borough.
Pat and Flora had a son Patrick Ross Collins, on 7 March 1886, who eventually took over the management of the family business. Flora died in 1933 and Pat remarried Clara Mullett in 1934.
Pat Collins died on 9 December 1943, aged 84. Pat Collins, Ltd passed onto his widow and descendants and continued to dominate the British fairgrounds into the twenty-first century.
Pat Collins Ltd is now run by Anthony Harris, former president of the Showmen’s Guild and elected member of Walsall Council.
Found in 13 Collections and/or Records:
Business Records, 1889 - 2003
Business records containing minutes of meetings, financial records, documents related to legislation and urban planning, Showmen's Guild diaries, year books, records on the campaigns run by the Showmen on the defence of Mitcham, Norwich, Manchester, Nottingham and Cambridge fairs.
Minutes of Council Meeting of The Guild of Great Britain and Ireland, 1918 - 1928
Bound minutes of meetings in red notebook containing items dicussed on meetings of the Central Council, including rules and regulations, charges, appointments to posts within the Showmen's Guild, fund raising activities and benevolent funds, subscriptions, transport, Licensing, agreements with other organisations and societies, finances, ground leases and Government War Bonds among others. Signed by the Guild's president, Mr Patrick Collins, manuscript.
Minutes of Meetings of the Showmen's Guild, 1918 - 1957
Minutes of meetings of the Showmen's Guild comprising Central Council meetings, Special General meetings, Management Committee meetings, Mutual Agreement meetings, Annual and Extraordinary meettins, meetings of the Appeals Committee and War Emergency Committee meetings.
Newspaper Cuttings and Scrapbooks, 1904 - 1973
Newspaper cuttings and scrapbooks related to Showmen's transport, trade related bye-laws and general Showmen's news from various newspapers and publications.
Original Artwork, c1900 - 1929
Drawings and designs used for the decoration of fairground rides.
Orton and Spooner Collection
This collection contains a large selection of archives from the Orton and Spooner Company. The collection comprises photographs and cabinet card images showing carved work, structural work and classic painted work, 4 boxes of notes, invoices and clippings, 8 drawers of plans and blueprints, 2 folders of ride specifications and order forms, accounts books and a library of source books showing turn of the century art used by the artists in the company.
Photographs and Postcards, c1899 - 1969
Photographs, postcards and negatives of fairgrounds taken by Rowland Scott and other fairground enthusiasts.
Rowland Scott Collection
Photographs related to all aspects of British travelling fairgrounds including; rides, transport, living wagons, showpeople, fairground shows, circuses and organs by Rowland Scott and other authors, a selection of manuscripts by Rowland Scott and a small amount of correspondence.
Showmen's Guild Business Records, 1904 - 1949
Showmen's Guild Scrapbook, 1935 - 1954
Scrapbook containing Guild news, articles on licences, Second World War, legislation, goods vehicles, transport, taxes, fairs, Newcastle Town Moor festival, Blackpool Bill, annual dinners and galas, Glasgow Fair and Pat Collins from various newspapers.
Showmen's Guild Scrapbook, 1934 - 1972
Scrapbook containing news about changes and the demise of the British fairground, Pat Collins, the Second World War, living wagons, the circus and Bertram Mills from various newspapers.
The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain Collection
The main extent of the collection contains yearbooks, meetings and minutes, correspondence and a record of day to day activities within The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain.
The Showmen's Guild Year Books, 1900 - 2003
Showmen's Guild year books containing minutes of meetings, financial information, membership information, articles of interest, rules and legislation, lists of members and various forms.