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 30 Collections and/or Records:
Records Related to Nottingham Goose Fair, 1928
Contains documents related to the management and defence of Nottingham Goose Fair, including correspondence from William Savage, Pat Collins, E.H. Bostock, John Collins, Mellor Brothers, John Proctor a paper entitled The Defence of Fairs, a case for the opinion of counsel, an floor plan of the fair and newspaper cuttings. Typescript and manuscript.
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.
Sketch for Kaiser and Crown Prince Spinner Design, 1915
Sketch of framing structure of Pat Collins No. 314 Kaiser and Crown Prince Spinner. Pencil on paper.
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.
The Showmen's Year Book, 1925
Contains an article about Pat Collins, a list of the members of the Central Council, rules of the Showmen's Guild, rules of the central and branches benevolent funds, the thirty-sixth annual report, the Showmen's Guild list of receipts and payments, reports by Guild section including finances and lists of member subscriptions and commercial advertising. Some articles are illustrated with images.