Pat collins 'King of showmen'
Name: Patrick Collins
Date of birth: 12-5-1859
Location: Chester 1859-1915
Bloxwich 1915-1943
Spouses: flora ross 1880-1933
clara mullett 1935-1943
Achivments: President of the showmans guild (former van dwellers and showmans society) 1909-1929 longest serving president to date..
Liberal politician ( Walsall) 1918-1930
Walsall MP: 1922-1924
Mayor of Walsall: 1938
Honouree freeman of walsall: 1939
Formed circus: 1910-1911
Beast show: 1927
Zoo/lion show: 1928
Birmingham onion fair: 1890's
Collins big circus leicester: late 1929
pat collins memorial clock bloxwich
A preserved ex pat collins engine
How it all began
Pat collins was the son of John collins and Norah collins nee (Mc'dermott) of Ireland... He was born at Broughton heath Chester in 1859 and one of five children, he was educated at st wedburgh's school and it seemed that pat did very well the time he was there as family life often made pat miss school as his presents was often needed elswhere, it is told that pats mother was a great influence to pats learning...
The time came when pat was at the the age of ten when education did finaly take a back seat and at this age pat started travelling fairs with his family as they aquired a steam yacht to line up of just one roundabout, the yacht was capable of carrying twenty people the rides where pulled from fair to fair around the cheshire,lancashire,shropshire areas by ponies. It is reported that pat brought a roundabout of his father for 80 pounds although is not well documented...
At the age of 22 pat collins married to Flora mcdonld ross on the 20th july 1880 in liverpool at st peters church, flora was 21 years old and came from wrexham herself and family not connected to fairground life but she quickly learned the trade and was able to help pat with the bisuness. In the early 1880's the collins family along with the partners did decide to part ways each of the family locating themselves at key points in and around the midland area, pat and flora made way for walsall in 1882 while still only in there second year of wedlock they pulled onto shaws leasow in the birchills area of town, owning a junvenille ride and a pony to pull it around town walsall this year was claimed to be pats new home...
scence from the past showing goliath
engine at the front
preserved scammel showtrac pat collins
As pats empire started to grow so did his family and in 1886 on the 7th march pat gained a son he was named "Patrick ross collins" and was later known as "Young pat" and the same year pat brought a set of three gallopers from savages of kings lyn, through 1887 to the 1900's pat built up quite a condsiderable fair and it is said that in the late 1890's pat made the change to elctricity to power and light his rides some people say if pat was'nt the first to use electric power then he was one of the first few to start the new trend as we now today...
As rides got larger so did the weight of these mighty machines so the occasion came for Steam locomotive he named it "The Emperor" and others followed, having such transport and using electric for power just showed how well pat was doing in the art of putting a good gaff (fair) on and taking into account that pat was only still a tenent and not a lessee until 1892 when pat was able to run four seperate gaffs and then able to call himself a lessee. By the 1900's pat had enough tackle (equipment) to split up into individual fairs or (runs) over the next few years the empire got bigger and stronger with pat over looking the whole business. As the fairs went from strenth to strength pat found himself battling for a seat on the local council and after numerous failures on the 29th april 1918 pat was elected councillor of the birchills ward, during this time pat was named tenant of lime tree house bloxwich but was not able to own it until 1926 and still using shaw st as the depot till when the transfer was completed in 1933. The year 1922 saw pats political venture into parliment as MP for walsall this went on for two years and throughout the rest of the 20's pat comitted himself to the political cause.
The 1930's was a busy time for the collins family with the fair peaking at its best ever due to good tenants and managers allways overlooked by pat. In the november of 1930 pat found himself giving his grandaughter Margret collins away to marry Elias harris son of tenants Elias and emellia harris of the southern counties and the connection began between the two great familys although sadly margret died in 1934. That was'nt the only death the year before mrs flora collins died at limetree house sad time hung over the family she was missed by ALL the fair community and members of the council and pat now in his late 70's, but at the young age of 75 pat went down the isle again to marry Clara collins whom was adopted from a young age to the collins family along with her brother the wedding took place on the 22nd jan 1935. 1938 alderman pat collins was to become mayor of walsall already serving 18yrs as councillor and MP he became mayor on 9th november and on the 7th november 1939 pat was given freedom of walsall which was a great honour for pat and his loved walsall town.
Coming to the end of this story pat collins and his family achieved many things that i could'nt fit onto this page, ill finish by saying pat collins died at the tender age of 84 in the arms of his beloved wife clara on the 9th december 1943 his last words to clara was " keep the flag flying" as he would of wanted with all the equipment in pristine condition and well presented fairs, when clara died on the 7th september 1962 the same words were spoken to the managers the pat collins funfairs went on under the control of the family until 1983 when Mr Anthony D Harris son of Elias Harris took over full control at rowley regis the take over comprised of a set of dogdems, a run of fairs and the name " PAT COLLINS FUNFAIRS"........
The funfair today is a grand example of what pat would of been proud of with well maintained eqiupment and transport showing Anthony harris's flare and grandeur as a great showman.............
Compiled by rob saxon
Site owner
www.funofthefair.co.uk
