Bernard Y. Collett

As printed in 1915

BERNARD Y. COLLETT.

The Collet! family In America is of French Huguenot origin and is perhaps derived from one of three brothers of that faith, who. about 1660, fled from France on account of religions persecution. One fled to the mountains with a number of other people of his faith: one fled to England, from which either he or his descendants eventually immigrated to America. A third, with his wife, embarked on a ship to America and, during the voyage, the mother gave birth to a son and a little later died and was buried at sea. The child lived and was named Stephen and eventually located In Maryland near where Baltimore now stands. He married IHIzabeth Armstrong, who was born on August 18, 172" and they had eight children. Five of these children are unaccounted for. Practically the whole family, however, moved to Jefferson county. Virginia, about the time of 111** breaking out of the Revolutionary War. Daniel, the third child In the family of Stephen and Elizabeth Collett. who was born on February 2, 1752, was a soldier In the Continental army and a prominent judge in Virginia. About 1780 be married Mary Haines, who was born on October 10, 1753, and they had eight sons and a daughter, who, with his brother. John, and his sister. Sarah, are the ancestors of all of the Colletts in Clinton and Wnrren counties. Among these sons was Jonathan, who hauled the stone and also a part of the lumber nnd timber used in the construction of the United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry.

Bernard Y. Collett, one of the widely-known and highly-respected farmers of Chester township, Is the grandson of Jonathan Collett, the great-grandson of Daniel and Mary (Haines) Collett and the great-treat-crnndson of Stephen and Elizabeth (Armstrong) Collett. Bernard Y. Collett was born on August 7, 1853. near Harveysburg, in Warren county. His parents were Benjamin and Sarah (Yeo) Collett, the former of whom was born In Chester township, August 26, 1829. She was the daughter of Joshua and Allle (Duffey) Yeo. They were married on October 3, 1860.

Jonathan Collett, heretofore referred to as the son of Daniel and Mary (Haines) Collett, was married on April 80, 1823, to Sarah McKay, a representative of the famous McKay family of this county, who was born on November 11, 1790, In Warren county, and whose parents, who had come originally from Virginia to Warren county, settled in Clinton county as early as 1814. Jonathan and Sarah (McKay) Collett had ten children, namely: Ann, born on March 14, 1824, who married William McCune; Moses, June 7, 1825; Benjumin, December 18. 1826; Francis, May 17, 1820; Martha, February 1, 1831; Aaron, October 10. 1832; George, December 21, 1834; William. June 30, 1838; Robert, December 27, 1840; and Asel Waters, September 17, 1842. The family were all members of the Baptist church. It was with the money obtained from work on the United StateB arsenal at Harpers Ferry that Jonathan Collett was able to buy a large tract of land.

Jonathan Collett's father, Daniel Collett, was a devout Episcopalian, who entered the Revolutionary army under Captain Wright, of Mariinsburg, Virginia, and served at Valley Forge, White Plains and at tho defeat of General Gates. He also served when the Virginia volunteers were encamped In Pennsylvania, and also fought at the battle of Monmouth. He resided in Virginia for forty years and for many years was a justice of the peace, being appointed as they were in that day in Virginia for life or during good behavior. He held his court monthly and It Is said that there was more dignity attending the justices' courts In those days than Is to be seen today in the higher courts of Ohio. On one occasion the Judge of the court of Jefferson assessed a line upon each of the Justices of that county for neglect to provide suitable steps to the jail at Charleston. Mr. Collett paid his fine and then took the contract for erecting the stone steps which now grace the front of that historic edifice.

Of the ten children born to Jonathan and Sarah (McKay) Collett, Bcujauiiu Collett, the father of Bernard Y., was the third. He was educated In the common schools of Chester township and began his life as a farmer in Warren county, but after a few years returned to Chester township, where be remained the rest of his life on a farm of one hundred and fifty acres. Beujamlu and Sarah (Yeo) Collett bad four children: Alley, who died small; Bernard Y., the subject of this sketch: Mary, who died at the age of niue years: and Anna M. The father of these children died on October 12, 1892, and the mother In 1907. They were members of the Baptist church. He was a Republican In politics. During the Civil War, be served as captain of the home militia and was later promoted to colonel. At one time, he was paymaster of the local militia.

Bernard Y. Collett, the second child born to his parents, received his education in the schools of Chester township and at Harveysburg. He has been a farmer practically all of his life. He and his sister have a farm of three hundred and thirty acres which is highly improved.

On December 23, 1874. Bernard Y. Collett was married to Emma Shtdaker. who was born on Octolwr 16, 1856, and died on November 27, 1003, leaving one child. Edith, who married Shirley Scott, of Mllford, Ohio.

Bernard Y. Collett was elected as a delegate from Clinton county to the constitutional convention of 1912. He Is a Republican.

In 1014 the Collett families In Clinton county celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the coming of the family to this section. One hundred and one members of the family were present at this reunion. During the last forty-nine years, the Collett and McKay families have held a family picnic every year without exception, and In all of this period Bernard Y. Collett has been a regular attendant. The forty-ninth annual reunion was held on Saturday, August 14, 1915,

As printed in History of Clinton County, Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions (1915). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.