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SQnote: 2024-01-29 Contributor Debbie J (46890655)
Plot: Section 3 Lot 78
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Previous Manager's Note:
Purchased painting of General James Wilkinson from grandson, Ludovic Bigot, in 1882, Louisville, Kentucky. The painting hangs in the Filson Club Historical Library, Louisville, Kentucky. In his history of Kentucky, he wrote extensively about Wilkinson.

In 1884 Collins helped found the Filson Club
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Sunday night, January 1, 1888 at 11 o'clock, Richard H Collins departed this life aged 63 years, at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Silas L Craig, in this city, from an attack of congestion of the lungs. About two weeks ago deceased came up from his home in Louisville, Kentucky, in his usual health to visit his son-in-law and daughter and his illness was only of a brief duration.

Dr. Collins was one of the most noted men of Kentucky, being eminent as a scholar and writer. He was born at Maysville, Kentucky, May 4, 1824, over the printing office of his father's paper, the Maysville Eagle. He was a son of Judge Lewis Collins, editor, jurist, and historian and a grandson of Valentine Peers, who was on General Weedon's staff, and with Washington at Valley Forge.

In September, 1846, Dr Collins was married to Miss Mary Cox, one of the most accomplished young women of Maysville, Kentucky. Their children were:
Mrs. Anna Maria wife of Silas L Craig
Mrs. Mary Ellen, wife of William G Lord
Rev Lewis Collins married Mary Gyfford Davidson
Edward Cox Collins born 8 May 1855 Maysville, Ky died 5 Jan 1859 Covington, Kenton Co Kentucky of brain fever
Susan Peers Collins married Irving Barnes Gary
Valentine Peers Collins

Louisville Courier-Journal, Jan, 1888
R. H. COLLINS DEAD

The many friends in this State and elsewhere of Mr. Richard Henry Collins, the well-known Kentucky historian, will regret to learn that intelligence was received here today of his death at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. S. L. Craig, at Maryville, Mo., on Sunday last, January 1.

Mr. Collins had been in failing health for some time, and about a month since went to visit a daughter in Covington, Ky. While there he was quite ill, but recovered sufficiently to start for Missouri, where he expected to spend the winter with his daughter residing there. He arrived the day before Christmas, and his death which occurred a week later, was sudden and unexpected.

His remains will be taken to Maysville, Ky., for interment in the family burying ground.

Mr. Collins was born at Maysville, Ky., May 4, 1824, being, therefore, in his sixty-fourth year. His father, Judge Lewis Collins, was distinguished as the author of one of the most extensive and best known histories of Kentucky, and as an editor and Judge. The deceased was educated until his sixteenth year at Maysville Seminary, when, in May, 1840, he entered Center College, of Danville, Kentucky, from which he was graduated in September, 1842. Three years later the degree of A.M. was conferred on him by that college.
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Kentucky, Death Records, 1852-1953
Return of Death, Physicians certificate
Richard H Collins 1 Jan 1888 Kenton White Male
age 64 years widower
pnuemonia
F. M. Martin, M. D.

Undertaker's certificate in relation to deceased
residence Covington 6th Garrard 1551
place of previous residence Marysville, MO
place of intended interment Maysville, Kentucky
date of interment Jan 4, 1888
Harbick and Rose undertaker
date of certificate Jany 4, 1888

Richard Henry Collins, whom Mr. James Lane Allen has happily christened "the Kentucky Froissart," was born at Maysville, Kentucky, May 4, 1824, over the office of The Eagle. He was the son of Lewis Collins (1797-1870), who published a history of Kentucky in 1847. Richard H. Collins was a Cincinnati lawyer for eleven years, but he lived many years at Maysville, where he edited the old Eagle, which his father had made famous. In 1861 he founded the Danville Review; and in 1874 he published a "revised, enlarged four-fold, and brought down to the year 1874" edition, in two enormous volumes, of his father's history of Kentucky. Unquestionably this is a work of tremendous importance, the most magnificent and elaborate history of this or any other State yet compiled.

Traveling the whole State over, obtaining contributions from each town's ablest writer, and then building them upon his father's fine foundation, Collins was able to publish an almost invaluable work. To-day his history of Kentucky, though it certainly contains many errors of various kinds and degrees, is the greatest mine of our State's history which all must explore if they would be informed of our people's past. Dean Shaler and all later Kentucky historical writers have taken pleasure in paying tribute to his work. The one mistake that Collins made, which might have been easily avoided, was to put his manuscripts together in such a manner that the authorship of the various papers cannot be determined; but in this he followed his father's methods; and for this reason the writer has been compelled to reproduce the prefaces of both books, rather than portions of the actual text, for fear he may use matter prepared by a contributor. Collins practiced law in different Kentucky towns, wrote for newspapers and magazines, and spent a very busy and rather active life. He died at the home of his daughter at Maryville, Missouri, on New Year's Day of 1888.

Lawyers and Lawmakers of Kentucky, by H. Levin, editor, 1897. Published
by Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago. Reprinted by Southern Historical
Press. p. 699. Mason County.
RICHARD H. COLLINS, lawyer and historian, was born May 4, 1824, in Maysville, Kentucky, and died in Missouri, in 1889. His paternal grandfather, Richard Collins, was a soldier of the Revolution, and his maternal grandfather, Major Valentine Peers, was also a participant in that great contest, both having been residents of Virginia.

Richard H. Collins was graduated in Center College, Danville, in 1842, and in Transylvania Law School in 1846. He largely devoted his life to editorial work and historical research, being for ten years editor of the Maysville Eagle and at a later period founded the Danville
Review. Between 1851 and 1871, he also engaged in the practice of law at Maysville, Kentucky, and at Cincinnati, Ohio, while residing at Covington. The work of his life, however, was the preparation of the History of Kentucky, in two volumes, published in 1874. This was an enlargement of a volume published in 1847 by his father, Lewis Collins,
who was born in Fayette county, Kentucky, in 1797, and died in Lexington,in 1870. He was the proprietor of the Maysville Eagle from 1820 and judge of the Mason county court from 1851 to 1854.