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The above information was taken from various sources, including the JOHN COLLINS FAMILY BIBLE: * [No birth information was given on the birth page]; "John Collins (son of Peter) died Jan 5, 1898, Age 71 years"
* There is no tombstone for John's father, Peter, but the following was in the JOHN COLLINS BIBLE: "Peter Collins Died May 13, 1878 age 79 years [b.1799/1798].
** State of WI Death Records records the following for John:
Born: June 20, 1825, Ireland; Died: 1898; Age: 73 [If the month of his birth is correct, the age is correct but with his date of death as Jan. 5, 1898, he would have been born in June 20, 1824.
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The Name COLLINS originally was CALLAN for this Collins family. It was spelled as Callin on the Sept. 5, 1850 Federal and Agriculture/Schedule Census of Durham Twp., Bucks County, Pennsylvania Census. Based on several factors, one cousin's extensive genealogical work, points to Stammulin, within County Meath. No doubt they would have come in via Castle Gardens upon their immigration to the United States but no confirmation as of yet on this.

John's father, Peter, who emigrated with his three sons James, John and Peter to Iowa County, WI., from Pennsylvania ca 1854-'55. All four settling first in Waldwick Twp., having emigrated from Durham Twp., Bucks Co., PA. His sister, Bridget, having married prior her father and brother's departure to the mid west, remained out east within New Jersey and New York.

On February 20, 1854, in Norristown, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania, John, using his Gailic name of JOHN CALLAN, appeared within the Common Pleas Court of said Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, along with John Jacobs, who gave satisfactory testimony to the court on behalf of John Callan, in that the Court was able determine that John Callan was a man of good moral character along with honoring all the requirements of obtaining Citizenship within Common Pleas Court, within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States of America, signed by Jared Evans for Prothontary.

According to Wikipedia, Norristown was primarily settled by the English and a handful of Germans, Scots, Dutch, and Swedes, but in the mid-1800s the Irish began arriving in large numbers, followed by waves of Italians at the turn of the century.
The tri-cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton in the central east of Pennsylvania were known as the Lehigh Valley. The area that included the cities of Philadelphia, Reading, Lebanon and Lancaster that were part of Pennsylvania's south east, known also as being the area where John's sister-in-law, Catherine (Gilmore)McArdle was said to have made mention of Reading within her descendants' family recollections of their Catherine's early family history out east, prior to their emigration to Wisconsin as well. Catherine and John McArdle having sailed together on the ship ______ and married 10 April 1849 West Springfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts, not far from Boston. Mrs. McArdle and Mrs. John Collins' other sister, Ann Gillmore, married Samuel Turner September 25, 1851 at St. Bernard Roman Catholic Church in Easton, Pennsylvania.

The name of Callan comes from the Irish Gailic O'Cathalain. The Gaelic versions of today's Irish comes demonstrates a link to a proud ancient past. The name is possibly derived from Cathalan, king of Farrey slain in 1018, whose name means Little Charles and whom the family is thought to have descended. Cathalan was in turn descended from Coleman Mor the King of Meath (and the 133rd Monarch of Ireland).

Lallan/Callin Early Origins
The surname Callan was first found in County Roscommon (Irish RosComain) located in central Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. See www.House of Names.com

* Daniel (father) and his son, Andrew J. Dornan no doubt were Waldwick/Hollandale were friends of my Callan/Collins family.

* Alexander McNeill (1840 - 1919) also first settled in Waldwick Twp., prior to residing in Mineral Point.

* Is it possible they came from PA with the Coker Family? :
John Coker, a native of Cornwall, England,who was born October 14, 1829. He came to the United States when he was 21, by way of Canada and New York State, working for a few years in Pennsylvania, and finally emigrating and settling in Grant County, Wisconsin, in 1855. - For more, see : http://www.outbacknebraska.com/2015/01/sunday-stories-coker-saga.html#sthash.DvLOVLWW.dpuf

Or with the Lawless, Cardin or O'Neil's ? See Aug. 1, 1988 article from page 3B in the Herald Independent, (Platteville, WI?) Also see John Lawless FAG #72913890 *found within Scrapbook Vol. XX(20) p29, c/o Grant Co. Genealogy Society.

- See The Democrat, Mneral Point, WI, Fri,29 July 1881 (p. 3, c.5); Fri,5 Aug 1881, P3, c.3 & 5)Re: Team & Buggy Stolen by Perry Austin (Austin said his Brother resided ca 3 miles from Dodgeville and was caught at his old home in Belmont) He had taken the stolen to Ripon (ca 123 miles), a ywo hr. drive today via automobile.
Horse Thievery of John Collins' Team of Horses
Summer of 1881 articles in t he following papers:

1881, July 29, Fri. Iowa County Democrat, Mineral Point, WI, Pg 3
1881, July 28, Thur. Mineral Point Weekly Tribune, Mineral Point, WI Pg 1
1881, Aug 1, Mon. Wisconsin State Journal Ph. 4881, Aug 5, Fri. Iowa Co. Democrat, Mineral Point, WI, Pg 3
1881, Aug 5, Fri. The Boscobel Dial, Boscobel, WI Pg 2
1881, Aug 5, Fri. Darlington Democrat, Darlington, WI Pg 5
1881, Aug 12, Fri. The Boscobel Dial, Boscobel, WI Pg 2

- Martin and Bridget (Donvevy) Mulhairn no doubt were good "Irish" acquaintances of Mineral Point and St. Paul Parish there. See FAG # 110615252