Flora and Desmond Collins

[Willie Loomis]

  Is there official lineage for Flora and Desmond Collins.  It just struck me the other night when I was watching that I don't know where they fall into the tree.  It was after Desmond called Daniel Uncle Daniel.  I read on Wiki that Flora might be [spoiler]Millicent and Nathan's daughter,[/spoiler] but it is just speculation.

Any idears???

Thanks.

[DarkLady]

I always thought Flora and Desmond were some kind of relatively distant, not-so-rich relations. Flora married into the Collinses, but maybe her husband was some kind of cousin of Daniel's. Desmond is in the same generation as Daniel's children. I remember that when I was growing up (while the earth's crust was still warm), we were under strict orders to give every adult in the neighborhood the courtesy title of "Uncle" or "Aunt," even though they weren't relatives. So Desmond might be doing the same, just as Samantha addresses her father-in-law, Daniel, as Father Collins.

However, your spoiler raises all sorts of interesting questions. [spoiler]We know that the Collinses love to marry each other, so maybe Flora was born a Collins as well as marrying one.[/spoiler]

[Gerard]

I always figured that Flora had married some son of Millicent (possibly from an elicit affair).  Hence, Millicent and her progeny lived in Rose Cottage.  Millicent had long passed away, as had her son who was Flora's husband and Desmond's father.

Gerard

[Philippe Cordier]

I don't remember the details now, but I thought the obvious conclusion was that Mrs. Flora Collins was born a Magruder because they lived in the old Magruder mansion, didn't they? As far as which Collins she married, I don't know that it's possible to know for sure ... and it seems the writers left this vague.

[DarkLady]

It does make sense that Flora must have been born a Magruder. I just can't see Millicent having any children, not with her being insane and most likely stuck in the Tower Room for the rest of her life. I'm sure her little brother Daniel took great care of her.

[libshad84]

I have always wondered the same. Nothing was ever said on the show. Desmond is of the same generation as Quentin and Gabriel. Flora most likely was a teenager during 1795.

What about Jeremiah? He was once married, you know?

[Gerard]

I just can't see Millicent having any children, not with her being insane and most likely stuck in the Tower Room for the rest of her life. I'm sure her little brother Daniel took great care of her.

Millicent might've "sowed her oats" before that since Joshua was still in charge.  She was obviously bonkers after Nathan did what he did to her, so, who knows how she went looking for love in all the wrong places.  It wouldn't be the only time the Collinses had carpet creepers and then ended up locked in the tower room.  Family tradition and all that, you know.

Gerard

[Uncle Roger]

Nothing was ever said on the program about Flora's husband or Desmond's father. It could even have the RT Justin Collins.

[Josette]

Presumably any children of Millicent wouldn't have the last name Collins.  I always assumed there must have been some cousins or something like that.  We never knew exactly how Millicent and Daniel fit it; there could have been other relatives we never heard of.

[DarkLady]

True, Josette--we never learn how Daniel and Millicent are related to the Collinses of Maine, either.

[Willie Loomis]

Wasn't Nathan's and Millicent's marriage annulled?  she would have reverted back to a Collins and knowing the quirky family would have had her children made Collinses?

[Gothick]

In the 1967 storyline, Barnabas, Vicki, and Burke visit a mysterious house one evening and Vicki finds a handkerchief embroidered with a monogram that begins with the letter F.  (I think it was F. McC. C. but it's been too long since I last viewed the episode to be sure.)  I like to think that that was one of Flora's homes and that this was a foreshadowing of Flora's introduction to the story, even though I realize that at this point, the writers had no thought of 1840 or characters who might become part of the narrative down the line.  Just one of those moments of DS serendipity.

G.

[Gothick]

At some point in the 1966-67 episodes, there was mention of an Aunt Margaret, I believe, who lived in Boston.

There was clearly more to the Collins family beyond what was revealed in the canon episodes, although there are hints if you pay attention and think carefully.  (Of course, it's hard to deal with outright conflicts in continuity, such as Josette's original maiden name being La Freniere, if I'm remembering correctly.)

G.

[michael c]

getting very off-topic but in the film as barnabas was entombed childless and without siblings...

we do not know who the 1972 collins family is descended from for that matter.

[Gothick]

From the descriptions of the film, Michael, it sounds as if most of them were descendants of that ill-fated 18th century gallant, Vodka Collins.  lol

cheers, G.