This picture shows Maggie with her eldest son, Arthur Henry and her first grandson, John Irving, and would have been taken in 1949 when she was 55/56.
Margaret Ann Collins was born on 27th September 1893 in Neath, South Wales. Her parents were Henry Charles Collins from Neath and Minnie nee Llewellyn from Mumbles.
She had 2 older brothers, Henry WL born in 1887 and Benjamin C born in 1890 and 2 younger brothers, Reginald born in 1896 and Bertrum born in 1897 as well as 1 younger sister, Minnie born in 1905.
In the 1901 census the family, Henry Colins a 37 year old general labourer, his wife Minnie aged 36 and 4 of their children, Leslie 14, Maggie 7, Reggie 5 and Bertrum 4, were all living at 4 Cribbs Row in Neath.
The 1911 census of 26 Kempthorn Street, Neath shows Henry Collins aged 48 a worker in the brick works, his wife Minnie aged 47 and 5 children – it shows they had 8 children but 3 had died by this time. Leslie was 24 a labourer in a laundry, Maggie was 17 a stocking maker, Reggie was 15 a Iron Foundry worker, Bertrum was 14 a fish dealer and Minnie was just 6. They also had a lodger – one Thomas Gregory.
Of the 3 children who had died, then Benjamin appears to have been one of them but I don’t know anything about the other two.
On 26th September 1915 Margaret Ann Collins married Arthur Rue in the parish church of Neath. She was 22 and he was a 25 year old Miner. They were both resident at 66 Windsor Road, Neath. The witnesses were H C Collins (likely her father) and Walter Rue (his brother).
This marriage produced 6 children from 1916 until 1925, although 3 died as very young babies – these were Thomas Leslie in 1916, Margaret Eileen in 1917 and Minnie in 1922.
The three children who survived were Arthur Henry born 8th November 1918, Marjorie (Peggy) born 1920 and Terrance born 9th August 1925.
In 1933, it appears that Margarets husband, Arthur had responsibility for the arrangements for the burial of her brother, Reginald Collins. He has been buried in Neath cemetery, the thrid interment in grave 222 plot B, the previous “occupants” being the young babies lost to Arthur and Margaret, Thomas in 1916, and Margaret in 1918.
Maggie died on 19th January 1967 in Neath.