Jeremiah Collins (1991)

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Jeremiah Collins (1759-1790) was a brother of Barnabas Collins and the husband of Josette du Prés.

[edit] Biography

Jeremiah Collins was the second oldest of Joshua Collins' children and the betrothed fiance to Millicent Collins. Joshua had planned a double wedding for Jeremiah and Millicent and his oldest son Barnabas and Josette du Prés. Jeremiah lived with the family at the Collins Manor House and waited in dread for Millicent's arrival in 1790. Jeremiah had not seen Millicent in years and feared that she would arrive just as ugly as he remembered her at the age of twelve (7).

On the night his brother's fiance arrived, Jeremiah fell victim to witchcraft from Josette's maid, Angelique. As he slept that night, Jeremiah dreamed of being lovers with Josette. He was unable to stop thinking of the dream the following day, and tried to isolate himself from the family. Josette found Jeremiah at the stables and admitted that she had dreamed of him the night before, as well. The power of the magic controlling them proved too much and the two kissed passionately. That night, Josette came to Jeremiah's room, and the two found themselves again unable to resist the attraction between them. In a storm during the late night, the two lovers ran from the Manor House together to be married in secret (8).

Barnabas soon located the newlyweds and Jeremiah challenged him to a duel. The two brothers faced one another with pistols, and Jeremiah was killed. No one knew that Angelique had actually arranged for Barnabas' unloaded pistol to fire a bullet, making her responsible for Jeremiah's death (8).

Jeremiah was buried sometime later, but only temporarily. Angelique raised him as a zombie and attempted to have Jeremiah's corpse throw Josette from Widows' Hill. Barnabas and a rescue party reached the two in time, and Barnabas pleaded with the remaining humanity in his brother. Jeremiah fought the witch's commands and admitted that Angelique was evil before jumping off of Widows' Hill himself (9).

[edit] Notes

• Jeremiah was, according to the Collins Family History, Josette's husband (4), although no mention is made in the book of Angelique's role in the couple's marriage (10).

• Like many Collins family members, Jeremiah had a portrait painted of himself. The portrait hung in Jeremiah's room in 1790 (8), and was not shown in the twentieth century portion of the series.