Born late into the Collins' family, Jeremiah's siblings were already grown when he was a child. In fact, his brother Joshua was already married and had a son close to Jeremiah's age. As a result, Jeremiah was raised with his nephew Barnabas. The two youngsters became best of friends which lasted well into adulthood. Quite young, Jeremiah became smitten with and married a woman named Laura Stockbridge. The marriage ended tragically when Laura died in a fire.
In 1795, Jeremiah was thrilled when Barnabas returned from Martinique with news that he was engaged to Josette duPres. He waited excitedly to meet the young lady who had won his nephew's heart. Jeremiah was less excited to to find out that Millicent Collins was coming to visit, for Joshua had planned for Jeremiah to marry her. Possibly his experience with Laura had soured him on the idea of nuptial bliss.
Though he liked Jeremiah when she arrived at Collinwood, he was at a loss to explain his irresistible attraction to her later. Little did he know he was under the influence of a love spell. Trying to remove himself from temptation, Jeremiah planned to leave Collinsport until after the wedding. But the disappearance of his brother Joshua left him as head of the family. Unable to neglect his duty, he stayed at Collinwood, and that was to be his downfall. His attraction to Josette was too strong to be denied for long, and soon he and Josette ran off together. They were married the same night. Full of guilt when Barnabas caught up to them, Jeremiah was forced to accept his nephew's challenge to a duel. Not even sure why it was all happening, Jeremiah was mortally wounded by Barnabas, and died a few days later.
But he was not yet allowed to rest in peace. Angelique, the same witch responsible for the love spell, summoned his ghost to torment Barnabas and Josette. As a spirit, however, Jeremiah found he was stronger than Angelique's magic. Breaking free of her control, he turned on the witch, burying her in his own grave. He even tries to disrupt Angelique's wedding to Barnabas. Apparently, though, he felt he got his revenge, for he soon disappeared, never to be seen again.
Jeremiah may have been finished, but history was not yet finished with him. Somehow, possibly Joshua's creative history writing, Jeremiah's role was greatly distorted. Perhaps someone got him confused with Joshua, for it was passed on that it was Jeremiah who built Collinwood and died in 1830, though it was his brother who fits that description. Other things attributed to him are impossible to explain, such as that he buried Josette, when he was dead several weeks before she was. But whatever the reason, the history of Jeremiah Collins became hopelessly muddled through the centuries.
