Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

City, where he entered the employ of
E. P. Bellows & Company. He started in
the office and worked his way upward
until he was placed in charge of the sales
floor of their retail department, and still
later was on the road. They were dealers
in agricultural supplies, and Mr.
Morse traveled over a radius of one hun-
dred miles from New York City.
In 1900 he resigned this position and
came to New Canaan, Connecticut, where
he took charge of the Birdsall House for
about eight years. In 1908 he engaged
in the real estate business on his own ac-
count, renting the hotel for several years,
after which time he converted it into an
apartment house. His business is a gen-
eral one of real estate and insurance.
In politics, Mr. Morse is a Republican,
and he has served as a member of the
Board of Relief. He was elected justice
of the peace, but did not qualify for this
office. In 191 7 he was the representative
of his town in the State Legislature, and
served on the State Library Committee.
The following year Mr. Morse was elected
selectman and served for one year, continuing
throughout this time to serve on
the Board of Relief. Fraternally he is
a member of Harmony Lodge, Free and
Accepted Masons.
Mr. Morse married Anna Stevens,
daughter of Franklin Stevens.
COLLINS, Andrew J.,
Theatre Proprietor, Man of Affairs.
The business men of South Norwalk,
Connecticut, are as a rule rarely found
lacking in enterprise, but it is safe to say
that never have they possessed a repre-
sentative more signally endowed with
that quality than the citizen whose name
stands at the head of this article. The
A. J. Collins Company, of which Mr. Col-
lins was the founder, strikingly testifies
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
311
to the truth of this statement, and as a
member of the Chis O. Brown Amusement
Company, which operates the Palace
Theatre in South Norwalk, of which Mr.
Collins is general manager, he further
proves his right to the place we have as-
signed him.
The O'Collins, or Collins, family traces
its descent from King Milesius through
the line of his son Heber. The name in
Irish signifies a whelp, or a young fear-
less warrior, the Gaelic form being
O'Cuileann, from the word cuileann. The
escutcheon of the family is as follows
Arms—Azure on a chevron argent between three
bezants, as many birds sable on a chief or, a grif-
fin passant per pale gules and sable.
Crest—A griffin passant gules.
Another Crest—On a chapeau gules turned up
ermine a griffin passant per sable and gules.
The ancient arms of this family were
as follows:
Arms—Two swords in saltire, the blades stream-
ing with blood.
The family of O'Collins were lords of
Eighter Conghalach, or Lower Connello,
in County Limerick. They were also
chiefs of a portion of Eoghanacht Ara,
now a barony in the same county, as we
are informed by O'Heerin :
"O'Collins, a distinguished chief,
Rules over the Eoghanacht of Aradh."
In 1228 the "war-loving O'Collinses"
were deprived of their possessions by
Maurice Fitzgerald, second "Lord of Offaly,"
and removed to Carbery, in County
Cork, where they obtained lands from
their kinsman Catheal, son of Crom
O'Donovan, a powerful prince in that
country. From one of the settlers in Car-
bery was descended John Collins, the
author of several works, both historical
and poetical. He was pronounced to be
"the last of the bards, genealogists and
historiographers of Munster." He died
: