John Collins (died April 15, 1795) was a merchant when he arrived in the Quebec (formerly the French Colony of

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spai ...

) in 1759. He was appointed as Deputy Surveyor to the Office of Surveyor General of lands by Major Samuel Holland. The Office was created to meet the need for more accurate and detailed geographical information about the territory ceded to Great Britain in 1763. He was responsible for surveying the international border along the 45th parallel between Quebec and New York. As time passed and colonial finances ran short, the Office of the Surveyor General began paying its certified surveyors with land grants. After completing surveys in large unsettled areas, Collins often petitioned for land, acquiring several parcels in Ontario and Quebec. Collins died on April 15, 1795. Rue Collins in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

is named after him.

References

Year of birth missing 1795 deaths British merchants Canadian merchants Canadian surveyors {{Canada-business-bio-stub