“The Massachusetts colonial records repeatedly mention the ‘Irish,’ not the Scotch-Irish. Cotton Mather in a sermon in 1700 says: ‘At length it was proposed that a colony of Irish be sent over to check the growth of this countrey.’ No prefix there * * * “Cullen describes the arrival at Boston in 1717 of Captain Robert Temple ‘with a number of Irish Protestants.’ Captain Temple was, in 1740, elected to the Charitable Irish Society. In another place Cullen alludes to ‘the Irish spinners and weavers who landed in Boston in the early part of the eighteenth century.’” One of the early citizens of Boston was William Hibbens, of Ireland, who came here in 1634. Like his countryman, John Cogan, he became prominent and wealthy. He was referred to in the colonial records as a gentleman. He served for a long time on the board of selectmen; as magistrate, agent of the colony in England, treasurer of the town stock; deputy to the General Court; highway surveyor; member of the commission to fortify Castle Island, and in other offices also labored for the interests of his townsmen. Hibbens wedded Mrs. Ann Moore, a widow, and sister of Governor Bellingham. He died in 1654. Mrs. Hibbens was hung for alleged witchcraft two years later. She left her property to her two sons, John and Joseph Moore, of Ballyhorick, County Cork, Ire. John Casey of Muddy River, as the now aristocratic town of Brookline was called in early days, was a participant in that conflict with the Indians known as King Philip’s War, fought in 1675–6. He took part in the attack on the Red Men’s fort in the Great Swamp in Rhode Island and was wounded in the engagement. [Illustration: BRIG.-GEN. JOHN R. McGINNESS, U.S.A. (Retired.). Norfolk. Va. ] The name Collins is found frequently in the early records. Edward Collins was a resident of Cambridge as early as 1646. He was a merchant. Christopher Collins, a shoemaker, lived in Dedham as early as 1645. William Collins was in Boston as early as 1646. He was the New England agent of Mathew Craddock of London, a merchant. John Collins became a “freeman” in 1646. Timothy Collins, a servant, was brought to Boston in 1764 on a schooner which came from Halifax and Cork. Four years later came a lad set down in the records as William Collen, brought here on a sloop from Windsor. Ann Collins, a servant, arrived here from Ireland in 1767. Captain Palfrey Collins came into port in 1768. Clement Collins was one of a number of citizens who lodged their arms with the selectmen in 1774. He gave up a gun and a blunderbuss. Joseph Collins, on January 1, 1775, was nominated a watchman. In the company of which Captain Allen was commander in 1698 was Mathew Collins. In a public school kept here by Samuel Holyoke, Daniel Collins was a pupil in 1753. Thomas Collins, a farmer, came here in 1765 on a sloop from Fort Cumberland. John Collins was a constable in 1657. Henry Collins was made a freeman in 1636–7 and Edward Collins in 1640.