From: Peter Collas <pcollas@ozemail.com.au>
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 02:41:17 +1000
Subject: Tostevin Geneology

Hi Robert,
I particularly enjoy your Web Site, and am amazed at the amount of
research and effort you have put in!  I am writing to you because of your
mention of the name Collas in your links.
  The Collas family held a Baronny in San Malo which was an Irish Trading
centre on the north coast of Brittany just south of the Channel Islands. 
Our family documents date from the 13th century.
  My family lived there we believe for over 300 years until we got
involved in the battle of St Aubin d'Cormier in 1488, where the Bretons
were defeated by the French.  My ancestor Gratien Collas moved to Jersey,
and many of the other Collas members moved to Guernsey, or further west
into Brittany.  The Baronny passed to Louise Collas who was married (we
think forcibly) to Count Hesart in 1509, and the lands were handed over
to the Hesart estate.
  Many of my family members of this time used the mother's maiden name as
a name for a child; often the oldest childs second name, or the second
child's first name.  I therefore wondered whether there may be a link
between the Collas and Tostevin families.
  I believe the rationale of Collas coming from an abbreviation of
Nicholas was written in 1856, by our cousin Francios when he contributed
the family entry for the Jersey Armorial, and I have seen it mentioned in
many documents since.  Linguistically however, our family historically
spoke Gallo-Breton, Jersaise and French, meaning that the name Nicholas
would have been pronounced to sound like 'Nicolar', making it unlikely to
lead to an abbreviation or spelling of Collas.
 There is much more information on the Collas family, but none I could
find that relates directly to the Tostevin clan.
Good Luck with your site.
regards,
Peter Collas
Melbourne, Australia