Barnabas Collins

Barnabas Collins, as portrayed by Jonathan Frid

Barnabas Collins is a 175-year-old vampire from the town of Collinsport, Maine. Having bridged the centuries, he has been both an adversary and an ally to his extended family members over the course of several generations.

18th Century

Barnabas Collins was born the son of Joshua and Naomi Collins in 1760 (1012). As a young man, he became active in the family business traveling to China and the Caribbean. He developed close ties with his uncle, Jeremiah Collins (some sources indicate that Jeremiah and Barnabas were brothers due to the closeness of their ages, but this has since been proven erroneous). Other members of Barnabas’ immediate family included his aunt, Abigail, his beloved sister, Sarah, and his cousins, Millicent and Daniel Collins. As a child, Barnabas had developed a crush on his uncle's first wife, Laura Stockbridge Collins (760), who died suddenly in 1785 (741) (not knowing at the time that she was a Phoenix).

Josette

In the early 1790s, Barnabas traveled to the island of Martinique where he met Josette DuPres. The two instantly fell in love. During their courtship however, Barnabas had a one night stand with Josette’s maidservant, Angelique Bouchard because he was not certain that Josette felt the same way as he (368/369). Angelique fell obsessively in love with Barnabas, but Barnabas spurned her affection – an act that would have disastrous consequences in Barnabas' future (368/369). Barnabas asked Josette to marry him and the two arranged for the wedding to take place at the family estate known as Collinwood (Note: In the future, this version of Collinwood will come to be known as the Old House). Barnabas returned to Collinsport to inform his family while Josette returned to her home in France to collect her belongings and family.

The Witch

In the winter of 1795, Barnabas met Victoria Winters, who travelled back in time via a séance and traded places with Phyllis Wick, a young lady about to arrive at Collinwood to be the governess of Barnabas’ sister, Sarah. The fantastic time-space transposition occured at the moment of an unfortunate carriage crash transporting Miss Wick to Collinwood. Wick was simultaneously sent to 1967 Collinwood, where time literally stopped during the séance. What Barnabas or any of the Collins family didn't realize is that Victoria was from the year 1967 (366). Although some members of the Collins family would later suspect Victoria of being a witch, Barnabas was one of several Collins family members who actually liked this confused and mysterious girl and her fantastic claims of being from the future. Unable to make logical sense of the present circumstances, Victoria was nevertheless installed as Sarah's governess by the family patriarch, Joshua Collins.

Within a few days time, Josette and her family, the Countess Natalie DuPres and her brother Andre DuPres arrived at Collinwood. First, Josette's aunt, Countess Natalie DuPres arrived with her servant, Angelique. The Countess was quite unaware of the woman's indiscretions with her Barnabas (368/369). Angelique pleaded with Barnabas to abandon Josette and marry her instead, but Barnabas was adamant and completely dismissed Angelique (368/369). One of the Countess' favorite pastimes was reading the tarot and she saw that her niece was safe, as long as she was at sea, but the cards showed that once she was on land, a "wicked woman" would prove to be her enemy. Many people thought this was a reference to Victoria Winters, when it was, in fact, a reference to Angelique. Josette arrived safely soon after.

What Barnabas didn’t know at this time, was that his jilted lover was actually a powerful witch. Enraged by his behavior, Angelique used her magic to choke Barnabas Collins, forcing him to fall gravely ill (370-371). When this failed to force Barnabas to abandon Josette, Angelique used her power to make Josette fall in love with Jeremiah Collins (374). She used the same magic on Jeremiah and before long, Josette abandoned Barnabas to marry his uncle instead (382). Barnabas was furious and challenged Jeremiah to a duel. Angelique secretly supplied Barnabas with a good luck charm that protected him, and Barnabas dealt Jeremiah a fatal wound (383-384, 391).

After the death of Jeremiah, Sarah fell mysteriously ill. Angelique claimed to know a "herbal" remedy for her illness and used this to coerce Barnabas into marrying her (397). Joshua disowned Barnabas over this, but his mother, Naomi, knowing nothing of the nature of Barnabas' marriage and wanted nothing more than for Barnabas to be happy, gave him the Old House as a wedding gift (395), much to Joshua's consternation. On their wedding night, Barnabas learned of Angelique’s true nature. He discovered that she was the secret cause of so much misery at Collinwood. Barnabas tried to kill Angelique, but she miraculously survived the gunshot wound (401-402).

The Curse

Fearing for Josette's safety, Barnabas met with her and pleaded with her to leave Collinsport. He gave her a handcrafted music box and told her that he would meet her in Boston in a few days (404-405). Angelique learned of this and tried to prevent Barnabas from returning to his lover. Barnabas shot Angelique in the chest, apparently killing her. With her final breaths, Angelique placed a curse upon Barnabas. A large bat flew into the parlor of Collinwood and bit him upon the throat (405). Within days, Barnabas Collins died and rose from the grave as a vampire (409). Joshua Collins decided to keep his son's death a secret, so he buried him in the secret room of the family mausoleum, fabricating the story that Barnabas had gone to England (which later proved very useful to Barnabas). To the few who knew that Barnabas was really dead (like Josette), he concocted the story that Barnabas had contracted the Plague and he did not want his death known. Angelique (who had survived the gunshot), tried to prevent his rising as a vampire by driving a wooden stake through his heart. She was too late, and he strangled her.

One of the first to discover Barnabas' secret was his little sister, Sarah. One evening, Sarah fled into the cold, evening rain after she saw her "dead" brother attack a local girl for her blood. The following day, she developed severe pneumonia and died soon after (415). The death of Sarah Collins tormented Barnabas gravely, but little did he know that an even more traumatic event loomed on the horizon.

Barnabas tried to hide the knowledge of his resurrection from his love, Josette, out of fear of the vampiric lust for blood overtaking him, but he eventually succumbed to his inhuman nature and bit Josette, drinking some of her blood (420). Josette became her vampire lover's thrall, and agreed to share his undead state. But before the lovers could be reunited, Angelique caused Josette to have a horrifying vision of herself as a blood-sucking ghoul. Josette could not live under the shadow of such terror, and so threw herself from the top of Widow's Hill onto the rocks below (425). This single act represented the greatest tragedy in Barnabas Collins' life. Barnabas even went so far as to call her spirit back from the grave, but the shade of Josette told him she did not want to be with him, showing him her hideously disfigured face (resulting from her fatal fall) to convince him to let her go back to the grave (430).

After Josette

By 1796, Barnabas had continued to plague the town of Collinsport, feeding indiscriminately off various women. Several people, including his own mother and father, learned about Barnabas’ resurrection and his true nature. He made enemies as well, including the opportunistic Nathan Forbes, and the puritanical Reverend Trask.

Reverend Trask, convinced that Victoria Winters was the witch who had been plaguing Collinsport for the past winter, was determined to see her hang at the gallows. Barnabas, aware of Angelique’s true powers, knew that Vicki was innocent. He abducted Reverend Trask and forced him to write a letter proclaiming Victoria’s innocence, before sealing him up inside a wall in the cellar of the Old House (442). This event would have dire ramifications for Barnabas in both the 19th and 20th centuries.

Joshua Collins was horrified to see what had become of his son. However, he did not have the strength to end Barnabas’ life – even when Barnabas begged him to do so. At Barnabas' request, Joshua kept him secured in the tower room at the newly constructed Collinwood. However, his cousin Millicent Collins and mother Naomi both discovered Barnabas’ great secret – a discovery that would lead to the insanity of the former and the suicide of the latter (457, 459). Joshua even went to the extraordinary lengths to study all he could about vampires, and with Countess DuPres, held a ceremony to summon assistance from the supernatural world. Bathia Mapes, a white witch, showed up at Collinwood (449) and attempted to cure Barnabas, but the sudden appearance of Naomi Collins caused her to lose concentration and she was consumed by supernatural flames (451).

Once again, Barnabas pleaded with Joshua to end his life. Instead of killing him, Joshua had the loyal servant, Ben Stokes seal Barnabas within his coffin inside a secret antechamber in the Collins family mausoleum at Eagle Hill Cemetery. Joshua, Ben and Barnabas were the only ones still alive who were even aware of the existence of this hidden room, created to hide the family fortune during the Revolutionary War. He put a cross on the inside lid and secured the coffin with thick chains so that Barnabas would remain trapped for all time (460). Later, Barnabas would travel back to 1796 and have a chance to redo the events which followed his mother's death. This time Nathan Forbes brought Countess DuPres to the mausoleum to kill Barnabas, but he was stopped by Stokes, who killed both Forbes and the Countess, leaving himself and Joshua Collins still the only remaining people who knew the Collins Family secret. Ben later recorded this information in a diary he took to his grave (literally) and Joshua passed the secret on to Daniel Collins, who then passed it to Edith Collins. The family secret went no further, as a time-travelling Barnabas arrived as Edith was dying and was the only one who heard her say it; unsurprisingly, he kept quiet.

19th Century

Barnabas Collins spent the 19th century chained in his coffin. Only later when Barnabas traveled back to the past from 1969-1970 did he exist outside of his coffin in that century.

1840-1841

Following a disturbance in 1970 which led to the Destruction of Collinwood and the deaths of several family members, Julia Hoffman traveled back to 1840 via the Stairway into Time created by Quentin Collins I. When she arrived there, she released Barnabas from his coffin. Having never made it to 1967 where he met Julia, he did not recognize her and picked up where he left off when he was chained in the coffin in 1795. Shortly after this, the Barnabas who existed in 1970 finally succeeded in possessing his 1840 body by use of the I Ching.

In 1840 Barnabas encountered the warlock Judah Zachary (working through Gerard Stiles' body) who was the so called 'son of Satan', and the one who originally bestowed powers on Angelique in 1692. After having her powers revoked by Judah, Angelique made an alliance with Barnabas and together they eventually defeated him, and in doing so averted the disaster in 1970. At this time Barnabas realized that he truly loved Angelique and he professed this to her, but she died from a gunshot wound inflicted by Lamar Trask without hearing his eleventh hour declaration.

1897

In 1969, Barnabas entered an I Ching trance in an attempt to contact the ghost of Quentin Collins, who had been terrorizing the family and had forced them to leave Collinwood. In doing so, Barnabas found himself chained in his coffin in 1897 (700, 701). Due to Barnabas' presence in 1897, Count Andreas Petofi arrived in Collinsport and eventually had a portrait painted of Quentin which made Quentin immortal. Thus, Quentin's ghost was not able to exist in the future, since he had never died in the first place. Quentin and Barnabas struck up a great friendship which would last at least until 1970.

While in 1897, Barnabas encountered Lady Kitty Hampshire, née Soames, who was the reincarnation of Josette (844). Kitty was engaged to Edward Collins, but broke off the engagement to marry Barnabas for reasons she did not completely understand. One night, at the Old House, Kitty found herself putting on Josette's wedding dress and disappeared into Josette's portrait, reemerging in 1795. Barnabas was able to follow her, and here he became the pawn of the Leviathans (886).

20th Century

Resurrection

The portrait of Barnabas which hung in the Collinwood foyer.

In 1967, a man named Willie Loomis broke into the Collins mausoleum in search of the fabled Collins family jewels. He discovered the secret antechamber in the rear of the Collins Family mausoleum and released the chains binding Barnabas to his coffin. Barnabas rose from his coffin and attacked Willie, turning him into his personal slave (210).

Barnabas donned modern clothing and introduced himself to the current family living at Collinwood. He claimed to be a descendant of the original Barnabas Collins who, said the family history, moved to England to sire a European branch of the family in the late 1700s. Although everyone at Collinwood were astonished by the similarities between he and the likeness of his ancestor, no one felt that Barnabas was anything other than what he claimed to be – a distant cousin come to visit his relatives after his own branch of the family died out (211-212). This was in fact the truth (Daniel Collins was Barnabas' cousin, not a sibling); his direct line really had died out - he simply neglected to say just when it had happened.

With the permission of the head of Collinwood, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Barnabas moved into the Old House. He revealed that Willie Loomis was now working for him as his personal handyman and assigned him the gargantuan task of returning the Old House to its former glory (220-221)

A new Josette

Maggie Evans was a waitress who lived in a seaside cottage Collinsport Inn with her widowed father Sam Evans, an artist. Her mother had passed away when Maggie was a little girl. Maggie's father was a constant source of worry to her, as he had a drinking problem and had never gotten over his feud with the Collins family.

Her life changed forever when she was bitten by Barnabas (227), who saw her as the image of his long lost Josette (221). As a result of her loss of blood, Collinsport physician, Dr. Woodard requested a blood transfusion to save her life (231). Later she was kidnapped by Barnabas, who tried (unsuccessfully) to brainwash her into believing herself to be Josette. After attempting (and failing) to destroy Barnabas, Maggie was locked in a secret room, where she discovered a little girl playing with a ball and singing "London Bridge". She learned this was the ghost of Sarah Collins, Barnabas' beloved sister, and they became friends; Sarah later helped Maggie to escape (235-260).

After her escape, Dr. Woodard sent her to Windcliff Sanitarium, because she had lost her memory (261). There she was put into the care of Dr. Julia Hoffman. Doctors Woodard and Hoffman, together with Sam Evans and Joe Haskell, agreed to inform everyone in Collinsport that Maggie was dead, so that her mysterious captor would not seek her again (262).

Barnabas' prized possessions

There are several items of note that have always been very important to Barnabas Collins. Some of his prized possessions that he has owned or coveted over the years include:

• A silver handled Wolf's-head cane
• Black onyx, signet ring
• Portrait of Josette
• Josette's music box
• Portrait of Barnabas
• Portrait of Barnabas II

Barnabas's Known Victims

Note: Characters in bold represent victims who were killed prior to Barnabas becoming a vampire. Those in italics were bitten but not killed.

• Willie Loomis
• Maggie Evans
• Jason McGuire (275) (Strangled, not bitten)
• Dave Woodard (341) (poisoned, not bitten)
• Carolyn Stoddard
• Jeremiah Collins (390/391)
• Angelique Bouchard Collins (405)
• Ruby Tate (414)
• Suki Forbes (423)
• Josette Collins
• Abigail Collins (432) (died of fright, not bitten)
• Maude Browning (440)
• Reverend Trask (442) (immured, not bitten)
• Millicent Collins (457)
• Nathan Forbes (460)
• Victoria Winters
• Tom Jennings (571) & (631) (staked the first time, exposed to sunlight the second time, not bitten by Barnabas)
• Crystal Cabot (664)
• Sandor (701)
• Sophie Baker (704)
• Charity Trask (727)
• Dirk Wilkins (760)
• Beth Chavez
• Carl Collins (780) (strangled, not bitten)
• Istvan
• Countess Natalie DuPres (886)
• Audrey (915)
• Nelle Gunston (951)
• Megan Todd (954)
• Sky Rumson (980)
• Roxanne Drew
• William Loomis (1011)
• Carolyn Loomis
• Buffie Harrington (1021)
• Cyrus Longworth/John Yaeger (1035)
• Sheriff (1070)
• Lamar Trask (1198)

Personality

Barnabas proved himself to be a man of contradictions many times. Although capable of great kindness and foresight, he could also be vindictive and sufficiently passionate to commit severe blunders for purely emotional reasons, as well as to conceal his true identity and nature.

His most complex emotional relationships were with Julia Hoffman and Angelique Collins. With both he was at various times a bitter enemy and a devoted friend. The former proved over time to be his greatest single ally. Yet although he was willing to go to extraordinary lengths on Julia's behalf, and clearly viewed her as his dearest friend (the order to kill her broke the hold the Leviathans had over his mind, for example), he never seemed to reciprocate her romantic feelings for him, although he did confess to Willie Loomis that he cared for Julia more than he appeared to (570) and threatened to destroy Angelique if she ever harmed Julia again. He inexplicably professed to love Angelique as she lay dying after she lifted the curse from him and gave herself up to save Quentin Collins, even though she had been both directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of most of his immediate family in 1795 (as well as himself).

However, in a TV Guide article written after the end of the series, head writer Sam Hall discussed the outline the show's finale would have taken had the cancellation notice not come through sooner than expected. The outlined plans involved Barnabas finally declaring his love to Julia and marrying her in Singapore, far away from Collinsport and the threat of the resurrected Angelique. In the 2003 audio play Return to Collinwood, this scenario was made "official", with Barnabas and Julia reported to be in the Far East on a spiritual retreat and unable (or perhaps unwilling) to return to Collinwood for the reunion that formed the core of the play.

Notes

• For reasons that were never adequately explained, Barnabas Collins has no recollection of meeting Victoria Winters in 1795 when he encounters her again in 1967 (211). This can be attributed to time travel paradox. Since Vicki's jaunt into the past takes place after her initial meeting with Barnabas, the timeline does not sufficiently correct itself to account for Barnabas' memories in 1967 (211,365-366). The same explanation accounts for changes made when Barnabas traveled back to 1796 (661)-(667) where he and Vicky were both aware of their future lives and what to expect in the near future.
• After returning from Parallel Time in 1970, for some reason Barnabas did not attack anyone for their blood until traveling back to 1840. This was a period of several months.
• In Parallel Time, there evidently was no affair with an obsessed Angelique as Barnabas and Josette married, siring a very hot-headed son named Bramwell Collins. However, in that timeline Barnabas lost most of his money and died relatively young.
• Another paradox of time that was never explained occurred when Barnabas and Julia returned from 1840. If the vampire curse had been lifted from Barnabas in 1840, rendering him human again, why did he not crumble to dust upon his return to 1971? He would have been well over two hundred years old! And if he had been mortal since 1840, why did the Collins family even recognize him as their "British cousin" since, logically, he would not have been in his coffin for Willie Loomis to have released in 1967? Was Barnabas, in fact, a vampire again and it was simply never addressed?

Source Material

The original inspiration for Barnabas was based on Bram Stoker's Dracula.