What relation is Mr. Collins to the Bennet family?

Mr. Collins is the Bennet family's distant cousin in Pride and Prejudice. He is Mr. Bennet's cousin and, because Longbourn is entailed through the male line, the presumptive heir to the Bennet estate.

Collins visits Longbourn soon after his father's death, claiming that he wants to repair the disagreement between their fathers. His real social purpose is also clear: encouraged by his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, he hopes to marry one of the Bennet daughters. He first considers Jane, then redirects his attention to Elizabeth when Mrs. Bennet says Jane may soon be engaged.

The family relationship matters because the entail threatens the Bennet daughters' future security. Since Mr. Bennet has no son, the estate is expected to pass to Collins after his death. Elizabeth refuses Collins's proposal, but her friend Charlotte Lucas accepts him for financial security. Collins is therefore both a comic marriage suitor and a reminder of the legal disadvantages facing women in the period.