Some Noted English and American Colliers
Arthur Collier (1680-1732)
English Philosopher
Barron Gift Collier (1873 – 1939)
Advertising and real estate magnate, for whom Florida’s Collier County is named.
“…The land salesmen in Florida’s early days must have loved Barron Gift Collier. With a dream of creating a “Florida empire,” Collier began amassing South-west Florida swampland at a dizzying pace. Between 1921 and 1923, Collier acquired 1.3 million acres, making him the largest landowner in the state. …”
“…at the time he died at 65 in 1939 in New York, Collier had an impressive empire that included a chain of hotels, bus lines, several banks, newspapers, a telephone company and a steamship line.”
The Collier Brothers
Eccentrics of mid-20th Century New York City.
“…They lived in terror that they would be poor (after effect of the Great Depression), that people would steal their possessions, and they hoarded everything, including a car they kept in the basement. It was too big to get in, so they disassembled it, then reassembled it in the cellar. One brother booby-trapped the house with stacks of newspapers and trip wires. Eventually, one brother became ill and was an invalid who stayed on the second floor. The other brother walked everywhere, never took public transportation (wouldn’t spend the money), and was the sole caretaker for the “upstairs” brother. One day the mobile brother tripped a booby trap wire and was killed in the crush of newspapers. The other brother died of starvation and without access to outside help. “
From: Coming Home Journal (Internet)
“…A number of years ago a book was written about an incident in New York City involving two elderly men, the Collier brothers. Neither had married, and they had always lived on upper Park Avenue in the large home where they were born. One day neighbors realized they had not seen the old men for quite a long time. The called the police, who broke into the house and found the old men dead. The coroner determined they starved to death. Neither has been disabled. They simply sat in their home and starved. The police also found a fortune in cash and negotiable securities, all of it in plain sight. Those old men had starved with a fortune at their fingertips, simply because for some strange reason they refused to buy food. …”
Charlie and Harry Collier
English motorcycle racers, 1907 Isle of Man TT Races. “…The Matchlesses of the Collier brothers were superb. Charlie won the Race with less than 3 pints of fuel to spare, brother Harry setting the lap record of 23m.5 secs, 41.81 m.p.h.”
Miles and Sam Collier
Cadillac entry American Race Car Drivers, 1961 Le Mans Race. The Le Mans race still carried its “gentleman racer” image from its early days and Cunningham selected the Collier brothers, Miles and Sam, to drive the stock-bodied Cadillac coupe while Cunningham himself shared the Le Monstre with professional oval track driver Phil Walters.
The rules for the race in those days were so loose that the Collier brothers drove the entire race in business suits (complete with ties) to point up the “somber” mien of their racer.
Christopher and James Lincoln Collier
The American Revolution: 1763-1783 is one of their books for young people.
Clayton “Bud” Collyer
Actor and announcer. The voice of Superman on the radio and in early cartoons. Later the television host of the game shows “Beat the Clock” and “To Tell the Truth.”
Constance Collier (22nd Jan 1878 – 25th Apr 1955)
Born in Windsor Berks, England and died in New York, NY.
“Actress, playwright. British born, she was distinguished on the British and American stage. …Her best-known role and most available film is the classic all-star production Stage Door (RKO, 1937), where she portrayed (what else?) a drama coach….”
(Miss Collier’s real name was Laura Constance HARDIE.)
Elizabeth Collier (1747 – 5th Feb 1832)
Ancestor of Charles DARWIN. Married 6 MAR 1781 to Darwin, Erasmus, MD, FRS, Naturalist. Child 1: Frances Anne Violetta DARWIN.
Admiral Sir George Collier, British Navy
Revolutionary War Leader of operations against the Patriots in New England and Virginia.
Jeremy Collier (1650 – 1726)
English cleric, bishop of the “Nonjurors.” Best remembered as the author of several attacks on the immorality of the stage.
The Hon. John Collier ROI (1850-1934)
English painter. John Collier was born in London, the second son of Sir Robert Collier (Lord Monkswell), and because of this aristocratic background was able to meet many important painters and others. His artistic training was at the Slade under Poynter, then in Paris and Munich. He also benefited from knowing Millais and Alma Tadema. Collier became a popular portrait painter of the upper classes, and also painted dramatic scenes where the viewer had to guess what was going on. As well, he painted classical genre to a high standard. Collier’s first wife, Marian, was a daughter of Professor Huxley, and herself a painter. Unfortunately she died young.
John Collier (died in New Mexico about 1968)
“..[E]xecutive secretary of the American Indian Defense Association and later .. Commissioner of Indian Affairs during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration…”
John Payne Collier (1789-1883)
“..English Shakespearean scholar and critic, whose great contributions to Scholarship were marred by forgeries…” ( Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1971 edition, vol. 6, page 57.)
William Collier (about 1585 – before Jul 5, 1671)
One of the Adventurers (investors) in the Plymouth Colony, and the first Collier known to have come to New England (in Duxbury, 1633). He was one of the richest men in Plymouth Colony, and performed many important civic duties. A well known figure in Plymouth Colony history. His 4 surviving daughters married Love Brewster, Job Cole, Constant Southworth, and Governor Thomas Prence..
William Collier (1866 – 1944)
Turn-of-the-century American actor (Up the River, She’s My Weakness, etc.) William Collier had a long career in vaudeville and theatre as a light comedian before he went to Hollywood as a character actor; his son became the movie star, Buster Collier. Along with Gerald DuMaurier, John Drew and William Gillette, Collier pioneered an understated, naturalistic manner of acting, one that would influence Noel Coward and his generation of players in England and the USA.
John Collier (1901-1980)
London born poet and novelist, who settled in the United States in 1942, and died in Pacific Palisades, CA in 1980. His first work was His Monkey Wife, or Married to a Chimp (1930), and other novels were Epistle to a Friend (1931) and Full Circle (1933).
Peter F. Collier (1846-1909)
Founder of Collier’s Magazine (1888, originally called Once a Week, published until 1956) and the Collier book publishing business. Born in Myshall, County Carlow, Ireland, he came to America in 1866, with his parents. In addition to an early subscription book business, and the magazine, Mr. Collier published “The Five Foot Shelf of Books” – The Harvard Classics.
Robert J. Collier (1876-1918)
Only son of Peter F. Collier. After 1909, Mr. Collier operated the Collier publishing business until his own early death. Subsequently, the business was acquired by Crowell Publishing Company, and, many years later, by the Macmillan Company. Robert Collier was also an early aviation enthusiast, and the Collier Trophy is awarded annually for the outstanding contribution to aviation. Glenn Curtis was the first recipient, for the developement of the seaplane.
William Miller Collier (1867-1956)
Born in Lodi, New York, in the Finger Lakes area, Mr. Collier was educated at Hamilton College and Columbia Law School. His major scholarly work, Collier on Bankruptcy (1898, often revised), is still one of the main references in its field. Mr. Collier at various times was minister to Spain, president of George Wa shington university, and ambassador to Chile. He also was the author of books on Collier genealogy. (See my notes: Published Collier Genealogies, Jan 29, 2000)
John Collier (1933-1945)
Commissioner of Indian Affairs under FDR. John Collier was born in Atlanta, GA, May 4, 1884 and was educated at Columbia University and the College de France. After his government service, he was a professor of sociology at CCNY from 1947 – 1954, and authored books on American Indian subjects. He died in Taos, NM, on May 8, 1968.
Thomas Collier (c.1615-c.1691)
An English General Baptist teacher. Produced many booklets and made many comments on christian subjects. Wikipedia entry.