William Collier

He came to New England in 1633 on the ship "Mary and Jane". He lived in Duxbury. The signature of William Collier appears in the Composition with the Plymouth Colony on 15/25 November 1626. (See Arber 1897, p.321). Apparently this one of the only 42 people in England with some stake in Plymouth Plantation at the time. He served as Assistant Governor of the Plymouth Colony. He was reported to be the "Richest Man in the Colony". He was an advocate of Religious Toleration. From Leon Clark Hills, "Cape Cod Series, Vol. II, History and Genealogy of the Mayflower Planters and first Comers to Ye Olde Colonie." Hills Pub. Co., Washington D.C., 1941: He was a Merchant Adventurer & Brewer of London, and very active in support of the New England Settlers. In fact, he was one of those to subscribe for special aid to the Plymouth colonists on Nov 15, 1626. He finally decided, like so many other merchants, to remove himself and family to America. It is not surprising to find him, his four daughters and apprentices (not servants), among whom were the brothers John, Job, and Daniel Cole, disembarking from the good ship "Mary and James," together with 190 other passengers when it arrived at Plymouth in 1633. His wife probably had died, leaving him with the children. He was an able man and soon took a high position in the Colony, especially in the matter of final settlement of acounts with the London Adventurers. He was a commissioner at the first meeting of the United Colonies in 1643, and served as Governor's Assistant from 1634 to 1665, a period of 31 years. The Court ordered a special aide for him in 1659, on account of "age and much business." Great reference on William Collier: http://www.caskey-family.com/genealogy/WilliamCollier.htm --------------------------------------------- Early Years: The only known source for the year of his birth is testimony he gave on 16 Apr 1688 in Plymouth court where it was recorded "Mr. William Collier aged 85 or thereabouts testifieth..." [Kinsbury, 1925, http://www.caskey-family.com/genealogy/WilliamCollier.htm]. This places his birthdate at 1582 or 1582. There is a theory that his father was named Abraham Collier. As a young man, William Collier was apprenticed for eight years to William Russell, then sworn in the Grocer's Company of London on 16 Aug 1609. Two years later, he married Jane Clarke [Wakefield, TAG 49(4), Oct 1973; St. Olave Parish records]. Beginning 15 Aug 1612, John Arnold, dyer, and William Hurdman, powterer, where sureties for William Collyer. As an adult, William Collier was a grocer of Southwark in Surry [John G. Hunt, "Origin of Three Early Plymouth Famlies: Cole, Collier and Clarke", TAG 42(2) April, 1966]. He also owned a brew house in London. On 3 Mar 1627/8, he became a partner in Southwark with Mr. Monger, and was sworn a free brother of the Grocers' company on that date. [TAG 42:120-1]. He had many children, whose births were recorded in St. Olave and St. Mary Magdalen parishes, but many of those children died in 1625, the same year as the great plague. Of his many children, only Sarah, Rebecca, Mary, and Elizabeth survived. However, it also appears that a daughter or possibly step-daughter other than these also survived to marry William Walker and have a daughter Sara Walker who married Nathaniel Warren. He was Merchant Adventurer, one of a group of about 70 who raised stock to supply the colonists needs. These were voluntary contributors, whose primary goal was to "do good and plant religion" [Shurtleff, Nathaniel B., "Plymouth Colony Rates", NEHGR 4(3), July 1850], and to support a commerce between the colonies and England. He was on a list on 25 Nov 1626 of those who made an agreement with Plymouth Colony, indicating that he travelled there in that year, and apparently he bought land there during that trip. In Plymouth Colony: In 1633, William with most of his family moved to and settled permanently in Plymouth Colony, traveling over on the Mary and Jane, where he immediately took on a position of prominence. He quickly took the oath of fidelity and was made a freeman in January 1633/4. At that same time, he was assigned the highest rating, equal only to Edward Winslow, for public use of corn. [Anna . Kinsbury, "A Historial Sketch of William Collier], self-published 1925, sited by http://www.caskey-family.com/genealogy/WilliamCollier.htm]. He was repeatedly elected an Assistant from 1635 to 1665 (except in 1638, 1652, and 1653). He was on the Council of War, and served as a commissioner of the United Colonies in 1643. He settled on North Hill in the town of Duxbury. The boundaries of this land were established by order of 7 Jan 1638/9. In 1660, he was licensed to sell "strong water" beverages to his neighbors in Duxbury, a license only granted to those of the highest respectibility. He was clearly one of the wealthiest of the settlers there. In the tax records of March 1633, he was the first listed [Winsor, J., "History of Duxbury, Mass., with Genealogical Registers, Crosby & Nicbols, Boston, 1849]. On 6 Mar 1649/50, William Colliar transfered land in upland "Duxborrow" to "my kinsman William Clark" [PCR 12:182]. On 2 July 1667, the court granted him 30 or 40 acres of land to "Mr. William Collyare's grandchild, that grandchild who is now servicable unto him" [PCD 4:159]. On 2 Dec 166?, William Collier of Duxbury, gentleman, with the consent of Mrs. Jane Collier, sold all his house and land that he was living on in Duxbury to Benjamin Bartlett, who did not enter it into the record until after the deaths of both William and Jane Collier. [http://www.caskey-family.com/genealogy/WilliamCollier.htm] He sponsored several indentured servants while living in Plymouth colony. On 4 Apr 1637, William Morris, butcher of Hertford Co., having been indentured to William Collier, gentleman, for five years, switched service to Love Brewster of "Ducksborrow". [PCR 1:64]. On 20 Dec 1648, John Balden bound himself to Mr. William Collier of Duxburrow for a term of 5 years, in return for food and lodging, and after four yeras, a heifer of two years old. [PD 12:164]. While active and enterprising during his life, his activity level showed signs of slowing by about 1658, when a court ordered a servant to him owing to his inability to come to public business meetings and having much private business. That servant appears to have been a grand child, perhaps Daniel Cole? In the list of Freeman of Duxbury in 1670 he is listed as "Mr. William Collyar, dec'd", with a star indicating those so marked "are crossed out on the record" [Winsor, 1849]. ----- Note: he was also in on the first purchase of Dartmouth in 1652. A posting on soc.roots by Jerry.Hodges@{windmill,agape}.com, 3009 47th Lubbock TX 79413, claimed that one of his wives was Jane Clark, and a dau. of their was Ruth (Collier) COLE, wife of Daniel Cole. May.Desc. v.14, p.89: Deed from William Collyare of Duxborrow to Daniell Cole, dated 15 Oct 1659. Daniel is called "yeoman" and also "my son in law of Eastham" by William Collyare. Land is at Sawtucket Manscekkett and Poomett. [The identity of Daniel Cole here remains a mystery - there were two, Daniel Cole, son of Job and Rebecca (Collier) Cole and grandson of William Collyare, and Daniel Cole immigrant who m. Ruth (--).] LDS Film #905407, pg 133 (not original records) of Barnstable Co., quotes this: "A parcel of upland of Daniel Coles containing 8 acres more or less being part of the land given him by Mr William Collyer lying on the Westerly side of Namescakett river being bounded by a white oak marked on that side of it next Pattesksett and a black oak marked on the other side being 2 acres in length and to range North & South, Stephen Doane having a parcel of land adjoining these towards the head of the river. July 19th 1665." There is much material there about this being Daniel the immigrant who m. Ruth (---).