William Collier

One of the London merchant adventurers who financed Plymouth Colony; later an Assistant, one of the governor’s council (compiled). In 1626 he was among the London adventurers who signed the agreement selling out to the Plymouth undertakers (Bradford, Of Plimmoth Plantation, MHS ed., 2:6n, from Bradford’s Letter Book). On 19 Mar 1629/30 James Sherley and Timothy Hatherley wrote: “For Mr. Collier verily I could have wished it would have sorted his other affairs, to have been one of us, but he could not spare money … however, account of him as a sure friend” (2:82-83n). Bradford wrote that Isaac Allerton “had cleared up 400li. and put it into a brew-house of Mr. Colliers in London” (2:125); the 1912 editors note that no London brewery can be identified as Collier’s with certainty.

He came over from London in 1633 and settled at Duxbury. Nathaniel Morton wrote that in 1633 “Mr. William Collier arrived with his Family in New-England, who as he had been a good Benefactor to the Colony of New-Plimouth before he came over, having been an Adventurer unto it at its first beginning; so also he approved himself a very useful Instrument … in the place of Magistracy; and lived a godly and holy life untill old Age” (New Englands Memoriall p. 91, quoted in Bradford 2:158n).

On 7 May 1638 the Court ordered that Duxbury lands go only to “such new commers as Mr Collyer, Mr Partrich, Jonathan Brewster, & Wilim Basset shall approue of to be fitt for their societie” (PCR 1:84). James Cudworth, in a letter of the 10th month 1658 against the anti-Quaker policy, wrote: “Mr. Collier, last June, would not sit on the bench, if I sat there; and now will not sit the next year, unless he may have thirty pounds sit by him” (Bishop, New England Judged, p. 134). On 2 July 1667 the Court granted 30 or 40 acres “for his grand child … that grand child whoe is now seruicable vnto him” (PCR 4:159).

His daughter Mary married Gov. Thomas Prence in 1635. Rebecca and Sarah Collier, who married Job Cole and Love Brewster in 1634, are taken to be his daughters too (compiled). Administration of his estate was granted on 29 Oct 1671 to Thomas Prence, Constant Southworth, Thomas Clarke and Benjamin Bartlett (PCR 5:68).

Open questions

• His birth, his wife, and the date and place of his death (before 29 Oct 1671).