Edwin Collier

Edwin Collier was born on 27 March 1827 in Hulme, then a township in the parish of Manchester, Lancashire, to George (1799–1866) and Margaret Collier (née Gaskill; 1802–1850). His uncle, Rev. James Gaskill (1800–1870), was a minister at the Bible Christian Church in Hulme, and his grandfather, Peter Gaskill, was a founding member of the church.^[1] His sister Cordelia married Rev. James Clark, a pastor of the church. Collier was a vegetarian from birth; his father adopted the diet in 1815 and his mother in 1812.^[2] Collier and was described as a heavy tobacco smoker.^[3]: 59 He was also a dedicated teetotaller.^[1]

Collier grew up in Hulme and attended the Bible Christian Church School.^[1] He was also educated at Rivington Grammar School.^[4]

Collier worked as a cashier for manufacturers in the Huddersfield cloth trade and in the treasurer's department of the Salford Corporation. He later became a partner in David Chadwick MP's accountancy firm.^[4] He subsequently co-founded E. Collier, Tongue and Co., described as one of the largest accountancy firms outside London.^[1] Collier was also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and served on the council of the Manchester Society of Chartered Accountants.^[5][6]

Collier was a member of the Vegetarian Society from the year of its formation, served as a vice-president for about thirty years, was honorary auditor from 1873 to 1882, and honorary treasurer from 1882 to 1891. He helped to organise the vegetarian dining-room at the International Health Exhibition in 1884.^[2]

Collier took part in the society's public meetings and conferences.^[4] The York Herald reported on the society's annual meeting in Manchester on 14 October 1881, at which he acted as chairman; the Manchester Courier recorded that he presided over the thirty-sixth anniversary conference at the YMCA Hall, Manchester, on 19 October 1883; and the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette noted his role in chairing a society conference in Exeter. He was also a shareholder in the Vegetarian Restaurants Co. Ltd.^[1]

Collier connected his advocacy of vegetarianism with Christian vegetarianism.^[4] He served for about forty years as a deacon of the Bible Christian Church in Hulme. During a vacancy between ministers, he frequently occupied the pulpit. Collier also taught in the church's evening and Sunday schools, regularly devoting four evenings a week and his Sundays to this voluntary work.^[2]

Collier married Sarah Bennett on 25 May 1854 at Holy Trinity Church, Horwich. She was born in 1832 in Lostock, Bolton, to William and Betty Bennett.^[1] Sarah Collier was also a vegetarian and died on 12 November 1883 at the age of 52.^[1][4]

The couple had four children, all of whom were vegetarian. Their son Bennett was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and served as honorary auditor of the Vegetarian Society. Their daughter Dora married Leonard Greenhalgh, and both were described as lifelong vegetarians.^[4]

Collier died on 11 February 1899 at Whalley Range, Manchester, aged 71.^[7] He was interred in the Collier family grave at Weaste Cemetery.^[1] Collier's obituary in The Vegetarian Messenger described him in old age as tall and well built, with a mass of white hair, and suggested that his appearance was "in itself an argument for vegetarianism".^[2]