Edwin Collier (27 March 1827 – 11 February 1899) was an English accountant,
Bible Christian
The Bible Christian Church was a Methodist denomination founded by William O'Bryan (born Bryant), a Wesleyan Methodist local preacher, on 18 October 1815 in North Cornwall. The first society, consisting of just 22 members, met at Lake Farm ...
deacon, and
vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
activist. He served as vice president and treasurer of the
Vegetarian Society
The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom (VSUK) is a British Registered charity in England, registered charity. It campaigns for dietary changes, licenses Vegetarian Society Approved trademarks for Vegetarianism, vegetarian and Veganism, v ...
. Collier also founded Edwin Collier, Tongue and Co., one of the largest accountancy firms outside of London.
Biography
Early life and education
Edwin Collier was born on 27 March 1827 in Hulme, Manchester, to George Collier (1799–1866) and Margaret Collier (née Gaskill; 1802–1850). His uncle was Rev.
James Gaskill
James Gaskill (1800 – 17 August 1870) was an English cotton spinner, Bible Christian minister, and activist. He was an advocate for temperance and vegetarianism.
Biography
Early life
James Gaskill was born in 1800 in Newton, near Hyde, ...
(1800–1870), a minister at the
Bible Christian Church
The Bible Christian Church was a Methodist denomination founded by William O'Bryan (born Bryant), a Wesleyan Methodist local preacher, on 18 October 1815 in North Cornwall. The first society, consisting of just 22 members, met at Lake Farm ...
in Hulme and his grandfather, Peter Gaskill, was a founding member of the church. His sister was married to Rev. James Clark, a pastor of the church. Collier was a
vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
from birth, but was noted for being a heavy
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
smoker. He was also a dedicated
teetotaller
Teetotalism is the practice of voluntarily abstaining from the consumption of alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler (US) or teetotaller (UK), or said to be ...
.
Collier grew up in Hulme and attended the Bible Christian Church School. He was also educated at Rivington Grammar School.
Career
Collier served as a cashier for manufacturers in the
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...
cloth trade and worked in the Treasurer's Department of the Salford Corporation. Later, he became a partner in David Chadwick MP's accountancy firm. He founded the accountancy firm E. Collier, Tongue, and Co, which became one of the largest accountancy firms outside of London. Collier was also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Activism and religious work
Collier was an active advocate for vegetarianism. He held the position of vice-president of the
Vegetarian Society
The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom (VSUK) is a British Registered charity in England, registered charity. It campaigns for dietary changes, licenses Vegetarian Society Approved trademarks for Vegetarianism, vegetarian and Veganism, v ...
and was a supporter of the Health Exhibition. He advocated for a religious dimension to vegetarianism and served as a deacon in Bible Christian Church for 40 years. He was also involved in evening and Sunday schools.
The ''York Herald'' reported on the Vegetarian Society's annual meeting in Manchester on 14 October 1881, where Collier served as chairman. The ''
Manchester Courier
The ''Manchester Courier'' was a daily newspaper founded in Manchester, England, by Thomas Sowler; the first edition was published on 1 January 1825. Alaric Alexander Watts was the paper's first editor, but remained in the position for only a ye ...
'' noted the 36th anniversary conference at the YMCA Hall in Manchester on 19 October 1883, which was presided over by Collier. The ''Exeter and Plymouth Gazette'' also mentioned his role in chairing the Vegetarian Society conference in Exeter. According to the ''
Manchester Evening News
The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 20 ...
'' on 14 October 1886, the annual meeting was held at the Vegetarian Restaurant in Fountain Street, Manchester, where Collier was appointed treasurer. He was also a shareholder in the Vegetarian Restaurants Co. Ltd.
Lostock, Bolton
Lostock is a residential district of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, west of Bolton town centre and northwest of Manchester. The Colliers had four children, who were all vegetarian. His wife was also vegetarian. She died on 12 November 1883 at the age of 52.
Collier died on 11 February 1899, aged 71, and was interred in the Collier family grave at
Weaste Cemetery
Weaste Cemetery, previously known as Salford Borough Cemetery, is a public Grade II listed Victorian cemetery in Weaste, Salford. Opened in 1857, it is the oldest of Salford's four cemeteries, covering and containing over 332,000 graves. It wa ...