John Collier, according to various U. S. censuses records, was born possibly as early as 1815 or as late as 1824. He is believed to have been a son of Henry Collier of Dooly County, Georgia, who died in 1840; however, John’s name is not mentioned among the heirs. Among the heirs listed in the estate proceedings is Piety Collier Crews, and it has long been established that she was a sister of John Collier, the subject of this sketch.

John Collier was first married to Caroline Hall. They were living in Dooly County as late as 1846 but were residing in Gadsden County, Florida when the 1850 census was taken. The 1860 census for Lafayette County, Florida shows John Collier and wife “Louiza.” Whether she was actually Caroline Hall or was a second wife is not known.

During the early to mid-1860s, John Collier and family moved to Manatee County, Florida. His oldest son, William Green Collier, served from early 1864 to April 1865 in Capt. F. A. Hendry’s Company, CSA. His other adult sons, Calvin Collier and John Collier, Jr., both enlisted at Fort Myers in May 1864 in Company B, 2nd Florida Cavalry, U. S. Army.

In Manatee County on Nov. 6, 1866, John registered the following mark & brand: JC. On a roll of persons between the ages of 18 and 45 liable for military duty in Manatee County taken July 15, 1869, the names of John Collier, Sr., Green Collier and Calvin Collier appear. Manatee County mark and brand records show the following entries for Nov. 3, 1869: Mary Collier, brand AC; Pleasant Collier, brand PC; Henry Collier, brand HC; George Collier, brand 99; and Bryant Collier, brand 9.

John Collier, Sr. was married to Mary Locklear Conyer on Oct. 9, 1869, according to Manatee County marriage records. The family Bible gives the date as Sept. 24, 1869.

John Collier and family are shown in the 1870 census for Manatee County. His personal estate at that time was valued at $15,000. In the 1880 census the John “Colyer” family was residing in Brevard County. During the 1880s, they moved back to Manatee County and were living there in 1885 when the state census was taken.

Kirk Munroe, the noted adventurer and writer, was on an expedition of the Kissimmee River and was staying at Basinger in 1882 when John Collier moved his family from southern Brevard (present-day Okeechobee County) to Manatee County. He made the following entry in his diary for Feb. 19, 1882: "Old man Colyer with 3 wives and 14 children came over river with teams, moving to Charlie Apopka Creek. They are camped near the house." On February 20, 1882, he wrote: "Pierce [John M. Pearce] and Mann went with Colyer to Istakpoga creek today and on return reported steamer in site of Micko's Bluff."

In November 1885, John Collier faced charges of adultery in the Manatee County Circuit Court. A sworn deposition from Samantha Jacobs relates that "she [Jacobs] knows that Collier does not live with his wife and a woman named Minerva Crawford visits at the Collier Place the same M. Crawford has six children and she claims that John Collier is the father of four of them." Miss Jacobs went on to say that she herself "has one child and she knows the father of the child and states that J. Collier is the father of her child." She also claimed that Collier "induced her to live with him under the promise of marrying her when he obtained a divorce from his first wife." A check of the 1885 census of Manatee County reveals that Minerva Crawford was a head of family with six children. It has been confirmed that at least one of them, Virginia, born January 29, 1875, was the daughter of John Collier and Minerva Crawford. Virginia married Jefferson Davis Thompson, April 17, 1893, in DeSoto County, Florida.

John Collier, Sr. was married to Samantha Jacobs on Feb. 18, 1886. Their daughter, Dora Collier Hall, remembered her family during her early childhood living about four miles west of present-day Avon Park

John Collier’s will, dated Jan. 6, 1892, was filed in the DeSoto County courthouse. He mentioned his children: Green, Elizabeth Green, Calvin, John Jr., George, Bryant, Pleasant, Isabelle, Martha, Perry, Dora and Berry. Mr. Collier died on June 2, 1896 and was buried in the Bowling Green Cemetery. His grave is marked but erroneously gives his death date as June 27, 1897. The grave marker states that he was 72 years of age. After Mr. Collier’s death, his widow married Matthew Talley on August 4, 1896.

The birth dates for John Collier’s first twelve children are in many cases estimates and educated guesses because the available data is conflicting. A family Bible lists the birthdates for the children, but it is now obvious that the dates given for the oldest children are erroneous. Consequently, census records have been used to establish the dates.

John Collier’s children are as follows:
1. William Green Collier, born March 22, 1840-43; died Feb. 16, 1920; married Mary Ann Wiggins, July 8, 1869.
2. Mary Elizabeth Collier, born 1842-43; married ______ Green.
3. Calvin C. Collier, born June 22, 1842-43 according to pension papers; died Aug. 17, 1922; married (1) Katie Parnell, Oct. 11, 1866; (2) Beulah I. Whidden Sparkman, Oct. 10, 1897.
4. Irene Collier, born 1845-47; married (1) Lewis Jenkins; (2) Richmond R. Crews, Oct. 9, 1869. Crews was a former slave of Piety Collier Crews (Mrs. Dempsey D. Crews, Sr.).
5. John Collier, Jr., born June 22, 1846 according to pension statement; tombstone has June 22, 1853 but must be in error; died Feb. 1, 1934; married (1) Sallie Lewis, Dec. 12, 1865; (2) Mattie Kemp, Oct. 16, 1902; (3) Letitia Guest Skipper, Jan. 2, 1915.
6. Henry “Bunk” Collier, born Dec. 25, 1855-56; died July 17, 1920; married Ann Gillespie, Sept. 25, 1872 (in 1885 Manatee County census his wife’s name is given as Texas).
7. James B. Collier, born 1857.
8. Catherine Collier, born April 20, 1858 according to Bible but could be as early as 1853.
9. George M. Collier, born March 18, 1859 according to Bible but tombstone has 1858; died Aug. 11, 1937; married Mrs. Susan North, Nov. 22, 1883.
10. Wiley Bryant Collier, born June 18, 1860 according to Bible; died Jan. 4, 1921; married Jane E. Whidden, May 12, 1881.
11. Ellen Collier, born Jan. 18, 1862 according to Bible.
12. Pleasant E. Collier, born July 22, 1864 according to Bible; died ca. 1918; married Rachel Jacobs, Nov. 27, 1885.
13. Alice Collier, born Aug. 1, 1870 according to Bible.
14. Isabelle Collier, born 1872; married Joseph Hall, Dec. 22, 1891.
15. Martha Collier, born May 28, 1874, according to Bible.
16. Virginia Collier, born Jan. 29, 1875; married Jefferson Davis Thompson, April 17, 1893.
17. Perry Collier, born Jan. 31, 1884.
18. Dora Collier, born Sept. 3, 1886; married _____ Hall.
19. Berry Collier, born March 3, 1888.

This was published in The Herald-Advocate (Wauchula, Fla.) of June 28, 2007, 4B.