Collier Sir George

Collier, Sir George, British naval commander, was born in 1738, entered the Royal Navy in 1751, and was raised to the rank of commander in 1761 and to that of captain in the following year. He had, however, no chance of gaining distinction until the outbreak of the American war. He then commanded the Rainbow, 44, and captured, among other vessels, the Hancock, 36, after a long chase. He also destroyed the stores which had been collected for an American expedition against Nova Scotia, and, before the conclusion of hostilities, became commander-in-chief (as commodore) on the North American station. As such he led a very successful expedition to the Chesapeake, and was most active in the neighbourhood of New York. His last exploit there was to destroy the whole force of the enemy in the Penobscot. Sir George, who had been knighted in 1775, took part in 1780 in Darby's relief of Gibraltar. He attained flag rank in 1793, and died a vice-admiral in 1795.