John Day Collis

John Day Collis (1816–1879) was a British headmaster and educational writer.

Collis, son of the Rev. Robert Fitzgerald Collis, prebendary of Kilconnell, County Galway, by Maria, daughter of Edward Bourke of Nun's Island, Galway, was born on 24 February 1816. After being educated at Rugby 1832–4 under Dr. Arnold, he entered Merton College, Oxford, as a postmaster in the latter year. In 1835 he became Eaton scholar of Worcester College, proceeding to gain his B.A. in 1836, M.A. in 1841, and B.D. and D.D. in 1860. He was elected to a fellowship at his college, and gained the Kennicott, and Pusey and Ellerton Hebrew scholarships, between 1839–41.

Having been nominated to the head-mastership of Bromsgrove in December 1842, that school, through his indomitable energy, grew to be one of the best educational establishments in England. The tercentenary of the grammar school was celebrated on 31 March 1853. In 1856, through his exertions, the chapel was built at a cost of £1,500, and new school rooms were erected and the old buildings enlarged and improved at a cost of £5,000.

From 1843-63 the formidable Dr Collis was Head of Bromsgrove. A tribute to Collis states that he was descended from Viscount Mayo, who lost his life in the rebellion of 1641 and was the son of Sir Richard Bourke and Gráinne O'Malley, his mother Gráinne O'Malley or Grace O'Malley (c. 1530 – c. 1603; also Gráinne O'Malley,Irish: Gráinne Ní Mháille) was Queen of Umaill, chieftain of the Ó Máille clan and a pirate in 16th century Ireland. She is sometimes known as "The Sea Queen of Connaught". Biographies of her have been written primarily in the 20th and 21st centuries by the historian Anne Chambers.

Eoghan Dubhdara Ó Máille was Gráinne's father,and his family was based in Clew Bay, County Mayo. He was chieftain of the Ó Máille clan and a direct descendant of its eponym, Maille mac Conall. The O'Malleys were one of the few seafaring families on the west coast, and they built a row of castles facing the sea to keep an eye on their territory.

Miles, the second Viscount Mayo was created a Baronet in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia in c. 1638; Dr Collis also descends from the Earls of Ormonde. It adds that he was fourteenth in descent from the youngest daughter of King Edward 1st of England. Such claims do not surprise one for he was a very strong character who stamped both his character and authority on the school and town. His impact on the latter was greater than any other Bromsgrove Headmaster. At one stage a third of the School was Irish. There were no school fixtures then but one of his pupils recalled:

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