Sir George Collier, 1st Baronet

George Ralph Collier, 1st Baronet
Born	1774 London, England
Died	24 March 1824 London
Allegiance	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1787–1824
Rank	Captain
Commands held	HMS Victor HMS Leopard HMS Minerva HMS Surveillante HMS Leander HMS Creole
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars War of 1812
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

Sir George Ralph Collier, 1st Baronet KCB (1774 – 24 March 1824) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812. He had an eventful early life, being shipwrecked early in his career and later captured by the French. Nevertheless, he saw enough service to attract the attention of powerful patrons that secured his rise through the ranks. An officer of considerable ability, he won a noteworthy victory against a stronger French opponent, before embarking on a period of distinguished service off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts, working closely with the British generals fighting the Peninsular War, and markedly contributing to their success. His good service led to a prime posting in command of a squadron despatched to hunt down and neutralise the American super frigates during the War of 1812. He came close to capturing the USS Constitution, but lost her in circumstances that were unclear and would later return to haunt him. The years of peace that followed the end of the Napoleonic Wars saw him rewarded with a baronetcy, and his continued to serve in the navy where he was tasked with the suppression of the slave trade. The publishing of William James's account of the War of 1812, which lambasted him for incompetence and cowardice in his failure to catch the Constitution, broke his personal peace. Having failed to clear his name, and increasingly depressed by the accusations, Collier took his own life.

Collier was born in London in 1774, the second son of the chief clerk of the Victualling Board Ralph Collier, and his wife Henrietta Maria. He began his education at the Chelsea Maritime Academy, but by January 1784 his name appeared in the books of the 74-gun third rate HMS Triumph as a captain's servant to the Triumph's commander, Captain Robert Faulknor. This was likely to have been only a nominal entry to gain seniority, and Collier's naval service probably actually began three years later in January 1787, when he joined the 28-gun frigate HMS Carysfort at the rank of midshipman. He moved in June 1790 to take up a position aboard Captain Edward Pellew's 50-gun HMS Salisbury and spent the rest of that year serving on the Newfoundland station. Collier transferred again in December 1790, joining the 100-gun first rate HMS Victory, then under Captain John Knight in the English Channel.

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