William Frederick Collings
| William Frederick Collings | |
|---|---|
| Seigneur of Sark | |
|
In office 1882-1927 |
|
| Preceded by | William Thomas Collings |
| Succeeded by | Sibyl Beaumont |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1852 |
| Died | 20 June 1927 (aged 75) |
| Spouse(s) | Sophie Moffatt |
| Children |
Sibyl Hathaway Doris Verschoyle |
| Parents |
William Thomas Collings Louisa Lukis |
William Frederick Collings (1852 – 20 June 1927) was seigneur of Sark from 1882 until his death. One of the most eccentric lords of the island, he is known for his anti-clericalism, stubbornness, intemperance and generosity.
Collings was the elder son and one of six children of William Thomas Collings, Seigneur of Sark, and the lichenologist Louisa Collings (née Lukis). An exceptionally tall and well-built blue-eyed man, he was the exact opposite of his father. The two never got along with each other. Collings refused to follow his father into the Church and Trinity College, Cambridge. The compromise was a Grand Tour.
Collings inherited his father's fief on the latter's death in 1882, but none of his father's interest in military matters. Less than five years after his accession, the Royal Sark Militia, once cherished by his parents, detoriated into what a visiting journalist described as "seven dozen pairs of boots". By 1900, he had neglected it enough for it to completely disappear. He refused to spend money on maintenance of his fief, but was the first seigneur to be sufficiently fond of it to reside there permanently. In 1899, he refused to sell the island for an enormous amount of money to a man who intended to open a casino there.
The Sarkese admired Collings for his skill in sailing, shooting, and rock climbing, and he enjoyed their strong support. However, he was "a violent terror when he had taken drink", according to an islander. The alcoholism caused him to attack the vicar's wife with his stick, write anticlerical messages on walls, insult the constable, break window panes and ride into private gardens. He once appeared before the Sénéschal for threatening to shoot a journalist. Collings' bitter enemy on the island was the French-born vicar, who often displayed his animosity towards the British by omitting prayers for Queen Victoria and her family, to which the Seigneur responded by stamping out of the church and protesting to the vicar's superiors.
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