William Collins

William Collins (12 October 1789–2 January 1853) was a Scottish schoolmaster, editor and publisher who founded William Collins, Sons, now part of HarperCollins.Collins was born at Pollokshaws near Glasgow on 12 October 1789. He was a millworker who established a company in 1819 for printing and publishing. The business eventually published pamphlets, sermons, hymn books and prayer books as well as a wide range of office products. By 1824 he had produced the company's first dictionary, the Greek and English Lexicon. He also obtained a licence to publish the Bible in the 1840s. In 1856, the first Collins atlas was published. He died on 2 January 1853 at Rothesay, Buteshire.