The surname Collyear is of English origin. It was an occupational name for a burner of charcoal or a gatherer or seller of coal, derived from the Middle English ‘cole’, ( char )coal and the agent suffix ‘(i)er’. An English historical Act of Parliament reads; ‘An Act that timber shall not be felled to make coals for the burning of iron’. A man usually works eight hours a day in order to make his living, sleeps and rests eight hours, and devotes the remaining eight hours to eating, minor chores and recreation, although a part of the latter may be taken up in travelling to and from work. Since man’s work takes up such a large portion of his life it must be taken into consideration in any adequate system of identification; as it was for the surname Collier. The ordinary pursuits of the Middle Ages have become some of the most common surnames in the United States. The term Collier is still used today in England throughout Furness and along the Duddon for a charcoal burner. The name dates as far back as the eleventh centu…
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