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Private company

William Collins, Sons

Logo: collins.co.uk3

Former Scottish publisher

William Collins, Sons & Co., often referred to as Collins, was a Scottish printing and publishing company founded by a Presbyterian schoolmaster, William Collins, in Glasgow in 1819, in partnership with Charles Chalmers, the younger brother of Thomas Chalmers, the minister of Tron Church in Glasgow. Collins merged with Harper & Row in 1990, forming a new publisher named HarperCollins.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1819Founded1

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William Collins, Sons & Co., often referred to as Collins, was a Scottish printing and publishing company founded by a Presbyterian schoolmaster, William Collins, in Glasgow in 1819, in partnership with Charles Chalmers, the younger brother of Thomas Chalmers, the minister of Tron Church in Glasgow. Collins merged with Harper & Row in 1990, forming a new publisher named HarperCollins.2

Corporate structure

William Collins, Sons sits at the top of its group. 3 entities, 2 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • William Collins, Sons Glasgow
    • Fontana Books Subsidiary
    • Collins Bros. Subsidiary ยท Australia

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Founded by William Collins in 1819.1

Leadership

Who has led William Collins, Sons, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Subsidiaries and ownership

Subsidiaries

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1819Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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