Early Life and Education
Collins was born in Hazaribagh, India, to Arthur Herbert Collins, a judge in the Indian Civil Service, and Mrs Esther Ida Collins. Both of his parents had died by the time he began his education at Clifton College, Bristol, where he held a scholarship.
He joined Clifton College in September 1897, becoming a member of Clark's House, although he later moved to North Town House. Clifton had an excellent reputation for sport. W.G. Grace scored 13 first-class centuries on the Close, and he sent his sons to the school. Collins played half-back for the rugby XV, and was also in the cricket XI. He won a bronze medal for boxing at the public schools tournament in Aldershot in 1901, along with E. A. Hughes and H. P. Hewett.
Tim Rice, in a 9 June 1999 article for The Telegraph to celebrate the centenary of the score, entitled "On the seventh day AEJ Collins rested", described him thus:
He was an orphan whose guardians lived in Tavistock, Devon. He was a reserved boy, short and stockily built, fair-haired and pale. He was remembered by contemporaries as one who led by example, rather than by inspiration, although paradoxically he was regarded as likely to fall short of the highest standards as a cricketer because of his recklessness at the crease.Read more about this topic: A. E. J. Collins
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