The Private Letter Books of Joseph Collet

Joseph Collet (1673-1725) was born into a family of London merchants. He came from a long line of merchants. His ancestors are said to have been merchants from Rouen, France who traded with England in the time of Edward the Confessor. His ancestors joined the Puritan movement in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and his own father was a Baptist by persuasion. Thus Joseph came from a strict business and religious background which profoundly influenced his own business and political career.