David Chollet

Merchant, slave-owner and mortgagee of 'slave-property', brother of Samuel Chollet I (q.v.), dying in London in 1781. He was almost certainly the man of the same name who had been a merchant in St Eustatius c. 1764.

1. Will of David Chollett or Chollet merchant in London made in February 1781 (in French) and proved 03/11/1781. He left 1/3rd of the income on his 80 year consolidated annuities to the [unnamed] widow of his brother Gabriel Chollet of Switzerland for life, and then to their children; 1/3rd to his brother Abraham Chollet also of Switzerland and his family; and 1/3rd to his brother Pierre and his family, again of Switzerland. He left to the male children of his brother Samuel Chollet, of his late brother Gabriel and of his two surviving brothers in Switzerland the moneys due to him on the mortgage he held on the plantation and effects of Anthony Johnson on St Kitts and on the mortgage he held on the moiety of the plantation and effects of the late Noe [?] Blisson on Grenada. 'I have a very good opinion of these two debts but time, attention and patience are necessary.' He gave his house on St Eustatius to his nephews Jean (son of Pierre) and Abraham David Francis (son of Abraham) equally. He further left to Jean Chollet his moiety of the plantation and effects on St Lucia that he held jointly with Mr Herculus Daniel Bize of St Eustatius. He left his house on Hatton Wall to his nephew Samuel Chollet, son of his brother Samuel. He left two of his shares or parts in the manufactory known as the British Cast Plate Manufactory to his two nephews sons of the late Gabriel (including another Samuel), and the other shares to his two nephews sons of Abraham. After bequests of personal items he left his residual estate among his 12 Swiss nephews.

HCA 32/176A/4 Description: Captured ship: Curassao (Curaçao), Rollof Grunbarg, master (succeeding Matthew Provost). History: British merchant ship retaken when bound from Monte Cristi (Santo Domingo) to Europe laden with sugar and coffee, captured in 1762 by the British privateer Diana (Samuel Sweet commanding) and taken into Providence, Rhode Island. She was originally an English ship named Polly which was captured by the Spanish at Monte Cristi, and sold at public auction to Ignazio de Olalde on behalf of David Chollet, a merchant resident in St Eustatius. It was alleged by Chollet that the master, Grunbarg, had been bribed by the captors with 12 or 14 hogsheads of sugar from her cargo, to neglect to file a claim on behalf of the owner, resulting in her being condemned in Rhode Island. Documents: Court Papers - claim with attestations, exhibits in French and Spanish (copies of invoices and bills of lading) and translations. No ship's papers. Number of documents: 7. Date: 1762 - 1764.

1. PROB 11/1083/283. The British Cast Plate Manufactory was an important pioneering glassworks at Ravenhead utilising French technology and French craftsmen.

The estate on Grenada alluded to in the will was probably that of Noah Blisson, given as 'merchant of London', Hertfordshire Archives, DE/A/2702 Title: Grant of an Annuity of £300 per annum Description: To Mr Giles during the life of Mrs Mary Giles, by Noah Blisson of London, merchant. Noah Blisson (1); Giles (2); Peter Turquand and Anthony Colombies (3). Payable out of a moiety of the Plantation called "Les Sources" in the Island of Granada, (coffee, cocoa, 20 negro slaves and lands). Seals of Lord Mayor. Signatures. (Note that it was entered in the Registers Office in Granada 12th January 1771). Attached: Affidavit by Thos Goostrey, that he witnessed the signatures. This is certified and signed and sealed by the Lord Mayor of London, Barlow Trecothick. 14th September 1770 Date: 1st August 1770.