Joseph Collett
| Joseph Collett | |
|---|---|
| President of Fort St George (Madras) | |
|
In office 8 January 1717 – 18 January 1720 |
|
| Preceded by | Edward Harrison |
| Succeeded by | Francis Hastings |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1673 |
| Died | 1725 |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Ross |
| Children | Elizabeth Collett John Collett(1698–1716) Henrietta Collett Mary Collett Ann Collett |
| Religion | Protestantism |
| Signature |  |
Joseph Collett (1673–1725) was a British administrator in service of the British East India Company. He served as the Governor of Bencoolen from 1712 to 1717 and as the President of Madras from 1717 to 1720. He constructed Hertford Castle in England and stood for election to the British Parliament.
Joseph Collett was born in 1673 in England to glover John Collett(1642–1698) and Mary Holloway. He married Mary Ross at a young age. He joined the British East India Company after Mary's death in 1710 and was appointed Deputy-Governor of Sumatra. In 1711, while sailing to Rio de Janeiro, his ship Jane was captured by the French. However, he secured his release after paying a huge ransom.
On 1 September 1712, Collett arrived at York Fort in Bencoolen in Sumatra and was subsequently appointed Governor. He built a new fort and restored order in war-ridden Sumatra.
In 1714, Collett moved his residence to the newly constructed Fort Marlborough on the west coast of Sumatra. Collett was appointed President of Madras in 1716 and took office on 8 January 1717.
During his tenure as the Governor of Bencoolen, Collett is believed to have made the infamous remark on the rajas of Indonesia:
Immediately after his assumption of the Presidential chair, Collett was entrusted with the responsibility of tackling an irksome situation. The last days of Harrison's Presidency had seen some intense communal clashes between the Komatis and the Chetties . A settlement had been reached but the terms of the settlement weren't kept and the Chetties deserted the British and moved out of Madras in large numbers. When Collett took over as President, he was faced with the task of curbing the exodus. Accordingly, he ordered that the belongings of the deserted Chetties be confiscated. At the same time, he issued a proclamation which forbade individuals from the left-hand castes to worship in temples belonging to those of the right-hand castes and thopse from the right-hand castes in temples belonging to the left-hand castes.
On 24 July 1717, the issue of a firman in the name of the British East India Company was celebrated with an elaborate ceremony. As per the terms of the firman, the Presidency of Madras occpied Divy Island off the coast of Masulipatnam.
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