Huguenot Isaac Minet was born in Calais where his father, Ambrose, kept a "shoppe of grocery, druggs, liquors etc". There was already a tradition of exchange visits between schoolchildren. So, when Isaac was 14 years old, he was sent to stay with the Richards family at Green House, Dover.

When Ambrose Minet died Isaac returned to manage the business. He was only 16 but coped very successfully for 10 years until the persecution of Protestants forced the family to flee to Dover where he started the shipping business which was to become so important to the town. In 1691 he married Marie Sauchelle and they had six sons. Throughout his life he kept a notebook recording public and private events including their epic cross-channel escape. Being French, Dover never took him to its heart. He was not made a freeman till 1698 and then he paid £3 for the privilege, which did not give him, even so, the right to vote. In 1703 he was naturalised and in 1706 on the second attempt became a Common Councilman of Dover Corporation. He provided his own gown which cost him £14.5s.ld. Not till he was 71 was he sworn in as Jurat, commenting in his diary "I had been ill used by ye commoners of ye corporation who had opposed it several times For years Isaac Minet owned and built the packets plying between Dover and Calais. He was also the agent at Dover for the Dutch East India Company. His reputation as a tough bargainer was offset by the :h he is known to have treated rairness with which he is known to have treated his staff. He was a good all-rounder, with energy and willingness to learn.

When he died in 1745, his son William said: "This dear man has been serviceable to mankind in general, charitable to poor travellers, father to French and foreign prisoners, relief and comfort to poor and distressed town's people, the father and giver of employ to many families in Dover He was buried under the centre aisle of St. Mary's Church.

During the 17th century, Dover, like Dallas, saw the rise of two immensely prosperous families. The Minets and the Fectors were the Ewings of their time! The Minet coat of arms Grant of 1799 is "Argent in bas, boat on the ocean, there in passengers and rowers proper."