Gideon Delaune

Gideon Delaune, the son of a French Protestant pastor, was born in Rheims in the mid sixteenth century. He accompanied his father to Britain and became apothecary to Anne of Denmark, queen of James I. Delaune must have impressed James, as he played a leading role in the incorporation of the Society of Apothecaries in 1617, and became master in 1637. Delaune was highly regarded for his pills and potions, which made him immensely rich. He had a Bedfordshire estate, a Kent manor, a London house and extensive property in Bermuda and Virginia.

When he died in 1659, after a pious life, he was in his mid-tolate nineties. A contemporary account at his death wrote that Delaune was 'worth (notwithstanding his many acts of public and private charity) near as many thousand pounds as he was years'. The author reckoned that Delaune was 97 at his death, which is disputed, but he was certainly worth at least £90,000, representing 0.23% of the then £38m net national income. Today's equivalent would be nearly £2.5bn.