John Eldred

John Eldred was an English merchant who made his fortunes in the Middle East trading in spices. Later, he further enriched himself by becoming a mayor shareholder of the English East India Company.

John Eldred was born New Buckenham, and while still in youth left it for London, where he prospered in business. In 1583, he left London, again in business pursuit, for Baghdad and further to Basra where he seems to have efficiently gathered together up to seventy barges of merchandise, mainly spices. From Basra he took his goods up the Tigris to Baghdad and then with a huge caravan of camels, took the goods to Aleppo. For the next four years Aleppo was his headquarter of trading operation. In 1587, Eldred went back to London, now as one of Britain's wealthiest entrepreneurs.

As did many of the rich Englishmen of his time, Eldred proceeded to gentrify-himself, buying the manor of Great Saxham in 15 97, where he built a large manor house, popularly known as “Nutmeg Hall”. When the English East India Company was formed, Eldred seized the opportunity and became a major shareholder. He further enriched himself under James I, under whom he served as a contractor and commissioner for the sale of lands, a farmer of customs and was the holder of a patent for tin making. Until his death in 1632, his fortune was around £100,000 - about £3.6bn in 2010s money.