Sir Gilbert Heathcote

Born in Derbyshire of a squirearchical family, he was apprenticed to a merchant at 15. In the 1680's he came to London and as a wine merchant had large transactions with the East Indies and Jamaica, where he handled government remittances.

He was the key shareholder and director of the new East India Company, subscribing £10,000 of its capital, and one of the founders of the Bank of England in 1694 of which he was twice governor. He served in parliament under four English rulers and was appointed Lord Mayor of London in 1710.

Heathcote acquired large estates in counties of Lincoln and Rutland, including Normanton, where he built the manor house.

He died in 1733, worth £700,000 and reputedly the richest commoner of his day. That would be worth £7.7bn in 2010's money.