Sir Henry Garraway

Sir Henry Garraway was born as one of the seventeen children of a London farmer of customs.

As a member of the Draper’s Company, Garraway built extensive trade network with the Low Countries, France, Italy, the East Indies, Greenland, Russia and Turkey. He was also the governor of several great trading companies which earned him a considerable fortune and prestige.

Due to his wealth and social reputation, Garraway was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1639. However, the take up that post in the eve of the Civil War. As a supporter of the King Charles, he was supposed to provide him with money and troops, and for one occasion he paid from his own pocket a regiment of 4 thousand men. As a loyal royalist, Garraway was knighted by the king in 1640.

However, when the War began his situation worsened. In 1643 Garraway was relieved from duties and imprisoned at Dover Caste for not contributing to Parliament’s demands for funds. He was relieved three years later, but he died soon afterwards. Parliament did not interfere with his inheritance and his sons inherited large estates in Sussex, Kent, Devon, Northumberland, Westmoreland and Yorkshire.

Garraway's interests from trade and his estates, even in the difficult period of the Civil War, were estimated around £120,000 or over £3.7bn today.