Robert Geffrye

Sir Robert Geffrye (also spelled Geffrey or Geffery) (1613–1703) was an English merchant, slave trader,^[1] and Lord Mayor of London for 1685/86.^[2]

Life

Geffrye was born to poor parents at Landrake, near Saltash, Cornwall, and moved to London, where he became an eminent East India merchant. Later residing in a townhouse on Lime Street in the City of London, he twice served as Master Ironmonger,^[3] was knighted in 1673, became Sheriff of London in 1674 and was elected Lord Mayor of London for 1685/86.^[4]

Elected President of Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals in March 1692–3, Geffrye was a significant trader in tobacco,^[2] part of whose investment was in the Atlantic slave trade as well as partial ownership of a slave ship, the China Merchant.^[5]

Married in 1651 to Priscilla (died 1676), daughter of Luke Cropley, a City lawyer and brother of Sir John Cropley, Sir Robert and Lady Geffrye had no children.^[6]

On his death Geffrye left about £10,000^[7] divided in legacies to friends, relatives, hospitals and clergymen's widows, and in establishing certain trusts under the charge of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers. A service was to be provided twice daily in the church of St. Dionis Backchurch, a school to be maintained at Landrake, and the poor of St Erney and Landrake to be relieved.^[2] The remainder was dedicated to 14 almshouses, mainly for widows of ironmongers, being constructed in 1715 at Shoreditch. These buildings were sold in 1910 and now house the Museum of the Home (formerly the Geffrye Museum), which has displays scenes of domestic life from 1600 to the present day.^[8]^[9] New almshouses were built at Mottingham in Kent, sold in 1972 to the Greater London Council. Sir Robert Geffrye's Trust continues to maintain two almshouses in Hampshire – one at Hook, built in 1976 and enlarged in 1987, and one at Basingstoke that opened in 1984; they give sheltered housing to 125 retired people of limited means.^[10] There is also a Sir Robert Geffrye's School in the village of Landrake, Cornwall.^[11]

References

^ Salisbury, Josh (17 November 2021). "Museum of the Home considers moving controversial slave trader statue". Evening Standard.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Geffrey, Robert", Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Volume 10 (wikisource).
^ www.ironmongers.org
^ www.theguardian.com
^ "Museum to keep slave-trader statue on building". BBC News. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
^ www.burkespeerage.com
^ Grassby, Richard (2004). "Geffery [Geffrey], Sir Robert (d. 1704), merchant". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/10502. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ Mark Brown, "Geffrye to reopen as Museum of the Home after £18m overhaul", The Guardian, 27 November 2019.
^ David Sanderson, "Tongue-twister Geffrye Museum of the Home clears its name", The Times, 27 November 2019.
^ "Charitable Trusts". Ironmongers' Company.
^ "Sir Robert Geffery's School". www.ironmongers.org. Retrieved 1 November 2020.