Statue of Robert Geffrye, Museum of the Home

Sir Robert Geffrye (also spelled Geffrey) (1613–1703) was an English merchant, slave trader, and Lord Mayor of London in 1685. "Geffrey, Robert", ''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', 1885–1900, Volume 10 ( wikisource).

Life

Geffrye was born to poor parents at

Landrake Landrake ( kw, Lannergh) is a village in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately three miles (5 km) west of Saltash in the civil parish of Landrake with St Erney (where the population of the 2011 census was ...

, near Saltash, Cornwall, and moved to London, where he became an eminent East India merchant, with his house on Lime Street. He was Master of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, knighted in 1673, appointed a Sheriff of London in 1674 and elected Lord Mayor of London in 1685. He was elected president of Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals in March 1692–3. He was a significant trader in tobacco. Part of Geffrye's investment was in the

Atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...

, and he had partial ownership of a slave ship, the ''China Merchant''. He married Priscilla, daughter of Luke Cropley, a London merchant, but had no children. On his death he left about £10,000 divided in legacies to friends, relatives, hospitals, and clergymen's widows, and in establishing certain trusts under the charge of the company of Ironmongers. A service was to be provided twice daily in the church of St. Dionis Backchurch, a school was to be maintained at Landrake, and the poor of St. Erney and Landrake to be relieved. The remainder was dedicated to 14

almshouses An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...

, mainly for widows of ironmongers, which were constructed in 1715 in

Shoreditch Shoreditch is a district in the East End of London in England, and forms the southern part of the London Borough of Hackney. Neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets are also perceived as part of the area. In the 16th century, Shoreditch was an impor ...

. Those buildings were sold in 1910, and now house the Museum of the Home (formerly the Geffrye Museum), which has displays of domestic life from 1600 to the present day. New almshouses were built at Mottingham in Kent, again sold in 1972, to the Greater London Council. His Trust now has two almshouses in Hampshire, 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. There is also a Sir Robert Geffery's School in his native village of

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* 1613 births 1703 deaths 17th-century lord mayors of London British East India Company people British slave owners History of Cornwall Knights Bachelor Masters of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers People from Landrake Politicians from Cornwall Sheriffs of the City of London {{Lord-Mayor-of-London-stub