He was a City of London merchant, moneylender and alderman.
From 1620 he began to establish various charitable trusts, and when he died in 1628 he left £1000 for the ransom of English sailors captured by Barbary pirates.
[3] The Henry Smith Charity sold their South Kensington estate to the Wellcome Trust for £280 million in 1995.
[4] Today, the charity makes a variety of grants, primarily to social welfare and disadvantaged groups.
Beneficiaries include registered charities, community and Christian based organisations and individuals.