Sir Henry Tate

Sugar magnate, art patron, and philanthropist, born in Chorley, Lancashire, NW England, UK. He patented a method for cutting up sugar loaves (1872), came to London (1880), and rapidly made a large fortune from ‘Tate's cube sugar’. At Park Hill, Streatham, he formed a valuable collection of works by contemporary masters, which he offered to the nation on condition that the government should find a site for a gallery which he would build. The building was erected on ground formerly occupied by Millbank penitentiary (demolished, 1893) and opened (1897) as the National Gallery of British Art (later known as the Tate Gallery).

Sir Henry Tate, 1st Baronet (March 11, 1819 - December 5, 1899) was an English sugar merchant, noted for establishing the Tate Gallery in London.

Tate was born in Chorley, Lancashire, the son of a clergyman.

In 1859 Tate became a partner in John Wright & By 1869, he had gained complete control of the company, and renamed it to Henry Tate &

Tate rapidly became a millionaire, and donated generously to charity. The National Gallery of British Art, better known as the Tate Gallery, was opened on July 21, 1897, on the site of the old Millbank prison. Henry Tate was a modest rather retiring man, well known for his concern with workers’ conditions. He refused a knighthood more than once until - after he had spent over £100,000 to build the Millbank Gallery, endowed it with his personal collection, and presented it to the nation - he was told the Royal Family would be offended if he refused again.

Tate made many donations, often anonymously, and always discreetly. In addition he gave £20,000 to the (homoeopathic) Hahnemann Hospital in Liverpool in 1885, £8000 to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary, and £5000 to the Queen Victoria Jubilee Institute, which became the Queen's Institute for District Nurses. In 1887 he gave £5000 to the Tate Institute in Silvertown.

Tate was made a baronet in 1898, the year before his death. Park Hill became a nunnery after his death until refurbishment as housing (c.2004)

In 1921, after Tate's death, Henry Tate & Sons to form Tate &

In 2006 a Wetherspoons pub in his home to town of Chorley was named after the sugar magnate.