Who was Henry Oakley?
Henry Oakley was a British railway administrator. He started life as a clerk in the House of Commons Library, and joined the Great Northern Railway (GNR) in the same capacity in 1850.
Life and Work
Henry Oakley or Squire Oakley as he was known locally as a director on the Great Western Railway (GWR).
After leaving the GNR he became Chairman of the Central London Railway, one of the new tube railways. He was a breeder of shire horses, and a horticulturalist with a special interest in ferns and tropical plants.
On 9 August 1849 Oakley married Fanny Eliza Catherine Thompson; they had five children.
He bought Dewstow, Monmouthshire in 1893 and lived there until his death in 1940. He created extraordinary underground gardens at the site.