Background
In 1833, he entered his father"s firm Cook, Son & Company based in the City of London, which traded finished wool, cotton, linen and silk, after travels in Europe and the Near E.
In 1833, he entered his father"s firm Cook, Son & Company based in the City of London, which traded finished wool, cotton, linen and silk, after travels in Europe and the Near E.
From 1869, he was its head, rising to be one of Britain"s three richest mentor In 1849, he bought Doughty House in Richmond and in 1855 the quinta of Monserrate in Sintra, Portugal. There, he restored Monserrate Palace, a Moorish-style palace, and became visconde de Monserrate (Viscount of Monserrate).
He began to collect classical sculpture in the late 1850s.
He collected his first major paintings in 1868, at which date Sir John Charles Robinson (1824–1913), former V&A curator, became his advisor. He had 510 major works by 1876 and in 1885 added a Long Gallery to Doughty House to accommodate the growing collection, making this gallery open to scholars.
He died on 17 February 1901, leaving an estate of £1,600,000, and was buried at West Norwood Cemetery.
