Gerald Carroll

Gerald John Howard Carroll (born 1951) is a British businessman. He was the head of his family business the Carroll Group, once one of the largest private companies in the United Kingdom, until it collapsed in the early 1990s, leading to his bankruptcy.

Gerald Carroll
Born
Gerald John Howard Carroll

1951
Essex
NationalityBritish
EducationIpswich School
OccupationBusinessman
Known forCarroll Group

Early life and family

Gerald Carroll was born in 1951[1] in the Romford district of Essex.[2] He is the son of John Carroll (born around 1929). His grandfather was John E. Carroll who built homes for workers at the Ford factory in Dagenham. Carroll claims descent from the Anglo-Irish Carroll family who have been prominent in American politics and one of whom was the sole Catholic signatory to the American Declaration of Independence. Carroll was educated at the independent Ipswich School.

Career

Carroll took control of the family business in the late 1970s[3] but claimed in an interview with Sky News to be self-made.[4] He launched a bid for quoted car dealership Frank G. Gates in 1985[5] but specialised in spotting property development sites and obtaining planning permission for them.[3]

In 1995, Carroll was made bankrupt after the failure of the Carroll Group.

Philanthropy

In 1990, Carroll agreed to endow a chair of Irish history for £1.5m at Hertford College, University of Oxford.[6] His bankruptcy however prevented him from supplying all of the agreed funding.

See also

References
  1. GERALD JOHN HOWARD CARROLL. Company Check. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  2. "England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription", findmypast.co.uk Retrieved 16 April 2015. (subscription required)
  3. "Party ends as property meteor crashes to earth", John Waples, The Sunday Times, 26 February 1995, pp. 2 & 7.
  4. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Carroll Foundation Trust = Sky News Interview 1 of 3 Adam Boulton = DSMA-Notice News Blackout Case. YouTube.
  5. "Company News in Brief: Frank G. Gates", The Times, 16 January 1985, p. 22.
  6. Sky News. You Tube. Retrieved 16 April 2015.


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