Martha Wray


Martha Wray, was an English businessperson.

Career

She was the niece of the weaver Robert Turlington, who invented and sold the then famous medicine Balsam of Life from 1744. Turlington was working with William Wray, Martha's husband, to export the medicine to the American colonies by 1750.
Both men died in 1766, and Turlington left the business to his niece, Martha Wray, and his niece-in-law, Mary Sopp. Martha Wray invited her brother-in-law, Hilton Wray, to join the business in 1773. In 1774, Mary Sopp left the business to marry.
Martha Wray died in 1788, but Hilton Wray continued to run the business until 1804, when he filed for bankruptcy.

Personal life

She was married to William Wray until his death in 1766.

Legacy

She was one of the successful 18th-century businesswomen portrayed in the exhibition ‘’ in London 21 September18 October 2019.