Henry Barkworth was the grandson of John and Elizabeth Barkworth. He was born in 1822 and married Catherine Hester Smith in 1858. They had five children: Edmund, Evelyn, Algernon, Violet and George who died at the age of two.Catherine was born in Carranore in India. She was the daughter of Edmund and Hester Smith of North Ferriby. Her father worked for the East India Company and was out there working when Catherine was born. He later became a banker.
The family lived at Tranby House for longer than anyone else, over fifty years. After Henry died, in 1893, Catherine continued to live at Tranby with her son, Algernon, and her daughter, Evelyn.
Henry managed the timber firm of Barkworth and Spaldin until 1888 when it was taken over and by Thorpe, Balfour and Harrison (though it continued to trade as Barkworth & Spaldin for several years).
He was also the first of the family to style himself as a farmer. The family owned the land on the east side of Heads Lane, Hessle and also a farm at Swanland called Easonby which is still working.