Alfred Yarrow

He lived in Greenwich, London for some years, occupying Woodlands House in Mycenae Road, Westcombe Park for some years from 1896. In 1899, Yarrow encouraged a young engineer who lived nearby in Greenwich, Alexander Duckham, to specialise in lubricants, leading to the establishment of the Duckhams oil company.

Created a baronet in 1916, Sir Alfred displayed extensive philanthropic tendencies throughout his later years, donating towards: a convalescent home on the Isle of Dogs for the benefit of children; residences for soldiers' widows in Hampstead Garden Suburb (the Barnett Homestead, Erskine Hill); a school, the Royal Merchant Navy College, in Berkshire; a home and hospital for children in Broadstairs, Kent; a scholarship at University College London; fellowships for research in natural science at Girton College, Cambridge; a gallery at Oundle School in Northamptonshire; and medical research at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, among other noble causes. He also left a bequest to the Institution of Civil Engineers.

His first wife, married in 1875, was Minnie Florence Franklin, daughter of Theodosia (née Balderson; daughter of Major G. R. Balderson) and Frank Franklin. Frank Franklin's family were Jewish emigrants from Germany. Yarrow's daughter Minnie Ethel Yarrow was invested as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE); she married on 18 December 1900 Dr Bertrand Dawson physician to King George V. The actor Damian Lewis is their great-grandson.

Yarrow married his second wife Eleanor Cecilia Barnes on 2 December 1922.

He was succeeded by his son Harold (1884–1962). His younger son, 2/Lt Eric Fernandez Yarrow (born 5 January 1895), was killed in action, aged 20, on 8 May 1915, whilst serving with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. In 1918, he donated an Art Gallery to Oundle School in Eric's memory which is known as the Yarrow Gallery. Son Norman Alfred Yarrow (10 July 1891 – 1956) ran Yarrows shipyards in Victoria, British Columbia.

Yarrow had two other daughters, Florence Yarrow (d. 8 March 1948) and Evelyn Yarrow (d. 13 January 1963).

He died on 24 January 1932 and is buried in Highgate Cemetery.