Henry Menzies (*1802) and Caroline Maw (*1807)

When Henry was young, his father had to call on neighbours and friends to lend him £5 cash to pay the school fees. This made a great impression on Henry so that all his life time afterwards he took care never to be in the same fix himself (FHM). He left school at 13, but had learned to do bookkeeping and additions very well. He helped his father in business and soon did most of it. He learned himself speak french and spanish. He read a lot and amassed a broad knowledge.
At some point he convinced his father to lend him £300 and with it left for Venezuela. He spent there 10 years. There people drank a lot, and smoked, but Henry never did. He came back with £1500, having also paid off the loan from his father. (Later, he often took son John Henry on his knees to tell him about the years of hardship in Venezuela.)

As an adult, Henry was almost 6 ft tall, had fair hair, slightly curly, and blue-grey eyes. Henry also stammered and sometimes could not speak his own name. But he cured this with help, especially knowing he should speak with a low/deep voice, and he became a fine public speaker (FHM).
 

A friend of his brother-in-law William, Mr Matthew Gisborne, proposed to make a partnership to trade goods from Bombay in Manchester. Plans were drawn up in 1830 (see item from "The Baring Archive"). Henry was to be the Bombay partner. 
Henry went to Bombay, a place at a hilly coast with a good harbour and with still little in terms of buildings.
J.M.Gonsalves made at that time numerous drawings and prints (see images). One shows the bay (of Bombay) from Mazagon Hill, the other shows the Government House (residence of the Governor). Henry spent three years in India and earned in those years £30,000.  [Likely, he also traded privately on the side, as many did.]  Son John Henry recalls hearing about many an adventure of his father in India (see FHM).
In 1842 the company was dissolved (London Gazette in 1843; news travelled slow by boat at that time). Henry left business all together.

Caroline was the one but youngest daughter of John Henry Maw from Yorkshire. At the age of seven, she was sent to school in London.

Henry and Caroline married in 1835.
Children: 1837 Mary, 1839 John Henry (named after his mothers father), 1841 William, 1843 Stephen (after the famed Stephen Stovin of Carolines ancestry), 1845 Elisabeth (Bessie; she later followed John Henry to NZ), 1849 Mary Caroline, 1873 Ernest William.

Census data show that Henry and Caroline lived in 1841 in Eccles near Manchester. In about 1845, they moved to Bowden, near Manchester. Henry worked here for Mr. McDugal for £500 per year. Then he purchased a farm called "Ringway Outwood", Cheshire, near Birmingham. The house had three stories and was built of red brick. Son John Henry Menzies made a drawing of "Ringway Outwood" (at right, from FHM, p.31). On this farm it became clear that son John Henry had a knack of handling farm animals.

The children were educated by a succession of governesses, but later Henry and Caroline did the teaching themselves. 
Son John Henry remembers that  father was most excitable and hot tempered. However, Caroline took mostly care of bringing up the children. She was very strict on religious matters. She had a powerful deep toned sweet voice, well trained. The family had a piano on which Caroline played, but only sacred songs. One went to church (Ringway Chapel; see picture) every Sunday, first the church service and then for the children Sunday school. When done they would come thundering out on their clogs. On Sunday evening young John Henry often had to recite a chapter of the old testament, and it had to be flawless.

Henry (FHM p.42) stood very upright, was dressed always in the same way, a black frock coat, grey trousers, Oxford shoes, white socks, and black tie, tied several times round his throat, and upright collars, rather low down. His shirts beautifully hemmed ... never fitted him, and he could never shave himself without cutting his chin all over. .... His hair was not grey but perfectly white. He had lots of beautiful white curly hair, this altogether gave him a striking appearance, for he did not look old, he always looked a strong man, full of life and energy. He did just what he did... he went neither right ... nor left, saw nothing, but went on right before him. .... He always kept his word with us for good or bad. He often woke up at night, shouting.
Caroline often told stories, many about her family and ancestry, also many tales of Lincolnshire folk lore. She would draw sketches along to explain things better, but mix them up with biblical texts and stories.

In 1851 census data show they lived in Baguley, Cheshire, in 1861 in Woodchurch, Cheshire.

Henry told his son John Henry, after he had a few job experiences, that he might go to New Zealand and be a farmer. John Henry then should collect farming experience, which he did in England.

Caroline died in 1868 in Ormskirk (Lanc.).
In 1871 Henry lived in 8 Church Street, Holy Trinity, North Meols, Southport (Lanc.), "Retired East India merchant". He died in 1873 in Prescot (Lanc.).

FHM: "Family History" by J.H.Menzies (*1839), illustrated with numerous drawings by himself. The book gives the ancestry and history up to 1877. Republished in 2003, ISBN 1-877242-26-8
The information above (except the pictures) is extracted from FHM and was supplemented (and in part corrected) with information from sources as indicated.
The photos of Henry Menzies and Caroline Maw were taken from FMR, "Recollections of Frances Butler Menzies", ISBN 1-877242-27-6.

Back to the genealogy of HM and CM.

(2017.04.18)   as431m.html   original 2013.10.10