Henry Man was born in 1776 at Reading, Berkshire, the eldest son of John and Sarah (Baker) Man, and was baptized on 30 November 1776 at St. Mary the Virgin, Reading (shown right).  He married a widow, Harriet Dennett, on 28 January 1808 at St Mary's-at-Lambeth. Henry died in January 1819 at Chester Place, Kennington.  Henry and Harriet belong to Generation Four. It is not known if there were any surviving issue.

[References: Baptism - FHL Film# 1040614; marriage according to Dibdin; death Gentleman's Magazine 1819]

NOTES: In his 'Reminiscences: A Literary Life' Thomas Frognall Dibdin states that Henry died in 1810, however in the Gentleman's Magazine of January 1819 on page 94 there is the following notice: "/Jan/. ... In Chester-place, Kennington, Mr. Henry Man, wine-merchant, eldest son of John Man, esq. of Reading, author of a History of that borough."  We reckon the Dibdin date is a typographical error.  Dibdin further writes of Henry that; "In the month of January, 1808, I married him [Henry] to a widow with a small family, and he survived his marriage only a few years.  He had a fine manly spirit, with an affectionate heart, and had a sincere regard for me. He died prematurely of an erysipelas in the arm."  (The exact day of Henry's death is not given which is a bit odd).

From Henry's letters to George Cumberland we learn that Henry's wife seems to have been quite sickly and had a series of pregnancies that all ended in miscarriages. He lived for a time at St Mary at Hill, Harp Lane and St. Botolphs Gate as well as Chester Place.  He also seems to have assisted in the editing of the posthumously published 'Miscellaneous Works' of his uncle Henry Man.  The marriage license for Henry and Harriet at St Mary's-at-Lambeth has been found by Ed Man and reads as follows:

Henry Man, a Batchelor, of the Parish of St Margaret Pattens, London, and Harriet Dennett, Widow, of this Parish were married in the Church by License this 28th Day of January in the Year one Thousand eight Hundred and eight. By me, Tho Frognall Dibdin, Alternate Morning Preacher of Higher King Street Chapel. This Marriage was solemnized between us Henry Man Harriet Dennett. In the Presence of Thomas Campbell, Eliza Davies, Deborah Campbell, Maria Man, Edward Man.

Maria Man was Henry's sister, the Campbells were probably Harriet's parents and Edward Man was Henry's his first cousin.

Also found a burial record for a Henry Mann at St Mary, abode - Kings Bench, buried January 18, age 42.

Ed Man has pieced together the following about Henry Man:

* 5 Oct 1803 - Henry writes George C. and mentions that he has moved from Botolph Lane to Harp Lane Tower Street. (In his letter of 8th Aug 1810, he notes that George has sent him a letter to 39 Botolph Lane which he had left seven years ago.)
* Dibdin marries Edward Man and Georgiana Desborough at All Hallows Staining in Dec 1806.
* Dibdin, in his book, mentions marrying Henry to a widow in Jan 1808.
* 8 Apr 1808 - Henry acknowledges George's congratulations on his recent marriage. Though he writes from 1 St Mary Hill, he mentions that his dear Harriet has a spare bed at 20 Chester Place, Kennington.
* 23 Mar 1810 - Henry tells George that George's son [Sydney] was coming to dine with them on the Sunday past when he met Mr. E[dward] Man near Westminster Bridge who informed him of Henry's wife's miscarriage the preceding evening.
* 8 Oct 1810 - Henry tells George that his wife is confined for the sixth time with a miscarriage.
* 5 Apr 1817 - the last letter of Henry to George in the "Letters."

How did Edward Man know about Harriet Man's miscarriage so soon after it happened? Edward and Georgiana lived at 18 Chester Place from, at least, 1808 to 1825. Georgiana, herself, had miscarriages in 1809 and 1813, and had a daughter born in 1811 who only lived a month.  Must have been the air in Kennington.

Also found is an entry in the IGI for the baptism of a Henry Man on 25 Mar 1829 at St Leonards, Shoreditch, whose parents were Henry Man and Harriet. What makes this entry of particular interest is that it says that Henry was born on 25 Mar 1809.

Adam Sowan, in his introduction to the new edition of John Man's 'Stranger in Reading', notes that John's son Henry was importing liquors as early as 1793 in Reading.  Henry's uncle James Man was a major wine, sprits and commodities merchant in London and so James may well have helped his nephew Henry set up shop in Reading which Henry later carried on in London.  There are two references in the book "House of Man" (at the bottom of page 29 and the second paragraph on page 43) to a 'Little Harry Man.'  It has always been assumed that this Harry was Harry Stoe Man son of Henry Man, and nephew of James and John. This assumption has rested on the fact that on p.29, the reference to Harry appears after a poem by Henry Man father of Harry Stoe Man.  James Man had two nephews both named Harry, and the wine merchant mentioned in the book may in fact well refer to the Henry (Harry) from Reading, not Harry Stoe.
 

February 2006