McManus 168

John Henderson was, for many years, the National Bank of Scotland’s agent in Dundee and, it is reasonable to suppose, was the prime mover behind the donation of £250 made by the bank in addition to his personal subscription to the Albert Institute. It was noted after his death that he “took an active interest in promoting many benevolent and charitable institutions.”^[31]

John Henderson was born in Edinburgh, c.1810,^[3] and it would appear that he was with the bank from a very early age.^[31] He had joined the bank in 1826, the year after it was formed in Edinburgh.^[32] He was very soon promoted to accountant, appearing as such in the 1834 directory.^[33] He became branch agent, c.1853,^[8] succeeding P. H. Thoms and becoming the senior bank agent on the resignation of Duncan Sidey.^[13] He was listed as Bank Agent in each census from 1861 to 1881. Throughout his career, he was with the Dundee branch except for a few years in Montrose, c.1850. It was during his tenure that the bank moved into its handsome new premises at the north-east corner of Reform Street, on the corner of Albert Square. The new bank was designed by City Architect, William Scott,^[34] and it is likely that Henderson would have had an important role in the design process, as local representative of the client. The site was purchased in 1854^[34] and completed by 1856.^[9] Like a number of the subscribers John lived and worked adjacent to the proposed site for the Albert Institute and was no doubt keen to see the area improved from its somewhat run-down appearance of the early 1860s.

The first local recorded entry for the Henderson family appeared in the 1851 census. They were living in High Street, Montrose. John was 41 and his wife was Catherine Ritchie (b.c.1818 in Kilspindie, Perthshire). The couple have four children at this point: Margaret (b.1843), John (b.1846), William (b.1849) and Catherine (b.1850).^[1]

By 1861, the family had moved to Dundee and were living at 18 Meadowside Road.^[3][35] The family had grown with the addition of four more children: Isabella (b.1853), James (b.1854), Thomas (b.1856) and Ebenezer (b.1860).^[3] By 1871, they were living in Albert Square in the Bank House which is next door to the building now occupied by The Counting House.^[4]

Mr. Henderson served on a number of important Dundee bodies. In the case of Dundee High School and the Morgan Hospital this was in company with his old mentor at the National Bank of Scotland, P.H. Thoms, and subsequently his son, T.W. Thoms.^[10]

On the failure of the Bank of Glasgow in 1878, his liability as a trustee of an estate that held a large amount of its stock resulted in the loss of the greater part of his means. Much sympathy was felt for him.^[13] In 1881, only John and his youngest son Ebenezer were listed at 1 Albert Square.^[36] His son, John junior, who was an insurance agent and clerk, was also at this address during the latter part of his father’s life.^[25] After his retiral in 1883, due to ill heath,^[13] John moved to Crescent House,^[37] which had been the home of his old boss, P.H. Thoms, many years before. John Henderson died on 18 October 1886 of “Brain Softening.”^[12] Catherine lived until 1899.^[38]

Ebenezer Henderson went on to become a solicitor and was married to Elizabeth Melville Henderson. He died of appendicitis in 1903 at Crescent House, Windsor Street, aged 43.^[39]

The National Bank of Scotland was bought by Lloyds Bank in 1918 but continued to trade independently until it merged with the Commercial Bank of Scotland in 1959 to form the National and Commercial Bank. In 1969, it became part of The Royal Bank of Scotland.^[32] The building is now The Counting House – part of the Wetherspoon chain of pubs.^[40]