Frederick Henry Dumas (Bob) Man was born on 25 April 1861 at No. 10 The Crescent, Clapham Common, Surrey, the son of Frederick Man and Elizabeth Emily (Dumas) Man and was baptized on 17 July 1861 at Holy Trinity, Clapham Common North Side, Surrey.

Bob married Catherine Fenwick Wilson on 18 October 1887 at St Mary’s, Shortlands, Bromley, Kent.  Bob died on 21 April 1941 at Dunedin, Bath Road, Reading in Berkshire and was buried on 24 April.

Katherine was born in 1863 and died in March 1941.

Bob and Katherine belong to Generation Six; their children belong to Generation Seven and are:

1. MARJORY DESBOROUGH
2. DOROTHY WILSON
3. KATHERINE DUMAS
4. FREDERICK CECIL (ERIC)
5. OLIVE NANCY

[References: Bob’s birth and baptism – FHL batch # C058452; Source Call No. 0307720; Print out Call No. 6906161.] Bob appears with his entire family on the 1901 census which can be viewed HERE (<— PDF)]

NOTES: Frederick was known as ‘Bob’ Man and was the last partner of E. D. & F. Man to bear the family name.  He retired in 1934 as Co Partner and lived at Thames Lawn, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. According to the book ‘The House of Man’ (page 93 – 94) Bob Man was: ‘ …. an aggressive Liberal, who used to get into furious arguments with friends and business acquaintances, notably a Mr. Whitmore of J. Travers & Sons and a cocoa dealer, a Mr. Dear. These gentlemen were Tories. Bob’s bursts of temper were short-lived, however; and, we are told ‘an hour after the argument which had nearly come to blows, these friends would be seen walking arm-in arm.’  (The author gives no source for this information). Bob Man’s house, Thames Lawn (below), made a brief appearance in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as the house belonging to ‘M’.

Fredrick attended Charterhouse school in Godalming, Surrey, as this entry from the school’s registry of old Carthusians indicates:

Bob Man’s one page summary of the history and work of the company ED and F Man is below:

1. Our firm, one of the oldest in London and probably the oldest sugar and cocoa brokers in the world. Founded by my great-grandfather in 1783, we celebrate our 150th. year in 1933.
2. We are also the oldest customers of Lloyds Bank for over 100 years, where we enjoy a credit of 300,000 pounds. Our name spelt MAN is very distinct, and for many years we were the only one of that name in the London Directory, and is known throughout the world.
   

   FDH Man

3. Our credit is unique. We have received sugar from Natal worth some 800,000 pounds – no bills drawn against it and merely told to dispose of it as and when we thought fit, and when we had collected the money, to cable owners. This also applies to Trinidad, who constantly ship in goods, sugar, cocoa, etc., sometimes to over a million without any drawing on as.
4. We are sole Brokers to Admiralty and War Office for sugar and rum, and confidential advisers, for the past 67 years.
5. We work very hard; the telephone is switched on to one of the partners’ private house every night, and should the New York Sugar market vary ten points, we inform Liverpool, Glasgow, Bristol, Hull, etc., and frequently cable Mauritius up to 2. a.m.
6. A few weeks ago we sold 75,000 tons of sugar at 1.45 a.m. I believe we are the only firm to do this. We are on the most friendly terms with Messrs. Tate & Lyle, the biggest refiners; in fact, our old offices, where we have been for over 70 years, are to be pulled down, so we have located ourselves in offices adjoining Messrs. Tate & Lyle, and which they formerly occupied, and have a private telephone to them. We are genuine Brokers and not jobbers, and give no credit, always cash against documents.
7. We have a monopoly in the Rum market and probably do a larger business in cocoa than any other broker; we also deal in copra and palm kernels, etc.
8. In spite of the bad times we have gone through, our business continues to expand, and when the tide turns in sugar, which is now some 4 pounds a ton under cost of production, we expect an enormous business.
9. I am in my seventieth year and have to spend six months every year in South Africa owing to my wife’s health, which I have done for the last seven years – so I am no loss to the business, as I leave behind me a live wire.F.H.D. MAN.[This summary of the work of DF Man was written by Frederick Henry Dumas (Bob) Man in 1931 and was found among papers left by Hubert Man.]

Below the family on the 1901 Census:

Frederick’s probate record and notice of claims against his estate in the London Gazette are below: