San Francisco County
Biographies
BARCLAY
HENLEY, JR.
One of the veteran insurance men of San Francisco is Barclay Henley, Jr., who is vice president of the firm of Henley & Scott, representatives of many important insurance companies, with offices at 201 Sansome street.
Barclay Henley, Jr., was born in Santa Rosa, California, April 21, 1881. His father, Barclay Henley, was born in Richmond, Indiana, of English descent, the paternal line being traceable to ancestors who settled in America prior to the Revolutionary war. The Henleys were established in the Hoosier state many years ago. Barclay Henley, Sr., was reared and educated in Indiana, and about 1855 came to California. He was a capable lawyer and, having come directly to San Francisco, practiced his profession here until his death, which occurred when he was seventy-four years old. During the Cleveland administration, he served as a congressman for two terms. He was always active in political and civic affairs, and belonged to the San Francisco, the California State, and the American Bar Associations. His father, Thomas Jefferson Henley, was also a prominent figure in northern California history, having organized the Henley Bank Company in Sacramento. Ruth Harriett (Crane) Henley, the mother of Barclay Henley, Jr., was a native of Indiana, and was descended from English stock. Her family settled in Santa Rosa, California, in an early day, and there she was married to Mr. Henley, by whom she had two children, Gwinette and Barclay.
Barclay Henley, Jr., attended Boone’s preparatory school in Berkeley, also the University of California and Hastings College of Law. However, he never engaged in the practice of law. At the age of twenty-one, he became city agent for the British-American Insurance Company of Toronto, Canada, and so remained until 1906, when he became an independent insurance broker. In 1910, with H. H. Scott, he formed the insurance firm of Henley & Scott, which was incorporated, and he became vice president. This is now one of the leading companies in its field in San Francisco, and represents on the Pacific coast such powerful insurance organizations as the Western Assurance Company of Toronto, Canada; the Agricultural Insurance Company; Empire State Underwriters Department; the Standard Insurance Company of New York; the Tokio (sic) Marine & Fire Insurance Company, Limited, of Tokio (sic), Japan; the Nevada Fire Insurance Company of Reno, Nevada; the Pacific Underwriters; the Twin City Fire Insurance Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota; the Merchants and Manufacturers Fire Insurance Company of Newark, New Jersey; the Occidental Insurance Company of San Francisco; the Manhattan Underwriters Agency; the Western Underwriters Agency; and the Century Underwriters.
In San Francisco, February 14, 1906, occurred the marriage of Mr. Henley and Miss Jane Sandman. The latter was born in San Rafael, California, a daughter of John Sandman and member of one of Marin county’s pioneer families. Mr. and Mrs. Henley have two daughters, namely: Jane, born in San Francisco June 6, 1913; and Valenie, born in San Francisco, February 14, 1915. The family home is at 2817 Scott street.
Mr. Henley worships at the Episcopal Church. He has always maintained an independent position in politics, and has been most conscientious in his attitude toward local affairs of his residence city. He is a member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce; the Union Club; the St. Francis Yacht Club; and the Redwood Empire Golf Club. Golf, hunting and fishing have been his favorite recreations for years, and he indulges in these sports whenever opportunity offers. By his democratic, congenial and sincere manner of conducting himself among his fellows, he has gained a large circle of friends, as well as excellent success and prosperity in his chosen field of endeavor.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of
San Francisco 3 Vols”, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1931. Vol. 3 Pages 450-452.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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