A Baronet, Baritone and Bookwriter.
Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Sir Henry Machu Imbert Terry Bt KStJ FRSL JP DL
Sir Henry Machu Imbert-Terry
The Man Henry Machu Imbert-Terry was born on 28th June 1854, second son of Henri Imbert de la Terriere of Le Barbin, Viellevigne Loire Inferieure, and Challans, La Vendee France, a direct descendant of an ancient French family whose records went back to the days of the Knights Templars. Henry’s father anglicized his name to Henry Imbert-Terry upon moving to England and lived at 17 Chester Street, London . He died in 1884. Henry’s mother was Susanna, daughter of John Henry Machu of Norwood, Surrey. Henry was educated at Charterhouse entering the school in 1866 but was prevented from going up to Oxford owing to a serious illness. He was described as a brilliant speaker and organiser with a broad vision and commendable grasp of detail. He was a great lover of music and an actor possessing a good baritone voice having been trained by Manual Garcia. In 1878 he was employed as a musical critic with the Morning Post and as a young man still in his twenties directed an opera company which he took on tour in the provinces. In 1880 aged only 26 Henry was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature writing many books during his life and was a Member of the Council of the Royal Society of Literature, becoming its vice President in 1922 and Treasurer in 1931. His works included, The Royal Courtenays 1902, Nashe, Satirist, the Poetical Contemporaries of Chaucer, some Memorialists of the Restoration, Transaction of R.S.L., A Misjudged Monarch (Charles II) in 1917; followed by A Constitutional King (George I) and In spacious Times 1927,
Acid 1928 Doom 1929, Nightshade 1930, Clay 1931 and Weeds 1933 written when he was aged 79. He was considered at the time to be an acknowledged authority on the Stuart period. Henry married Lydia Moore Stringfield Roberts on 28th June 1883 aged 29 and they had two sons, Henry Bouhier, later a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Artillery, winner of the Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross and the second Bart and Frederic Bouhier, later a Captain in the Devonshire Regiment and also a winner of the Military Cross. Henry also became interested in politics early in life and was involved with the Conservative and Unionist party contesting seats for four -parliamentary elections, Barnstaple in 1882, West Devon 1885 and South Somersetshire in 1886 and 1892, winning none of them, but paving the way for subsequent victories by his successors. He also served as joint honorary secretary of the Devonshire Yeomanry and Equipment Fund for South Africa during the South African War. In the London Gazette of 4th March 1898 Henry was appointed as Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Devon following a Commission signed by the Lord Lieutenant and despite his lack of success at earlier elections, was appointed Chairman of the National Union of Conservative Associations a post he held from 1905-07 whereupon he became Chairman of the Associations Organisation Committee until 1917. His other interests and appointments at the time included being the founder and Chairman of the Junior Imperial League from 1906 until 1927 and in 1915 he was co-opted onto the Council of the Royal Patriotic Fund. Following the outbreak of World War 1 in August 1914, Henry was asked by Mr Andrew Bonar-Law the Chancellor of the Exchequer to organise the reception and welfare of Dominion troops on leave in the United Kingdom. This he did with great enthusiasm becoming Chairman of the Overseas Forces Reception Committee for the duration of the war and on 2nd July 1917 His Majesty the King conferred the dignity of Baronet upon Henry, the appointment appearing in the London Gazette of 17th August. On 22nd December 1917 aged 63 Sir Henry was appointed a Temporary Honorary Lieutenant Colonel on the Canadian General List without pay and allowances in his role as vice-chairman of the OFRC. In this capacity he visited France and was awarded the 1914-18 British war Medal. Sir Henry was also appointed as a Knight of Grace of the most Venerable Order of the Hospital of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and served as a Justice of the Peace. Lydia died in 1918 and on 30th June 1919 Sir Henry relinquished his honorary rank on the Canadian General List. In 1925 his portrait was painted and appeared in that years edition of the Royal Academy Illustrated, alongside that of his artist, R Anning Bell. Henry’s family seat was at Strete Ralegh, Whimple, Devonshire with a residence at 4 Down Street, Mayfair, London, telephone Grosvenor 1066 and his recreations were listed as shooting, music, arboriculture and literature.
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His clubs were St. Stephens (c.1900) Junior Carlton and the Athenaeum. Sir Henry died on Saturday 1st January 1938 aged 84 at Catisfield House, near Fareham, Hampshire, the residence of his son Lieutenant Colonel Henry Bouhier Imbert-Terry Bt DSO MC who survived him. His funeral took place on Tuesday 4th January at St. Mary’s, Whimple, near Exeter and he was buried in the family burial ground. A memorial service took place on Thursday January 15th St. James’s Piccadilly at which the Archdeacon of Hampstead officiated and many of his family and friends attended.
The Story The interesting set of medals awarded to Henry Machu Imbert-Terry were acquired on e-bay in April 2004. With the group came a lot of research which enabled a quite detailed biography to be compiled, although some additional information was obtained, Henry’s will for example. There are also a number of books written by Henry available from the internet which help to build up extra detail. Two queries that still remain with the group are, whether the Baronet’s Badge is the original, or a later copy. It would be imagined that the current Baronet still retains the original? Secondly the award of the Jubilee Medal 1935 and Coronation Medal 1937 could not be verified as no record of either could be found at The National Archives. The group has however been kept together as this is how they came, and as ever with medal research it is possible further evidence will be uncovered at a later time.
The Story The interesting set of medals awarded to Henry Machu Imbert-Terry were acquired on e-bay in April 2004. With the group came a lot of research which enabled a quite detailed biography to be compiled, although some additional information was obtained, Henry’s will for example. There are also a number of books written by Henry available from the internet which help to build up extra detail. Two queries that still remain with the group are, whether the Baronet’s Badge is the original, or a later copy. It would be imagined that the current Baronet still retains the original? Secondly the award of the Jubilee Medal 1935 and Coronation Medal 1937 could not be verified as no record of either could be found at The National Archives. The group has however been kept together as this is how they came, and as ever with medal research it is possible further evidence will be uncovered at a later time.
The Baronets' Badge
was created by Royal Warrant of George V, dated 13 April 1929. The relevant part of the text is as follows: "A shield of the Arms of Ulster on a silver field, viz. on a silver field a left hand Gules surmounted by an Imperial Crown enamelled in its proper colours the whole enclosed by an oval border embossed with gilt scrollwork having a design of roses, of shamrocks and of roses and thistles combined for those Baronets who were created Baronets of England, of Ireland and of Great Britain respectively and for all other Baronets other than Baronets of Scotland a design of roses, thistles and shamrocks combined such Badge to be suspended from an orange riband with a narrow edge of dark blue on both sides the total breadth of the riband to be one inch and three quarters and the breadth of each edge to be one quarter of an inch.
Manuel Patricio Rodríguez García(17 March 1805 – 1 July 1906),
was a Spanish singer, music educator, and vocal pedagogue. García was born on 17 March 1805 in the town of Zafra in Badajoz Province, Spain. His father was singer and teacher Manuel del Pópulo Vicente Rodriguez García (Manuel García I, 1775–1832). His sisters were María Felicia García Sitches (1808–1836) and Michelle Ferdinande Pauline García (1821–1910). After abandoning his onstage career as a baritone, García began to teach at the Paris Conservatory (1830–48) and the Royal Academy of Music, London (1848–95). Jessie Bond, Camille Everardi, Erminia Frezzolini, Jenny Lind, Mathilde Marchesi, Christina Nilsson, Julius Stockhausen, Marie Tempest, and Henry Wood were among his pupils. He invented a laryngoscope in 1854 and the next year published observations of his own larynx and vocal cords made with a small dental mirror introduced into the throat and using sunlight reflected by another mirror. García was interested in movements connected with the production of the singing voice and did not anticipate the importance of laryngoscopy for medicine. Still, the University of Königsberg conferred upon him the honorary degree of M.D. He died in London in 1906 at the age of 101 years and was buried in the churchyard of St. Edward's Catholic church in Sutton Green, Surrey. His grave gives details of his many famous pupils and accomplishments. On 22 November 1832 in Paris García married the operatic soprano Cécile Eugénie Mayer (Paris, 8 April 1814 – Paris, 12 August 1880). They had two sons and two daughters. Their son Gustave Garcia (1837–1925) was a singer, actor, and author of three books on vocal and stage techniques. Gustave's son, Alberto García (1875–1946), studied voice with his great aunt (Pauline Viardot), became a respected baritone, and produced an edition of his grandfather's treatise on singing (1924).
was created by Royal Warrant of George V, dated 13 April 1929. The relevant part of the text is as follows: "A shield of the Arms of Ulster on a silver field, viz. on a silver field a left hand Gules surmounted by an Imperial Crown enamelled in its proper colours the whole enclosed by an oval border embossed with gilt scrollwork having a design of roses, of shamrocks and of roses and thistles combined for those Baronets who were created Baronets of England, of Ireland and of Great Britain respectively and for all other Baronets other than Baronets of Scotland a design of roses, thistles and shamrocks combined such Badge to be suspended from an orange riband with a narrow edge of dark blue on both sides the total breadth of the riband to be one inch and three quarters and the breadth of each edge to be one quarter of an inch.
Manuel Patricio Rodríguez García(17 March 1805 – 1 July 1906),
was a Spanish singer, music educator, and vocal pedagogue. García was born on 17 March 1805 in the town of Zafra in Badajoz Province, Spain. His father was singer and teacher Manuel del Pópulo Vicente Rodriguez García (Manuel García I, 1775–1832). His sisters were María Felicia García Sitches (1808–1836) and Michelle Ferdinande Pauline García (1821–1910). After abandoning his onstage career as a baritone, García began to teach at the Paris Conservatory (1830–48) and the Royal Academy of Music, London (1848–95). Jessie Bond, Camille Everardi, Erminia Frezzolini, Jenny Lind, Mathilde Marchesi, Christina Nilsson, Julius Stockhausen, Marie Tempest, and Henry Wood were among his pupils. He invented a laryngoscope in 1854 and the next year published observations of his own larynx and vocal cords made with a small dental mirror introduced into the throat and using sunlight reflected by another mirror. García was interested in movements connected with the production of the singing voice and did not anticipate the importance of laryngoscopy for medicine. Still, the University of Königsberg conferred upon him the honorary degree of M.D. He died in London in 1906 at the age of 101 years and was buried in the churchyard of St. Edward's Catholic church in Sutton Green, Surrey. His grave gives details of his many famous pupils and accomplishments. On 22 November 1832 in Paris García married the operatic soprano Cécile Eugénie Mayer (Paris, 8 April 1814 – Paris, 12 August 1880). They had two sons and two daughters. Their son Gustave Garcia (1837–1925) was a singer, actor, and author of three books on vocal and stage techniques. Gustave's son, Alberto García (1875–1946), studied voice with his great aunt (Pauline Viardot), became a respected baritone, and produced an edition of his grandfather's treatise on singing (1924).
Medal Details
- Baronet Badge: Machu 1917
- Knight of Grace Order of St John: Unnamed as awarded.
- 1914-18 British War Medal: HON. LT.COL. SIR H.M.IMBERT-TERRY. BT.
- Coronation Medal 1911: H M IMBERT-TERRY JP DL 22ND JUNE 1911
- Jubilee Medal 1935: Unnamed as awarded.
- Coronation Medal 1935: Unnamed as awarded.
Page last updated 20 Feb 16