Mac Henderson

{{short description|Scotland international rugby union player & businessman}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Mac Henderson

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = James McLaren Henderson

| birth_date = {{birth date|1907|05|01|df=y}}

| birth_place = Elphinstone, East Lothian, Scotland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|03|05|1907|05|01|df=yes}}

| death_place = Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland

| height =

| weight =

| position = No.8

| amatyears1 =

| amatyears2 =

| amatyears3 = 1928-31

| amatyears4 = 1931-33

| amatteam1 = Dunbar

| amatteam2 = Edinburgh Academicals

| amatteam3 = Waipukurau

| amatteam4 = Edinburgh Academicals

| amatteam5 = Haddington

| amatapps1 =

| amatpoints1 =

| ru_amupdate =

| years1 =

| apps1 =

| points1 =

| ru_clubupdate =

| provinceyears1 = 1932

| province1 = Edinburgh District

| provinceapps1 =

| provincepoints1 =

| repsevensyears1 =

| repsevenscomp1 =

| ru_sevensupdate =

| repteam1 = Scotland

| repyears1 = 1933

| repcaps1 = 3

| reppoints1 = 0

| ru_ntupdate =

| coachteams1 =

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}}

James McLaren Henderson (1 May 1907 – 5 March 2009), better known as Mac Henderson was a Scotland international rugby union player and then businessman, founding one of Edinburgh's most famous restaurants, Henderson's.{{cite web|author=ALASDAIR STEVEN |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/james_mac_henderson_1_1030408 |title=James 'Mac' Henderson - Obituaries |publisher=Scotsman.com |date=2009-03-18 |accessdate=2012-01-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193116/https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/james_mac_henderson_1_1030408 |archive-date=4 March 2016}}{{cite web|author=Alasdair Reid |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/scotland/5007439/Scottish-rugby-mourns-death-of-Mac-Henderson-aged-101.html |title=Scottish rugby mourns death of Mac Henderson aged 101 |publisher=Telegraph |date=2009-03-17 |accessdate=2012-01-29}}

Rugby Union career

=Amateur career=

Henderson was born in 1907 in Elphinstone, near Tranent and attended Edinburgh Academy. On leaving school her played for Dunbar but he then moved to Edinburgh where he played for Edinburgh Academicals.

A farmer by trade, Henderson also worked on New Zealand sheep stations. While in New Zealand he played rugby union for the Hawkes Bay side Waipukarau.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/player/4073.html|title=James McLaren Henderson|website=ESPN scrum}}

Before he could be selected to play for the provincial Hawkes Bay side, he unfortunately was moved to another sheep station. Henderson recalled: "An official said he would eat his hat if I wasn't selected for Hawke's Bay".

On his return to Scotland, he again played for Edinburgh Academicals.

He also played rugby union for Haddington.

=Provincial career=

He played for Edinburgh District in their inter-city match against Glasgow District on 3 December 1932. Edinburgh won the match 15 - 3.{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wKBAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dqUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3790,5231096|title=The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}

=International career=

He was capped three times by Scotland, all in 1933. Scotland won all 3 matches and secured the Triple Crown.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/4073.html|title=Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Mac Henderson - Test matches|website=ESPN scrum}}

His career in rugby came to an abrupt end after he received a serious ligament injury while on a tour with the Barbarians later that year.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/city_rugby_star_mac_henderson_made_vegetarian_food_his_game_1_1195463 |title=City rugby star Mac Henderson made vegetarian food his game - News |publisher=scotsman.com |date=2009-03-17 |accessdate=2012-01-29}}

Business career

=Farming=

Henderson had a farm in East Lothian.

In 1962, Henderson and his wife opened a farm shop in Edinburgh as an outlet for their produce.

=Restaurateur=

In 1963, they opened a vegetarian restaurant, Henderson's in Hanover Street in the centre of Edinburgh, "which has long since established itself as an institution in the city."{{cite web |url=http://www.hendersonsofedinburgh.co.uk/index.php |title=Vegetarian Restaurant Edinburgh Scotland UK |publisher=Hendersons Of Edinburgh |date= |accessdate=2012-01-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131083016/http://www.hendersonsofedinburgh.co.uk/index.php |archive-date=31 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}

Family

Henderson met Janet Millar, while playing tennis at a friend's home at Gullane. Millar was an architect's daughter and in 1932 the couple married in a society wedding in Troon. His wife had been told she could not have children, but she believed that a healthy, vegetarian diet would make her fertile. The couple went on to have seven children; five sons named Andrew, John, Peter, Nicholas and Oliver; two daughters, Sara and Catherine. At his death Henderson had 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

His brother Ian was also an international rugby player.

Legacy

On the occasion of his 100th birthday in 2007, Scottish Rugby held a lunch in honour of Henderson at Murrayfield Stadium. He was the first of Scotland's international players to become a centenarian.{{cite web |url=http://www.scottishrugby.org/aboutus/content/view/88/75/ |title=About us - MAC HENDERSON |publisher=Scottishrugby.org |date=2009-03-17 |accessdate=2012-01-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224154954/http://www.scottishrugby.org/aboutus/content/view/88/75/ |archivedate=24 February 2012 |df=dmy-all }}

He died on 5 March 2009 at the age of 101 as the longest-lived Test player in rugby union history.{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/player/4702.html |title=Ian Henderson | Rugby Union | Players and Officials | ESPN Scrum |publisher=Scrum.com |date= |accessdate=2012-01-29}}