Manning was born into the socially prominent Manning and Suttor families who were influential in the legal, business and pastoral activities of early New South Wales. He was the fourth of 13 children of Caroline Elizabeth Mary and John Edye Manning. His mother was the daughter of William Henry Suttor and Charlotte Augusta Ann Francis. Suttor was a wealthy pastoralist and politician who owned the property Brucedale in Bathurst, New South Wales, where Caroline spent her childhood. His father, a merchant, was the son of John Edye Manning and Fanny Elizabeth Manning and the grandson of John Edye Manning who was the Registrar of the New South Wales Supreme Court. His parents were married in 1859 and had six boys and seven girls. Manning was born at Merioola at Edgecliff, his paternal grandparent's home, that was built in 1859. The Victorian mid-century mansion later became famous as an artists' colony before being demolished for suburban subdivision. Manning's maternal grandfather died in 1877 and in accordance with his will Willandra at Ryde, was bought for his mother and held for her in trust. This became the Manning family home until 1894. Willandra, which still stands, was described at the time as "a most comfortable family residence, overlooking the Parramatta River within a mile of the railway and steamer. Contains 18 lofty and spacious rooms, outoffices, stables etc. Water and gas laid on. Tennis lawns, fruit and flower gardens. John Edye Manning became involved in a sensational divorce case where he was named as the co-respondent. He was found guilty and was ordered by the Court to pay 2000 pounds. The case was reported widely in newspapers in March 1894. Manning's family left Australia for England. The United Kingdom Census of 1901 shows that John and Caroline and their five youngest children were living at 28 London Road, Reigate, a market town in Surrey. John Edye Manning died at Reigate in 1909 and Caroline Manning died twelve years later in 1921 in Kensington aged 79 years. Manning remained in Sydney and in that year he married Mary Constance Salter.
Education
New South Wales
By 1871 the Manning family were renting a substantial Victorian Rustic Gothic style stone house, Clifton Villa, in Balmain. Manning was enrolled at Sydney Grammar School in October 1876 but left the school less than twelve months later, in June 1877. He then attended a local denominational school. On 1 October 1878, aged 12, Manning commenced education at Newington College in Newington House on the Parramatta River at Silverwater, New South Wales. The school was a short trip up river from the new Manning family domicile of Willandra at Ryde. The Rev. Joseph Horner Fletcher was the Principal and Joseph Coates was the Head Master. Manning was placed in the 3rd Form. In 1880, with the move of Newington College to Stanmore, he was placed in the Lower Sixth Form. He passed the University Junior Examination in 1880 and again in 1881. In 1882 he passed the University Senior Examinarion and left Newington at the end of that year. The Senior Examination was held by the University of Sydney on behalf of the New South Wales Government but was not a matriculation exam.
Tasmania
From 1859 until 1889 the Tasmanian Council of Education held annual examinations for the Degree of Associate of Arts and awarded scholarships to enable students to study at a university in the United Kingdom. The Manning family had extensive interests in northern Tasmania and in 1883 Manning attended Launceston Grammar School and sat for the Tasmanian exam. He took the Associate Degree in December 1883 and was awarded the first mathematical prizes at the same examination.
Manning was admitted as a member of the New South Wales Bar in August 1889 and in March 1890 he was appointed as clerk associate to his uncle His Honour Mr JusticeCharles James Manning. On 24 September 1903, Manning was appointed as a Crown Prosecutor in Dubbo. On returning to Sydney Manning, and his wife and three children, resided at Wandeen at 29 Rangers Road, Neutral Bay. He was a member of the Council of the New South Wales Bar Association from 1912 until 1933. Manning maintained chambers in Sydney until 1940 with his last appearance before the High Court of Australia being in August 1938.
Death
He died at his flat in Inverness, 4 Birriga Road, Bellevue Hill. His wife and only daughter had predeceased him and he was survived by his sons, Reginald Lance Manning, a solicitor of Narrabri, New South Wales, and Neville Horace Manning, a wool broker of Sydney, New South Wales.
