Companies owned by him or his eldest son are predecessors to the New Zealand agricultural supply business PGG Wrightson.

The family lived in Greenwich, and Henry and his brother Frederic were sent to Christ's Hospital in Horsham in West Sussex for their education.

[1] Leaving England in July 1850 it arrived in Auckland on 10 October[3] in Wellington on 23 November[4] and Lyttelton on 15 December, only one day before the first two of the First Four Ships.

[11][12] The cousins bought TS1049 (town section) on Oxford Terrace in central Christchurch on 1 August 1851 where they established another store.

In February 1855, Le Cren went into partnership with Edward Hargreaves, and they purchased the Market Place store from Swinbourne.

When the supply system had become reliable in 1858, his wife moved from Lyttelton to Timaru with their first three children;[1] at the time, there were 16 people living in the vicinity.

[22] Le Cren was a benefactor of the Anglican St Mary's Church, which was built in 1861, just in time for their fourth child.

[1] Discussions were held in Timaru about South Canterbury breaking away from the Canterbury Province over the financial burden that the Lyttelton Rail Tunnel, and that it might even prevent Timaru from being declared a port city, as the provincial council may want to see goods shipped by railway to gain income for the tunnel project.

[1][27] Le Cren sold his business interests in Timaru to Miles and Company[note 1] in 1866 but he remained manager for a while.

He held sheep stations at Simon's Pass near Lake Pukaki, Peel Forest, and Otaio.

[30] National Mortgage & Agency was financed by Scottish investors and the crash brought about a slump in business for Le Cren.

[1] Le Cren returned to Timaru by late 1882, having bought in January 1881[31] a substantial house on the outskirts of town built in 1875 by surveyor Henry Sealy (1838–1925).

[34] The Timaru Herald's obituary described him:[27] The deceased gentleman will be remembered by the older generation of settlers here as a shrewd but upright and able business man...