Sir Geoffrey Mander, Liberal MP for Wolverhampton East 1929 – 45
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LAST OF THE MIdlAND RADICALS SIR GEOFFREY MANDER, LIBERAL MP FOR WOLVERHAMPTON EAST 1929 – 45 Geoffrey Mander (1882–1962) was the last in the line of Black Country nonconformist radical politicians; as his onituary put it, ‘he was supremely a man of causes’. He held his parliamentary seat in Wolverhampton East for the Liberal Party against all comers from 1929 until 1945. His cousin, Nicholas Mander, recounts his career as a Liberal MP, industrialist, art collector and Geoffrey Mander philanthropist. (188–16) 6 Journal of Liberal History 53 Winter 2006–07 LAST OF THE MIdlAND RADICALS SIR GEOFFREY MANDER, LIBERAL MP FOR WOLVERHAMPTON EAST 1929 – 45 IR GEOFFREY Le Wolverhampton a durable clus- From a endowments, a test case which Mesurier Mander ter of businesses as manufactur- was heard by Lord Chancel- (1882–1962) 1 was a ers of chemicals, gas, japanware noncon- lor Eldon and was to lead to an Midland industrial- and (mostly successfully) var- act of parliament by 1844. In ist, an art collector nish, paint and printing ink. By formist 1817, Charles Mander rode to Sand impassioned parliamentar- 1827 they already operated ‘one London to petition the Home ian, the Liberal specialist on for- of the largest chemical elabora- and radi- Secretary, Sidmouth, for the eign policy between the wars. tories in the kingdom’, trading cal back- reprieve of two innocent sol- From a nonconformist and radi- from China and the East Indies diers condemned to death for cal background, he held a strong to the Americas. As the busi- ground, stealing a shilling coin. It was patrician sense of public service ness prospered with the Indus- a romantic incident which and philanthropy. As a politician trial Revolution, they became Mander appealed to the imagination he spoke up as an anti-appeaser established as the varnish of contemporaries and became and a crusader for the League of kings of the Empire, and were held a the inspiration of a forgotten Nations between the wars. He given the means and leisure to strong Methodist novel by Samuel made a reputation as an oppo- become active and progressive Warren.3 It led, with the help of sitionist, for his determined use philanthropists. patrician Samuel Romilly in Parliament of parliamentary questions; a In the early nineteenth cen- (the Manders’ first counsel in gadfly who never spared to wing tury, they campaigned against sense of their litigation), to the repeal into the attack whenever sloppy the slave trade, lobbied for the of the Blood Money Act (1818), thinking and deceit threatened reform of the criminal code, public ‘one of the worst acts ever to to obscure the issues of the day. and set up a union mill to pro- service disgrace the Statute Book’. The He represented Wolverhampton vide cheap flour and bread in family founded chapels, foun- East from May 1929 until the the difficult aftermath of the and philan- tains, free libraries and schools, 1945 Labour landslide. Napoleonic Wars. Four Man- and became progressive may- Geoffrey Mander came ders at the same time were thropy. ors, filling nearly every public from a strong Liberal tradition. Town Commissioners in Geor- office in the county. Geoffrey’s The Mander family were in gian Wolverhampton. They younger brother, the Holly- the vanguard of the Industrial pursued a twenty-two-year wood actor and novelist Miles Revolution in the Midlands.2 chancery suit for the protection Mander (who married an From 1773 they established in of nonconformist chapels and Indian princess), summarised Journal of Liberal History 53 Winter 2006–07 7 LAST OF THE miDLAND RADICALS the background, writing ‘to 1895, he was offered the Mid- measures at odds with his back- [his] son in confidence’ (1934): Worcester seat in parliament. ground and private interests.6 William Woodings of the Mid- The Manders have nobly vin- land Liberal Federation wrote Like most members of the fam- dicated themselves. At the time to him: ‘Your name would be ily, he became a magistrate, in of writing, they have produced well known and you have almost his case at the age of twenty- one baronet, one Member a local connection … The con- four, and in due course Chair- of Parliament, High Sheriffs, stituency is Liberal in tendency man of the Bench, serving for Deputy Lieutenants and several and is not difficult to work.’ He fifty years. By the time of the of the lesser municipal digni- was still committed to munici- Kingswinford by-election in taries such as Mayors, Magis- pal affairs, however, and did not 1905, the press was describing trates and Councillors. In fact, live long enough to contest the him as ‘a Liberal member of a we are quite obviously worthy seat. He was a successful Mayor distinguished local Conserva- people … Your Canadian great- of Wolverhampton at the turn of tive family’. He supported the grandfather was in the Ottawa the century, but died in office in Labour candidate for West Wol- Parliament, your grandfather, 1901, following an operation on verhampton in the 1906 elec- Theodore, was one of the his kitchen table. He was aged tion against a family friend, Sir most prominent Liberals of his just forty-seven. Alfred Hickman. As he wrote day, your Uncle Geoffrey is at Geoffrey was sixteen and later: ‘My action caused great present a Liberal Member, and still at Harrow at the time of his indignation in Conservative cir- I am hoping to be in the House father’s death. His mother Flora cles in the neighbourhood and I shortly myself.4 died soon after, in 1905, leav- found myself cut in the hunting ing him to assume the responsi- field by some of them.’ His sec- Geoffrey Mander was the eld- bilities of his father’s estate early. ond wife Rosalie described how, est son of Theodore Mander He was a prickly, cross-grained like many radicals who refused (1853–1900), a Gladstonian Lib- youth, described by the pater- to conform to the conventions eral and strict Congregation- familias, his father’s cousin, the of the ‘county’ pattern, he was alist. Theodore married Flora staunch Tory Sir Charles Tertius looked upon askance by many Paint, a Canadian from Nova Mander, as ‘an impossible young families. This attitude only Scotia of Guernsey extraction cub … It is time we brought changed after the Second World (from whose forebears Geof- him up with a round turn … he War, ‘both because party bit- frey derived his second name), is very self opinionated, has no terness in general had died out whose father was himself, as judgment or tact & is much too and because Geoffrey Mander’s Miles states, MP for Richmond big for his boots, & has been ever sincerity and his devotion to the county in the Dominion Parlia- since his father died.’ causes in which he believed won ment in the 1880s. Theodore was He went up to Trinity, Cam- respect all round’: a man of refined tastes and sym- bridge, where he followed fam- pathies, a collection of whose ily tradition by reading Natural A tolerant ‘man of goodwill’ diaries and letters was published Sciences. At Cambridge, he soon himself, who never spoke or in 1993 as A Very Private Herit- continued in the mould of pub- acted out of malice or spite, he age.5 He is remembered today lic service, now with a radical was glad of this development as the builder of Wightwick slant. He joined the Union and and appreciated being invited Manor (1887–93), a half-tim- the University Liberal League, to social functions in the neigh- bered aesthetic house of exqui- and ‘a thing called the Cam- bourhood – more perhaps than site craftsmanship and detailing, bridge University Association he enjoyed attending them. with outstanding William Mor- for promoting Social Settle- ris furnishings and Pre-Rapha- ments. I have not the remotest ‘The Man- He cut his teeth as a Liberal elite collections. idea what it’s about, but I hope member of the Wolverhampton Theodore in own his day was it’s not socialism.’ He founded a ders have Borough Council (1911–20). He known as a Liberal and a phi- dining and debating club called nobly vin- shocked the councillors, show- lanthropist. As a young man, ‘The Dabblers’. As Stephen Pon- ing a foretaste of later interests, he was active in public life in der writes: dicated when he proposed a minimum the arts and education and was wage of 23s. for all municipal one of the founding benefactors From an early age he had a themselves employees. of Mansfield College, Oxford, strong sense of social responsi- He was High Sheriff of Staf- which was the first nonconform- bility and interest in public life … we are fordshire in 1921. He again cre- ist college in the university. He … He was typical of a particular quite obvi- ated a stir when he proposed a described Henry Fowler, first sort of English radical, a man woman as his successor, Lady Viscount Wolverhampton, as of wealth and position who ously wor- Joan Legge, daughter of Lord ‘his political mentor’, chairing devoted himself to public serv- Dartmouth. The Privy Council his election committee. In June ice, supporting and proposing thy people.’ wrote to her father to inquire 8 Journal of Liberal History 53 Winter 2006–07 LAST OF THE miDLAND RADICALS whether she had the necessary Along with and rousing shocking laughter. to speak out against the dictators. property qualifications, and she No good a Chamberlain using He tabled the International Eco- was not appointed. But he did Churchill, the iron hand from Birming- nomic Sanctions (Enabling) Bill secure the selection of the first ham.