Sir Charles Arthur Mander, 2nd Baronet JP, DL, TD (25 June 1884 – 25 January 1951) was a public servant, philanthropist, and manufacturer, as managing director of

Mander Brothers Mander Brothers was a major employer in the city of Wolverhampton, in the English Midlands, a progressive company founded in 1773. In the 19th century the firm became the number one manufacturers of varnishes, paints and later printing inks in th ...

, the family paint, varnish and inks business established in 1773.

Early life

Charles Arthur Mander, of Kilsall Hall, Tong, Shropshire, was the elder son of

Charles Tertius Mander Sir Charles Tertius Mander, 1st Baronet JP, DL, TD (16 July 1852 – 8 April 1929) was a Midland manufacturer (and as such Royal Warrant holder), philanthropist and public servant, of Wolverhampton, England. Biography Mander was the eldest s ...

, first baronet, by Mary Le Mesurier, daughter of Henry Nicholas Paint, a Member of the Dominion

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada () is the Canadian federalism, federal legislature of Canada. The Monarchy of Canada, Crown, along with two chambers: the Senate of Canada, Senate and the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons, form the Bicameral ...

. He was educated at Hillbrow School in Rugby,

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

, where he read Natural Sciences. He shot in the English rifle team, and was in the winning eight for the Elcho Shield while still at Cambridge. He served as a major in the

Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) The Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) was a mounted auxiliary unit of the British Army raised in 1794 to defend Great Britain from foreign invasion. It continued in service after the Napoleonic Wars, frequently being called out ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, attached to the Yeomanry Mounted Division in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. He was wounded in the Third Battle of Gaza at

Beersheba Beersheba ( / ; ), officially Be'er-Sheva, is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the centre of the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in Israel, the eighth-most p ...

in 1917, and following the decisive battle of

Megiddo Megiddo may refer to: Places and sites in Israel * Tel Megiddo, site of an ancient city in Israel's Jezreel valley * Megiddo Airport, a domestic airport in Israel * Megiddo church (Israel) * Megiddo, Israel, a kibbutz in Israel * Megiddo Juncti ...

, was one of the first to enter

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

in triumph with General Allenby. Extracts from his lively journals describing one of the last great cavalry campaigns were published in ''Varnished Leaves'' (2004).

Public life

He was one of the best known public men of his generation in the Midlands. After the war, he entered local government, standing as a Conservative member of Wolverhampton Council for 25 years, serving twice as Mayor of Wolverhampton in 1932-1933 and again in the Coronation year, 1936–1937. He promoted many social service, educational and welfare organisations, founding the Good Companions youth club at Horseley Fields. He was chairman of the Borough finance committee for a generation, an alderman, and was awarded the honorary freedom of the borough. A keen sportsman, he became President of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club and was also a governor and trustee of

The Royal School, Wolverhampton The Royal School, Wolverhampton is a co-educational free school and sixth form for day and boarding pupils in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is the only state school of its type in the UK to have a Royal Charter and it has been a f ...

. He served on over 65 committees and organisations at one time, was in demand as a public speaker on both sides of the Atlantic, chairing some of the first radio discussion programmes, notably 'Midland Parliament'. Among many positions, he was Chairman of the Industrial Advisory Council, Vice-chairman of the National Savings Committee, President of

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and p ...

for Britain and Ireland and President of the National Federation of Associated Paint, Colour and Varnish Manufacturers of the United Kingdom (1930-1). In the US, he was adopted as Chief Red Crow, an honorary title of the Blackfoot nation in

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, where he was to give the dedication address of the

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is the union of Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada and Glacier National Park in the United States. Both parks are declared Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO and their union as a World Heritage Site. ...

, the first national park to be dedicated to world peace, on 18 June 1932. In 1949 he caused a furore when he resigned from the presidency of the local Conservative party because he disagreed with post-war housing policy, in particular the town council's direct labour scheme for council housing.

Business career

He was an active industrialist, managing director of Mander Brothers when it was a progressive company in social reform, welfare matters and labour relations, and among many initiatives was the first company in Britain to introduce the 40-hour week through an historic agreement signed and mediated by

Ernest Bevin Ernest Bevin (9 March 1881 – 14 April 1951) was a British statesman, trade union leader and Labour Party politician. He co-founded and served as General Secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union from 1922 to 1940 and ...

, general secretary of the

Transport and General Workers' Union The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general union, general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland—where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU)—with 900 ...

, in September 1932. He succeeded his father as a director and then chairman of the prominent Queen Square Syndicate in Wolverhampton.

Family

He married in 1913 Monica, daughter of George Harding Neame, of

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

and London, by whom he had three children. He died suddenly in 1951, aged 66, when he was succeeded in the baronetcy by his only son, Charles Marcus Mander (1921–2006). There is a

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

commemorating his contribution to the city of Wolverhampton on the front of the Magistrates’ Courts.

References

Sources

* Sir Geoffrey Le Mesurier Mander (ed), ''The History of Mander Brothers'' (Wolverhampton, n.d. 955. Contains biographical chapter. *Nicholas Mander, ''Varnished Leaves: a biography of the Mander Family of Wolverhampton, 1750-1950'' (Owlpen Press, 2004) *Mosley, Charles, editor, ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage'', 107th edition, 3 volumes (Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 2, page 2589, sub Mander baronetcy of the Mount .K. cr. 1911. *‘Quaestor’ (W. Byford-Jones), ''I Met them in the Midlands'', Midland News Assn., 1937, pp. 42–7. Contains biographical chapter, with portrait by A. Arrowsmith, pp. 42–7. * Woods, Edward Sydney, Lord Bishop of Lichfield, ''Address delivered at the Memorial Service … for Charles Arthur Mander, second baronet'',

Curwen Press The Curwen Press was founded by the Reverend John Curwen in 1863 to publish sheet music for the "tonic sol-fa" system. The Press was based in Plaistow, Newham, east London, England, where Curwen was a pastor from 1844. The Curwen Press is best ...

rivately printed 1952. *Debrett, John, C. F. J. Hankinson, and Arthur G. M. Hesilrige. ''Debretts peerage, baronetage, knightage, and companionage ...: comprises information concerning persons bearing hereditary or courtesy titles, privy councillors, knights, companions of the various orders, and the collateral branches of all peers and baronets''. London: Odhams Press, 1947. *''Times'' obituary, 26 January 1951, page 8

External links

Brief history of the Mander familyMander family genealogyMander Brothers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mander, Charles Arthur 1884 births 1951 deaths People from Wolverhampton People educated at Eton College Military personnel from Wolverhampton Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Deputy lieutenants of Staffordshire 2 Charles Arthur Staffordshire Yeomanry officers High sheriffs of Staffordshire British Army personnel of World War I Councillors in Wolverhampton Politicians from Birmingham, West Midlands Mayors of Wolverhampton Aldermen of Wolverhampton Territorial Force officers