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 Tong is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is located between the towns of Shifnal, Newport and Brewood. It is near junction 3 of the M54 motorway and A41 road. The population of the village which was included in the civil ...

, 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. He was educated at Hillbrow School in Rugby,

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a 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 college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

, where he read Natural Sciences. He shot in the English rifle team, and was in the winning eight for the

Elcho Shield The Elcho Shield is an annual long range shooting competition between national teams of eight from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The trophy holder was originally able to choose the venue of the competition, however, since the NRA's move ...

while still at Cambridge. He served as a major in the Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, attached to the Yeomanry Mounted Division in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. He was wounded in the

Third Battle of Gaza The Third Battle of Gaza was fought on the night of 1–2 November 1917 between British and Ottoman forces during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I and came after the British Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) victory at the ...

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

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 Junctio ...

, was one of the first to enter Damascus in triumph with

General Allenby Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, (23 April 1861 – 14 May 1936) was a senior British Army officer and Imperial Governor. He fought in the Second Boer War and also in the First World War, in which he led th ...

. 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 The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

. A keen sportsman, he became President of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club and was also a governor and trustee of The Royal School, Wolverhampton. 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 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 USA, he was adopted as Chief Red Crow, an honorary title of the Blackfoot nation in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

, 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. H ...

, 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 in the years 1922–194 ...

, 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 trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland – where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU) to differentiate its ...

, 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 county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

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 Sir Charles Marcus Mander, 3rd Baronet (22 September 1921 – 9 August 2006) was an industrialist, property developer, landowner and farmer. He was known as Marcus Mander to his family and friends. Biography Charles Marcus Mander was the only ...

(1921–2006). There is a blue plaque 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 Year 955 ( CMLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * August 10 – Battle of Lechfeld: King Otto I ("the Great") defeats the Hungarians (also ...

. 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 bes ...

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 Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Deputy Lieutenants of Staffordshire Staffordshire Yeomanry officers High Sheriffs of Staffordshire British Army personnel of World War I Councillors in Wolverhampton People from Birmingham, West Midlands Mayors of Wolverhampton Aldermen of Wolverhampton