Varnished Leaves: a biography  of the Mander Family  of Wolverhampton

Introduction

For over two hundred years the Mander family has held a prominent position in Wolverhampton, both in the family business and public life. Manders was a major employer in the town and became one of the largest printing ink manufacturers in the country. Members of the family were involved in civic affairs and several of them became mayor or served as aldermen. The family was also well known for its public services and philanthropic acts.

The following article is divided into three sections. The first is a brief history of the family, the second is a preview of Nicholas Mander's new book, and the third consists of photographs of Sir Charles Tertius Mander's funeral.

		A Brief History of the Mander Family, by Nicholas Mander.
		A Preview of Nicholas Mander's new book: Varnished Leaves: a biography of the Mander Family  of Wolverhampton, 1742-1998.
		Photographs of the funeral of Sir Charles Tertius Mander, Bart.
		Sir Geoffrey Mander: The Last of the Midland Radicals, by Nicholas Mander.
		An Appreciation of Sir Charles Marcus Mander, by Bev Parker.
		The story of Mander Weaver and Company.
		Benjamin Mander and the Union Mill, by Bev Parker.

We must thank Sir Charles Nicholas Mander for his help in producing the articles. The brief description of the family is from Nicholas's website. The address is:

        http://www.owlpen.com

Sir Charles Nicholas Mander talking to members of the Wolverhampton History & Heritage Society during a visit to Owlpen Manor.

Sir Charles Nicholas Mander has lived with his wife Karin (who is Swedish) at Owlpen Manor since 1974. Since then they have restored the Tudor manor house, garden and outbuildings, and revived and extended the estate, giving it new life for the conditions of today. There is a highly rated inn, based on cottages and a restaurant, as well as traditional farming and forestry enterprises focussed on amenity and conservation.  Their family of 5 children are said to be the first to have been born and raised in the manor house since the early 18th century. Sir Charles Nicholas Mander was born in 1950 and educated at Downside and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was senior scholar. He was co-founder of Mander Portman Woodward, a group of independent tutorial colleges in London. He has worked in business in England and Spain, and helped set up a publishing company in Gloucestershire. He has taught and lectured widely, mainly on historical and art-historical subjects.

Nicholas's new book is a 'must' for anyone that's interested in the Mander family or Wolverhampton's past. The book is structured to treat the six Charles Manders in succession, up to, and including Nicholas himself. There are sideways glances at the history of the business, the property (particularly the Mander Centre and Perton Estate), the houses and art collections, philanthropic initiatives, the wives and occasionally children. There are chapters on the Wightwick Mander cadet line and Amy Mander, the Irish nationalist. There are 400 pages, making available a lot of original documents, and about 65 illustrations.

For details and purchasing information contact Nicholas Mander at: sales@owlpen.com.