13, Mauldeth Road, Withington ........ another story by Tony Goulding

I have spent some time recently, waiting for a 25 bus back to Barlow Moor Road, at a bus stop directly opposite this impressive looking house. 

13, Mauldeth Road, 2022 

Over time I became curious to discover the house's former residents. The rate book records indicate that the house was built in 1878-9. During its first decade it was occupied by a succession of short-term tenants. 

Robert Charles Cumming moved in first sometime in 1879. He was a bank manager for the District Bank, born in Berhampore, West Bengal, India, and lived in the house then known as “North Beaumont Bank” with his much younger (by 17 years) brother Edward W. an architect’s clerk who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and two servants. 

The Cumming’s left in August, 1882. Robert Charles, to Stafford, Staffordshire, after he had married his first wife Mary (née Rae) on the 15th March, 1882 at Christ Church, Southport, Lancashire. 

Sadly, Mary died on the 6th April, 1883 shortly after the birth of the couple’s first child, a daughter, Mabelle Mary. On the 5th July, 1886, Robert Charles, re-married the Singapore-born, resident of Edinburgh, Scotland and extravagantly named Margaret Elizabeth Newbigging Duff at 35, Mayfield Gardens, Edinburgh. With Margaret Elizabeth, Robert Charles had 6 more children, although, tragically, the last-born of the six, a daughter, Brenda Margaret died in Stafford in the December quarter of 1903 when just 8-years-old.

Initially, in retirement the couple returned to their native city, Edinburgh; the 1911 census records them with two of their daughters at 14, Blackford Avenue, Morningside, Edinburgh. However, they both later returned to England. Margaret Elizabeth died first in the Edmonton district of London in the September quarter of 1919 and was followed by Robert Charles on the 27th March, 1927 at 12, Vivian Avenue, West Hill, Wembley, London. He left in his will a modest sum of £254-10s –0d to his daughter Constance Elizabeth Cumming.

The next occupier, of the house, shown in the rate books is Thomas Fletcher Waters who resided there between 1885 and 1889. He was a stockbroker born in Elizabeth Street in the St Luke’s Parish, Cheetham, Manchester on the 2nd June, 1855. His parents were James, a tent merchant, and Elizabeth (née Fletcher). 

On the 8th April, 1885, at St. Paul’s Church, Withington. Thomas Fletcher, married Margaret Ellen Rylance, the daughter of the late William Rylance, a chemist, and Ellen (née Warburton) of Whitefield, Lancashire. The couple moved from Mauldeth Road in 1888 first to 198, Wilmslow Road (William Rylance’s old home) then to 1, Westfield, Singleton Road, Broughton, Salford. Thomas Fletcher was able to retire at the age of 45 and moved to the Isle of Man with his young family (his four youngest children, of five surviving of eight born). He died in the Isle of Man in April, 1929 and was buried in Onchan, Isle of Man on the 28th April, 1929.

Unlike the previous decade the 1890s saw only one household in residence at 13, Mauldeth Road, the Toller family. In the census of 1891, the head of the household was recorded as Thomas Northcote Toller (the rate book of April 1890 also refers to him as the occupier). The household also included his wife Edith and his step daughter Sophie Katherine Romilly and three servants. Thomas Northcote was a professor of English; indeed, he was the first professor of that subject when the Manchester University was established, in 1880, from its previous incarnation as Owens Park. Thomas was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire on the 1st September, 1844. His father, Joseph, was a bookseller and printer with a shop in the Market Place, Kettering at the 1871 census. Professor Toller’s namesakes, uncle and grandfather, both served as pastors of the Congregational Church in the town. The pair’s combined ministry amounted to over a century of service.  Professor Toller and Edith (née Rathbone) were married in the Toxteth Park area of Liverpool on the 2nd November, 1889. Edith Rathbone (1) was the daughter of Benson Rathbone, a very wealthy cotton broker in Liverpool. She had previously been married, until his death in 1886, to The Hon. Henry Romilly the third son of Lord Romilly, a member of parliament who attained high office in both Government and the judiciary, as attorney-General and later as the Master of the Rolls.

The Cloisters, Ullet Road Unitarian church

Lord Romilly

Around the time of his father’s death in April, 1903 Thomas Northcote Toller resigned his professorship. In his retirement (2) he lived at Lansdowne House, Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester. He died there on the 2nd March, 1930, his wife, Edith, died on 18th December, 1935.

Pictures: - 13, Mauldeth Road, 2022 from collection of Tony Goulding. Benson Rathbone memorial- Copyright © 2013 of the 'Friends of Liverpool Monuments', unless otherwise quoted. 

 Material & images can be used for non-profit making purposes. Lord Romilly in Public Domain: - Engraving by R. Taylor and E. Taylor, after Thomas Dewell Scott

Notes: -

1)  Edith Rathbone’s maternal grandfather was Robert     Hyde Greg the owner of Quarry Bank Mill and a one-time Member of Parliament for Manchester.

2)  The Toller’s remained on Mauldeth Road until at least   December, 1904 when Sophie Katherine died (sadly at only 25-years-old) on the 8th December. Her not insubstantial fortunate can be assessed by her estate valued at £13,006-17s- 9d. (Equivalent to £1,104,232 at today’s prices)