While Edith
Annie Toogood was neither born in Loughborough nor lived in Loughborough, she
was nevertheless a frequent visitor to the town.
Edith was
born on 12 April 1878 in Leicester, to parents Charles Toogood and his wife
Matilda (neé Lowe). Charles Toogood had been born in Horninglow, in
Staffordshire, in 1849, to parents Edward, a 32-year-old sailmaker, and his
wife Selina (neé Soars) aged 30, who had both been born in Nottingham around
1815, and who married in 1840 at St Modwen in Burton on Trent.
By 1869,
Charles Toogood was employed by a railway company, and in 1871 he was lodging
in Leicester, and working at the parcels desk, presumably at the Campbell
Street Station. In 1874, in Barrow-on-Soar, Charles married Matilda Lowe who
was born in 1845, in Queniborough, to parents John and Ann: John was born in
Cossington, Ann in Barrow, both in the mid-1790s.
Charles and
Matilda’s son, George, was born in 1876, followed by Edith Annie in 1878, but the
following year, Charles’s mother, Selina died in Sawley, and Edward, Charles’s
father, continued to live on Church Street, Sawley. In 1881, Charles and his
family were living at 109 Tachbrook Road, Leamington Spa, where Charles was the
stationmaster. In 1883, another daughter, Florence, was born, and the following
year, Charles’s father, Edward died.
By 1901, the
Toogoods had moved to Ambleside, near Lake Windemere, where they were living at
Station House (between Church Street and High Street) as Charles was the railway
station master. Edith is the only offspring to be listed with her parents on
the 1901 census, but it wasn’t long before she left home for good. In September
1901, Edith Annie Toogood married Walter Herbert Folwell in St Mary’s Church,
Kendal. Edith wore a silver-grey silk poplin dress, trimmed with white crepe de
chine and point lave, with a grey tucked chiffon picture hat. She carried a bouquet
of white flowers, and she wore a pearl necklace. Her sister Florence was a
bridesmaid, and Janet Pass from Coventry was the other. Mr and Mrs Folwell
caught the 4.35pm steamer at Bowness en route to the Port of Erin on the Isle
of Man, where they were to honeymoon.
Walter
Herbert Folwell was born on 7 September 1877, the birth being registered in
Leicester. He was the son of George Folwell, and his wife Kezia (neé Muggleton).
George had been born on 17 May 1836, in Great Glen, and was the son of Samuel
Folwell and Ann (neé Ellingwood). Kezia had been born in Newton Harcourt in 1838,
to parents Thomas and Ester, both born around 1800, Thomas in Leicestershire,
Ester in Naseby, Northants. Thomas died sometime between the 1841 and 1851 census
returns, because on the latter, Ester is recorded as a widow, living with her
children, Charles 25, James 22, Elizabeth 17, and Keziah 12, in Newton
Harcourt. The boys are farmers labourers, and the girls seamsters.
Walter’s
parents, George, a pork butcher, and Keziah, married in 1858 in Leicester, and
by 1871 they had seven children. When Walter was born in 1877, a further two
children had been born, and he was tenth and the youngest. Sadly, Keziah died
on 22 November 1877, and in 1881, George and six of his children, including the
three-year-old Walter, were living at 114 Cranbourne Street, Leicester. In
1883, Walter’s father, George, marries Harriet Bell, and George’s daughter,
Lizzie also married at the same time. In 1891, Walter, now aged 13, was living
at home with father George, and George’s
second wife, Harriet, and four siblings – William (28), Ada (22), Mary (20),
and Louisa (18) – along with Harry, George’s grandson, home being 29 St Alban’s
Road, Leicester. In 1901, just before his marriage to Edith Annie Toogood, Walter
is living at home in St Alban’s Road, and working as his father’s assistant in
the butchers.
Walter and
Edith may well have begun married life together living at 13 Kimberley Road in
Leicester, as this is where they appear to have lived between 1903 and 1907. In
1905, their son, Charles Denis Folwell, was born and registered in Leicester. By
1908, the family had moved to 74 Stretton Road, Leicester. On the 1911 census
return, Walter is listed as a pork butcher, working with his father in Market
Place, Leicester, where they were ham and bacon curers, and lard refiners, and
sold pies, sausages and polonies. Edith and son Denis were also listed, as was
companion help, Lillian Garner. From 1912 to at least 1916, pork butcher, Walter,
with Edith and Denis were living in a house called Cairene, on Guilford Road,
Leicester. Also in 1911, George and family were still living at 29 St Alban’s
Road, and Charles Toogood and family had moved to ‘Orrest’, on Brassey Avenue
Hampden Park, near Eastbourne.
Both Walter’s
and Edith’s fathers died in 1919, George Folwell on 2 July, and Charles Toogood
on 13 November. George’s second wife, Harriet had died in 1907, but Matilda,
wife of Charles, continued to live in Eastbourne until her death in 1935.
In 1920 Walter
Herbert Folwell was initiated into the John of Gaunt Lodge of Freemasons in
Leicester. He was recorded in the register as being a provisions merchant. By
1928, Walter and Edith had again moved home, and were now living at 144
Knighton Church Road, Leicester, but for how long is not clear. However, by the
time the 1939 register was taken, Edith Annie Folwell and Walter Herbert
Folwell were living at 24 Victoria Park Road. His occupation was given as an
assistant to a pork butcher, hers a Consultant Practical Psychologist. Florence
Toogood, Edith’s sister, is also listed with them as a companion help.
After
suffering poor health for some time, Edith Annie Folwell (neé Toogood) died on
11 October 1960, at the age of 82. Walter Herbert Folwell, whose family home
address was given as 24 Victoria Park Road, Leicester, died at Hillcrest on
Swain Street, a former workhouse, which had been converted to a hospital for
the elderly. Edith and Walter’s only offspring, Denis, took over the Victoria Park
Road property, but he died soon after, on 24 April 1971.
So what is
the Loughborough connection?
Well, apart from the fact that Denis Folwell played Jack Archer in the BBC
Radio programme ‘The Archers’, which is probably familiar to
Loughborough folk, Edith was also a regular visitor to the town, in her
official capacity. We’ve seen from the 1939 register, that her occupation was
listed as ‘Consultant Practical Psychologist’, but what exactly did that
entail? In previous blogposts, we’ve also looked at practical psychology in
some detail, and seen that a wide variety of talks were given, delivered by
people like Mr Milton Powell, Rev. Wall, Derek Neville, and Dr Edith Annie
Folwell!
Again, it’s
not clear how Edith got into psychology, except that her father-in-law, George certainly
delivered talks to various groups around the Midlands on a variety of topics particularly
pertaining to religion. So, by 1926, Edith Folwell was the organising secretary
for the Leicester Psychology Club, which opened new rooms at 38 Humberstone
Road (a beautiful property that now has a Lidl opposite it), in October that
year. In May 1930 she was lecturing on ‘Psychology and the child’ at the
meeting of the Derby Club of Practical Psychology, and in June 1930, the 8th annual
convention of the Federation of Practical Psychology Clubs of Great Britain was
held at the King’s Hall in Leicester. An exhibition of dancing was given by the
Children’s Health Class of the Practical Psychological Club of Leicester, the
class having been founded by Edith. A demonstration of ballroom dancing was
given by Marjorie Arculus and Edith’s son, Denis Folwell, who was about 25 at
the time.
During the
1930s, Edith gave more and more talks – at Derby in the Cavendish Café in the Corn
Market and Gilbert’s Café; at the Leicester Club meetings now being held at the
Turkey Café and at the Oriental Café; at Long Eaton in the Oxford Café; at the Savoy
Café and the Mikado Café in Nottingham; at Coventry in the Geisha Café; as well
as slightly further afield in Regan’s Assembly rooms in Nelson, and at the Marlborough
Hall and the Victoria Hall in Halifax. As well as giving talks to the practical
psychology clubs, Edith also addressed groups like the Blaby Baptist Church
Women’s Group; the Healing Class of Mrs Stabler at the Leeds YMCA; and to the
Personal Health Association of Leicester.
1939 was a particularly
busy year for Edith, and she found herself described as being a well-known lecturer.
In the January she visited Scotland, where she lectured to the Dundee Practical
Psychology Club, and the Fife Club. Later that year she attended a rally in
Bedford, was president of the Leicester Practical Psychology Fellowship,
lectured at Preston, and talked to the Adult School at Market Harborough on the
occasion of their anniversary. Nearer to home, she gave a talk to the Cropston
and Thurcaston WI at the memorial hall in Thurcaston, and lectured to the ARP
on how to keep ‘in poise’ during difficult times. She also talked at Halifax,
and attended the annual conference of the British Union of Practical
Psychologists, which was held at the Grand Hotel in Leicester.
Sometime
around 1939, adverts begin to appear for Edith’s talks, stating that she had gained
the qualification Doctor of Psychology, and is now referred to as Dr Edith
Folwell, sometimes with the postnominals, Ps.D., Ms.D, and PhD. Edith’s
lectures in the early 1940s seem to take place closer to home, either in
Leicester itself or in Nottingham, until in the later 1940s she again visits
Scotland and Halifax. However, as well as lecturing abroad, Edith also runs
psychology classes at her home, 24 Victoria Park Road, Leicester.
In January
1950, we eventually find evidence that
Edith Folwell lectured at a series of practical psychology events, when she lectured
to the Loughborough Practical Psychology Group on the ‘art of resolution’, at
the Lecture Room on Woodgate, which was likely to be the Wood Gate Baptist
church hall. She also led what was described as a Ladies’ Class in the
afternoon. In February 1950, Edith, PsD,
MsD, PhD, was again in Loughborough at the meeting of the Loughor0ugh Practical
psychology Group, again in the Lecture Room on Wood Gate. This time the topic
was ‘the body, psychologically and metaphysically considered’. Also in February,
Edith talked to the Leicester Townswomen’s guild on ‘child psychology’ and in
March to the Market Harborough Business and Professional Women’s Club. Also in
March she was twice in Loughborough, talking on the topics of ‘the mind,
psychologically and metaphysically considered’ and ‘the spirit, psychologically
and metaphysically considered’. In May 1950, Edith’s lecture was on ‘the
resolution of conflict in human experience’, and ‘the law of compensation’. As well as talking
at the June Loughborough meeting, on ‘great minds’, Edith also gave a talk to
the Rothley WI, to Harby WI, and to Blaby WI.
In September
1950 Edith lectured in Loughborough on ‘hands psychologically considered’ and ‘our
many selves’, and in October on ‘personal experiences’ and ‘nature as the great
teacher’. Edith’s topics in November 1950 were ‘the mind of the child’, and ‘aspects
of healing’, and in December the topic was ‘was mind – mature and immature’.
I’m not sure
if Edith lectured in Loughborough during 1951, but she was certainly here again
in 1952, for the year-long series of psychology lectures at the Wood Gate
Lecture Room. January’s topic was ‘personal magnetism’; February’s ‘how to store
your energy’ and ‘the psychological progress of science and religion’; April’s
was ‘psychotherapy, and why’; June’s was ‘the scriptures and the human mind’;
September’s was ‘people, their differences, and why’, and December’s lecture
was on ‘the law of supply’.
Knowing who
attended these series of lectures on practical psychology in Loughborough is
not easy to find out, however, we do know from the letters of poet Philip Larkin (1),
that Eva Emilie Larkin, his mother, lived in Loughborough, and certainly did go
to some of the lectures, and Eva also went to Edith Folwell’s home in Leicester.
Whether or not Eva went along to the talk delivered by Derek Neville in late
October 1950, as had been suggested by Edith, we don’t know, but she most definitely
visited Edith at her home in Leicester in July 1955.
As we know
from the above biography, Edith died in 1960 after a period of ill-health. According to an obituary in the 'Leicester Evening Mail' Edith was an eminent doctor of psychology, metaphysics, and philosophy, who held degrees from various European universities, and was well-known throughout the Midlands, the north, and Scotland for her lecturing.
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Notes
(1) Booth, James (ed.) 2018. Philip Larkin: letters home 1936-1977. London: Faber and Faber. 9780571335596
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posted by lynneaboutloughborough
With apologies for typos which are all mine!
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