So who was Edith Annie Toogood

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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