brother William. Robertson was a large, slightly depressive man-mountain of 20 stones. He had a large family of children who were all spinsters and bachelors, and his home life was entirely dependent on his wife's talent for housekeeping. Her death in 1865 left him bereft. Marriage and family Gladstone became engaged at age 30 to Mary Ellen Jones (d. 23 September 1865), daughter of a notable local banker, Hugh Jones. They married on 28 January 1836 in St George's Church, Liverpool. The marriage caused disagreements within the Gladstone family: the Jones family were unitarians, while the Gladstones were evangelicals of the Church of England. After the marriage a mansion house called Court Hey Hall was built in the same year as their family home. They had eight children together. John Gladstone (b. 1838 - d. 13 October 1852 at Court Hey) Mary Ellen Gladstone (b. 1840 - d. 17 September 1895) Arthur Robertson Gladstone, Capt (b. 1841 - d. 30 March 1896, late of Court Hey) Hugh Jones Gladstone (b. 1843 - d. 1 September 1874 at Court Hey) Robertson Gladstone (b. 14 September 1844 - d. November 1893 in Liverpool, late of Court Hey) Walter Longueville Gladstone (b. 30 September 1846 - d. 14 May 1919) - donated a unique organ to All Saints Church in Childwall with an inscription to his father, mother and uncle William. Anna Maria Heywood Gladstone (b. 1848 - d. 14 May 1901) Richard Francis Gladstone (b. 24 December 1849 - d. 2 May 1909, late of Court Hey) None of his sons had issue. Political and community activities Active in radical Liverpool politics, he was elected as one of the councilors in Liverpool's Abercromby ward as part of the 1838 Municipal Elections. This was his third attempt at taking the seat, which was reported as a "The scene of a great Tory triumph, however it was achieved." He served as mayor of the city between 1842 and 1843. In 1846 he was one of the 'gentlemen' present during the visit of Prince Albert to the Liverpool Sailors' Home. As a measure of his continued importance he was still a member of seven of the thirteen town council committees in 1859. In 1862 he unsuccessfully supported Charles Mozley as candidate for mayor. In November 1863 he again proposed him for mayor, and with a majority of five Mozley became the first Jewish mayor of