ander , ▁of ▁the ▁M ander ▁family , ▁who ▁were ▁successful ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁industrial ists ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁( M ander ▁Brothers ), ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Flora , ▁daughter ▁of ▁Henry ▁Nicholas ▁P aint , ▁member ▁of ▁Parliament ▁in ▁Canada . ▁It ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁Edward ▁O uld ▁of ▁Liverpool ▁in ▁two ▁phases ; ▁the ▁first ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁and ▁the ▁house ▁was ▁extended ▁with ▁the ▁Great ▁Par l our ▁wing ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 . ▁Notes ▁taken ▁by ▁The odore ▁M ander ▁at ▁a ▁lecture ▁given ▁in ▁Wol ver ham pton ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁by ▁Oscar ▁Wil de ▁on ▁the ▁' H ouse ▁Beautiful ' ▁inspired ▁W ight wick ' s ▁inter iors . ▁ ▁T aking ▁insp iration ▁from ▁this ▁lecture , ▁The odore ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Flora ▁decor ated ▁its ▁inter iors ▁with ▁the ▁designs ▁of ▁William ▁Morris ▁and ▁his ▁Arts ▁and ▁C raft s ▁contempor aries . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁Pre - R ap ha el ite ▁collection ▁was ▁mostly ▁assemble d ▁after ▁the ▁house ▁was ▁don ated ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Trust , ▁particularly ▁by ▁Geoff rey ▁M ander ▁and ▁his ▁second ▁wife , ▁Ros al ie , ▁who ▁was ▁an ▁art ▁historian . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁Geoff rey ▁M ander , ▁a ▁radical ▁Liberal ▁MP ▁and ▁local ▁paint ▁manufact urer ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁left ▁the ▁tim ber - fr amed ▁house ▁by ▁his ▁father ▁The odore , ▁persu aded