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Moody/Manners of Hermitage and Trimleston Lodge
Southcote R B C Mansergh married Frances Moody
born 28 Dec 1857 25 Jul 1890 born circa 1864
London Cornwall
died 3 May 1935 St George's died 21 Jul 1945
Hermitage, Roebuck Hanover Square Trimbleston Lodge, Roebuck
Southcote Randal Bernard Campbell Mansergh aka Charles Manners was born in London and baptised
at Osterley, St Marys, Middlesex on 24 Jan 1858. He was the son of John Craven Mansergh of Rock
Savage, Castletownroche, Co Cork and his wife Jane Anne Campbell. His father was a paymaster in the
Royal Artillery and a JP for Cork and Tipperary. Southcote was educated at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. He
tried for an number of careers before winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in Dublin
where he trained as an opera singer before moving to London and then Florence. He later worked with
D’Oyly Carte Theatre Company. He used the stage name Charles Manners. Charles joined the Carl Rosa
Opera Company as a principal bass where he met Fanny Moody ‘the Cornish Nightingale’ soprano.
Fanny trained in London after an amateur career, before joining the Rosa company where she made over
300 appearances. They married in 1890 and sang together in Covent Garden, later appearing together
in the 1892 London premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Together Charles and Fanny formed The
Moody-Manners Opera Company which was very successful. They toured Britain, Ireland, North America
and South Africa. They started their sell out tour each year at the Dublin Theatre Royal on St Stephen’s
Day and would hold an ‘At Home’ there. Their ambition was to bring opera to everyone, so their repertoire
comprised of some light operas like the Lily of Killarney as well as the more classic operas from Wagner
etc. The company was run on a very business like basis, was profitable and their artists/ musicians were
well treated and paid well. Fanny and Charles had no children and were devoted to each other. Charles
would help her choose dresses and trimmed her hats from the time they were married. He considered
himself an amateur milliner and pointed out that this was not an effeminate trait and that army men
including his father were encouraged to engage in tapestry for recreation and that his father’s study and
the army offices were filled with their creations. In 1911, Charles and Fanny took a years break from the
MM company and took to the music halls of London to bring opera to the masses.
They were a generous couple frequently giving their services free for benefit concerts and offered prizes
and money for music competitions. Charles dissolved the MM company in 1913 and they retired to
Ireland in 1914 and set about establishing a National Music hall in Ireland. Charles offered to gift his vast
music library and his collection of costumes, but he did not get the backing of the Department of
Education and finally the costumes and scenery were sold as were about 40 personal music scores.
Frances was one of thirteen children born 1864 to James Moody and Eliza Datson at Redruth in Cornwall.
Frances and her siblings were all musical and her father James was a photographer. Frances worked as a
assistant music teacher and her sister Lucy was a music teacher in 1881. Before they set up the Moody
Manners partnership they made a six month tour of South Africa, they visited the Kimberly mines and later
that day Fanny was presented at her hotel with a tiara made by the Cornish miners who worked there. It
was made from gold set with diamonds and blue enamel, and had the Cornish coat of arms, the words
One and All and a pick and shovel entwined. She sang to the miners from her balcony, finishing with 'Home
Sweet Home'. The tiara was one of her most treasured possessions.
After retirement to Ireland they rented many houses around Ireland including Parnell’s House in Avondale,
the also resided for a time with their friends Sir Christopher and Lady Nixon at Roebuck. The took on
roles in various benefit productions at the Gaiety in aid of the Red Cross. They took a long holiday after
the war to Europe but found it much changed and they returned to Ireland but found it very troubled so
moved to Brighton before returning to Ireland in 1923. Charles acted as a adjudicator for the Feis Ceoil
and also give talks about forming and financing a opera company. They lived at Hermitage, Roebuck from
1931 until Charles died on died 3 May 1935. They had a terrier called Tinker, which Fanny cossetted and
which Charles walked. His funeral and burial were at Kilternan, only a few close friends and the
household staff attended, Fanny was too ill to attend but hers were the only flowers allowed on the grave,
– a bunch of forget-me-knots. He left his estate to his wife and Fanny gifted the working library of The
Company to The Mitchell Library of Edinburgh. Fanny stayed in Hermitage until 1937 when she moved to
Trimleston Lodge off the Goatstown Road. In 1940 she donated her tiara to the Red Cross who needed to
raise money. It raised £310 at the Christies auction for the Red Cross. She wrote a open letter to the
people of Cornwall, asking for their understanding and explaining that the sale would help the maimed
and wounded and that although she shed tears as she parted with it, that she still retained all the
memories associated with it. When a similar auction was arranged in Ireland, she donated more items
including her court veil. Fanny died in July 1945 at Trimbleston Lodge, Dundrum (off Goatstown Road). Her
funeral was held at Kilternan and she was buried with her husband in the adjoining graveyard. Her sisters
Hilda and Lily both attended. She left 17k in personal estate.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – December 2021
Southcote R B C Mansergh married Frances Moody
born 28 Dec 1857 25 Jul 1890 born circa 1864
London Cornwall
died 3 May 1935 St George's died 21 Jul 1945
Hermitage, Roebuck Hanover Square Trimbleston Lodge, Roebuck
Southcote Randal Bernard Campbell Mansergh aka Charles Manners was born in London and baptised
at Osterley, St Marys, Middlesex on 24 Jan 1858. He was the son of John Craven Mansergh of Rock
Savage, Castletownroche, Co Cork and his wife Jane Anne Campbell. His father was a paymaster in the
Royal Artillery and a JP for Cork and Tipperary. Southcote was educated at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. He
tried for an number of careers before winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in Dublin
where he trained as an opera singer before moving to London and then Florence. He later worked with
D’Oyly Carte Theatre Company. He used the stage name Charles Manners. Charles joined the Carl Rosa
Opera Company as a principal bass where he met Fanny Moody ‘the Cornish Nightingale’ soprano.
Fanny trained in London after an amateur career, before joining the Rosa company where she made over
300 appearances. They married in 1890 and sang together in Covent Garden, later appearing together
in the 1892 London premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Together Charles and Fanny formed The
Moody-Manners Opera Company which was very successful. They toured Britain, Ireland, North America
and South Africa. They started their sell out tour each year at the Dublin Theatre Royal on St Stephen’s
Day and would hold an ‘At Home’ there. Their ambition was to bring opera to everyone, so their repertoire
comprised of some light operas like the Lily of Killarney as well as the more classic operas from Wagner
etc. The company was run on a very business like basis, was profitable and their artists/ musicians were
well treated and paid well. Fanny and Charles had no children and were devoted to each other. Charles
would help her choose dresses and trimmed her hats from the time they were married. He considered
himself an amateur milliner and pointed out that this was not an effeminate trait and that army men
including his father were encouraged to engage in tapestry for recreation and that his father’s study and
the army offices were filled with their creations. In 1911, Charles and Fanny took a years break from the
MM company and took to the music halls of London to bring opera to the masses.
They were a generous couple frequently giving their services free for benefit concerts and offered prizes
and money for music competitions. Charles dissolved the MM company in 1913 and they retired to
Ireland in 1914 and set about establishing a National Music hall in Ireland. Charles offered to gift his vast
music library and his collection of costumes, but he did not get the backing of the Department of
Education and finally the costumes and scenery were sold as were about 40 personal music scores.
Frances was one of thirteen children born 1864 to James Moody and Eliza Datson at Redruth in Cornwall.
Frances and her siblings were all musical and her father James was a photographer. Frances worked as a
assistant music teacher and her sister Lucy was a music teacher in 1881. Before they set up the Moody
Manners partnership they made a six month tour of South Africa, they visited the Kimberly mines and later
that day Fanny was presented at her hotel with a tiara made by the Cornish miners who worked there. It
was made from gold set with diamonds and blue enamel, and had the Cornish coat of arms, the words
One and All and a pick and shovel entwined. She sang to the miners from her balcony, finishing with 'Home
Sweet Home'. The tiara was one of her most treasured possessions.
After retirement to Ireland they rented many houses around Ireland including Parnell’s House in Avondale,
the also resided for a time with their friends Sir Christopher and Lady Nixon at Roebuck. The took on
roles in various benefit productions at the Gaiety in aid of the Red Cross. They took a long holiday after
the war to Europe but found it much changed and they returned to Ireland but found it very troubled so
moved to Brighton before returning to Ireland in 1923. Charles acted as a adjudicator for the Feis Ceoil
and also give talks about forming and financing a opera company. They lived at Hermitage, Roebuck from
1931 until Charles died on died 3 May 1935. They had a terrier called Tinker, which Fanny cossetted and
which Charles walked. His funeral and burial were at Kilternan, only a few close friends and the
household staff attended, Fanny was too ill to attend but hers were the only flowers allowed on the grave,
– a bunch of forget-me-knots. He left his estate to his wife and Fanny gifted the working library of The
Company to The Mitchell Library of Edinburgh. Fanny stayed in Hermitage until 1937 when she moved to
Trimleston Lodge off the Goatstown Road. In 1940 she donated her tiara to the Red Cross who needed to
raise money. It raised £310 at the Christies auction for the Red Cross. She wrote a open letter to the
people of Cornwall, asking for their understanding and explaining that the sale would help the maimed
and wounded and that although she shed tears as she parted with it, that she still retained all the
memories associated with it. When a similar auction was arranged in Ireland, she donated more items
including her court veil. Fanny died in July 1945 at Trimbleston Lodge, Dundrum (off Goatstown Road). Her
funeral was held at Kilternan and she was buried with her husband in the adjoining graveyard. Her sisters
Hilda and Lily both attended. She left 17k in personal estate.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – December 2021