Canterbury: Mary Tourtel

Mary Tourtel, nee Caldwell, is best known for being the creator of Rupert Bear. Born in 1874 at 52, Palace Street in Canterbury, Mary married Herbert Tourtel who worked for the Daily Express. Mary created Rupert, who first appeared in the Daily Express on Monday 8 November 1920, in a single frame illustration called the ‘Little Lost Bear’. Rupert strips continued to run in the paper every day, the early ones illustrated by Mary with captions, often rhyming, written by her husband. Before he was given his famous red and yellow outfit, Rupert was often shown dressed in a blue jumper and cream trousers. Mary continued to illustrate the Rupert cartoons until 1935, after which Albert Bestall took over, becoming well-known for the Rupert annuals.

Number 52 is marked by a plaque, but you have to look quite hard to spot it! There is also a plaque marking the house in Ivy Lane where Mary spent her final years.

The Beany is a museum and gallery in the heart of Canterbury and their ‘People and Places’ gallery has a display relating to Rupert Bear. Apparently, there used to be a dedicated Rupert Bear Museum, which opened in 2003, but sadly closed in 2012. The cabinets in the Beany contain a range of Rupert memorabilia and some notes about Mary Tourtel and Rupert’s development, but this cannot replace a dedicated museum- I really wish we had more pride in out literary heritage!

Mary died in Canterbury Hospital in 1948, aged 74, and is buried with her husband in the graveyard of St Martin's Church. No mention is made of Rupert.

52, Palace Street, Canterbury

The Beany, 18 High St, Canterbury CT1 2RA

St Martin’s Church, 1 N Holmes Rd, Canterbury CT1 1QJ

You can read about Albert Bestall in Beddgelert here.