Papers of William Frend De Morgan
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TitlePapers of William Frend De Morgan
Reference codeMS913C
Datec1845-c1918
Scope and ContentMorgan, William Frend De (1839–1917), potter and novelist, was born on 16 November 1839 at 69 Gower Street, London, the second child of Augustus De Morgan (1806–1871) and Sophia Frend (1809–1892). De Morgan was educated at University College School, London, and at the college itself, and then entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1859. He left the schools in 1862.
During the 1860s he became acquainted with William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. Towards the end of the decade he was working at 40 Fitzroy Square, where he had a kiln in his studio. In 1872 he burnt the roof of the house off, and had to leave. De Morgan's father had died in 1871, and c.1872 De Morgan went to live at 8 Great Cheyne Row, Chelsea, with his mother and his youngest sister, Mary Augusta De Morgan (1850–1907), children's writer. William built a pottery kiln in the garden of the house in Great Cheyne Row, but it was soon too small, and about 1873 he rented Orange House, almost next door, and started a pottery there. In 1881 Morris moved his works to Merton Abbey in south London; in 1882 De Morgan built his kilns near by.
On 5 March 1887 De Morgan married the painter (Mary) Evelyn Pickering (1855–1919). In 1889 he moved the pottery to purpose-built premises nearer home, off Townmead Road in Fulham. These were financed partly by Evelyn and partly by the architect Halsey Ricardo, with whom he formed a partnership in 1888. In 1892, when doctors advised that he should spend the winters outside Britain. From 1892 the De Morgans wintered in Florence. There was a temporary closure of the pottery in 1903; around 1904 he had to stop designing because of neuritis in his thumb; and the company was finally wound up in 1907, though several of De Morgan's employees continued under their own names.
Following the closure of the pottery De Morgan developed a new career as a novelist. In July 1906 his first work 'Joseph Vance: an ill-written autobiography' was published. 'Joseph Vance' was followed by 'Alice-for-short' (1907), 'Somehow good' (1908), 'It can never happen again' (1909), 'An affair of dishonour' (1909), 'Then came a likely story' (1911) and 'Ghost meets ghost' (1914). His two last novels, 'The old madhouse' (1917) and 'The old man's youth' (1921), were completed by his wife Evelyn and published after his death.
De Morgan died at his home on 15 January 1917 and was buried in Brookwood cemetery, Surrey, five days later.
During the 1860s he became acquainted with William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. Towards the end of the decade he was working at 40 Fitzroy Square, where he had a kiln in his studio. In 1872 he burnt the roof of the house off, and had to leave. De Morgan's father had died in 1871, and c.1872 De Morgan went to live at 8 Great Cheyne Row, Chelsea, with his mother and his youngest sister, Mary Augusta De Morgan (1850–1907), children's writer. William built a pottery kiln in the garden of the house in Great Cheyne Row, but it was soon too small, and about 1873 he rented Orange House, almost next door, and started a pottery there. In 1881 Morris moved his works to Merton Abbey in south London; in 1882 De Morgan built his kilns near by.
On 5 March 1887 De Morgan married the painter (Mary) Evelyn Pickering (1855–1919). In 1889 he moved the pottery to purpose-built premises nearer home, off Townmead Road in Fulham. These were financed partly by Evelyn and partly by the architect Halsey Ricardo, with whom he formed a partnership in 1888. In 1892, when doctors advised that he should spend the winters outside Britain. From 1892 the De Morgans wintered in Florence. There was a temporary closure of the pottery in 1903; around 1904 he had to stop designing because of neuritis in his thumb; and the company was finally wound up in 1907, though several of De Morgan's employees continued under their own names.
Following the closure of the pottery De Morgan developed a new career as a novelist. In July 1906 his first work 'Joseph Vance: an ill-written autobiography' was published. 'Joseph Vance' was followed by 'Alice-for-short' (1907), 'Somehow good' (1908), 'It can never happen again' (1909), 'An affair of dishonour' (1909), 'Then came a likely story' (1911) and 'Ghost meets ghost' (1914). His two last novels, 'The old madhouse' (1917) and 'The old man's youth' (1921), were completed by his wife Evelyn and published after his death.
De Morgan died at his home on 15 January 1917 and was buried in Brookwood cemetery, Surrey, five days later.
Conditions governing accessOpen, subject to the conditions outlined at fonds level
Level of descriptionsub-fonds