De Morgan, William, 1839-1917

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British author.

From the description of Letter to Mr. Ellis [manuscript], 1912 December 20. (University of Virginia). WorldCat record id: 647861106

English ceramic artist and novelist.

From the description of Autograph letter signed : Chelsea, to Professor Lyon Phelps, 1909 July 6. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270517683

From the description of Autograph letter signed : [London], to S.C. Cockerell, [n.d., received 1907 Aug. 22]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270522479

William Frend De Morgan (1839-1917), English potter and novelist, abandoned his ceramic work and began writing novels in 1905, among them Joseph Vance (1907) and Alice-for-Short (1908).

From the description of William De Morgan collection, [ca. 1890-1917]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702138331

The artist and author William De Morgan was born on November 16, 1839, the son of Augustus De Morgan (1806-1871), a professor of mathematics at University College, London, and his wife Sophia Frend (1809-1892). De Morgan attended the University College School, London, and the college, after which he studied painting at the Royal Academy Schools from 1859 to 1862. During the 1860s he met the artists William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones, who likely influenced him to turn to the decorative arts: by 1872 De Morgan was living near them in Chelsea and had begun his career as one of the most successful and prominent practitioners of the arts and crafts movement in Britain, known for his innovations in the design and technology of glazes for pottery and tiles. His workshop closed in 1907.

De Morgan began a second career as a novelist while in his sixties. His first book, Joseph Vance: an Ill-Written Autobiography (1906) was a best-seller, which encouraged him to continue writing. His other novels followed in quick succession: Alice-for-Short (1907), Somehow Good (1908), It Never Can Happen Again (1909), An Affair of Dishonour (1909), A Likely Story (1911), and When Ghost Meets Ghost (1914). Two more titles, The Old Madhouse (1917) and The Old Man's Youth (1921), were published posthumously.

In 1887 De Morgan married the painter Evelyn Pickering (1855-1919) and the couple settled in Chelsea at 1, The Vale, Kings Road, where they lived until moving to 127 Church Street in 1910. From the early 1890s through 1914 the De Morgans spent each winter in Florence, Italy, where William De Morgan wrote most of his novels. He died in his home in Chelsea on January 15, 1917.

From the guide to the William De Morgan collection, 1886-1913, (Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf De Morgan, William Frend, 1839-1917. Autograph letter signed : Chelsea, to Professor Lyon Phelps, 1909 July 6. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf De Morgan, William Frend, 1839-1917. William Frend De Morgan correspondence, 1866-1917. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Morris, May, 1862-1938. William De Morgan : recollections of his life and work, 1917 / by May Morris. Princeton University Library
creatorOf De Morgan, William Frend, 1839-1917. Lustre ware ... Princeton University Library
creatorOf De Morgan, William Frend, 1839-1917. William De Morgan collection, [ca. 1890-1917]. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Ady, Julia Mary Cartwright, d. 1924. Julia M. Ady letter : Chelsea [London, England?], to Mrs. W. [Evelyn] De Morgan, ALS, [1917?] Jan. 21. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf De Morgan, William Frend, 1839-1917. Correspondence, ca. 1890-1916. Getty Research Institute
creatorOf De Morgan, William Frend, 1839-1917. Letters : Florence, to Claud Lovat Fraser, 1914 April 4 and 12. Bryn Mawr College, Mariam Coffin Canaday Library
referencedIn English literature mss., 1901-1950 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
creatorOf William De Morgan collection, 1886-1913 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Morris, William, 1834-1896. Papers of William Morris, 1839-1999. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
creatorOf Carruthers, John, 1836-1914. Personal and family papers relating to William Morris, 1866-1938. Getty Research Institute
creatorOf De Morgan, William Frend, 1839-1917. Letter to Mr. Ellis [manuscript], 1912 December 20. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Spencer, Herbert, 1820-1903. Letters. Smithsonian Institution. Libraries
creatorOf De Morgan, William Frend, 1839-1917. Autograph letter signed : [London], to S.C. Cockerell, [n.d., received 1907 Aug. 22]. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn De Morgan, William, 1839-1917 : [miscellaneous ephemeral material]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
creatorOf Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870. Letters, 1841-1869. Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
creatorOf Poynter, Edward, Sir, bart., 1836-1919. Card : London, to "My dear De Morgan," 1913 Nov. 4. Bryn Mawr College, Mariam Coffin Canaday Library
referencedIn Morris, May, 1862-1938. William De Morgan : recollections of his life and work : typescript, 1917 / by May Morris. Princeton University Library
creatorOf De Morgan, William Frend, 1839-1917. Letter to Ducy.[s.l.]. 1910 Jan. 22. University of Iowa Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Adcock, Arthur St. John, 1864-1930. person
associatedWith Ady, Julia Mary Cartwright, d. 1924. person
associatedWith Burne-Jones, Philip, 1861-1926. person
associatedWith Carruthers, John, 1836-1914. person
associatedWith Cobden-Sanderson, T. J. (Thomas James), 1840-1922 person
associatedWith Cockerell, Sydney Carlyle, Sir, 1867-1962. person
associatedWith Crane, Walter, 1845-1915. person
associatedWith De Morgan, Augustus, 1806-1871. person
associatedWith De Morgan, Mrs. (Evelyn) person
associatedWith Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870. person
associatedWith Ellis, Mr., person
associatedWith Foot, Isaac, 1880-1960. person
associatedWith Fraser, Claud Lovat, 1890-1921. person
associatedWith Gosse, Edmund, 1849-1928. person
associatedWith Hewlett, Maurice, 1861-1923. person
associatedWith Hunt, William Holman, 1827-1910. person
associatedWith Hutton, Richard Holt, 1826-1897. person
associatedWith Keely, John Ernest Worrell, 1827-1898 person
associatedWith Lovelace, Ralph Gordon Noel Milbanke, 2d earl of, 1839-1906. person
associatedWith Lucas, E. V. (Edward Verrall), 1868-1938. person
associatedWith Mackail, Denis George, 1892- person
associatedWith Morgan, May Evelyn Pickering, d. 1919. person
associatedWith Morris, Jane Burden. person
associatedWith Morris, May, 1862-1938. person
associatedWith Morris, William, 1834-1896. person
associatedWith Mozley, William E. person
associatedWith Phelps, William Lyon, 1865-1943, person
associatedWith Poynter, Edward John, Sir, 1st bart, 1842-1927. person
associatedWith Poynter, Edward, Sir, bart., 1836-1919. person
associatedWith Richmond, William Black, Sir, 1842-1921. person
associatedWith Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, 1828-1882. person
associatedWith Sidgwick, Henry, 1838-1900. person
associatedWith Spencer, Herbert, 1820-1903. person
associatedWith Spencer-Stanhope, Roddam, 1829-1908. person
associatedWith Ward family family
Place Name Admin Code Country
Great Britain
Subject
Authors, English
Authors, English
Dwellings
English literature
Glazes
Luster-ware
Painting, British
Painting, British
Pre
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1839-11-16

Death 1917-01-15

Britons

English

Information

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SNAC ID: 873043