William Morris (1834-1896)

William Morris was born in Walthamstow in 1834, the son of a well-to-do London financier. He attended a local school until 1848, when he was sent to Marlborough College. Morris disliked its rigid approach, based on learning by rote, and made few friends. Instead, he pursued his own interests based on a love of the countryside, history, story-telling and traditional arts and crafts. In 1853 he went to Oxford to study theology, where he formed part of the “Birmingham Set”. Initially inspired by a love of literature, particularly the romantic ideals espoused by Tennyson and Ruskin, this group was highly influential in the subsequent “Arts and Crafts” movement and also tended towards political radicalism.

Under this influence, Morris abandoned ideas of a career in the Church and decided instead to train as an architect. Upon graduating in 1856, he articled himself to the firm of G.E. Street, at that time one of the leading Gothic architects, and quickly moved to their London office. He soon became part of the pre-Raphaelite circle and devoted much of his energy to writing poetry as well as developing his knowledge and skills in art and design and in crafts such as textiles and furniture.

In 1859 he married Jane Burden and they set up home at the Red House near Bexleyheath, which was specially designed for them in a medieval style. In 1861, Morris and others established a firm which focussed on interior design and on creating stained glass, murals, furniture, metalware, wallpaper, hangings, etc., all heavily influenced by the neo-Gothic style. In 1865, Morris had to leave the Red House and moved back to London. He now embarked on a renewed phase of poetic activity and achieved great success. He also developed an interest in the medieval literature of Iceland and visited that country in 1871.

In that same year of 1871, Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti jointly purchased Kelmscott Manor in Oxfordshire. Although he never lived there, Morris had a great love of this 16th century house, which for him typified the essence of Englishness and the English craft tradition, and it became a great source of creative inspiration. In 1875, his business partnership was dissolved but the firm continued with great success under Morris’ sole ownership as Morris & Co. In 1891, Morris also established the Kelmscott Press to publish editions that stood out by their typography, illustrations (especially woodcuts) and binding. The most notable of these was the Kelmscott Chaucer, published in 1896.

For Morris, the creative arts were simply one aspect of a philosophical commitment to social reform. During the 1880s, he became heavily involved in radical Marxist politics. He was a member of the Democratic Federation from 1883, and he played a key role in establishing the breakaway Socialist League in 1884. Many of his writings from this period reflect his commitment to socialist ideals.

During the 1890s, the Arts and Crafts movement expanded rapidly across Britain, reflecting the profound influence that Morris had on the cultural landscape, even in his lifetime. Morris died at his home in Hammersmith, London, in 1896.