26th April 2019
On this day in 1859 William Morris married Jane Burden. They met in 1857 and Morris is believed to have immediately fallen for Burden, the daughter of an Oxford stableman.
After they were married, the took a six week honeymoon which included a tour of Bruges, Paris and the Rhine. Afterwards, they returned to furnished rooms – 41 Great Ormond Street and then on to Aberley Lodge in Kent whilst their home – Red House – was being built. They moved into Red House together in 1860, the year after their wedding. The property was designed by Morris’s good friend Philip Webb, an architect and then the friends worked to furnish the property. Together with Webb, Burne-Jones, Ford Madox Brown and Rossetti, they worked together with their varying skillsets to furnish the house. Realising that at that time there was no interior design that Morris felt was beautiful enough for his home and created using the level of craftsmanship that he wanted for his home – in the age of the industrial revolution, Morris strived to return methods of production to traditional craftsmanship which he deemed a superior method of production and therefore end product.
Jane met William after she attended a performance by the Drury Lane Theatre Company in Oxford in October 1857. She was noticed in the crowd by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Morris’ close friend Edward Burne-Jones – both Pre-Raphaelite artists who believed Jane epitomised Pre-Raphaelite beauty and wanted her to be their model. She initially didn’t turn up to the appointed sitting but after a chance run in with Burne-Jones, eventually sat for Rossetti and then for Morris. She’s perhaps best known for Rossetti’s most famous ‘Queen Guinevere’ and also Morris’ ‘La Belle Iseault’ which is his only (known) easel painting. The legend is that he was unhappy with the painting – which now is shown in the Tate Gallery – and on the reverse of the painting wrote to Jane, “‘I cannot paint you but I love you.”
It’s a romantic thought – the painting and her being his model and muse was an important part of their courtship. But perhaps the theme of the painting was a foreshadowing of what was to come. The Tristram and Iseult legend and Thomas Malory’s version of it did later echo the marriage between Morris and Jane. Just as Iseult had an adulterous relationship with Tristram, Jane had an affair with Dante Gabriel Rossetti which spanned years, eventually ending in them being friends for the rest of his life. The affair crushed Morris – not only was Rossetti Morris’s friend and colleague during the Firm years, but also, he truly loved Jane and their life and children, so her quite open betrayal did take its toll on him. He even went on an adventure to Iceland when Rossetti moved into their family home. Jane did even admit that she never did truly love William.
The question many have asked when looking into their marriage over the years. Simply put, she just wasn’t in the position to reject a suitor as eligible as Morris. The marriage would raise her through the class systems which was especially rigid during this time. At the time she met William, it was almost determined that she would enter the life of domestic service just like her mother. However, she knew that if she married Morris, she would be educated to become a gentleman’s wife.
Not only was Morris educated but his father had passed and Morris gained his inheritance and was independently wealthy at age 24.
Her intellect was clear – she became proficient in French and also Italian, she learned the piano and her manners became referred to as ‘Queenly’ by those that knew them so was her level of etiquette. Though she might have been born into a poverty stricken family, after her marriage and later in life, she had no problem holding her own and fitting in in upper class circles and events. She was also a skilled needlewoman with a particular focus on embroidery which she also taught to their daughters; Jenny and May.
It’s difficult to mention the Jane & William relationship without also mentioning the relationship of Jane and Dante. They might have had the spark and attraction when they first met, but Rossetti was already engaged to be married to Lizzie Siddal. Before his death, he admitted to a close friend he married Siddal, “out of a mistaken sense of loyalty and fear of giving pain,” it was true his heart had truly been stolen by Jane.
Her husband William and Rossetti took out a join tenancy on Kelmscott Manor in 1871. He almost immediately left for Iceland which left his wife and her lover in their home, which they furnished and spent the summer there together. She was one of his favourite muses since they met. In 1865 the relationship is thought to have started – though history could have it’s hand in warping this date. On some level, romantic or not, their relationship latest until 1882 when Dante passed away. The relationship was a deeply emotional one and was a huge inspiration for his work; both with poetry and his painting, in which she featured. The romantic relationship eventually deteriorated when she discovered his dependance on chloral hydrate – taken for insomnia but an addictive drug regardless. They did remain friends until his death.
Ultimately, the relationship hurt Morris and caused a rift in his marriage to Jane. They did however, remain married for the rest of his life.
Whilst living in Red House, Jane and William had two children together; Jane Alice ‘Jenny’ in January of 1861 and Mary ‘May’ born in March 1861. May is the best known of the two daughters as she later edited her father’s works and was involved in his business Morris & Co. You can read more about May here.
She might not have loved him in the romantic sense, but after William died, she did reflect on their life together. Ultimately, she didn’t regret her choices,“I suppose if I was young again I should do the same again.”
Posted in News by Laura
Did you know we offer a gift wrap service? 🎁 If you’ve got a loved one you’d like to send a floral gift to this year, you can send it straight to their door all wrapped with a note written by the Laura’s Beau elves 🎄🤶🏻 It’s an option on our website only and you can check the gift wrap box at checkout to write your gift tag that we will hand write for you (we also won’t include a reciept or anything of course, but will email it to you instead ✨) Are you giving any William Morris floral goodies to your friends and family this year? 🤍
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Anyone else started on the mince pies this weekend? 🥧 We’ve been feeling rather festive the last week or so, are you all in the festive spirit yet or waiting until December? 🎄
📸 features our William Morris Brother Rabbit blue design 🤍
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To brighten up the kitchen with florals, we love hanging our William Morris tea towels on hooks, over the oven door or kitchen sink 🌿 An easy way to add a pop of colour or design ✨ They’re a great Christmas gift this year and come in a whole range of Morris designs to suit everyone’s kitchens 🎁
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Use Code: BF15 for 15% at checkout until Monday 27th at midnight 🌛 Happy Shopping ✨ (valid on our website only; www.laurasbeau.co.uk 🌿
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🎄 A Christmas table set up using our Red Strawberry Thief licensed William Morris design ✨ We love how perfect it is dressed up for Christmas but can be used all year round accessorised for all the seasons 🌿
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Our virtual craft market is now live! ✨ Only on our Etsy page, you can now shop a limited range different sizes of our licensed William Morris fabrics as offcuts and also, some craft bundles🧵And there is also a pretty fabulous Black Friday deal on everything on our Etsy at the moment! 🌿We`re always working to be more sustainable (you can read more about what we do on our blog) and offcuts is a great way for us to reduce waste - some are larger pieces that are various widths and lengths and some are bundles of fabric offcuts. ✨ Accurate measurements are in the listing, and you`ll find the full market under a tab on our Etsy. The bundles are brilliant gifts for crafters, quilters and those who you know would like to try a whole range of William Morris fabrics 🎁
We`ll keep this tab updated as and when we have fabric ready so keep checking back! Remember, we do sell all our fabric by the half metre if you find a new fave in a bundle 🤍
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Used for a very special engagement tablescape this past weekend was our timelessly beautiful Charlotte Rose! 🥂💍✨ It’s actually a design from our French archive, we absolutely love it ☺️ If you’re starting your Christmas shopping it’s a wonderful gift idea for them to love using all year round on their table 🥂
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#tablescape #tabledecor #engagement #frenchfloral #frenchflorals #floraltable #florals #floraldesign
A wonderful addition to the table, our placemats, available in a range of licensed William Morris designs, set the scene for a whole range of celebrations sat around the table 🥂
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These green tones together are so lovely 🌿 Can you name all of these licensed William Morris designs? Which is your favourite? ✨ If you’d like a sample of any just let us know ☺️
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#williammorris #williammorrisdesign #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisfabrics #preraphaelite #preraphaelites #fabricstash #fabricstack #ukfabric #ukfabricshop #floralfabrics
Autumn tablescapes always brighten the home up this time of year ✨ This is our William Morris Compton design, always super popular it’s got the most beautiful colours within it ✨
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🎃 Just a little pup in his pumpkin outfit to deliver a Halloween treat for you! Get 15% off our website with code: Halloween 👻 His little Strawberry Thief bandana is so easy to make from our fabric and always looks so cute on him, we need to make him one in every design! ✨ (discount code can be used only on our website until Sunday at midnight!) 🎃
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Functional + stylish, a tea towel thrown over the cooker or sink really does brighten up the kitchen - bringing some florals inside the home! ✨ This is our licensed William Morris Sweet Briar design, we absolutely love this delicate design with soft pink flowers 🌷
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A fabric stack full of William Morris licensed designs, which is your favourite? ✨
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Sitting at the table to admire our latest floral arrangement creation with a cuppa! ☕️ Don’t these colours look absolutely wonderful with our beautiful licensed William Morris design Compton 🧡
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Back in stock- wonderful Golden Lily pvc fabric 🤩 Its a wipe clean material, so is absolutely perfect for the dining table 🍴 Available by the half metre in length, its 140cm wide, so fits most tables, an easy option whilst not compromising on beautiful William Morris florals! 💐
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Can’t forget your Strawberry Thief tote if you’re off to the shops! 🛍️
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Sunday evenings in the Autumn months call out for a cosy fire and treats 🍂 Mallow Wine always looks so beautiful this time of year, the placemats are so handy for protecting surfaces from hot dishes and mugs, plus are so lovely on the tablescapes! 🤍
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October calls for pumpkin decorations 🎃 Brother Rabbit looking completely beautiful on the table as always 🌿 It never needs a complex tablescape as the design speaks for itself! 🤍
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Florals in the sunshine ☀️✨ Can you name all of our licensed William Morris prints? 🌿
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Off to the beach! 🏝️☀️ Got to have a tote with us that can fit all the snacks, books and suncream! 🦀 Golden Lily in the sun is so beautiful 🐠🐬
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#williammorris #williammorrisfabric #williammorrisfabrics #williammorristote #totebag #goldenlily #beachtote #floraltote #floraltotebag #floral