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Octavius Morgan

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For the California architect, see Morgan, Walls & Clements.

Octavius Morgan
Member of Parliament
for Monmouthshire
In office
1841–1874
Preceded byWilliam Addams Williams
Succeeded byFrederick Courtenay Morgan
Personal details
Born15 September 1803
Newport
Died5 August 1888 (1888-08-06) (aged 84)
NationalityWelsh
Political partyConservative
RelativesCharles Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar, was his elder brother.
EducationWestminster School, Christ Church, Oxford
OccupationPolitician

Charles Octavius Swinnerton Morgan DL, JP, FRS, FSA (15 September 1803 – 5 August 1888), known as Octavius Morgan, was a British politician, historian and antiquary. In 1840, in his capacity as a JP he served on the Grand Jury at Monmouth which found John Frost and his fellow Chartists guilty of high treason.[1] He was a significant benefactor to the British Museum, in which there is a collection that is named after him.[2] Vincent and Leopold (2015:3) observed: 'The protoacademic approach of nineteenth-century collectors, such as Octavius Morgan (1803–1888) and Augustus Wollaston Franks (1826–1897), was instrumental to the establishment and growth of some of the most comprehensive collections of horology, chief among them found in the British Museum, London.'[3]

Early life and education

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Morgan was born on 15 September 1803. He was the fourth son of Sir Charles Morgan, 2nd Baronet, of Tredegar Park, Monmouthshire, by his wife Mary (née Stoney). Charles Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar was his older brother. His nephews were Charles Rodney Morgan, Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar and Col. Hon. Frederick Courtenay Morgan. He was educated at Westminster School in London and at Christ Church, Oxford, gaining an M.A. in 1832.

The Friars, Newport

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Morgan inherited an ample fortune. Consequently, in 1839 he was able to buy "The Friars", a Grade II listed building in Newport, Wales which he had rebuilt in the Elizabethan style. He had an octagonal preaching platform installed halfway up the main wooden staircase where he would conduct services every day. And he was said to have filled the house with "Tudor furniture, more curious than useful".[4] His congregation would consist of his maids, the housekeeper, bailiff and the boot boy. The lock he had installed on the door reflected his interest in mechanisms and automata. The substantial brass lock is still on the door of his house and it has seven subsidiary controls.[4]

Public life

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Morgan sat as Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire from 1841 to 1874 for the Conservatives. He also served as a Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant for Monmouthshire.

Morgan belonged to multiple scholarly organizations. He was:

Scholarship

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Morgan had published research papers on multiple subjects including astrolabes, clocks, episcopal rings, early communion plate, local history, watches and watchmaking.

In 1852 Morgan had published a series of papers in the Archaeological Journal about the assay and hallmarking of gold and silver, the first information that had been made public on this ancient practice. These sparked public interest in studying and collecting old gold and silver because of the information about its date and origins that can be discovered from the hallmarks.[6]

Three later publications were:

The Mechanical Galleon that Morgan gave to the British Museum.[9]

Later life and death

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During his lifetime Morgan made a number of generous donations to the British Museum including a nef, an extravagant table ornament automaton known as the Mechanical Galleon in 1866.[9]

Morgan never married and died on 5 August 1888 aged 84.[10] He was buried in his family's vault at the Church of St Basil, Bassaleg in Newport. He left his clock collection, astronomical instruments and episcopal rings.[11] His astrolabes included the 14th-century astrolabe used to call the faithful to prayer in Damascus.[12] His collections of papers including his translations of Welsh poetry are in the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.

A book published at the time and attributed to his fellow MP, Reginald Blewitt, described Morgan as flippant in his youth and overbearing, arrogant, short and effeminate.[13] In contrast, in 1889, John Evans (archaeologist), the President of the Society of Antiquaries of London, described him as 'a delightful companion, full of information on his favourite subjects, and willing to impart it ...' (Society of Antiquaries, Anniversary, Tuesday, April 30, 1889 ).

Today his house's extensive dairy and orangery are gone because his home is currently (2024) a post-graduate education centre for the Royal Gwent Hospital Hospital of the Aneurin Bevan University Hospital of NHS Wales. However, it is said that the house is still adorned with Latin inscriptions hidden within wooden carvings and a grand imported German fireplace bearing his initials.[4]

Publications

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Articles

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Books

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References

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  1. ^ Collins, William John Townshend (1948). Monmouthshire writers: A literary history and anthology Volume 2. Newport: R.H. Johns. p. 61. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  2. ^ Octavius Morgan, accessed 20 March 2024
  3. ^ Vincent, Clare; Leopold, Jan Hendrik (2015). European Clocks and Watches in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of art, New York. ISBN 978-1-58839-579-5. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b c History of the Friars, Gwent Clinical School, Wales NHS, accessed July 2010
  5. ^ Jenkins, J. A.; Roberts, Brynley F., revised (2004). "Morgan, Charles Octavius Swinnerton (1803–1888)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19218.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  6. ^ Octavius Morgan, M.P., F.S.A. (1852) 'Assay Marks on Gold and Silver Plate'. Archaeological Journal Volume 9, pp. 125–140, 231–246, 313–319.
  7. ^ a b c d See under 'Publications' below.
  8. ^ To be precise, the discovery that Morgan reported was of the remains, 'a portion of the side', of a ship. (Unfortunately Morgan omitted to state whether the remains were left in situ or moved.) In 2002 a medieval ship which was built with timber from the Basque Country (greater region) of Northern Spain was discovered in the west bank of the River Usk in the city centre, see Newport Ship.
  9. ^ a b Octavius Morgan (1803–88), British Museum, accessed July 2010
  10. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
  11. ^ British Museum
  12. ^ Astrolabic quadrant, made by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Mizzi, British Museum, accessed July 2010
  13. ^ Blewitt., Reginald. Memories of Monmouthshire. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012.

Further reading

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire
1841–1874
With: Lord Granville Somerset 1841–1848
Edward Arthur Somerset 1848–1859
Poulett Somerset 1859–1871
Lord Henry Somerset 1871–1874 		Succeeded by
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