Morant, George

London; interior decorator, cabinet maker, carver and gilder (fl.1790–1845)

In 1790 Morant founded a well-known firm of decorators and cabinet makers. His earliest bill heads appear to date from the beginning of George IV’s reign, when he described himself as ‘Ornamental Painter and Paper-hanging Manufacturer to their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge, No. 88 New Bond Street, London. House Painting and every article in the Gilding Line.’

From 1808 he supplied James Morrison with furniture to the designs John Buonarotti Papworth for his house, Basildon Park in Berkshire. The firm's Bond Street shop front was designed by Papworth, 1817–19, and the business was styled George Morant & Son, 1825–39. Messrs George Morant received Royal patronage supplying picture frames for Windsor Castle in 1827-28.

Image

Trade card of G. Morant, carver, gilder and framer at 88 New Bond Street, London, with a Royal coat of arms displayed in the centre of the text, c.1827 [Heal,32.41]. © The Trustees of the British Museum

A composition picture frame of c.1823 bears a label featuring the Royal arms and text ‘G. MORANT. CARVER, GILDER & PICTURE FRAME MAKER, TO HIS MAJESTY. 88, NEW BOND STREET, LONDON’ (illus. Gilbert (1996), fig. 662). A portrait of Lord Liverpool by Thomas Lawrence, 1827, in the National Portrait Gallery, has an identical frame bearing the same label.

Morant also applied successfully for Royal Appointment at the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign, on the recommendation of the Duchess of Gloucester. He took out a Sun Insurance policy on 15 March 1824 for £5,200 including £1,000 on household goods in house, workshops and warehouse communicating with house in tenure of a tailor, and with a house and store at 4 Wood Street. He also insured drawings, engravings and pictures for £4,200.

Between 1820–22, Morant decorated Farnborough Hill and a small house adjacent to it called The Pavilion, built for Edward Greene, a nephew of Mary Foreman, the widow of a wealthy merchant, Luke Foreman. Morant’s bills for paper hanging survive indicating that he supplied much of the furniture (illus. Sebag-Montefiore, Furniture History, (2016) figs 16 & 17).

G. Morant & Sons, upholder supplied furnishings for Wynyard Park, County Durham, for Charles William Vane, Marquess of Londonderry, c. 1823–34. In 1829 they supplied a giltwood frame 'King's pattern' for a bishop's half-length portrait to Sir John Soane’s Museum at 12 & 13 Lincoln’s Inn Field; In 1833 the firm submitted a bill to the Duke of Sutherland for ‘papering & colouring’ at Bridgewater House, costing £584 2s 11d. At Stafford House 1836-42 the firm finished the work begun by one Desiré Dellier, who fled mid-commission to escape creditors. In 1837 they charged £1,766 and £280 for work at Stafford House, and in 1838, £450 for furniture supplied there. This included ornate pier tables and looking-glasses for the first floor apartments. 

Payments are recorded to Morant by the 6th Earl of Cardigan for Deene Park, Northamptonshire. ‘Mr Morant of 91 Bond Street’ carried out extensive refurbishment of Arundel Castle for the 13^th Duke of Norfolk when he succeeded to the title in 1842. A lengthy of description of the sumptuous furnishings they supplied is given in The Illustrated London News on the occasion of the visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to the castle in December 1846.

The stamp of Morant's is recorded on Boulle pieces at Mamhead, Devon, to which the firm supplied the state bed for Queen Adelaide's visit in 1838. The firm also supplied furniture to Melford Hall, Suffolk, for Sir William Parker.  

George John Morant was situated at 91 New Bond Street until at least 1850 [London Post Office Directories]. He died at Chester Terrace, Regent's Park on 10 October 1865, with his effects valued at under £30,000.

Source: DEFM; Collard, ’Soane and Furniture’, Furniture History (1979); ); Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840 (1996);  Yorke, ‘The Furnishing of Stafford House by Nicholas Morel’, Furniture History (1996); Jervis, ‘Charles Davis, the 15th Duke of Norfolk, and the Formation of the Collection of Furniture at Arundel Castle’, Furniture History (2005); Dakers, ‘Furniture for James and Alfred Morrison’, Furniture History (2010);  Sebag-Montefiore, ‘A Regency Collection: Luke Foreman (1757-1814) and his Wife Mary (1764?-1834)’, Furniture History (2016); Morley,’The Revival of 'Old English' Style in Nineteenth Century Furniture’, DAS, vol 16.