Charles Joseph Faulkner
Encyclopedia
Charles Joseph Faulkner (1833–92) was a mathematician
and fellow of University College, Oxford
and a founding partner of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Co.
Faulkner was part of a group of Birmingham
men at Pembroke College, Oxford
known among themselves as the "Brotherhood" and to historians as the Birmingham Set
, along with Richard Watson Dixon
and William Fulford. Through them he met William Morris
and Edward Burne-Jones
, with whom he worked on a number of projects, including the Oxford Union murals
and the decoration of Red House
. He left Oxford to train as a civil engineer
in London in 1860, and in 1861 become a founder-shareholder and shortly thereafter financial manager of the decorative arts firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., along with the Pre-Raphaelite
artists Morris, Burne-Jones, Ford Madox Brown
, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti
, as well as engineer P. P. Marshall
, and architect Philip Webb
. Faulkner participated in the firm's early design commissions including painting the chancel roof of St Michael's Church, Brighton
. Faulkner's sisters Kate and Lucy were also associated with the firm as artists and designers. Two of Charles Faulkner's cartoon
s or design drawings for stained glass
, part of a series depicting the story of Dives and Lazarus, are in the Victoria and Albert Museum
.
Doubting the firm would ever achieve a sound financial footing, Faulkner resigned as financial manager in 1864 and returned to his fellowship at Oxford, although he maintained his ties to his erstwhile partners, accompanying Morris and Eiríkr Magnússon
on their 1871 trip to Iceland and remaining a shareholder of the firm until it was reorganized as Morris & Co. in 1875. Morris and Faulkner were also allied in embracing Socialism
. Faulkner joined the Eastern Question Association
in 1876, and invited Morris to the 1883 meeting in University College hall where Morris announced his conversion to socialism. Both joined the Socialist League
in 1885. Faulkner was active in the movement, and persuaded the Radical Association to rename itself the Oxford Socialist League.
At Oxford, Faulkner served as bursar
(1864–82), dean of degrees (1875–89), registrar (1866–82) and librarian (1884-9). He resigned his Oxford fellowship after suffering a stroke in 1888 and died in 1892.
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and fellow of University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
and a founding partner of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Co.
Morris & Co.
Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. and its successor Morris & Co. were furnishings and decorative arts manufacturers and retailers founded by the Pre-Raphaelite artist and designer William Morris...
Faulkner was part of a group of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
men at Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
known among themselves as the "Brotherhood" and to historians as the Birmingham Set
Birmingham Set
The Birmingham Set, sometimes called the Pembroke Set or later The Brotherhood, was a group of students at the University of Oxford in England in the 1850s, most of whom were from Birmingham or had studied at King Edward's School, Birmingham...
, along with Richard Watson Dixon
Richard Watson Dixon
Richard Watson Dixon , English poet and divine, son of Dr James Dixon, a Wesleyan minister.He was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, and on proceeding to Pembroke College, Oxford, became one of the famous Birmingham Set there who shared with William Morris and Burne-Jones in the...
and William Fulford. Through them he met William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
and Edward Burne-Jones
Edward Burne-Jones
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts as a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, and Company...
, with whom he worked on a number of projects, including the Oxford Union murals
Oxford Union murals
The Oxford Union murals are a series of mural decorations in the Oxford Union library building. The series was executed by a team of Pre-Raphaelite artists including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones...
and the decoration of Red House
Red House (London)
Red House in Bexleyheath in southeast London, England, is a major building of the history of the Arts and Crafts style and of 19th century British architecture. It was designed during 1859 by its owner, William Morris, and the architect Philip Webb, with wall paintings and stained glass by Edward...
. He left Oxford to train as a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
in London in 1860, and in 1861 become a founder-shareholder and shortly thereafter financial manager of the decorative arts firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., along with the Pre-Raphaelite
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters, poets, and critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti...
artists Morris, Burne-Jones, Ford Madox Brown
Ford Madox Brown
Ford Madox Brown was an English painter of moral and historical subjects, notable for his distinctively graphic and often Hogarthian version of the Pre-Raphaelite style. Arguably, his most notable painting was Work...
, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti was an English poet, illustrator, painter and translator. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 with William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais, and was later to be the main inspiration for a second generation of artists and writers influenced by the movement,...
, as well as engineer P. P. Marshall
Peter Paul Marshall
Peter Paul Marshall was a Scottish civil engineer and amateur painter, and a founding partner of the decorative arts firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co....
, and architect Philip Webb
Philip Webb
Another Philip Webb — Philip Edward Webb was the architect son of leading architect Sir Aston Webb. Along with his brother, Maurice, he assisted his father towards the end of his career....
. Faulkner participated in the firm's early design commissions including painting the chancel roof of St Michael's Church, Brighton
St Michael's Church, Brighton
St. Michael's Church is an Anglican church in Brighton, England, dating from the mid-Victorian era. Located on Victoria Road in the Montpelier area, to the east of Montpelier Road, it is one of the largest churches in the city of Brighton and Hove...
. Faulkner's sisters Kate and Lucy were also associated with the firm as artists and designers. Two of Charles Faulkner's cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s or design drawings for stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, part of a series depicting the story of Dives and Lazarus, are in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
.
Doubting the firm would ever achieve a sound financial footing, Faulkner resigned as financial manager in 1864 and returned to his fellowship at Oxford, although he maintained his ties to his erstwhile partners, accompanying Morris and Eiríkr Magnússon
Eiríkr Magnússon
Eiríkr or Eiríkur Magnússon was an Icelandic scholar who was Librarian at the University of Cambridge, taught Old Norse to William Morris, translated numerous Icelandic sagas into English in collaboration with him, and played an important role in the movement to study the history and literature of...
on their 1871 trip to Iceland and remaining a shareholder of the firm until it was reorganized as Morris & Co. in 1875. Morris and Faulkner were also allied in embracing Socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. Faulkner joined the Eastern Question Association
Eastern Question
The "Eastern Question", in European history, encompasses the diplomatic and political problems posed by the decay of the Ottoman Empire. The expression does not apply to any one particular problem, but instead includes a variety of issues raised during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, including...
in 1876, and invited Morris to the 1883 meeting in University College hall where Morris announced his conversion to socialism. Both joined the Socialist League
Socialist League
Socialist League may refer to one of several organisations:*Socialist League *Socialist League *Socialist League *Socialist League *Socialist League *Socialist League...
in 1885. Faulkner was active in the movement, and persuaded the Radical Association to rename itself the Oxford Socialist League.
At Oxford, Faulkner served as bursar
Bursar
A bursar is a senior professional financial administrator in a school or university.Billing of student tuition accounts are the responsibility of the Office of the Bursar. This involves sending bills and making payment plans with the ultimate goal of getting the student accounts paid off...
(1864–82), dean of degrees (1875–89), registrar (1866–82) and librarian (1884-9). He resigned his Oxford fellowship after suffering a stroke in 1888 and died in 1892.