Birmingham Set
Encyclopedia
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
. The group initially met every evening in the rooms of Charles Faulkner
in Pembroke College
, though by 1856 its dominant figure was Edwin Hatch
.
The primary interests of The Set were literary - they were admirers of Tennyson
in particular. Their importance as a group was largely within the visual arts, however, where they played a significant role in the birth of the Arts and Crafts Movement
: The Set were intimately involved in the murals painted on the Oxford Union Society in 1857, and Morris, Burne-Jones and Faulkner were founding partners of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. in 1861.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the 1850s, most of whom were from 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...
or had studied at King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country, according to...
. The group initially met every evening in the rooms of Charles Faulkner
Charles Joseph Faulkner
Charles Joseph Faulkner was a mathematician and fellow of University College, Oxford and a founding partner of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Co....
in Pembroke College
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:...
, though by 1856 its dominant figure was Edwin Hatch
Edwin Hatch
Edwin Hatch was an English theologian born on September 4, 1835 in Derby, England. He is best known as the author of the book Influence of Greek Ideas and Usages Upon the Christian Church, which was based on the lectures he presented during the 1888 Hibbert Lectures and which were edited and...
.
The primary interests of The Set were literary - they were admirers of Tennyson
Tennyson
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the first Baron Tennyson, was an English poet.Tennyson may also refer to:-People:* Baron Tennyson, the barony itself** Alfred, Lord Tennyson , poet...
in particular. Their importance as a group was largely within the visual arts, however, where they played a significant role in the birth of the Arts and Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
: The Set were intimately involved in the murals painted on the Oxford Union Society in 1857, and Morris, Burne-Jones and Faulkner were founding partners of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. in 1861.
Members
- Charles Joseph FaulknerCharles Joseph FaulknerCharles Joseph Faulkner was a mathematician and fellow of University College, Oxford and a founding partner of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Co....
- Edward Burne-JonesEdward Burne-JonesSir 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...
- William MorrisWilliam MorrisWilliam 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...
- Cormell Price
- Richard Watson DixonRichard Watson DixonRichard 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...
- Edwin HatchEdwin HatchEdwin Hatch was an English theologian born on September 4, 1835 in Derby, England. He is best known as the author of the book Influence of Greek Ideas and Usages Upon the Christian Church, which was based on the lectures he presented during the 1888 Hibbert Lectures and which were edited and...
- William Fulford
- Harry MacDonald, brother of the MacDonald sistersMacDonald sistersThe MacDonald sisters were four British sisters, notable for their marriages to well-known people of the Victorian era. Alice, Georgiana, Agnes and Louisa were four of the seven daughters and 11 children of Reverend George Browne MacDonald , a Methodist minister, and Hannah Jones .- Biographies...