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Philip Morant

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Philip Morant
Print of Philip Morant held at Abingdon School
Born(1700-10-06)6 October 1700
Died25 November 1770(1770-11-25) (aged 70)
Battersea, London, England

Philip Morant FSA (6 October 1700 – 25 November 1770) was an English clergyman, author and historian.[1] He is best known for his History and Antiquities of Colchester (1748) and his county history, The History and Antiquities of the County of Essex (1763–1768).

Education

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He was educated at John Roysse's Free School in Abingdon (now Abingdon School)[2] and Pembroke College, Oxford,[3] eventually taking his master's degree at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in 1729.

Career

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Ordained in 1722, he began his association with the county of Essex with a curacy at Great Waltham near Chelmsford in 1722.[4] He was the Chaplain of the English Episcopal Church in Amsterdam from 1732 to 1734. In 1737 he became both the Rector of St Mary-at-the-Walls, Colchester as well as Rector of Aldham in Essex.[5] During his time in Colchester, Morant wrote The History and Antiquities of Colchester, published in 1748; and his county history, The History and Antiquities of the County of Essex, published in two volumes between 1763 and 1768. He also conducted a number of excavations of Roman sites in and around the town. He married Anne Stebbing in 1739 and they had a daughter, Anna Maria. In 1755, Philip Morant was elected to the Fellowship of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

After the death of his wife, he moved to his son-in-law's house in Battersea and was employed in the House of Lords, although he retained the living of both his parishes. He died in 1770 and is buried at Aldham.[6]

Legacy

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Image of Morant on the Aldham village sign

There is a contemporary memorial to Morant and a window of 1855 in his memory in the new church at Aldham (the memorial was moved in 1854). There is also a wooden plaque at St Mary-at-the-Walls, Colchester, dated 1966.

His silhouette appears on the village sign at Aldham.

The Morant Club was formed in Colchester in 1909 to investigate local archaeology, but was dissolved in 1925.[7]

In 1965, The Norman Way Secondary School in Prettygate, Colchester was renamed Philip Morant School and College in his honour.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Griffey Clark, Benjamin. "Memorial of the parishes of Greensted-Budworth". Bearded Dwarf. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  2. ^ Richardson, William H (1905). List of Some Distinguished Persons Educated at Abingdon School 1563-1855. Hughes Market Place (Abingdon). p. 10.
  3. ^ "Philip Morant (MRNT730P)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  4. ^ Martin, G. H. (2006) [2004]. "Morant, Philip (1700–1770)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19159. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  5. ^ "Church History". Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  6. ^ "The Right Reverend Philip Morant". Archived from the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  7. ^ "Social and cultural institutions | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk.
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Goodwin, Gordon (1894). "Morant, Philip" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 38. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Genealogical information retrieved from the papers of Thomas Astle (1735-1803), Keeper of the records. Droet Morant or Drouet Mourant