Sylvanus Morgan (March 1620 – 27 March 1693) was an English
arms
Arms or ARMS may refer to:
*Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body
Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to:
People
* Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader
Coat of arms or weapons
*Armaments or weapons
**Fi ...
-painter and author.
Biography
Morgan was born in London in March 1620, was brought up to and practised the profession of an arms-painter.
In 1642, he wrote "A Treatise of Honor and Honorable Men", which remained in manuscript.
[See Samuel Brydges, ''Censura Literaria'' (1805–1809), vol. 8, p. 236.]
In 1648, he printed a poem entitled "London, King Charles his Augusta, or City Royal of the Founders"; and in 1652 "Horologiographia Optica, Dialling universal and particular".
In 1661, he published a work on heraldry, entitled ''The Sphere of Gentry, deduced from the Principles of Nature: an Historical and Genealogical Work of Arms and Blazon, in Four Books''. Morgan says that this book had taken him years to compile and had been originally intended for dedication to Charles I, and that he had neglected his trade as arms-painter, suffered much illness, and had had his house burnt down. It contains a title-page with a portrait of Morgan, etched by
Richard Gaywood
Richard Gaywood (fl. 1650–1680) was an English engraver.
Life
Gaywood was a pupil of Wenceslaus Hollar, and worked in his style. A friend of Francis Barlow, he engraved many of his designs.
Works
Gaywood was prolific, the bulk of his wor ...
. The work was pedantic, and was discredited by
Sir William Dugdale
Sir William Dugdale (12 September 1605 – 10 February 1686) was an English antiquary and herald. As a scholar he was influential in the development of medieval history as an academic subject.
Life
Dugdale was born at Shustoke, near Coleshi ...
and other heralds; and it was alleged that it was really the work of
Edward Waterhouse.
In 1666, he published a supplement, entitled ''Armilogia, sive Ars Chromocritica: the Language of Arms by the Colours and Metals''.
Morgan lived near the
Royal Exchange in London. He died on 27 March 1693, and was buried in the church of
St Bartholomew
Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو� ...
, behind the Exchange. He left a large collection of manuscripts, which came by marriage to Josiah Jones, heraldic painter and painter to
Drury Lane Theatre
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dru ...
, by whom they were sold by auction in 1759.
References
Attribution
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Sylvanus
1620 births
1693 deaths
17th-century English painters
English male painters
17th-century English writers
17th-century English male writers