Meg Morton began in 2005 as a small interiors shop situated on a farm unit at Child Okeford here in Dorset, primarily to sell my hand painted interior accessories! I busily sat and hand painted wastebins, tissue boxes and more accompanied by my wonderful little Jack Russell Dotty whilst Vicky was at school.
I named my fledgling little business in memory of my lovely Mum - Meg Morton who was an inspirational home maker and domestic science teacher who sadly passed away when I was 13.
I had actually followed an alternative path during my teens, working with horses and then studying agriculture and even owning a flock of 200 milking sheep with my husband Rob! Throughout I had always retained my love for country interiors, fabrics, pattern and colour and ended up working for Laura Ashley for a while too.
My parents with me as a very horse mad youngster!
Meynell Hunt - pony club camp 1970's
During our wonderful 7 years in our interiors shop Vicky and I became even more passionate about textiles, colour and pattern whilst working with different fabric brands to help customers put schemes together.
We produced our first printed textile design from a little hand cut dragonfly stencil in 2016. That was the start and our pastel pink hydrangea design followed shortly and still remains our most popular design today. The exact same design that I used to hand paint onto wastebins and tissue boxes! Our time with the Shaftesbury shop were the happiest of years working with wonderful helpers who have remained close friends.
We ran the interiors shop until 2017 when we left to concentrate on designing textiles and more importantly, prepare for Vicky’s kidney transplant which she successfully received in 2019 from her Dad Rob, who has also now joined us as a key member of the team.
Vicky and I continued to work on fabric designs from 2017, soon supplying stockists and retail customers throughout the UK and USA with our collections. In 2021 we purchased fellow Dorset textile designer Jacqueline Milton’s wonderful fabric designs to compliment our own. Although Jacqueline has “retired” she still designs with us which is wonderful.
We never envisaged discovering that we had such a rich textile heritage dating back to 1860 with a gentleman called Alexander Morton (1844-1923 ) who was my great grandfather’s brother! However, during the Covid lockdown, when we were particularly isolated to protect Vicky, we decided to research my Mum’s family. Growing up I had been aware that they had been involved with textiles and carpet manufacture in Scotland but sadly I knew very little. My Father was a graphic artist and had also trained as a textile technologist and designer working in the lace industry for many years and his father Louis had been a Nottingham yarn merchant. My father had even kept a small hand loom in the back room at home in Darvel, Scotland where he was also born. Sadly we had rarely talked about my Mum’s family’s involvement with textiles after my Dad remarried in the 70’s and I followed my agricultural/ equestrian path.
My Parents - Reg & Meg Needham (Morton)
Then purely by chance I discovered a wonderful book called: ”Three generations In A Family Textile Firm” written by Alexander Morton’s grandson, Jocelyn Morton.
On buying the book I immediately recognised the photo of “Gowanbank” a beautiful turreted granite house on the outskirts of Darvel, Ayrshire Scotland from my childhood Christmases spent at my Mum’s family home - Lintknowe (One of Darvel’s earliest industries was making linen yarn from flax! ) which sits further down the road at the edge of the town. I later discovered that Alexander Morton and his older brother, my great grandfather, had designed and built Gowanbank and lived there from 1881 . I also vaguely recognised the photo of a statue near Gowanbank, overlooking the woods of the Lanfine Estate which sits above the town, which is dedicated to Alexander Morton.
Captivated Vicky and I read on and discovered that we had the most wonderful, textile history that we had been largely unaware of! No wonder Vicky and I are so passionate about pattern and colour, it is definitely in our blood!
Our ancestors were also passionate about the countryside and Alexander Morton was also a Hackney horse breeder of great repute and in later years a dairy farmer too! A lot of the history I had missed out on was there in black and white thanks to this wonderful book written by Jocelyn Morton in 1971.
Below is a brief (well maybe not that brief! ) summary of what we learnt about my great grandfather Robert, his younger brother Alexander Morton and my mum’s uncle Gavin (1867 - 1954) and the rich textile heritage they all created over the generations, starting with hand woven textiles made on basic hand weaving machines. Alexander and Robert’s father, one of 12 children had indeed started out as a hand weaver and woodsman on the Lanfine Estate and Alexander had bought his first hand loom aged 15 for the princely sum of £16.00!
During our research we were thrilled to make contact with Carmel King who is Jocelyn Morton’s granddaughter! Carmel is a very talented professional photographer and some of her wonderful images taken recently at fabric printers - Standfast & Barracks can be seen below. Inspired by the family’s three generations in textiles Carmel began working on her ongoing series “Makers and Manufacturers” and regularly documents Britain’s leading craftspeople, heritage brands and manufacturers as well as undertaking shoots for national publications.
Carmel is also co author of “Made In London” published by Merrell.
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1870 - My Great Grandfather Robert Morton joined his younger brother Alexander to expand their weaving company after suggesting that they should sell direct and cut out the Glasgow textile merchants. Thus Alexander Morton & Co was formed in Darvel, Ayrshire Scotland, initially employing hand weavers in their own homes before machine looms were added in 1875. The company grew and eventually brought prosperity to the Irvine Valley employing hundreds of weavers on mechanised weaving machines. In 1927 the Darvel statue I had remembered was erected with the inscription- “Alexander Morton who led this valley to industrial fame and prosperity”
1881 onwards- Alexander Morton and Co manufactured complex woven fabric and carpets for William Morris, Voysey and Liberty’s at the height of the Arts & Craft Movement when “back to nature” and “bringing the outside home” was key. Voysey designed some 40 designs specifically for the company from 1900 to 1902. Products eventually included machine made lace, power woven madras, jacquard tapestries, chenille, and Axminster and Donegal carpets, selling worldwide by 1888. Products graced from 10 Downing Street to Buckingham Palace, royal yachts, Windsor Castle and even The White House! The company also had showrooms in London, New York and Melbourne Australia.
Photo Reference - from ‘A Pictorial History Of Darvel' by James Mair- Showing a carpet loom in the weaving shed at - Darvel.
1895 onwards- Carpet manufacture was introduced and run by Alexander’s sons Guy and James plus Alexander’s nephew, my Mum’s uncle - wee Guy or Gavin (1867 - 1954) as he was known who was head designer for Alexander Morton & Co in Ayrshire, they established BMK carpets in Kilmarnock in 1908. Carpets were also manufactured in Carlisle from 1900 and famously in Killybegs, Donegal in Ireland as hand knotted and tufted masterpieces.
Later on my great grandfather left Alexander Morton to set up “Morton Brothers” with 3 of his sons including my Mum’s father to design and manufacture madras and moquette which carried on until 1956.
1904 onwards- Alexander’s son James Morton famously invented fade proof textile dyes and new machinery which were to revolutionise the textile industry.
1914 - Morton Sundour was established by Alexander and James Morton to concentrate on printed furnishing fabrics, eventually being run by James's son Alastair Morton, who became a ‘ Royal Designer For Industry’ in 1960. The company printed using screens and also used block printing too. The company was sold to Courtaulds in 1963 whose design library which included that of the Morton’s was eventually gifted to the V & A.
1923 - James Morton took over Standfast Dyers and Printers Ltd. The mill was eventually sold and became Standfast and Barracks which is still a major textile producer today and part of The Sanderson Design Group PLC.
1928 - Edinburgh Weavers was founded to fuse together modern art and textiles and concentrate on more contemporary designs. Their strap line was “ Welcome Home”
1936 - James Morton was knighted by King George VI for services to the textile industry.
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During our research we also discovered the most wonderful piece written by Alexander Morton in 1911 aged 67, about his enduring love for his beautiful countryside. It is quite magical and something we could all adopt to enhance our lives. We had just released our River’s Walk collection too and the piece fits perfectly!
'What a wonderful world we live in, the grandeur of our hills and dales and the beauty in the shape and colour of lovely green fields and magnificent trees, the glorious rising and setting of the sun, the beautiful blue sky and the ever changing fleecy clouds, enjoy the music of the ripple of the river, the sound of the wind and the fresh breezes kissing your cheeks’
Alexander Morton
- 1911
Throughout Alexander Morton’s successful business life he never forgot his roots and the joy found in appreciating his beloved countryside. He would sometimes travel 50 miles with a hackney pony and trap just to enjoy the scenery!
There are so many parallels that run through our discoveries. On branding Meg Morton we added 'Love Your Home into our logo, and were completely unaware that years before our ancestors had the strap line 'Welcome Home'!
The Arts & Crafts Movement also took inspiration from nature to bring the countryside into your home just as we do today. Vicky and I feel very honoured to have this wonderful heritage which we have only recently discovered! Still so much to learn and explore! Definitely a research trip to Scotland and the V&A along with hopefully a new collection inspired by what we have learnt.
Our journey so far has now led to designing many textile collections, using a mixture of design methods including hand painted florals, lino cuts, drawings, photography and more. Examples of our most recent designs are shown below. We are also in the process of launching more wallpapers too.
New Zamira Design
Vicky designed our stunning Zamira ikat design at the end of last year to co -ordinate with Jacqueline Milton's Elise design, shown here as sumptuous curtains in faded raspberry. Zamira is perfect for curtains, blinds, cushions and is especially striking for lightweight upholstery. This versatile design will add drama, colour and impact to a scheme.
New Lambrook Geranium Collection
Our Lambrook Geranium Collection features a stunning new hero White Geranium design, originally hand painted by Jacqueline Milton, set against a beautiful fresh apple green or soft mint background. Both will help add freshness and colour to your home for timeless and stunning window treatments. We have added a lovely selection of co ordinating fabric designs too which all started out as handpainted designs here in our Dorset studio which will help you create entire room schemes with ease. To complete the collection we have also added a wonderfully soft geometric wallpaper called Daphne. Everything has been proudly printed here in the UK. We are also about to add a wonderful braid too which is being woven for us in Derby, where I was born!
Whilst we can never reach the giddy heights of our wonderful ancestors, we do sincerely hope that we can help you enhance your home with our country inspired designs so you can you create a truly individual and welcoming home that you will completely love and be proud of.
Best wishes
Maggie xxx
Reference Photo 1 - black & white photo at the top of the page - From a book called 'Pictorial History Of Darvel' by James Mair. Shows the chenille department in Alexander Morton & Co's factory. The machine is for stenting whereby the piece of cloth could be drawn out or extended to it's proper shape.
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