So who was George Maton? It would be wrong to describe him as ‘Marlborough’s Lowry’, but his works show the Town as it was across the Victorian period.
To paint a picture of the George Maton, the character and artist we can thank Marlborough historian Nick Baxter for his considerable research into this enigma. We also discovered a handwritten transcript of what we believe to be an article about Maton published in a Marlborough newspaper (Marlborough Times) quoted as 23 April 1904. (click to view) This was pinned, in a plastic folder to the rear of the Savernake Monument painting. This gives insight into George and his family.
A further source of information is the ’History of the Roundway Lunatic Asylum’. He was incarcerated in this institution for all of his later life, for several decades we believe. In the latter Victorian era he was noted as unstable, ‘a lunatic’ – intelligent undoubtedly and seeing the world differently from those around, but nowadays he may have been regarded as just a ‘creative genius’. We will never know……
Regarding his output as an artist, we only know of his fifteen ‘Marlborough area’ works. Nine of Marlborough, including The college, four of Aldbourne, and one of the Savernake Monument. There is no apparent record of other paintings by him (other than murals and assorted pieces done during his stay(s) at Roundway), but it would be very unlikely that he only ever did fifteen works in total. We hope that ‘new’ works will emerge as given the length of time over which he was active as a painetr of pictures, the total number could easily be forty or more. But quite likely thanyt many will have been destroyed over the years as his works weren’t signed and he wasn’t then recognised as a ‘notable artist. But any other works unearthed could provide more background and create a bit more of a picture of George Maton – who was he, what did he do, and when / where?
George Maton – the early years:
Maton’s Marlborough Paintings
We know – roughly – the period across which he worked as there are two works featuring the Town Hall. This building was redesigned and rebuilt in its current configuration in the early 1900s. Drawn by CE (Charles) Ponting – the architect for the Meux Estate (a bit further to the West of the town up the Kennet Valley). Re-opened in 1902, so we believe. But the Town Hall had undergone an earlier redesign / rebuilds, the previous being in 1867. One of Maton’s paintings shows the Town Hall in this stage of its existence, so we can assume that this work was completed in the period 1867 – 1902.
But the other work featuring the Town Hall shows it in an earlier stage of design – probably the post-1793 structure. We understand from records that the first Town Hall was built in 1654 but remodelled in 1793 so this second Maton painting featuring the Town Hall must have been completed pre-1867.
Maton – the enigma
So Maton was a Victorian era artist who liked painting scenes from Marlborough. What else do we know of him? Until now, very little, but research carried out by historian Nick Baxter may have unearthed the ‘real’ George Maton. Anecdotal history claimed that he was a ‘sign writer’, and his painting of the High Street, looking east towards St Peter’s shows a hanging sign, depicting the premises now occupied by The Royal Oak pub, which also indicates that the use for this building hasn’t really changed across the past couple of centuries. The presence of this sign may – or may not – support this anecdotal belief, and a Victorian sign writer would also need skills consistent with that of an artist, as what is a hand painted sign if not a work of art carried out to a fairly tight and specific brief. Same kills, same knowledge of materials (and use thereof) required.
The web search engines are normally a valuable source of information. His works are recognised on several sites, but just his name, and his Marlborough works and nothing else. Wikipedia is also a valuable source in most instances, but when searching for information about George Maton it pushes the enquirer back in the direction of a William George Maton, from a slightly earlier period (1774 – 1835) so he can be ruled out on that evidence alone. He was a medic and noted botanist, but his geographical linkage centred on his place of birth – Salisbury – and that in his later life he acquired a ‘country seat’ in Downton, not far from Salisbury. But – apart from the disparity of the actual period, there appears to be no recognised linkage between this Maton and our George, and William George doesn’t appear to have been an artist, or not red as one anyway.
Nick Baxter’s research shows that ‘Maton’ is but just one spelling of his surname. Applying a bit of ‘approximation’ in the research, Nick found that there were several references to a George ‘Meaton’ or ‘Meton’ or ‘Maten’.. One George ‘Meaton’ was recorded as being baptised at St Mary’s on 2 November 1817. This fits with other references to someone of approximately this name, at this time and in Marlborough. And also to his being an artist.
George Meaton / Maten / Maten – An interesting character: on 6th January 1835, aged 17, he was convicted of larceny and sentenced to be whipped and to serve three months in the New Prison, Devizes. Incarceration in institutions seems to be a regular feature throughout his life of eighty years.
The 1841 census records him (as Maten) as being twenty and living in Silverless Street with his parents and seven siblings. Then, at the age of twenty three he was described as a ‘painter’.
By the next census – in 1851 – he had moved a short distance to New Road and was described as a ‘landscape painter’. On a further ten years, in 1861 the census recorded him as living in Oxford Street, almost backing on to New Road, and still a landscape painter.
No record could be found in the 1871 census – maybe his name had been spelled very differently, or more likely this could have coincided with his period in London where he was (again) incarcerated, but this time in London at the Clerkenwell ‘House of Detention’ or possibly the asylum at Colney Hatch. He was also incarcerated – twice – at the Roundway Lunatic Asylum (also known as the County Lunatic asylum) in Devizes. The record of the Asylum provides interesting detail as to George Meaton and the latter years of his life.
We can’t find any record of his first stay in Roundway, but quite a bit of information regarding his second – and final – period there, lasting probably two decades or more and where he died in 1898.
The record states that his stay in London, which lasted apparently for around nine years seemed to revolve around incarcerations firstly in Clerkenwell (six months for a ‘breach of the peace’) and then in Colney Hatch to where he was sent ‘under the Secretary of State’s order’ having had printed and posted up in the streets foul and abusive posters, which insulted the queen and the ‘Bishop of Canterbury’ [sic]. On admission he ’was personally so filthy that all his clothes had to be burnt’.
His next move was back to Wiltshire, to Roundway again. He was sent back to Devizes presumably because Marlborough was the parish responsible for his maintenance.
He was quite prolific artistically at Roundway and whilst the 1881 census records him as being described as an ‘ornamental painter’, he was known there as the ‘Lunatic Artist of the Asylum’. A noted inmate. His murals, paintings on the walls of many wards were only painted over in 1939.
This all fits with dates, locations, links with Marlborough and probably most importantly of all – his ‘profession’.
The dates match perfectly and two of his works feature the Town Hall, one before the 1867 redesign / rebuild, one after, probably done just before he left Marlborough for London.
So the likely identity was of George Meaton / Meton / Maten / Maton, of Marlborough and he was described as a painter of various descriptions. This can’t be confirmed, absolutely but all evidence points to George Meaton being our George Maton. But the spelling of his name? Two hundred years ago spelling was far less ‘exact’ than today, but the way that social media is taking us, we might be going ‘full circle’.
Thanks, and much credit to Nick Baxter for all of his detective work.
