 In 1847 , Morris 's father died unexpectedly . From this point , the family relied upon continued income from the copper mines at Devon Great Consols , and sold Woodford Hall to move into the smaller Water House . In February 1848 Morris began his studies at Marlborough College in Marlborough , Wiltshire , where he gained a reputation as an eccentric nicknamed " Crab " . He despised his time there , being bullied , bored , and homesick . He did use the opportunity to visit many of the prehistoric sites of Wiltshire , such as Avebury and Silbury Hill , which fascinated him . The school was Anglican in faith and in March 1849 Morris was confirmed by the Bishop of Salisbury in the college chapel , developing an enthusiastic attraction towards the Anglo @-@ Catholic movement and its Romanticist aesthetic . At Christmas 1851 , Morris was removed from the school and returned to Water House , where he was privately tutored by the Reverend Frederick B. Guy , Assistant Master at the nearby Forest School . 
