John Bray, Bourne stamped medium bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair with turned underarm supports, 8 long spindles, 2 x 3 underarm spindles, ring & cove front leg turnings with single lower ring, plain back legs, & H stretcher

WS 188 John Bray of Bourne

When this chair was put up for auction in the south of the county, the auctioneer quite rightly pointed out the impressed mark on both edges of the seat which read "BRAYBOURN MAKER". Anyone who read these auction notes would assume that the name of the chairmaker was Braybourn. This perplexed me as I had never come across this maker before. However after a little research it became evident that the maker was in fact John Bray of Bourne.

The design of the chair is typical of the second period, namely with turned stretchers and turned underarm supports with the back support of all spindles. The seat is of elm and all components above the seat of ash; there are four legs of beech with ash stretchers. At some stage it had been lowered but I have had the legs restored to their original height. The vendor stated that it had been in their family for 4 generations in the Fens around the town of March. In the past I have seen identical chairs in auctons in the south of the county but didn't know who had made them as they were not signed.

I believe that John Bray was born about 1786 to parents Edward and Elizabeth; started his apprenticeship about 1800 and so freed about 1807. The timing would appear right for his marriage to Mary Ann Bannister in 1809 at St John the Bapist Church in Peterborough. It would appear that he is the same person who was named as a creditor of Elizabeth Veasey of Deeping Fen, where he was described as a turner of Bourn by the London Gazette in 1814. The records indicate that there was only one son, John, born in Bourne in 1817. He also is listed in the Kesteven Militia Ballot of 1824 and is designated a turner and chairmaker of Bourn. He is listed in Pigot's Directory of 1828 working in West St. and a similar mention is made in Pigot's 1835 edition. He voted in the Bourn election of 1841 and in the census of the same year he is living with his wife Mary in West St. Bourn. In the census of 1851 he is given as a retired turner and a proprietor of houses and his birthplace is given as Peterborough. John Bray is noted as being buried on 6 March 1875 at the age of 81 when he is described as a yeoman.

WS 187 Bray Bourn Maker stamp

© William Sergeant & Julian Parker 2019

This chair featured in the Regional Furniture Society Newsletter No.70 Spring 2019, where you will find more information about John Bray, and his brother Benjamin Bray of Holbeach.