Thomas Simpson, Boston stamped high bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair with 5-piercing fleur de lys upper splat, double pierced lower splat, crook underarm supports, 2 x 3 long spindles, 2 x 4 underarm spindles, ring and cove front leg turnings & plain back legs, H stretcher with cross stretcher turned with darts

WS 123 T Simpson Boston

In Dr B D Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990) there are two chairs by this maker and he has him working between 1819 - 1856. This is first time I have come across one myself and I was so pleased to find it in a shop in Newark. It has been well used with some worm in the seat as well as having a replacement underarm support along with the short spindle next to it. However it is clearly stamped on the edge of the seat by this Boston maker.

The seat and two back legs are made from ash while everything else is made from yew wood. There are many similarities to chairs made by Marsh in Sleaford, even down to small wooden pins driven in to the bows to help secure the spindles.

The ash tree that the seat was made out of was not grown in a sheltered wood but was free standing, exposed to the wind. The evidence of this is clearly seen in the compression lines running across the growth rings which can be seen in the picture at the front of the saddle seat. Two other chairs have been offered for sale stamped by this maker at Christies, one in July 2003 and one in November 2004. The design of the cut out back splats appears identical to the one above. The only difference of note is that the two at Christies had 3 short spindles either side while the one in this picture has 4. Another chair by this maker was sold by Bonhams in April 2012 and was the same as above but was all spindles and no splat for the back support. The Victoria and Albert Museum have an example of one of his chairs and give his dates as born 1797, died 1878. In fact he was baptised on 4 May 1798 to parents Thomas senior and Jane. He went on to marry Elizabeth Wake, who was 22 years old, at St Botolph's in Boston thirty years later on 28 Feb 1828. In the census 1851 he was living at the prestigious address of No 9 The Market place and was noted as employing 11 men and 2 boys in his cabinet making business. By then he had a family of 5 daughters and 3 sons. 

I have been fortunate to have been given the following details of the Freemen of Boston (thanks to Robert Williams): Thomas Simpson Senior took on these apprentices and was himself described as a carpenter, joiner and a cabinet maker. 

Joseph Warfe - started 29 August 1809 

William Law - 12 December 1810 

Thomas Simpson (junior) - 1 January 1812 

Robert Hanks - 2 September 1813 

Robert Simpson - 25 June 1813 

Robert Bontoft – 27 April 1815 

James Mann - 23 January 1815 

Joseph Sheppard - 12 Feb 1821 

John Nelsey - 11 November 1825 

Joseph Simpson - 14 November 1823.

I believe that Thomas Senior married Jane Shepherd and they had at least one other son, called Robert Hill Simpson (baptised 24 February 1800), it would appear that he was apprenticed to his father went he was about 14 years old. Joseph Sheppard may well have been his nephew from his wife's side of the family.

Further research at Lincoln Archives has revealed information of the father of Thomas Simpson Senior. He was called, hardly surprisingly, Thomas as well and in his will of December 1822 he is given the title of Thomas Simpson the Elder and described as a joiner. At the time of writing his will his son Thomas Senior was taking apprentices in his cabinet making business and his grandson was recently freed of his apprenticeship to the business and to denote him by calling him "The Elder" was a sensible thing to do. In his will he mentions his wife Ann, his son Robert and his daughters Jane, Lucy Ann and Sarah and his estate divided amongst them. He also specifically mentions that his other son, Thomas, should be given "ten ponds of lawful money of Great Britain" six months after his death. 

It is quite clear from the above that Thomas Junior was apprenticed to his father Thomas Senior when he was about 15 years old. Also it is clear, given the design of this chair, that either of them could have made this chair and there is the possibility that it was made by an employee in the workshop and the owner's stamp impressed on the seat as a means of advertising.

There still remains a slight doubt about who exactly made this chair as no where in my research have I ever seen the Simpsons referred as chairmakers only joiners, carpenters and cabinet makers. There is always the chance, though very unlikely, that they bought chairs in and sold them through their business.

© William Sergeant 2019