Clissett chair by John Warrender with board seat, 4 spindles within back bars, curved back uprights, shaped front rail, ring-turned front legs (which are slightly higher than the seat)

WS 154 Clissett chair by John Warrender

WS 155 John Warrender I*W stamp

These chairs are easily recognisable as Philip Clissett and members of his family made them for many years in the nineteenth century in and around Herefordshire. I came across a set of three while at the Newark Antique fair and was struck by their excellent condition. I really had no intention of buying them until I noticed some impressed initials at the top of the back legs; I pointed them out to the dealer but he was not in the slightest bit bothered. The letters were quite clear: I*W but they meant nothing to me so I sent an email to Terry Rowell who runs the Philip Clissett website. A short while later he contacted me to say the initial stood for John Warrender, a chairmaker from Worcestershire who was an uncle of Philip Clissett's, and the signed chairs were uncommon. The price was negotiated and I was happy to leave the fair with something, as I had not come across a single chair that could be associated with Lincolnshire.

Lower picture shows the impressed initials of John Warrender on the top of the back leg of chair No 154. He lived and worked in the village of Bransford, Worecesterchire . There is really no need for me to print anything else here but recommend you to visit Terry Rowell's  excellent Philip Clissett website website. You will find everything you need to know about him and his family.

© William Sergeant 2019