Lincolnshire bowback spindle back Windsor armchair stamped AMOS GRANTHAM, 9 long spindles, 8 short (some of laburnum), turned fruitwood underarm supports, elm seat, ring and cove front leg turnings with single lower ring, plain back legs, crinoline stretcher

WS 135 Spindle bowback Windsor armchair stamped AMOS GRANTHAM

This chair, mostly made of yew wood, is clearly stamped on the side of the elm seat AMOS GRANTHAM. Everthing about the chair was original and one would not have guessed that it was by this maker, were it not for the name stamp . The underarm supports are not what one would expect: they are not too dissimilar to the pattern used by Taylor and also by Marsh. The front legs are of the common and typical pattern of early Lincolnshire chairmakers and not of the multiple rings that are associated with Amos. This chair had been well used and there were several issues with splits and cracks. The remarkable feature of this chair is the wood used for the short spindles and underarm supports.

WS 134 Detail of spindle bowback Windsor armchair stamped AMOS GRANTHAM

A close-up of these is in the picture above and it is clearly seen that laburnum has been used for the short spindles and a fruitwood, possibly plum, has been used for the underarm support. Many thanks to Christopher Pye for allowing me to photograph his chair. It is rare for laburnum to be used in chair making, certainly in Lincolnshire*, but it just goes to show how these makers would make use of almost any wood that was available on the day.

© William Sergeant and Julian Parker 2020

* Laburnum is not uncommon in Scottish chairmaking tradition.