Lincolnshire hoop back Windsor side chair, with 3-piercing fleur de lys and teardrop piercing splat, 4 long spindles, straight seat sides, ball and cove front leg turning with 1 lower ring and vase-shaped feet, 2 ring back leg turning with vase-shaped feet, H stretcher with darts WS 122

Lincolnshire hoop back Windsor side chair, with 3-piercing fleur de lys and teardrop piercing splat, 4 long spindles, straight seat sides, ball and cove front leg turning with 1 lower ring and vase-shaped feet, 2 ring back leg turning with vase-shaped feet, H stretcher with darts WS 122

This chair was part of the estate of an antique dealer that was offered for sale at the auction house in Grantham in early 2014. Description : the seat is made from ash as are the back legs. The front legs, stretchers and back support are all made from yew wood. All parts appear contemporary with each other and there is no sign of alteration.

There is no maker's stamp but much of this chair design would point to it having been made in Grantham. However the back legs are typical of what would be expected as front legs on a Grantham side chair; just compare with the front legs on WS 96, WS 49 & WS 17. The back hoop, spindles and splat are very similar to a chair which appears at figure NE41 on p. 121 of Der B D Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990), which is stamped Taylor Grantham. The real enigma is the design of the front legs with their large ball and small cove turnery, the like of which can be seen on WS 72, a chair stamped by Shirley.

© William Sergeant 2018 and 2020

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Medium bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair stamped SHIRLEY GRANTHAM with 3-piercing fleur de lys upper splat, teardrop pierced lower splat 6 long spindles, 8 short, turned underarms supports, bell-shaped seat, 2 ring and cove legs with 2 lower rings x 4, H stretcher with darts WS 198

Medium bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair stamped SHIRLEY GRANTHAM with 3-piercing fleur de lys upper splat, teardrop pierced lower splat 6 long spindles, 8 short, turned underarms supports, bell-shaped seat, 2 ring and cove legs with 2 lower rings x 4, H stretcher with darts WS 198

Signed chairs by William Shirley senior are so rare that in all the years that I have been searching for Lincolnshire chairs, this is the very first signed armchair that I have ever come across.  When it appeared at the local sale room in Grantham in June 2017, I decided that it should join my collection. You may have noticed that a side chair already exists on this blog, WS 84, and I have another signed SHIRLEY side chair in my collection which is remarkably similar to it. Beside those three, very few have been recorded. There's an armchair in the Geffrye Museum and I know of a couple more. The side chair at figure NE 53 at p. 123 Dr B D Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990) may be an example but is merely stamped SHIRLEY. This minimal number of stamped Shirley Grantham chairs strikes me as slightly odd as he was a chair maker for some considerable time in Grantham.

William learnt his trade in the workshop of the Taylors, first with John during the years 1808-1811 and then with his younger brother William during the years 1811-1815 after which he became Freeman of Grantham. He advertises in the Stamford Mercury in April 1818, seeking an apprentice and a dish turner. He describes himself as a Turner, Windsor and Fancy and Spinning wheel maker of Westgate Grantham. He places a similar advert in June 1819, giving his address as No. 11 Westgate Grantham. This is of significance as it is the same address as William Taylor used when he advertised in the same paper in Dec 1811, which would indicate that he had moved into the premises once occupied by his second master. He marries in 1816 and at the birth of his son Frederick in 1824, he is described as a chairmaker of Southwark. Also, at the birth of his son George in 1828 he is noted as being a chairmaker of Old Kent Road. He advertises twice in 1834 using the address of Westgate Grantham again.

The chair pictured above is typical of a good quality Lincolnshire chair with underarm support pattern that is used by so many makers. The interesting feature is the design motif for the front legs, it has an extra ring above the usual ring and cove decoration as well as an extra lower ring. I wonder if this a nod to the Victorian trait of incorporating more detail into their furniture and getting away from the classical lines of the Georgian period? The middle parts of the H stretcher are fatter than many Grantham examples.

The seat and the stamp may be admired below.

Fine elm seat of medium bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair stamped SHIRLEY GRANTHAM WS 198

 SHIRLEY GRANTHAM stamp on upper rear of seat of WS 198

© William Sergeant 2017

Lincolnshire Windsor bow back medium armchair stamped TAYLORS GRANTHAM with 3 piercing fleur de lys upper splat, teardrop pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarm supports, bell-shaped seat, with cut-and-shut Nottinghamshire 3 ring leg turnings with vase-shaped feet and crinoline stretcher WS 206

Lincolnshire Windsor bow back medium armchair stamped TAYLORS GRANTHAM with 3 piercing fleur de lys upper splat, teardrop pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarm supports, bell-shaped seat, with cut-and-shut Nottinghamshire 3 ring leg turnings with vase-shaped feet and crinoline stretcher WS 206

Thanks to former Regional Furniture Society member, James Drake, for allowing me to record and publish an image of this chair, stamped TAYLORS GRANTHAM. I would ask you to study the picture of this chair closely. It certainly took me by surprise: there is something clearly wrong with it. The legs, with the three ring turning motif are not something that I would associate with an early Lincolnshire Windsor armchair, and sure enough, on close inspection it soon became obvious that legs belong to another chair, probably from Nottinghamshire. There has been some serious damage to this chair as the underneath of the seat shows, while the legs are quite a different colour to the rest of the chair. It's a splendid example of a 'cut and shut' chair! However, I am sure the seat and every component above are by William Taylor's workshop in Grantham, as the name stamp would indicate.

© William Sergeant 2019

Lincolnshire high back bow back Windsor armchair stamped SHIRLEY with 3 piercing fleur de lys upper splat and keyhole piercing lower splat, 6 long spindles, 6 short, turned underarm supports, straight seat sides, 3 ring leg turnings with 1 lower ring x 4 H stretcher with bobbin and 2 rings WS 73 & WS 74

Lincolnshire high back bow back Windsor armchair stamped SHIRLEY WS 74

Lincolnshire high back bow back Windsor armchair stamped SHIRLEY WS 73

This chair came out of a house in Nettleton, near Caistor and has a stamp of Shirley. Two things of note about this chair; firstly the underarm supports, the design of which is seen on chairs associated with northeast Lincolnsire and south Yorkshire that makes me believe that they were all made in the chair factory owned by Shirley; secondly the design of the cross stretcher uniting the legs which also seen on some spindle back chairs attributed to John Shadford, which is not surprising as they worked together for a long time. Compare the underarm supports to chairs WS 30 & WS 31. A very similar stamped Shirley chair was Exhibit No 28 at the Alford Manor Exhibition in 2019 and appears here. 

© William Sergeant 2012 and 2020

Lincolnshire medium bow back Windsor armchair stamped TAYLORS GRANTHAM with fleur de lys splat and 3 teardrop piercings with 6 long spindles, 8 short, turned underarm supports bell-shaped seat, ring and cove front leg turnings, plain back legs, H stretcher with darts WS 126

Lincolnshire medium bow back Windsor armchair with fleur de lys splat and 3 teardrop piercings with 6 long spindles, 8 short, turned underarm supports bell-shaped seat, ring and cove front leg turnings, plain back legs, H stretcher with darts WS 126

This chair appeared online at an East Midlands auction in May 2014. The picture was of good quality and it took no time to realise that it was an early Lincolnshire chair. It had obviously been reduced in height but everything looked original. I was not able to get to the viewing so followed the auction on the internet; I was convinced that I knew who the maker was. When the lot came up there was very little interest and soon the chair was knocked down to me for not very much. A couple of days later I travelled over to collect the chair and had the chance to view it for the first time. It was my lucky day! Not only was it in good condition but the maker was clearly stamped on the seat; either the auctioneer had failed to see the impressed name or he saw no reason to mention it in the sale description. But what totally amazed me was it had been made by a different maker in a different town from the one that I had expected. TAYLORS GRANTHAM means that the chair was made in the workshop of William Taylor, whose remarkable 1813 advertisement in the Stamford Mercury is discussed here.

WS 127 - TAYLORS GRANTHAM stamp on WS 126

© William Sergeant 2014 and 2020

Lincolnshire comb back side chair, probably from Grantham, with curved crest rail, turned stiles, 4 long spindles, 3-piercing fleur de lys and teardrop piercing splat, straight seat sides, 2 ring front leg turnings with vase feet, plain back legs with vase feet, H stretcher WS 96

Lincolnshire comb back side chair, probably from Grantham, ash with curved crest rail, turned stiles, 4 long spindles, 3-piercing fleur de lys and teardrop piercing splat, straight seat sides, 2 ring front leg turnings with vase feet, plain back legs with vase feet, H stretcher WS 96

In the collection of Steven Voyt. An unsigned side chair with everything pointing to it being made in Grantham . This chair was inspected by Bill Cotton about 15 years ago and he suggested that it may have been made by Wilson of Grantham . If you have one like this but with a maker's name on it then please let me know.
© William Sergeant 2013 and 2020

Lincolnshire high back bow back Windsor armchair, with 3 piercing fleur de lys and teardrop pierced upper splat, teardrop pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 6 short, turned underarm supports, straight seat sides, 2 ring front leg turning with vase feet, plain back legs with lower ring, H stretcher

Lincolnshire high back bow back Windsor armchair, with 3 piercing fleur de lys and teardrop pierced upper splat, teardrop pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 6 short, turned underarm supports, straight seat sides, 2 ring front leg turning with vase feet, plain back legs with lower ring, H stretcher WS 26

Although there is no maker's name stamped on this chair it is similar to other George Wilson chairs. This type are referred to as a high back bow back or hoop back Windsor: whereas one such as this chair by George Wilson is referred to as a low back bow back Windsor.

© William Sergeant 2012 and 2020

A pair of Lincolnshire low bow back Windsor armchairs, one stamped WOOD GRANTHAM with 3-piercing fleur de lys splat, single-pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 6 short, turned underarm supports, straight seat sides, 2 ring turned legs with vase feet, front and back, H stretcher with extra rear stretcher on one chair

Lincolnshire low bow back Windsor armchair, stamped WOOD GRANTHAM WS 173, from the workshop of Samuel Wood Grantham 

Lincolnshire low bow back Windsor armchair WS 175, unstamped, with a bow back template cut to replicate that of WS 173, from the workshop of Samuel Wood Grantham

The lower chair WS 175 was given to my mother on her marriage in the 1940s by my grandmother - so it has been in my family for at least 75 years.  It is unsigned and obviously from Lincolnshire but only recently did I manage to verify who made it.

The upper chair WS 173,  is a signed "WOOD GRANTHAM" which I found locally in 2016: it is the first one that I have handled. When I compared the two chairs side by side they looked so similar but just to confirm I made a MDF cut-out of the shape of the back bow of the signed one and offered it up to the other - there was a perfect fit - like Cinderella after the Ball.

So this left me in no doubt that my family heirloom was made in the workshop of Samuel Wood of Grantham.

© William Sergeant 2020

A similar chair appears at figures NE64 and NE65 on p.125 of Dr B D Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990), although that chair has a crinoline stretcher, rather than the H stretchers on the two chairs featuring in this post. Dr Cotton remarks of figure NE64 that the "turned underarm supports are specific to this maker".  Since all three chairs have identical arm turnings, that statement is confirmed. 

Valentine Samuel Wood was baptised at St Wulfram's Church, Grantham on 17 February 1821.

Samuel Woods aged 20 appears as apprentice in the Manthorpe Road household of George Wilson, chair maker in the 1841 census.  From that, one suspects that his apprenticeship would have started in 1835 or thereabouts. Valentine Samuel Wood married Jane Morris in Grantham in 1846. Samuel Wood appears separately from George Wilson under chair makers and turners in both the Post Office Directory and Pigot's Directory for 1849. Valentine Samuel Wood together with Jane and three children appear in Manthorpe Road in the 1851 census with his occupation given as Chair Manufacturer.


On 12 March 1852 there appears in the Stamford Mercury a Freehold estates sale at the Three Crowns Inn in Little Gonerby which begins as follows: 

"To be SOLD by AUCTION, by Mr. Joseph Roberts, At the Three Crowns Inn in Little Gonerby, near Grantham, on Friday the 26th day of March instant, Six o'clock in the Evening, SEVERAL Freehold MESSUAGES, and Pieces or Parcels of BUILDING GROUND, situate and being in Little Gonerby aforesaid, in the following or such other lots as may be then determined upon:— Lot 1. All that well-accustomed Public-bouse, called the Three Crowns, tbe tenure or occupation of George Newton, his under-tenants or assigns, with a small Garden and Yard contiguous (as staked out), and also a Stable, Shed, and small Yard detached. Lot 2. A Messuage or Tenement, lately occupied by Edward North; together with a Cottage and Stable the back thereof, occupied by Samuel Wood; and a Piece or Parcel of Land or Ground, containing 920 Square Yards or thereabouts; being very desirable situation for carrying on an extensive Business, or for erecting Tenements, having a Frontage of 50 Feet towards the Street, with access to two convenient Roads the back."

Edward North, also mentioned in Lot 2, was a fellow Grantham chair maker. 

On 21 July 1860 at the Grantham Temperance Gala and Flower show, Samuel Wood of Little Gonerby is recorded, whilst unplaced, as having won one of 8 special prizes of 2s each awarded by the judges of "Class 13 Potatoes, Kidney ... the entries all being so very good." 

In the Stamford Mercury of 4 January 1861 there appeared the following letter:

"Christ's Hospital, Lincoln, 1st Jan., 1861. 
Mr. Editor, 
SIR,— The accompanying paper would have been read by the Rev. the Chancellor at the distribution of Prizes the above School on St. Thomas' last, had not that Rev. Gentleman been under the impression that he had forgot to bring it with him. As its publication would tend to show the public the nature of the situations to which my boys generally go, and also to wipe away the slanderous aspersions which have recently been so liberally showered upon them, I should feel obliged by its insertion in your widely-circulated and highly-respectable journal. Although the subjoined list contains, it would at once be presumed and admitted by any intelligent and candid mind, the names of boys widely differing in intellectual power and moral worth, yet in no single instance have I had, up the present moment, complaint preferred to me against any one of them by a master. I am, Mr. Editor, your obedient Servant, W. DALTON."

The subjoined list shows four columns: Name of Boy, Situation, Master, and Residence and 25 boys, the eighth entry of which reads "Geo. Harding, Chair maker, Samuel Wood, Little Gonerby".


And so, in the April 1861 census Samuel Wood Chair maker, appears at 23 Manthorpe Road, with Jane and 4 children, including 13 year old Robert, ditto as chair maker, though presumably like the aforementioned 14 year old member of the household, George Harding, Robert would have been, as Harding is described, a chair maker's apprentice.  Robert's baptism was at St Wulfram's Grantham on 5 December 1847, son of Samuel, Chair maker, and Jane.

The Lincolnshire Chronicle on 11 April 1862 records:

"SPITTLEGATE and LITTLE GONERBY, LINCOLNSHIRE. MR. JOSEPH ROBERTS will offer for SALE AUCTION, at the Angel Hotel, in Grantham, on Tuesday, April 22nd, 1862, at six for seven o'clock in the evening precisely, subject to conditions of sale to be then produced, and the following, or such other lots, as shall be determined on, the following valuable FREEHOLD ESTATES. [...] IN LITTLE GONERBY : - 

Lot 3. All that Piece or Parcel of Land now occupied as Garden Allotments, containing 4,100 square yards or thereabouts, bounded on or towards the north by land belonging to the vicar of Grantham, on or towards the south lot 4, on or towards the east land of the Earl Brownlow, and on or towards the west land of Robert Azlack White, Esq., and now in the occupation of Samuel Woods and others. 

Lot. 4. All those two cottages or tenements with the outbuildings and gardens and land in front of the same, containing 1,140 square yards thereabouts, in the tenure or occupation of Mr. Samuel Woods, bounded on or towards the north by lot 3, on or towards the south by property of Mr. John Collingwood, Mr. Smith, Mr. Garret, and others, on or towards the east road or way dividing this lot from lot 5, and on or towards the west by property of Robert Azlack White, Esq. 

Lot 5. All those four tenements or cottages, blacksmith's shop, stable and outbuildings the respective occupations of Robert Spick, Darins Deacon, W. Singleton, and W. Morris, bounded on or towards the north by land formerly used as a burial ground, on or towards the south the high road leading from Grantham to Manthorpe, and on the west the said road or way dividing the lot from lot 4. All the above lots are tithe and land tax free. Further particulars may be had on application to the Auctioneer, or HENRY BEAUMONT, Solicitor, Grantham. At whose office plan of lots 3, 4, and 5 may be seen. Grantham, April 5th, 1862."

The allotments were doubtless where the prize potatoes were lovingly raised. 

In the Grantham Journal of 24 January 1863 a sign of possible financial strain appears:

"POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GRANTHAM, Monday, January 19.—Before the Mayor, Ex-Mayor, Dr. Eaton, and Messrs. Shipman, Ridge, and Jeans. [...] Mr. George White, smith, Little Gonerby, was also summoned for refusing to pay 1s 6½d., church-rate. Mr. Cooper, vestry clerk, proved the rate. Defendant at first said that he should reserve his defence for a future period; but afterwards stated that part of the rate was applied to defraying the expenses consequent on the "ringing of the church bells," which he objected to pay, and considered a valid objection. He had been three times called upon for the rate. Their worships made an order for payment within one week, or a distress warrant to be issued. The same order was also made against Abraham Clarke and Samuel Wood, chair maker, who did not appear in court."

 From The Grantham Journal of 16 July 1864: 

"The annual Gala in connection with the Temperance movement in Grantham, and the Flower Show, were held on Tuesday, in the grounds ot Arnold Field House, the residence of W. Ostler, Esq. The weather was exceedingly favourable, and a large number of people assembled, and were entertained in various manners. "Dicky Horne," of course, commanded a fair share of attention, and there were other gentlemen on the platform who advocated the desirability of all becoming total abstainers. In other parts of the ground the band of the Robin Hood Rifles,  conducted by Mr. Turpin, and quadrille band, also from Nottingham, discoursed good music in excellent style. There performances formed the principal features of the Gala, and to the latter dancing was entered into in a spirited manner. The Swiss wonder Piping Bullfinch was again to be viewed and listened to for twopence per head, but did not receive so large a share of patronage as on the former occasion. Refreshments were provided by Mr. J. M. Edwards, who was well patronised. [...] COTTAGERS' DEPARTMENT [...] Class 7. Strawberries, dish of. 5s. to David Pyle Spittlegate; 3s. to Samuel Wood, Little Gonerby. 4 entries."

Samuel Wood seems to have turned his back upon the temperance movement: a sad notice in The Grantham Journal of 3 October 1868:

"THE BANKRUPTCY ACT. 1861. IN the County Court of Lincolnshire, holden at Grantham. SAMUEL WOOD, of High Street, Spittlegate, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, Beerhouse-keeper, and late of Little Gonerby, in the County of Lincoln aforesaid Chair Maker having been adjudged Bankrupt on the 31st day of August, 1868, a Public Sitting for the said Bankrupt to pass his Last Examination, and make application for his Discharge, will be held at the said Court, at the Guildhall, on the 19th day of October, at half-part Eleven o'clock in the forenoon precisely, the day last aforesaid being the day limited for the said Bankrupt to surrender. The Registrar of the Court is the Official Assignee, and Mr. George Belk, of 6, High Pavement, Nottingham, is the Solicitor acting in the Bankruptcy. JNO. G. THOMPSON, Registrar. "

A notice in the Stamford Mercury of 23 October 1868 states 

"The BANKRUPTCY ACT, 1861. In tbe COUNTY COURT LINCOLNSHIRE holden at GRANTHAM. In the Matter of SAMUEL WOOD, of High-street, Spittlegate, Grantham, in the county of Lincoln, beerhousekeeper, and late of Little Gonerby, in the county of Lincoln aforesaid, chair-maker, adjudged Bankrupt on the 29th day of August, 1868. AN Order of Discharge will be delivered to the Bankrupt after the expiration of Thirty Days from this date, unless an Appeal be duly entered against the Judgment of the Court, notice thereof be given to the Court—Dated this Nineteenth day of October, 1868. JNO. G. THOMPSON, Registrar."

In the 1871 census Samuel Wood with Jane and 2 children is at 14 London Road (Ale house), occupation "Wood Turner + Publican".  In White's Directory for 1872 he appears at a beer house at London Road Grantham. In the 1881 census, still with Jane at 24 London Road, he is merely Beer house keeper. In the 1891 census still at no 24, still a beer house keeper but widowed and living with his daughter Emma Watts and her husband Charles, a master tailor. The Probate entry of Valentine Samuel Wood of 24 London Road, Grantham, beerhouse keeper died 8 December 1891, is granted Administration (with Will) on 19 February 1892 to Emma Watts (wife of Charles Watts). Effects £25.

Samuel and Jane's son Robert appears at 59 Norton St Grantham in the 1871 census, with wife Ann Elizabeth neé Wright, whom he had married at the Independent Chapel, Grantham on 10 June 1867, and daughter both called Ann, occupation 'Joiner'. Thereafter there seems to be no trace.

© Julian Parker 2020

Low bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair stamped G Wilson Grantham with 3-piercing fleur de lys upper splat, single pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 6 short, turned underarms, straight seat sides, 2 ring legs with vase feet, H stretcher with darts,

Low bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair stamped G Wilson Grantham WS 27 

No doubt where this chair was made: G WILSON GRANTHAM is impressed at the rear of the seat and for good measure very similar to NE 69 on p. 126 of Dr B D Cotton’s The English Regional Chair (1990), though that chair has 4 short spindles either side rather than three.  Where Manthorpe Road stops at the traffic lights next to King's School Grantham there is a fuel station; this where the building stood in which this chair was made: the row of cottages opposite is where the men employed by Wilson lived. It was a big concern which made many chairs of various shapes and sizes, which explains why Wilson chairs are the most common of all Grantham chairs.

© William Sergeant 2020

William Taylor of Grantham high bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair with 3-piercing fleur de lys and pierced urn upper splat, single pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 8 short, turned underarm supports, H stretcher with darts, ring & cove turning w lower ring, plain back, bell shaped seat sides

WS 126 TAYLORS GRANTHAM

This chair appeared online at an East Midlands auction in May 2014.  The picture was of good quality and it took no time to realise that it was an early Lincolnshire chair. It had obviously been reduced in height but everything looked original. I was not able to get to the viewing so followed the auction on the internet; I was convinced that I knew who the maker was. When the lot came up there was very little interest and soon the chair was knocked down to me for not very much. A couple of days later I travelled over to collect the chair and had the chance to view it for the first time. It was my lucky day: not only was it in good condition but the maker was clearly stamped on the seat; either the auctioneer had failed to see the impressed name or he saw reason to mention it in the sale description. But what totally amazed me was it had been made by a different maker in a different town to the one that I had expected. There are chairs on this site signed by Taylor - see No 80 - but this name clearly has an " S " on the end. There is a picture of a chair by this maker in Dr B D Cotton’s The English Regional Chair (1990) at p. 118 and the maker is William Taylor.  He 
made a remarkable claim in the Stamford Mercury on 25 June 1813:

"WILLIAM TAYLOR, the Original Windsor Chair-maker, No.11, WESTGATE, GRANTHAM returns thanks for the very liberal encouragement he has for several years experienced at Stow Green Fair, and informs his friends and the public in general, he will have an assortment of Yew and other Windsor Chairs at the above fair, on the 2d and 3d of July, when orders will be thankfully received. Observe, none are his make but those marked "Taylor's, Grantham," on the seat. Turning executed to order, all sorts of spinning wheels made and repaired, screws cut for benches, cheese and other presses, on the shortest notice."

This is an incredible statement to publish in a public newspaper; it implies that he was the first person to make these chairs in the area and for the public to beware of lookalike copies. 

WS 127 TAYLORS GRANTHAM seat stamp

Another TAYLORS chair may be found here.

© William Sergeant 2020

Lincolnshire comb back side chair with shaped crest rail, stylised fleur de lys splat, 4 long spindles, turned stiles, 3 ring leg turnings x 4 with vase shaped feet

WS 19 Lincolnshire comb back side chair with stylised fleur de lys splat

Unsigned chair with many features of a later Lincolnshire side chair - shaped ends to the top comb and decorative back splat make this slightly different to anything in Dr Bernard Cotton's The English Regional Chair: my guess is that it was made by G Wilson of Grantham on Manthorpe Rd.

© William Sergeant 2019

William Taylor, Grantham medium bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair, with 3-piercing fleur de lys above teardrop piercing, single pierced lower teardrop, bell seat, 6 long spindles, 8 short, turned underarm, ring & cove front leg turning, plain back legs, H stretcher with darts

On 25 June 1813 an intriguing advertisement appeared in the Lincolnshire, Rutland and Stamford Mercury:

© British Library Board

"WILLIAM TAYLOR, the Original Windsor Chair-maker, No.11, WESTGATE, GRANTHAM returns thanks for the very liberal encouragement he has for several years experienced at Stow Green Fair, and informs his friends and the public in general, he will have an assortment of Yew and other Windsor Chairs at the above fair, on the 2d and 3d of July, when orders will be thankfully received. Observe, none are his make but those marked "Taylor's, Grantham," on the seat. Turning executed to order, all sorts of spinning wheels made and repaired, screws cut for benches, cheese and other presses, on the shortest notice."

This is the the very first indication of how a Grantham chair maker was able to show his chairs to the public. 

WS 167 Taylors Grantham 

When I first read this I assumed William Taylor was referring to the Stow village which is about 10 miles north of Lincoln but on further investigation I discovered a fascinating event much closer to Grantham. 

The village of Stow no longer exists but is marked by a plaque in a corner of a field about  one mile south of Threekingham, 8 miles south of Sleaford and ten miles east of Grantham. In the 18th & 19th centuries the grass area around Stow was turned into a small town as it had a licence for a annual market which was granted in the 13th century. The picture above shows part of the grass field (which has a preservation order on it) where this huge fair was held. On the sky line is the spire of Threekingham church . The chair in the picture is signed TAYLORS GRANTHAM and there is the intriguing possibility that this very chair was taken to this very spot over 200 years ago to be sold by William Taylor. Ponder this thought as well: would he have seen Thomas Marsh of Sleaford and Richard Hubbard of Grantham at the fair trying to sell their chairs as well? For more information on this fair please click on the following link. 

WS 167 Taylors Grantham with 2 friends, WS 123 T Simpson, Boston on the right and WS 29 Marsh of Sleaford on the left

William Taylor was baptised in Grantham in 1785. His father was Roger Taylor and it was his father who placed an advert in the Stamford Mercury dated 9 July 1800 wanting a journeyman Windsor chair maker. So William, the second son, was born into a family of chairmakers. It's slightly surprising that he then was apprenticed to a joiner in 1799 , when he was 14. His father Roger was buried in Grantham in 1801 but his wife Sophia continued to run the chairmaking business, advertising for journeymen and apprentices. 

The advertisement says that he had been selling Windsor chairs for several years prior to 1813, when William would have been 28 years old; however it's not clear if he was running his parents business. His claim of being the Original Windsor chairmaker (in the area) is of interest. He may well be using the fact that his father's business was probably the first to introduce Windsor chairmaking to Grantham.

Finally, William warns the public that only chairs marked with his name, TAYLOR'S , are made by him and implies that someone else is trying to sell very similar chairs on the back of his reputation. Well, I think I know who was trying to do this, but that will be another posting on this site.

© William Sergeant 2019

John Amos, high bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair with 3-piercing fleur de lys upper splat, single pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarm supports, crinoline stretcher, 5 ring then ball then 3 ring turning w lower ring & cove, plain back, straight seat sides

WS 131 John Amos, Grantham

What a fine example of an original Grantham Windsor chair.

A word on splats: I have found absolutely no connection between the maker and the fretted design on Lincolnshire chairs. So much so that on inspection of a new chair I do not even look at the splat or its design. The pattern shown here appears in a similar form on all stamped makers chairs. However , there is a little feature that I have noticed on this chair which I believe may be peculiar to Amos. If you look at the top section of the splat, at the bottom of the two long vertical frets there are two tear drops , connected by a small gap. I have only seen this on Amos chairs and could be a design feature specific to him. If any one has come across that else where then please let me know. For another splat from another Amos chair please see figure TBS2 on p. 105 of Dr D B Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990).

© William Sergeant 2019

George Wilson, Grantham: stamped comb back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair with 3-piercing stylised fleur de lys upper splat, single pierced lower splat, curved cresting rail with turned stiles morticed into the arm bow, turned underarm supports, 2 x 3 long spindles, 2 x 3 underarm spindles, 2 top ring & 1 lower ring front leg turnings & plain back legs, H stretcher

WS 136 G Wilson Grantham

Excellent comb back Grantham chair made from ash including the seat. This one is in the collection of Brian Gray - these comb back chairs are difficult to find and appear to have been made only in Lincolnshire. The only other chairs signed by their makers are Camm and Marsh.

© William Sergeant 2019

16

Windsor armchair, signed G WILSON GRANTHAM. George Wilson was the son of John (chair No. 26) whose workshop produced large amounts of chairs in the mid-Victorian period in Grantham.

18

Windsor armchair with comb back support, signed G WILSON GRANTHAM.

22

Windsor side chair with comb back support, unsigned.

23

Windsor armchair with comb back support, unsigned. The chair in the exhibition is the middle chair in this picture.

The last four chairs have one thing in common, namely the distinctive front leg design, and so were probably made in the same workshop. They usually appear in the auction houses in Stamford or in the south of the county. I would attribute them to the workshop of James Taylor of Stamford.

28

Windsor arm chair with the stamp of SHIRLEY. Undoubtedly by William Shirley of Caistor, made in some quantity during the mid 1800’s, though stamped examples are very rare.

40

Windsor side chair, unsigned, but identical to others signed TAYLOR GRANTHAM, hoop back support with spindles and splat.