Lincolnshire rush-seated ladder back side chair, with plain stay rail attached to button finials of straight backpoles, 3 ladders, missing rushing bars, front stretcher with turnery commonly found in Lincolnshire, turned front legs morticed into the seat frame, with double side and rear stretchers

Lincolnshire rush-seated ladder back side chair, with plain stay rail attached to button finials of straight backpoles, 3 ladders, missing rushing bars, front stretcher with turnery commonly found in Lincolnshire, turned front legs morticed into the seat frame, with double side and rear stretchers WS 34

This an excellent example of a simple well made rush seated ladder back chair made out of ash (with rerushed seat). Vernacular furniture at its very best, probably made by the Ashton/Green families of the Spilsby, Alford, Louth area. This unloved chair appeared at a local auction house and was lotted with other house clearance bits which I got for a pittance - it should have been acquired by the local museum which is only a few streets away from where it was sold. The town where I bought it: Louth.

© William Sergeant 2012

Lincolnshire rush-seated ladder back side chair: straight back uprights with tapered feet & flattened top finials; 4 ladders with lower indented shaping; square cornered cabriole front legs morticed into the seat frame, missing rushing bars; front stretcher with turnery often found in Lincolnshire, double side & rear stretchers

Lincolnshire rush-seated ladder back side chair: straight back uprights with tapered feet & flattened top finials; 4 ladders with lower indented shaping; square cornered cabriole front legs morticed into the seat frame, missing rushing bars; front stretcher with turnery often found in Lincolnshire, double side & rear stretchers WS25

This is the very first rush seated Lincolnshire chair that I acquired; I found it hidden away in the back room of a second-hand shop in Greenwich. It was under other things and filthy but I recognised those distinctive front legs with cabriole shape and the turning on top. That was many years ago now and I am so pleased that I bought it. I think this is at least 200 years old; it has been made with a lack of sophistication and naivety that would indicate an early crude country chair - but what charm and presence!

© William Sergeant 2012

1705 John Ashton late of Spalding in the County of Lincoln, chair maker - Inventory

It was pleasing to spot the inventory of the possessions of John Ashton who was in all likelihood one of the earliest Lincolnshire rush-seated chair makers.  The list of contents shows he was most likely a spinning wheel maker as well.

"An Inventory of the Goods of John Ashton late of Spalding in the County of Lincolne Cheare maker deceased Appraised by Us whose hands are under written this Twelveth day of November Anno Dmi 1705

Impris            

In the parlour	£	s	d
One ffeather bed bedstead boulster two pillows two sheetes two blanketts a Quilt & two pillowboards	4	12	6
One fflock bed and blankett	0	3	6
One little Ovell Table one Square Table two Chaires two Stooles One Earthen Mugg 2 Candlesticks and some Glasses upon the Mantle peice one old press a Sault box a Warmeing pan a paire of bellows and a Seeing Glass and Some old Timber	0	11	6
In a little Closett
Three Glass bottles a baskett & Some old bookes	0	2	9
Linnen
One paire of hempen sheetes Three Table Cloaths Tenn pillowboards Eighteene Sheetes One Cubboard Cloath One Table Cloath One dozn of Huckaback Napkins Two fflaxen Table Cloaths Six ffine pillowboards	1	8	3
Three Silver Spoones one silver bodkin and two Gold Rings	1	1	10
Apparrell	1	5	6
One brass pott 2 pewter dishes and two Plates	0	3	0
Tooles in the Shopp 2 vices and two fframes	3	0	0
In the back Shopp 2 fframes and a wheele	0	12	6
In the Chamber over the Shopp
Sixty bunches of wheele Rims	1	4	0
Two old bedsteads and two old Chests	0	4	3
Wheelknaves Spokes and Wheele Stooles	1	7	6
Old Timber	0	5	0
	16	2	1

Richard Arne R his mke Tho: Charlton

Exhibitum fuit huiusmodi Inventarium apud Lincolniam Vicesimo […] die Mensis Novembris Anno Dmi 1705 per administrationem cui &cta menti annexo pro vero et sub quod si ea
(This inventory was presented at Lincoln by the Executors on the 20th day of November 1705 by Adminstration as true & full etc.)"

Reference Name INV/199/55

Name: Ashton, John

Profession: Chairmaker

Place: Spalding, Lincolnshire

Date: 20 Nov 1705

Repository: Lincolnshire Archives [057] 

Original may be viewed here.

© Julian Parker 2020

Lincolnshire rush-seated ladder back side chair: straight back uprights with tapered feet & flattened top finials; 5 ladders with lower indented shaping; square cornered cabriole front legs morticed into the seat frame, with rushing bars; front stretcher with turnery often found in Lincolnshire, double side & rear stretchers possibly by Ashton/Green

Lincolnshire rush-seated ladder back side chair: straight back uprights with tapered feet & flattened top finials; 5 ladders with lower indented shaping; square cornered cabriole front legs morticed into the seat frame, with rushing bars; front stretcher with turnery often found in Lincolnshire, double side & rear stretchers: an Ashton chair WS 24 

This type of chair is known as an "Ashton Chair" after the family that are supposed to have made them in the Spilsby/Louth area of Lincolnshire and it is from these, with their distinctive features, that nearly all interest in Lincolnshire chairs stems. This particular design does not turn up very often and they are usually keenly contested as they are as Lincolnshire as the Imp and Stuffed Chine are. (Some of you may need to put stuffed chine into Google to understand that last remark. Or watch the video below).

The Imp, Lincoln Cathedral

Stuffed chine © Meridian Meats, Louth

© William Sergeant 2019