Death by church bell: the unfortunate end of poor Everitt of Belton

Before chair making became generally spoken and written about as a separate trade, chairs, stools and benches, as you might expect, were made by carpenters, joiners and turners. So I always keep an eye out for these trades when examining early records.

In John Manterfield's Borough Government in Newton's Grantham The Hall Book of Grantham 1649 - 1662 (Lincoln Record Society Volume 106, LRS & The Boydell Press 2016) at p. 175 is set out [fol. 277v] 'The Fifteenth Court of Thomas Mills, 19 October 1654' the: 

"Coroners Accompt

Att this Court alsoe Mr Robert Trevillian Comburgesse & Coroner for this Burrough and Soke of Grantham for the year now past Accompteth and saith that as Casualtyes happening this yeare there was one [blank] Everitt of Belton Carpenter was slayne by the turne of a Bell within the Steeple of the Church of Belton which the Jury sommoned & found it Death by casualty & misfortune &c And that thereby nothing Did accrue to the benefitt of the Common wealth of this Burrough. And soe he hath nothing to accompt for."

Poor Everitt.

The scene of the accident.

© Julian Parker 2020

Lincolnshire low bow back Windsor armchair, probably Hubbard Grantham, with 5-piercing fleur de lys and teardrop piercing splat, 6 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarms, straight seat edges, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, crinoline stretcher WS 201

Lincolnshire low bow back Windsor armchair, probably Hubbard Grantham, with 5-piercing fleur de lys and teardrop piercing splat, 6 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarms, straight seat edges, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, crinoline stretcher WS 201

The low profile of the back bow gives this chair a distinctive squat appearance, like no other Lincolnshire chair that I can think of. I knew that they existed as a signed pair are illustrated in published works on vernacular furniture but I had been waiting for years for one to appear on the open market so that I could add it to my collection. It was offered for sale in a Shropshire sale room, with a good description and photos, so I bid with confidence and secured its purchase. After a couple of months the chair was delivered to my home and I was delighted with the overall condition. The seat is of elm, while all other components are made from yew wood with the back legs of ash; a typical combination that is so often found in Lincolnshire best chairs. It has one feature that is so rare on chairs made in the county, that is the incised scratch mark around the edge of the back bow.

This chair is not stamped by the workshop owner but the two that appear in Dr B D Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990) at figures NE24 and NE25 on p. 118 were stamped clearly HUBBARD GRANTHAM, so I am in no doubt that this chair was produced in the workshop of Richard Hubbard of Little Gonerby about 1807 - 1820.

© William Sergeant 2019

Medium bow back Lincolnshire Windsor spindle back armchair stamped AMOS GRANTHAM, with 9 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarms, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings, with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher with darts WS 190 & WS 189

Medium bow back Lincolnshire Windsor spindle back armchair stamped AMOS GRANTHAM, with 9 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarms, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings, with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher with darts WS 190

This is a typical early Lincolnshire windsor armchair. Plain back legs with the front ones having the design of a thin ring above an exaggerated shallow cove, an all-spindle back support and curved underarm supports. This one has an ash seat with yew for the other components. I believe that this is the very essence of a chair that was made in the first period of Windsor chairmaking in the county, namely 1800-1812. 

The name stamp on the edge of the seat is AMOS GRANTHAM, so we know exactly in whose workshop it was made. It came from a house just outside Newark and it had been in the family for many years. It was in a slightly distressed state when I brought it at auction but I got a restorer to make it usable again.

John Amos was a wheelwright and as such ran a business for the first 15 years of his working life making wagons and carts for farmers and merchants as well as servicing ones that were already in use. It was not until 1809 that the first advert by him was posted in the paper searching for journeymen chairmakers. All of the chairs that I have seen from his workshop are of the second period type, which I believe started to be produced in about 1812 but I was not surprised to seen this design by him. This leads me to think that this chair was probably made in the first 3 years of his manufacture, namely 1809-1812.

Bench holdfast marks on medium bow back Lincolnshire Windsor spindle back armchair WS 190 stamped AMOS GRANTHAM WS 189

This picture shows part of the underside of the armbow of this AMOS chair. You can see quite clearly the small areas of cross-hatching that are impressed into the surface of the wood. This was caused by bench holdfasts. These have been used by woodworkers since ancient times and are used, as their name suggests, to hold a piece of wood firmly to the workbench. They are the shape of a swan's neck, with the neck part slipped down a hole in the bench and the crooked head part tapped with a mallet to spread the bend and hold the wood secure. They can easily be released with a sideways tap. 

For the holdfast to grip the wood better, there is cross-hatching filed into the end. This is what has left the marks above. The length of yew wood would be soften in the steam box and the placed against the profile form that it is to be moulded around and once bent, it is held firmly in place while it cools by a series of holdfasts. 

© William Sergeant 2017 and 2020

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

Medium bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair stamped TAYLOR GRANTHAM, turned underarm supports, 8 long spindles, 2 x 3 underarm spindles, ring and cove front leg turnings with single lower ring & plain back legs, H stretcher with cross stretcher turned with darts WS 85

Medium bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair stamped TAYLOR GRANTHAM, turned underarm supports, 9 long spindles, 2 x 4 underarm spindles, ring and cove front leg turnings with single lower ring & plain back legs, H stretcher with cross stretcher turned with darts WS 85

I happen to find this one at the Newark Antiques Fair and I was convinced it was made by Marsh of Sleaford but on close inspection there is a faint stamp on the rear of the seat which says TAYLOR GRANTHAM. Fortunately no one had noticed this maker's mark and it joined my collection for a very small fee. The underarm turnings are so similar to Marsh of Sleaford that only when they are stood next to each other can you spot the differences. Compare this chair with WS 29 and you will see what I mean.

Other differences are that Taylor has 8 long spindles and 6 short, whereas Marsh uses 9 long and 8 short; Marsh puts a slight chamfer on the underside of the end of the arm bow, absent from the Taylor chair. The ring on the front legs of the Taylor chair is slightly deeper than that on the Marsh.

© William Sergeant 2018 and Julian Parker 2020 

Lincolnshire medium bow back Windsor armchair, stamped I * TAYLOR GRANTHAM with 9 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarms, bell-shaped seat, ring and cove turned front legs with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, crinoline stretcher WS 211

Lincolnshire medium bow back Windsor armchair, stamped I * TAYLOR GRANTHAM with 9 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarms, bell-shaped seat, ring and cove turned front legs with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, crinoline stretcher WS 211

Regular students of Lincolnshire Windsor chairs will have seen the image of this chair before. It is simply remarkable. It appears on p. 138 of Thomas Crispin's The English Windsor Chair (1992) and again in Dr B D Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990) at figure NE12 on p. 113. Both books show the name stamp of I*TAYLOR which relates to the eldest son of Roger and Sophia Taylor, one John Taylor. Those of you who have seen my lecture at Conway Hall on Youtube will know that he made chairs for only three years, from February 1808 until January 1811, after which he became a mail coach guard for 31 years. The only other recorded I*TAYLOR stamped chair passed through the now closed auction room of Neale's of Nottingham in 2002. 

Detail of upper rear of seat of Lincolnshire medium bow back Windsor armchair, stamped I * TAYLOR GRANTHAM

WS 204 on the left, WS 211 on the right

You may also wish to compare this chair to yesterday's post WS 204, which has no makers mark, but I am sure both were made by the same hand.

The extraordinary fact is that this chair appeared on eBay recently and was spotted by a fellow enthusiast (one Julian Parker) who kindly notified me. The young lady in London selling the chair had seen the name stamp but had been unable to decipher the name. She had acquired the chair off Greenwich market at least 15 years before, besides that there was no other provenance.

© William Sergeant and Julian Parker 2020

Lincolnshire medium bow back Windsor armchair, with 9 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarms, bell-shaped seat, ring and cove turned front legs with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, crinoline stretcher WS 204

Lincolnshire medium bow back Windsor armchair, with 9 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarms, bell-shaped seat, ring and cove turned front legs with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, crinoline stretcher WS 204

My attention was drawn to this chair, that was advertised on Instagram, by my fellow furniture enthusiast Tim Garland. From the image by the vendor, it was obvious that it was in poor condition with some serious structural issues - also it was said to be possibly from Welsh borders. I recognised it as a typical early spindle back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair, dating from about 1815. There was no indication whether it was marked by the workshop owner. After having completing the deal, the chair duly arrived and the breakages were even worse than I had initially thought, but no matter, as it was soon in the capable hands of Tim. He repaired and restored the chair and the result can be seen in the picture above. He made a splendid job, and we both felt a deep sense of satisfaction of having rescued a valuable historical piece of vernacular furniture.

The maker of this chair remained a mystery to me, but as you may have heard me say before, the maker always leaves his finger prints all over his chairs, if you just know where to look. The give away was the incised ring around the back legs to indicate where the hole needed to be drilled to take the side stretcher. The only signed chairs, that have this feature, are those that are signed TAYLORS, so those made in the workshop of William Taylor. There remains the possibility that those made in his brother's workshop (John), could have the same implicit mark but as I had never handled one, and am most unlikely ever to find one, so the final identity of the marker remains uncertain.

© William Sergeant 2019

2 x Lincolnshire underarm turnings compared - the turnery signature is clear WS 181

This picture shows the underarm supports of the unstamped bar back chair in WS 180 on the right and the underarm support of the stamped TAYLORS bow back in WS 167 on the left. The underarm supports are so similar and both chairs had the same finish applied, a sort of dark varnish. But the telling detail is the incised ring around the back leg where the side stretcher joins. It's a detail that I have only ever seen on two chairs - both signed TAYLORS and it appears on the comb back chair as well. So there is no doubt which workshop both these chairs came out of: William Taylor, Grantham.

© William Sergeant 2017 and 2020

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

John Amos, Grantham, Windsor chair maker WS 148

Stamp of Amos Grantham WS 148 

Those familiar with Lincolnshire Windsor chairs will probably be well acquainted with the name of John Amos, the chairmaker from Little Gonerby. Many pictures of his chairs appear in Dr B D Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990) and other books on vernacular furniture. However, new research has revealed that he only changed to making chairs later in his life. His baptism has not been traced though he is recorded in the 1841 census as being aged 75 which suggests that he was born in about 1766. The marriage of John to Millicent Everitt took place at Wellingore on the 23rd December 1794.

The earliest mention of him can be found in an advertisement in the Stamford Mercury of October 1794 when he is seeking two journeymen wheelwrights and signs himself as JOHN AMOS wheelwright of Little Gonerby. Two years later in September 1796 a similar advertisement is placed in the same paper looking for two journeymen "and if they can make ploughs the more agreeable". An apprentice is also wanted "with which a Premium will be expected". This would mean that he was a Freeman of the Borough and by time served, probably as a wheelwright, was able to take on an apprentice .

At the start of the following year - 3rd Jan 1797 there is a baptism of John Amos, son of John and Melicent of Little Gonerby .

On the 1st March 1799 he again advertises for three journeymen wheelwrights followed in August 1800, when he is seeking two journeymen wheelwrights and another apprentice, signing himself both times as JOHN AMOS wheelwright of Little Gonerby. His next appearance in the paper is in May 1804 when he seeks the return of his apprentice John Branston and warning that anyone harbouring or employing him will be dealt with as the law directs but should he decide to return without any further trouble then he will be received; once again signing himself as a wheelwright of Little Gonerby.

These advertisements clearly show him and his business as dedicated to manufacturing wheels and ploughs, employing several people and apprentices. At the age of about 30 he has a wife and two children (daughter Melicent was baptised on 28th July 1800) and there is no mention of chairmaking. However, as Little Gonerby is such a small place and part of Grantham township he must have known Roger Taylor, John Wilson and Richard Hubbard who all had established Windsor chair making businesses. It seems very likely that he realised the demand for these chairs was greater than the supply as after the baptism of his second son Everitt in August 1806, he proceeds to call himself a Windsor chair maker. Once again with the help of the Stamford Mercury, an advertisement by him in June 1809, seeks two journeymen immediately, one who understands the Turnery and Fancy business, the other needs to be a plain Windsor chair maker. This is just signed JOHN AMOS with no indication of his trade. His change of direction in his business is re-inforced by another advertisement which appears in November 1823 when two journeymen are sought, one Windsor and one Turnpin chairmaker who can bottom, again just signed JOHN AMOS Grantham. In the meantime he and his wife have two more daughters - Mary baptised March 1810 and Louisa Ann in February 1814.

The only other time the word chairmaker appears after his name is in the announcement of the death of his wife in the paper in May 1837 aged 68. Ironically he probably would have known John Wilson, chairmaker of Little Gonerby who died the same week aged 58. Later that same year there is recorded the burial of his son Everitt aged 31.

In his will, made in 1838, he gives his occupation as chairmaker and mentions his son John, who is a butcher in Grantham; his son-in-law John Long who married his daughter Cassandra and his other daughter Louisa. He also mentions his two messuages or tenements in Little Gonerby along with their shops, sheds and yards which fronted on to North Parade and extended all the way back to New Street. These were built by him upon land formerly belonging to Peter Vere Esq. and his wife Elizabeth.

The majority of the houses facing out on to North Parade are fine four storey late Georgian terrace houses and the distance back to New Street is simiply huge, but recently built on. John Amos must have been very successful in his business to afford to build two houses here. Further investigation is needed to establish which ones were built and belonged to him.

© William Sergeant 2014 and 2020

Lincolnshire high back bow back Windsor armchair with 5-piercing fleur de lys upper splat with lower diamond, double pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 8 short, no underarms, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with1 lower ring x 4, crinoline stretcher WS 153 & WS 152

Lincolnshire high back bow back Windsor armchair with 5-piercing fleur de lys upper splat with lower diamond, double pierced lower splat WS 153

Lincolnshire high back bow back Windsor armchair with 5-piercing fleur de lys upper splat with lower diamond, double pierced lower splat WS 153b

Another Windsor chair of little value, mainly due to the huge fracture in the armbow (which can not be seen in these pictures) and the missing underarm supports. However, it is not without some interesting points even though the maker did not stamp it. The seat is made from ash while the rest of the chair is made from yew wood. Every feature would suggest a Grantham maker but without the underarm supports for some design clues it is difficult to work out who made this chair. However, one of the benefits of keeping pictures of stamped chairs is that they make a hugely important reference library.

If you have read my few lines under picture WS 131 you will have noted that I normally take no notice of the design of the cut out fret work on back splats. However the only exception to that rule is a tiny feature that appears on several AMOS stamped chairs. Compare this back splat to the signed chair in picture WS 132 and I will leave you to draw your own conclusions.

© William Sergeant 2015 and 2020.

John Amos, Grantham Windsor armchair, front leg turning with multiple rings above the cove and lower rings WS 133

John Amos, Grantham Windsor armchair, front leg turning with multiple rings above the cove and lower rings WS 133

John Amos is one of a very small group of makers who occasionally put multiple rings on his leg turnings. It makes a distinctive statement that says that this chair is just that little bit more special than the run-of-the-mill Lincolnshire Windsor armchair.  Normally there is a Tulip shaped turning to go with this design but on this one there is a single cove .

This chair is not the same as WS 131, an Amos chair which also features multiple rings but the idea of including the leg turning design features here is to highlight the slight differences that this maker incorporated into his yew wood chairs. The side and cross stretchers are replacements and the legs have been reduced.

© William Sergeant 2014 and 2020

North Parade, Grantham: houses of John Amos, Windsor chair maker of Little Gonerby WS 149

North Parade, Grantham: houses of John Amos, Windsor chair maker of Little Gonerby WS 149

Little Gonerby is closely associated with the early Windsor chair makers of Lincolnshire but if you study any recent map of the Grantham area then you will not find no mention of it. However what you will find is the village of Great Gonerby which straddles the Great North Road about two miles north of Grantham. There is sometimes the name of Gonerby Hill Foot which is even closer to Grantham but nowhere will you find Little Gonerby. So where is this often mentioned place?   John Amos lived there, amongst others. My curiosity was aroused even more when I discovered in his will (written 1838 ) that he intended to leave two houses that he had built on North Parade and that he was living there at the time of the 1841 census under the heading of Little Gonerby.

My research has turned up the fact that in the eighteenth century the town of Grantham consisted of three areas: Spittlegate to the south, Grantham itself around the church of St.Wulfram and Little Gonerby to the north, all three joined together with no clear demarcation, to make up Grantham itself.

What has made research easier, however, was the fact that the area of Little Gonerby was just inside the southern most boundary of Lord Brownlow's estate based at Belton House. Maps survive of this part of Grantham with the Nottingham road dividing it off from the rest of the settlement. An early map, which is frustratingly undated but I guess is about 1750 and in the Brownlow depositions at the Lincoln Archives, shows no more than 15 houses. The most useful map is in the Enclosure Award for 1808 which shows the fields, roads and houses, which have grown to about 25 in total. Intriguingly it shows the names of some of the existing owner-occupiers, which include Richard Hubbard, Thomas Wilson and William Allen. Unfortunately the fold of this ancient document goes right through the settlement and as a consequence it is impossible to see who occupied which property. What makes this more galling is the fact that it is perfectly possible to walk around this part of Grantham and identify these substantial houses easily today.

John Amos would have lived in one of these houses before he brought some land off Peter Vere and built two houses on North Parade. As nearly all the houses remain on this fine terrace of late Georgian houses, I set about to see if I could locate his two. On looking through the 1841 census online I was frustrated as the photographic reproduction was so poor and the handwritting so faint that I had to go to the Lincoln Library to view it on their microfiche. Much of it was barely legible but I did find John Amoss (75) living with Louisa Amoss (25). His occupation was given as a chairmaker. Louisa was his youngest daughter born 1814 (the ages in the 1841 census are rounded to within 5 years. There were two female servants living there as well, both aged 15.

North Parade is a long row of terrace houses on the east ide of the old A1 road as it leaves Grantham and opposite there is mainly 1930s houses, so I supposed that the census taker would have started at one end of the terrace and worked his way to the other end. From the census return I counted 17 houses on one side of Amos and 18 to the other. So I went to Grantham and started at the end of North Parade closest to the town and counted 17 houses and found a pair of handed houses ( pictured above with Green and Red doors with a passage way door in between). Then I counted a further 18 houses which brought me to the end of the row. While this does not prove that these were the two houses built by Amos, there is a good chance they are, but more research needs to be done.

More evidence may still turn up as there is a large amount of documents deposited with the Lincoln archives from the Brownlow Estate which have yet to be catalogued.

© William Sergeant 2014 and 2020

Lincolnshire comb back side chair stamped Camm Grantham with turned stiles, 6 long spindles, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher WS 90

Lincolnshire comb back side chair stamped Camm Grantham with turned stiles, 6 long spindles, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher WS 90

Whilst visiting other peoples houses I have poor manners. I pay far too much attention to their furniture, particularly their chairs. On a previous visit to a house in the village of Navenby, I had spotted what looked like some Lincolnshire side chairs nestling under the kitchen table. On my most recent visit (2013) I was allowed closer inspection of the same and to my surprise and joy one of them was impressed with the maker's name : CAMM GRANTHAM. What a find! As far as I am aware there has been no record of a stamped comb back side chair by this maker although a quick search of Dr B D Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990) shows a near identical chair stamped  J HILL (figures NE 104 and NE 105 on p. 134 ). Where is Navenby? It's north of Grantham on the road to Lincoln.

© William Sergeant 2013 and 2020

Medium bow back Windsor armchair stamped Camm Grantham, with 8 long spindles, 6 short, turned underarm supports, straight seat sides, ring and cove turned front legs with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher WS 95

Medium bow back Windsor armchair stamped Camm Grantham, with 8 long spindles, 6 short, turned underarm supports, straight seat sides, ring and cove turned front legs with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher WS 95

In the collection of Steven Voyt. Purchased in Grantham, this bow back spindle back Windsor armchair  probably has never travelled far, as it was made in Grantham. Two more chairs made by Camm can be seen at WS 12 and WS 13, the underarm supports and legs of which could be swapped with this chair and no one would spot the difference, which reinforces the fact that individual makers had their own design features and reproduced them over and over again.

© William Sergeant 2013 and 2020

Comb back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair probably Camm Grantham with curved crest rail, turned stiles, 8 long spindles 6 short, turned underarm supports, straight seat sides, ring & cove turned front legs with 1 lower ring, H stretcher WS 12

Comb back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair probably Camm Grantham with curved crest rail, turned stiles, 8 long spindles 6 short, turned underarm supports, straight seat sides, ring & cove turned front legs with 1 lower ring, H stretcher WS 12

An unstamped comb back Windsor armchair from Grantham, identical to this stamped chair by Thomas Camm of Grantham. I had missed the stamped one at the auction in Buckinghamshire but I had taken many pictures for my own records so when this little beauty turned up at a Cambridgeshire auction unstamped and unloved I was certain who made it. I compared individual turnings side by side on the computer - they could have been made the same week from the Grantham workshop of Thomas Camm. It came home with me for a very reasonable price!

© William Sergeant 2012 and 2020

Comb back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair stamped Camm Grantham with curved crest rail, turned stiles, 8 long spindles 6 short, turned underarm supports, straight seat sides, ring & cove turned front legs with 1 lower ring, H stretcher WS 13

Comb back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair stamped Camm Grantham with curved crest rail, turned stiles, 8 long spindles 6 short, turned underarm supports, straight seat sides, ring & cove turned front legs with 1 lower ring, H stretcher WS 13

A comb back Windsor chair, stamped on the seat edge: Camm Grantham. This identifies the maker's workshop as Thomas Camm of Grantham, working about 1825.  This one turned up in an evening auction in Buckinghamshire and I travelled down to view: it was from a house clearance and in excellent condition. When the auction got under way there were very few people in the room and the auctioneer struggled to get bids on anything. The moment arrived for this lot. My hopes were sky high and heart beating fast: I started the bidding at a low amount and outbid a couple in the room; it was going to be mine for a modest sum; then came the moment I was fearful of: an anonymous phone bidder. Well, dear reader, you can imagine what happened next: I continued bidding but every time the phone outbid me. I went way over my limit to several hundred pounds but in the end I let it go. What disappointment! After that the auctioneer stopped the auction and asked me "What was that all about?" I explained that the chair really was the essence of Lincolnshire chairmaking and design, stamped by a maker who did not work for long in Grantham. He told me that the person on the phone was a London dealer who was known to him but had never shown an interest in chairs before. Well, he certainly had to pay a lot of money for it and good luck to him.

William Sergeant 2011 and 2020

Lincolnshire hoop back Windsor side chair stamped Camm Grantham with 6 long spindles, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher WS 99 & WS 98

Lincolnshire hoop back Windsor side chair stamped Camm Grantham with 6 long spindles, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher WS 99

Lincolnshire hoop back Windsor side chair stamped Camm Grantham  WS 98

This is a exquisitely charming Grantham side chair of such dainty proportions. The way I got this chair really underlines how generous some people are: read on. This chair was advertised as a child's chair signed by CAMM by an auction house in Derbyshire.  I initially missed it in the net but a good friend kindly emailed me with the details. I realised that it was an previously unrecorded spindle back side chair from Thomas Camm of Grantham and would fit nicely in my collection. 

However, when the day came for the auction, the weather forecast was not good and even though I set off for the Peak District it soon became obvious that, with the snow, it was not sensible to carry on and I reluctantly turned back. When I got home it had been sold and for not very much: you can imagine my disappointment! 

At the beginning of the following week I contacted the auctioneers and asked then to pass my details on to the purchaser as I wished to at least try and record this chair for the benefit of all.  Just imagine my surprise when later in the day I got a phone call from Tracey in Burton saying that she had the chair and had viewed my website and was happy for me to collect it. What a treasure: both the chair and Tracey ! I travelled to Burton the following week and had pleasure of meeting Tracey.  I also took Dr B D Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990) along and was able to identify the maker of a yew Windsor chair she also had. The little Camm chair exceeded all expectation and had obviously come from a very good home: I settled up and returned home really happy.

Many thanks to Euan for flagging up this chair; many thanks to Hansons Auctioneers for passing along my details and finally my heart felt appreciation to Tracey for her kindness. I don't usually include makers stamps on this site (so when I say a chair is signed you will just have to trust me that it is) but this is slightly unusual.  All the chairs that I have seen signed by Camm have the word Grantham below. There are several examples in The English Regional Chair (1990). This one is different in that the words are side by side which shows that he had one stamp for each word. OK, I know it's not an earth-shattering revelation but it all adds to the knowledge of their workshop practice.

© William Sergeant 2013 and 2020

Lincolnshire high back bow back Windsor armchair by Amos Grantham with 5-piercing fleur de lys upper splat with lower diamond, double pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarms, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with1 lower ring, plain back legs, crinoline stretcher WS 132

Lincolnshire high back bow back Windsor armchair by Amos Grantham with 5-piercing fleur de lys upper splat with lower diamond piercing, double pierced lower splat, 6 long spindles, 8 short, crook underarms, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with1 lower ring, plain back legs, crinoline stretcher WS 132

This superbly photographed chair is in the collection of Tom Wells and he kindly sent this picture and gave me permission to reproduce it here.

Please note that this chair has the maker's name stamped on the seat edge which is not very common amongst for these Grantham makers who tend to favour the upper rear of the seat in the centre just below the lower splat.

© Tom Wells and William Sergeant 2013 and 2020 

Lincolnshire hoop back Windsor side chair stamped SHIRLEY GRANTHAM with 6 long spindles, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs with H stretcher and additional rear stretcher WS 84

Lincolnshire hoop back Windsor side chair stamped SHIRLEY GRANTHAM with 6 long spindles, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs with H stretcher and additional rear stretcher WS 84

This chair was probably made in the workshop of William Shirley senior before he moved to Birmingham in the early 1840s at about the same time that Willian Shirley junior moved to Caistor. Chairs stamped SHIRLEY GRANTHAM are uncommon.

© William Sergeant