Another possible Joseph Newton chair restored

Before restoration the whole comb back was warped by the old wrought iron rods (the threads of which are an engineering glory in themselves), but the nuts were very heavily tightened. pic.twitter.com/tm9GdaRqfR

— Julian Parker (@jhjparker) February 19, 2020

Wonderful creation by Rob Ley

William Sergeant and I have written here and elsewhere about Joseph Newton of Fenton in Lincolnshire being the earliest known maker of Windsor chairs and the likelihood that some of these chairs can now be identified.  Rob Ley has now made a beautiful modern version:

The chair on the left is attributed to Joseph Newton of Fenton Lincolnshire.currently he’s the earliest recorded Windsor chair maker in Britain. We reckon the chair was made in 1720s or 30s. On the right I made this without power tools. From tree to finish. pic.twitter.com/CirK1dtzJm

— Robert Ley (@rob1952rl) February 13, 2020

The early stages of Rob's work on this magnificent chair can be seen here. Congratulations to Rob.

P.S.  if you'd like one, I'm sure Rob would make one for you!

© Julian Parker 2020

18th century likely Lincolnshire comb back Windsor armchair, with curved grooved cresting rail, 8 long spindles with two old iron replacements, 2 x 3 underarm spindles, bladed underarm supports, turned legs thinner in the middle, through-morticed and wedged into the seat

18th century likely Lincolnshire comb back

This chair recently appeared at auction in Essex.  Its most recent home was in Great Canfield and it was the auctioneer's understanding that it was the previous owner's favourite chair, (acquired in all likelihood at auction many years ago) in which she always sat.

For an article on the earliest Windsor chair maker yet recorded in the world, please click on this link.  Compare to No 200, No 205 and No 209.

© Julian Parker 2019

18th century likely Lincolnshire comb back Windsor armchair, with curved grooved cresting rail, 8 long spindles, 2 x 3 underarm spindles, bladed underarm supports, turned legs thinner in the middle, through-morticed and wedged into the seat

WS 200 18th century likely Lincolnshire comb back

For an article on the earliest Windsor chair maker yet recorded in the world, please click on this link.  Compare to No 205 and No 209 and this chair.

© William Sergeant 2019

18th century likely Lincolnshire comb back Windsor armchair, with curved grooved cresting rail, 8 long spindles, 2 x 3 underarm spindles, turned front arm supports, turned legs thinner in the middle, through-morticed and wedged into the seat

WS 205  18th century likely Lincolnshire comb back

You will have no doubt noticed that this chair is very similar to No 200, except this one has turned underarm supports. No 200, I suggest, was made by the Lincolnshire maker, Joseph Newton, who I believe is the earliest named Windsor chair maker in the world. For an article on this extraordinary Lincolnshire maker, please read my article in the Regional Furniture Society Journal.  Since the publication of the article, one of these chairs has appeared at auction in Canterbury (see picture below),

Canterbury Auction Galleries 2 October 2018 Lot 1161

and another too: this chair in Essex.  

The chair pictured at the top is available for public viewing at the Epworth Rectory Museum, home of the Methodist Wesley family. While this chair has been there for sometime and it has a plaque attached to the top rail, it has not been established how long it has been in their collection, though it is the curator's intention to delve into the archives to see if there is any provenance to go with it. What is so significant about the discovery of this chair is that it has been found in Lincolnshire, very close to the River Trent, which is mentioned in my article and points again to the workshop of Joseph Newton. See also No 209.

© William Sergeant 2019

18th century likely Lincolnshire comb back Windsor armchair, with curved cresting rail, 2 x 3 long spindles either side of a vasiform splat, shaped arm bow made from 3 pieces of wood, 2 x 3 underarm spindles, turned underarm supports, plain turned legs, through-morticed and wedged into the seat, H stretcher with cross stretcher turned with darts

WS 209 18th century likely Lincolnshire comb back with splat

This chair has a brass plaque attached to the comb above the splat.  It reads "This chair was used by the Rev John Wesley 1756" and like No 205, it is in the care of the Epworth Rectory Museum. It will not have escaped your notice that the heavily carved and chamfered seat is remarkably similar to this chair & Nos 200 & 205. All of these types of chairs appear in my article for the RFS journal, and can be viewed here.

For comparative purposes a picture of the Wren Library, Lincoln armchair in the article is shown below.

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

Other pictures of the Wren Library, Lincoln chairs are below.

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

Tim Garland casting an expert eye over the Wren Library chairs. 
With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

Thanks to Tim Garland for the following photographs:

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

With the permission of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral

© William Sergeant 2019

38

Very early Windsor chair, of a type known as a "Forest Chair", found in Newark. Could have been made in the workshop of Joseph Newton in Fenton, Lincs. (1725-1735). All components of ash wood.

Article by William Sergeant in the Journal of The Regional Furniture Society

Rob Ley (see chair no. 32) is making a replica of this chair using traditional tools.

Robert Young Antiques have recently put a chair with very similar seat & legs & slightly different under arm supports & cresting rail on their Instagram feed.

Joseph Newton 1676-1752

Fenton, near Newark, Lincolnshire

b. 1676. m.(1) Ann or Anne Mapletoft b.1672 , All Saints, Fenton, 2 November 1701, 2d, 3s. m.(2) Elizabeth b. 1680. d. 1752 buried 1 December 1752 aged 76, carpenter.

Joseph Newton has the distinction of having placed the earliest known advertisement for Windsor chairs in an English newpaper, the Stamford Mercury, on 1 July 1725.

Stamford Mercury - Thursday 01 July 1725 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

"This is to give Notice to all Gentlemen and others that have desire to furnish themselves with New-fashion'd Windsor Chairs of the best sort, may be furnished by Joseph Newton, the Maker, living at Fenton in the Parish of Beckingham, Lincolnshire, for Miles from Newark upon Trent in Nottinghamshire, and there is a chair to be seen at the White Hart in Newark for a Sample, and one at the Angel in Grantham; He proposes to deliver them at these Places at 7s. 6d. per Chair, and at Lincoln at 8s. and with as much speed as possible, after Notice given."

In 1727 John Brown advertised 'At the 3 Chairs and Walnut Tree at St. Paul's Churchyard all sorts of Windsor garden chairs of all sizes painted green or in the wood' (A. Heal, London Furniture makers 1660 1840, Batsford, London (1953).

Joseph Newton placed a further advertisement in the Stamford Mercury on 8 May 1729. 

Stamford Mercury - Thursday 08 May 1729 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

"This is to give Notice, That Joseph Newton of Fenton in the County of Lincoln, 4 Miles distant from Newark upon Trent, maketh all sorts of Windsor Chairs, the Price of the single Chairs 7s. 6d. a Piece, the Seat-two's, Seat-three's and four's all 7s per Seat and are to be sold at Mr. John Fox's Gunsmith in Grantham, at Mr Taylor's at the Reign'd Deer, and at Mr John Farrow's both in Newark, and at Mr John Shakelton's in Nottingham, and Gentlemen that has a Desire of any of the said Chairs, may be furnish'd at any of the above said Places they may go by Water from Newark to Nottingham, Gainsborough or Lincoln for Three-pence a Seat. I have furnished a great many Gentlemen, Gardeners with them, and they are esteem'd above those that come from London both for Ease and Fashion."

No further advertisements are known before 13 July 1754 (and weekly for 6 more weeks), when William Partridge of Banbury advertised his new shop.

Jackson's Oxford Journal 13 July 1754 Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

"NOTICE is hereby given, THAT WILLIAM PARTRIDGE Hath opened a SHOP near the White Lion in Banbury, with all Sorts of the most fashionable Furniture in the Cabinet Way:

AS Chairs, Drawers, Tables, Bureau's, Glasses, Stands, Waiter, &c. where (or at his House in Adderbury) all Gentlemen and others that please to favour him with their Commands, may depend upon being serv'd at the lowest Prices, as well as in any Part of this Kingdom, By, 

Their very humble Servant 

WILLIAM PARTRIDGE. 

Likewise all Sorts of Carpentry, Joiners Work, and Carvings; viz. Brackets, Umbrello’s, Temples, Pavilions, Pallisadoes, Fences, Garden Seats, Windsor and Forrest Chairs and Stools in the Modern Gothic, and Chinese taste; and all other Things made in Wood that are not to be had in this Part of the Country of any Person but himself."

39

Early Windsor chair without any known provenance. However, similar chair appears in Thomas Crispin’s book (pub 1992) on p. 63. Crispin always referred to these as Lincolnshire chairs.