Lincolnshire rush-seated ladder back armchair inscribed 17 W*H 55 on the topmost of 5 domed ladders with downward double half-round shaping, straight back poles with finials, scroll arms morticed into turned front legs, missing rushing bars, with double stretchers all round, 1 of which is missing WS 202

Lincolnshire rush-seated ladder back armchair inscribed 17 W*H 55 on the topmost of 5 domed ladders with downward double half-round shaping, straight back poles with finials, scroll arms morticed into turned front legs, missing rushing bars, with double stretchers all round, 1 of which is missing WS 202

The top ladder of this chair is clearly incised with the date and initials "17 W*H 55": I am sure that they are contemporary with the making of the chair. Even more remarkably, I have a provenance to go with it, namely that it has been in the same house in northeast Lincolnshire for the last 65 years, having been purchased in a village hall house clearance sale in the south of the county in 1953. I had been aware of its presence for some while as the owner has several other examples of rush-seated Lincolnshire  chairs but only recently did I realise the significance. 

Detail of WS 202 inscription "17 W*H 55"

When I was looking through David Knell's English Country Furniture 1500 - 1900, (1st published 1992, 2nd edition 2000)  I came across two virtually identical chairs on p. 291, though they are dated 1742 and 1739. Of those chairs, Knell says: 

"Incised dates can occasionally be authenticated by subtle variations in the shape of numerals at different periods. The style certainly suggests contemporaneity in this case."

The style and positioning of the numerals on the 1739 chair shown at p. 291 is identical to that above and that chair has a six-pointed star in the middle as well, though no initials. 

Knell attributes these chairs to the north in general and possibly to Lincolnshire, but the one pictured above has a firm association with the county. It can be said with a fair degree of confidence that this chair is at least 264 years old. Even though the condition is very poor, with loose joints, broken rushing rail and some shortening of the legs, the ash wood used to make the chair is in sound condition.

The chair was in my house for some time, during which time I was able to assess and photograph it; on returning it to the owner, I stressed the importance of the preservation of this remarkable survivor and asked that it was not to be sat upon. Indeed I took another armchair along to take its place in the kitchen, so that this one could be positioned in the house where no one could use it.

© William Segeant 2019 and Julian Parker 2020

Lincolnshire child's originally rush-seated chair with 3 domed ladders front legs and underarm turned in one, turned arms, straight back poles with flattened finials

Lincolnshire child's originally rush-seated chair with 3 domed ladders front legs and underarm turned in one, turned arms, straight back poles with flattened finials

I have no doubt that this tiny child's chair came from the same workshop as that in WS 42. Just compare those front legs and the cross stretcher, there are even some scribe marks just beneath the front leg turnings which is typical of some  Lincolnshire workshops. However it has had a brutal past. It was once rush-seated but someone has taken away the rushing along with the rushing bars and replaced the seat with ply wood. The dealer still wanted a ridiculous price for it which I was not prepared to meet but at least I have recorded it here.  The chances are that I will probably never find another one like this.

P.S. I found out later that a dealer from Holland bought it, so it looks like it has gone overseas ...

P.P.S. UPDATE: By some strange quirk of fate this chair was offered for auction a few months later in Leominster! I wasn't going to miss it this time and I secured it for a very reasonable amount and was so pleased to add it to my collection. See WS 120 for comparison to other chairs.

© William Sergeant 2020

8

Ladder back armchair with re-rushed seat. No provenance but similar patterned chairs attributed to Lincolnshire, mid 1700’s

10

1980s faithful copy of original Lincs rush seated, ladder back armchair, by Rob Ley, who lived in Spilsby at that time. This chair is downstairs at Alford, not in the main exhibition room.

43

 

On p. 291 of David Knell's 1993 book English Country Furniture, is an image of two rush seated armchairs, described as North Country, possibly Lincolnshire. A copy of this page can be seen in a perspex holder on chair No. 8 in this Exhibition. The remarkable feature about these two chairs is that they are both incised with initials and dated, one as 1739 and the other as 1742. William Sergeant recently happened across an identical chair while visiting a house in a village close to Spilsby. He was told that the chair had been in the same house for the last 65 years and was originally purchased in 1953 from a local house clearance sale. This chair is shown above along with the detail of the top ladder with the date of 1755.

William Sergeant gave a talk in Alford Manor House on the 5th June 2019 which may be watched here.  The questions and answers afterwards may be seen here.