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

Thomas Simpson, Boston stamped high bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair with 5-piercing fleur de lys upper splat, double pierced lower splat, crook underarm supports, 2 x 3 long spindles, 2 x 3 underarm spindles, ring and cove front leg turnings & plain back legs, crinoline stretcher WS 207

Thomas Simpson, Boston stamped high bow back Lincolnshire Windsor armchair with 5-piercing fleur de lys upper splat, double pierced lower splat, crook underarm supports, 2 x 3 long spindles, 2 x 3 underarm spindles, ring and cove front leg turnings with lower ring & plain back legs, crinoline stretcher WS 207

Another chair from the collection of James Drake, this time a yew wood chair with reduced legs, but stamped clearly on the edge of the seat: T SIMPSON & Co BOSTON. There is another Simpson Windsor armchair at WS 123, and if you compare the back splat of both, I think that you would agree with me that both were made from the same master pattern, with the main difference being that this chair has a crinoline stretcher whereas WS 123 has an H stretcher with darts.

© William Sergeant 2020

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 rush-seated ladder back armchair, with 4 domed ladders with downward shaping, straight back poles with tapered feet and flattened top finials, rushing bars, turned front legs morticed into the seat frame, with pad feet, front stretcher with turnery often found in Lincolnshire, double side and rear stretchers WS 121

Lincolnshire rush-seated ladder back armchair, with 4 domed ladders with downward shaping, straight back poles with tapered feet, and flattened top finials, rushing bars, turned front legs morticed into the seat frame, with pad feet, front stretcher with turnery often found in Lincolnshire, double side and rear stretchers WS 121

This chair was offered for sale at a south Lincolnshire auction house along with 4 side chairs. It's made out of ash with fruitwood arms. The rush seat has been repaired in a very poor manner and there is some loss of height due to wear on the legs . However these carvers are very rare and so I was particularly pleased to collect this one along with the 4 side chairs that went with it. Once again there are metal pins to secure the ladders to the uprights and scribe marks to aid construction, just as in the 3 chairs in WS 120; I am in no doubt that they are came from the same workshop.

© William Sergeant 2018

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

Unusual Lincolnshire ladder back rush-seated side chair with 4 domed ladders with downward shaping, straight back poles, rushing bars, turned front legs morticed into the seat, two opposed-pear front stretcher almost never found in Lincolnshire, double side and rear stretchers WS 185

Unsual Lincolnshire ladder back rush-seated side chair with 4 domed ladders with downward shaping, straight back poles, rushing bars, turned front legs morticed into the seat, two opposed-pear front stretcher almost never found in Lincolnshire,  double side and rear stretchers WS 185

My talk at Spilsby in the spring of 2017 created much interest and it was during the public chair surgery the following day that I was told about this rush-seated chair that was in a church near Coningsby. When I was shown the photo that a member of the public had brought along, I was put in a quandary. The design was just so typical of a simple Lincolnshire rush-seated ladder back chair, remarkably similar to the chairs that I find in the south of the county. What puzzled me was the front stretcher with its double baluster or opposing pears. When I give talks, I point out that one of the defining features of a local rush-seated chair is that the front stretcher always has a single bulb in the centre so it became evident that I needed to see this chair for myself.

A few weeks later, I took my portable photographic studio to a small village on the edge of the Wolds (which I had never visited before) and found the church open. Like so many churches in this part of remote Lincolnshire, it is not used for regular services anymore though they are often open in the daytime. I found the chair next to the pedal organ in a very dirty, dusty and uncared for state, so I set about giving it a good clean and set up my studio to record it, the result of which you can see above.

Every component is of ash wood and original, generally in very good condition as it probably never gets sat on from one year to the next. I was unable to find anyone in the village who could give me any meaningful history of the chair .

I have no doubt that it was made locally and in future I shall have to modify what are the defining features of a rush-seated chair that was produced in the county.  Yet another example of the exception which proves the rule!

© William Sergeant 2017 and 2020

East Anglian cabinetmaker's plum wood square back armchair, crest and cross rails squared with two tapered laths either side of an amphora-shaped splat, with curved rear legs, tapered front legs, board seat, curved arms morticed into ogee underarm supports, single stretcher all round WS 193

East Anglian cabinetmaker's plum wood square back armchair, crest and cross rails squared with two tapered laths either side of an amphora-shaped splat, with curved rear legs, tapered front legs, board seat, curved arms morticed into ogee underarm supports in the Hepplewhite manner, single stretcher all round WS 193

An auction house near Stamford offered this chair for sale in May 2016, there were other items of interest included in the lots so I went along to the viewing. On examining this chair, which was rightly described as fruitwood, I found it to be in very poor condition with numerous crude repairs and both back legs were completely broken at seat level. I recognised it to be a cabinet maker's chair from East Anglia and made out of plumwood. It must have looked beautiful when it was first made over 200 years ago. On the day of the auction, much against my better judgment, I decided to bid for it as I knew there was little chance of ever purchasing a plumwood chair ever again. The opening bid was for five pounds, the second bid was mine at six pounds and much to my surprise it was knocked down to me.

Well this ugly duckling turned into a fine handsome swan after I let a good friend and restorer work his magic on it. I couldn't believe the transformation - I now have a beautiful Georgian armchair, strong and stable, taking pride of place in my sitting room. A chair very similar to this one, but with two piercings through the central splat appears at figure EA11 on p. 218 of Dr B D Cotton's The English Regional Chair (1990).

© William Sergeant 2018 and 2020

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

2 x Lincolnshire comb back Windsor side chairs by Marsh Sleaford with curved crest rail, turned stiles, 5 long spindles, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher with 6 bobbin turning, H stretcher with darts WS 176

2 x Lincolnshire comb back Windsor side chairs by Marsh Sleaford with curved crest rail, turned stiles, 5 long spindles, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher with 6 bobbin turning on left, H stretcher with darts on right, WS 176

Two complementary beautifully balanced Lincolnshire Windsor side chairs by Thomas or James Marsh of Sleaford. Their turning and proportions stand out amongst Lincolnshire makers.

Angled view of Lincolnshire comb back Windsor side chair by Marsh Sleaford with curved crest rail, turned stiles, 5 long spindles, straight seat sides, ring and cove front leg turnings with 1 lower ring, plain back legs, H stretcher with 6 bobbin turning 

© William Sergeant and Julian Parker 2020 

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