The Age Of Rococo - England - Part 10

By the middle of the 18th century, fitted and non fitted furniture making in England would seem to have been dominated by a small handful of individuals, such as Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite, Sheraton. They were indeed men of stature in the history of furniture and they lent their names to conveniently labelled styles, but it would be wrong to imagine that there were so few figures on the stage. There were quite literally hundreds of cabinet-makers working in London and the main provincial centres, and while records of most may be scanty or even non-existent, there can be no doubt that they provided a strong supporting cast for the great names, or those who worked for the grandest patrons.

The sheer numbers of craftsmen involved in handmade furniture making during the second part of the 18th century is a reflection of demand, especially by the well-heeled middle classes. Fashion was a relentless dictator and a family's status was affirmed by its ability to reflect the trends of the time. This often meant emulating the French and in France, according to Horace Walpole, writing in 1766, 'No fashion is meant to last longer than a lover'. The English were always strongly, if sometimes uneasily, influenced by the French; they admired their refinement and love of luxury, and many of the richest bought their furnishings directly from France. Others managed with English furniture 'in the French taste', or at least by changing their decorations and furniture almost as often as their clothes.

Another major influence on the demand for furniture was the changing pattern of living habits among the middle classes. Throughout the 18th century there was a steady progress away from the harshness of preceding centuries towards a better mannered, more refined way of life. This was reflected in, among other things, the architecture of houses and in the furnishing of their rooms. There was now times for conversation, for long and enjoyable meals, for reading and writing, for card games and needlework, and a great deal of furniture was made to meet these varied demands of daily life and leisure among the moneyed classes.

No one was more perspicacious in recognizing the furniture needs or in meeting the stylistic fancies of his clients, and also potential clients, than Thomas Chippendale.
Little is known about his early life except than he came from a family of joiners from the Yorkshire village of Otley, and that he was born in 1718. By 1748 he was married in London, and in the following year he had acquired premises in Conduit Court, Long Acre. He later took premises, probably not workshops, in Somerset Court in the Strand in around 1752. Two years later he had a cabinet and upholstery warehouse at The Sign of the Chair in St Martin's Lane, an address he held until his death in 1779. By this time he had acquired his St Martin's Lane premises and had also taken on a partner, James Rannie, who died in 1766. Chippendale then managed his business single-handed until 1771 when he took on another partner, Thomas Haig, apparently to supervise the business in London while he was away - often in the north of England - dealing with his more prestigious commissions.

A third partner, of whom little is known, was Henry Ferguson. The firm was then known as Chippendale, Haig & Co. His son, also Thomas Chippendale, continued the family business into the 19th century, and kept up his fathers high standards of craftsmanship, but eventually became bankrupt. The firm was always in financial difficulties, mainly because many of its customers were bad payers.