A Regency Pollard oak sliding top davenport

A regency Pollard oak sliding top davenport with 4 mahogany lined draws to one side with a retractable pen and ink well draw all below an oak slide.

The lifting top reveals draws within.
Stamped T Wilson great Queen street London. Circa 1820.

Provenance.

Thomas Willson is recorded as a furniture broker and appraiser at 68 Great Queen Street between 1821-29, and is probably the same Thomas Wilson recorded as an auctioneer at 28 Great Queen Street 1799-1825.

From 1830-1837 the business was continued by his widow Mary and his son Matthew using the stamp 'M.Willson' and after 1838 Matthew is listed alone at the Great Queen Street address.

It was commonly believed that Thomas Willson was solely a dealer in second-hand furniture who used his stamp as a means of identification (it has, for example, been found on pieces of late 18th century date or stamped by other firm's such as that of Gillows).

A rare and seldom seen paper label used by the firm states that he was a cabinet-maker as well as a broker. The label is illustrated in C.Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1730-1840, Leeds, 1996, p.483, pl.989.

There is a mahogany writing table bearing the stamp of 'M.Willson' which is illustrated in C.Gilbert, op. cit., p.488, pl.1003 perhaps suggesting that these may both be pieces made by the firm.

Dimensions

Price

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance