Stevens & Sons of Clapham Junction

[100-uper]

I'm still struggling to see what I want to look at, but the pictures do give more information. Although the resolution is very low, I get the impression from their shape and colour that the cushions have been replaced, and are later than the frame. Perhaps someone else can recognise the cushions, which I think may be relatively modern.

That certainly isn't helpful in dating the rest of the table, as the leg shape is generic and the stencilled address could apply to an extended period. Most of my references for this company come from documents (adverts, etc.) rather than the actual markings they applied to their tables. I'd like to think that the serial number indicated a date of 1881, but at this date they were advertising their address as "Villiers Street, Strand," although I suppose they could have been marking their tables differently.

Not sure that any of this is really much assistance.

[DeanH]

Hi mensch72
Is it possible to get a photo like this one, showing the leg and the "knee boards" and "bolt covers" (I don't know official names )
Knee boards are those between the legs.
Bolt Covers is the flat rectangular piece attached to the face of the leg
These features can sometimes help identify make/model and dates x-fingers

I have this table marked as a R. Stevens & Sons, Villiers Street, Charing Cross, c1920

[mensch72]

better?

[mensch72]

the partial sanding down and coloring is my work, only the very dark parts i have not worked on. i also think the cushions might be newer.

[DeanH]

I assume you don't have any plates that go over the bolt holes?
As you can see your "knee-boards" have the same design as the one I put up
Remember, some designs - of legs, knee-boards, bolt-plates, etc - were used over many years.
I have no information of the leg design, hopefully 100-uper will pop on

[mensch72]

There are very plain, small round covers for the bolt holes, not such large plates. I didn't put them in since I preferred the look without them.

[DeanH]

not an expert on tables but it is known to have little bolt hole "cops" instead of plates but usually on the rails not the leg tops

by the way - nice table
only a little jealous

[mensch72]

Thanks, Dean! Yes, I also like this old lady very much and am nice to her. I regularly play her gramophone records from her youth :-)

Do you think the fact that she has bolt hole cups instead of plates tells us anything about the age?

[DeanH]

you got those cylinders with His Master's Voice?


Sorry no idea about bolt caps and age determination

[mensch72]

yes, the dog. But you can play those records also on an electric record player if you use the right sapphire.

[se7enthhell]

image_17642.jpg

Her is a bit of information on the early activities of John Thurston which you won't find anywhere else. Having found the early accounts of his business activities a bit woolly, to say the least, I did a little bit of digging and came up with the following:

Regarding his apprenticeship with Gillows, I have seen a list of their tradesmen from this period and John Thurston is not amongst them. This is perhaps not unexpected as the main manufacturing site was at Lancaster and it is likely that Thurston was employed at the London end of the business who were mainly assembling and finishing the furniture shipped down from Lancaster, essentially as "flat pack."

In 1799, when Thurston is claimed to have started in business in Newcastle Street, he would have been 22 years old. This fits in well with completing an apprenticeship which would have taken seven years and would typically commenced at the age of 13.

Of one thing I am reasonably sure; he didn't start his own business at this date. The only cabinet maker operating in Newcastle Street in 1799 was Wm. Richardson, and if he was working on that street it would have been under his employment. I say "if" because some time prior to 1807 he was known to have been a junior partner trading as "George Hill, Joseph Fuller, and John Thurston," in Tottenham-Court-Road, as Cabinet-Makers and Upholsterers.

This partnership was dissolved in 1807 and in 1809 he became a rather more senior partner in "Worhall, Thurston, and Fuller," at 6 Catherine-street. An advert from October of that year suggests that all three had previously been employees of a firm called Morgan and Sanders who were operating from "Butler's Manufactory" 16-17 Catherine Street, as "Furnishing, Upholsterers, and Cabinet manufacturers."

Joseph Fuller left the partnership in 1811, leaving Joseph Worhall and John Thurston in business together, but this didn't last long and the pair were declared bankrupt the following year. It was only on discharge from this bankruptcy in 1814 that John Thurston set up his own business at 6 Catherine Street, which was the same address as his bankrupt partnership. Whether this business had continued under the control of someone else, or he re-established it, I don't know. Anyway, from this point the history of the firm is fairly well-known.

John Bennet & Co were established in 1821 so they take second place to Thurston's.

i'm curious to know where this label may sit on the datings that have been shown here.

[se7enthhell]

Hi mensch72
Is it possible to get a photo like this one, showing the leg and the "knee boards" and "bolt covers" (I don't know official names )
Knee boards are those between the legs.
Bolt Covers is the flat rectangular piece attached to the face of the leg
These features can sometimes help identify make/model and dates x-fingers

I have this table marked as a R. Stevens & Sons, Villiers Street, Charing Cross, c1920

i have the exact same legs.
mine are 7" diameter and a solid bit of wood rather than a square and turning doweled together.
are yours a single piece too? 8 legs 1880.jpg

[100-uper]

image_17642.jpg

i'm curious to know where this label may sit on the datings that have been shown here.

Details of all their table plates along with the company history can be found here:
https://www.flipsnack.com/hylandbill...hKhRlVEkninHSA

[se7enthhell]

Details of all their table plates along with the company history can be found here:
https://www.flipsnack.com/hylandbill...hKhRlVEkninHSA

that is fantastic information, thanks very much.

my stencil matches one that is between 1889 and 1901.