Old Burroughs and watts table circa 1869 /1870

[Geoff Large]

I love these country house "finds" they are like a time capsule. Quite often if you can put a date on one item you can date the lot. The Rules would be the best bet. The date mentioned by Gerard on his rules would be the revision date, so can be taken as "not before" but possibly much later.

I guess the main question is whether cushion warmers might still be in use after the introduction of vulcanised rubber in the late 1860s. Again, reference to the 1885 catalogue has this item "CUSHION WARMERS, with clamps ...per set £3 10 0" (page 18) so perhaps this also describes what we have here? If so, we have three items all available to be supplied in 1885. Perhaps too much of a coincidence?

Hi Peter , yes cushion warmers would still be around for sale in catalogues in 1885 , as all tables where not sporting the new vulcanised rubber , so they still sold a few sets of warmers .
But the point that Burroughs and watts sold the new vulcanised Rubber was that there was no need for heat , they advertised them as Frost Proof with no need for heat , so would see no need for an owner buying a new table after 1865 with Vulcanised frost Proof cushions From B & Watts to buy Cushion Heaters or the Cushion heater storage rack .
Evidence of the cushions being altered with smaller blocks , tells me some other type of earlier rubber was attached to the cushions before the strip rubber that was rock hard and crumbling .
on item's dated with this table was cue presented to Margaret dated 1905 with Ivory spliceing , but the table is much older than 1905 , items with this table may point to itmes being available in 1885 , but none vulcanised rubber was not one of them and those warmers are for none vulcanised rubber .
the cuboard in the corner has a set of table bowls with slide , these dated around 1900 , what we have here is the table and add on's at later date's .
I tend not to look at the accessories , but the main item the Table and work that has been carried out on it in the past . but the heater rack has thrown me a bit .

I cannot say for definate that this table is just pre 1865 , but B & Watts literature tells me none vulcanised rubber that required heating was fazed out after this date , for the modenr vulcanised rubber .

the Current owners of the house came into the property in 1959 having been passed down to them , that was when they discovered the table all covered over with furniture and carpets etc , they base it's date on the wing extensions of the property , but I think that is abit too early as tables in those early days would have wood beds like gillows .

Gerard thinks the rules maybe 1874 or there abouts , maybe he is correct , but the thing that still plays on my mind is that the table is ealier with those altered blocks on the cushions . and the need for heating them ?

Geoff

another thing I would like to point out is the lack of rest hooks on the table frame and cushions , and Bag nets , this table has never had ball rails on in it's life neither has it had hooks for the rests , the long rests are stored behind the main entrance door in a rack as the ceiling is 20 foot high .
the polish on the frame is unmarked through lack of brass rest heads marking it when placed back on hooks .
I recomend no hooks on any table , we have table's repolished for customers only to find them all marked again when we revisit to say stretch the bed cloth , by Brass rest heads .

A picture of the old Brush which is also branded B&Watts



Picture of old mace butted cue's



Margarets cue



Multi angle rest , Iv'e see these a few time's on my travels . they should still make them , they are great to play with .

[100-uper]

I know what you are saying about vulcanised rubber being described as "frostproof" but like all new inventions, not everyone wanted them. Natural rubber was much faster than vulcanised (when at room temperature) and the fact that they were still selling warming pans twenty-five years after vulcanisation was introduced suggests to me that they were also still selling natural rubber cushions. On this basis a table bought c.1885 could well have been fitted with natural rubber cushions which were subsequently replaced by the strip-rubber which was in-situ when you rerubbered. Would this account for the modifications you saw?

Incidentally, the last item in you new photos is the Burroughes & Watts Patent Universal rest which was described as "new" in their 1889 catalogue, along with a set of "cushion warmers" which they were still selling at this time. So basically the earliest firm date I can put on anything in these pictures come out at c.1885.

[Geoff Large]

I now know the exact date of the Table , the billiard room extension was built in 1870 and furnished that same year or early 1871 , the lady of the house was a little out with her date's on the extension being early 1830s .

It took a little digging but I found it by looking for the name of the Country house and billiard room info and the details of planning came up for the extension with a completion date of 1870. sourced English Heritage as it is a listed building .

so we have a new 1870s table but with old type rubber that was modified prob in around 1880s after they experienced Hard rubber in winter months , they prob bought the Cushion heaters with the table in 1870/71 .
As 100-upper (Peter) has explained not all people would have taken on board the new Vulcanised rubber , and it took a few years to phase the old rubber out alltogether , and by 1890 I would say it was not being used anymore .
the new vulcanised rubber was still a strip rubber , but it has the same dimensions as modern moulded rubber , it was a godsend realy as I did not have to change the blocks that the rubber was glued on . ( something I do not like doing on site )
the rebate shelf just need a good clean and sand to accept the New Rubber of today .
and as stated they had only had one recover since 1880s , and that was around 1959/60 when the table resurfaced from under the pile of furniture , the rubber would still have bounce in those days ...lol

So the Strip rubber I took off that was rock hard , had been on the table for around 130 years ? no wonder it was rock hard ...lol

I was out by about 5 or 6 years on date of table ...not too bad a guess on dating
But top marks to Gerard who was only 3 to 4 years out going by the date of the rules of 1874 .

I will point out that I have worked on tables with that strip rubber on dated 1930s / 40s, so it is not uncommon to come across it even today on old tables that have not been touched for a few years . the table also had the lint covering under the main billiard cloth on the cushions .
I did not have the Camera with me on the first day when I stripped the table down , but will try next time I come across a table covered like this .

I have also found out information regarding the name Margaret xmas 1905 and on that cue was also her sisters name Hilda on an oval badge which says From hilda .
Margaret became an owner of a slate quarry in wales passed down from her Uncle , she did not live long after she inherited it and the quarry passed on to Hilda .

Geoff

[cally]

Excellent...

You are the man geoff...

[hotpot]

You guys have amazing knowledge , thanks for sharing , really interesting reading .