Walnut Davenport
Walnut Davenport
A Burr walnut Davenport Desk stamped T. Willson.
This Davenport is a Gillows' design and made of burr walnut veneer on mahogany with solid walnut for the moulded edges etc. It has dummy drawers to the left side with a pullout slide above and four graduated working drawers to the right side. A pen and ink drawer is released from the side by the knob handle to the bottom left hand dummy drawer to the desk interior. Most such 'secret drawers' on Davenports are released by a spring but this desk simply has the knob to the dummy drawer locking the ink drawer in place. The 'secret' ink drawer can be pulled out when the interior drawer knob releases it. This is a method that Susan Stuart notes Gillows used in her 2 volume books on the company (pp 33). The exterior pen drawer sits behind the two dummy drawers, inside the desk, when not in use. The interior also has two short working drawers above the two dummies with a large well in front of them to store papers etc.
The four graduated drawers and the desk slope all have Chubb locks that work to the same key and have consecutive numbers starting at 710954 to the top drawer and finishing with 710957 to the bottom drawer. The slope lock is numbered 710953. The Davenport has a gallery to the back with turned spindles, a number of which have been replaced. The desk sits on bun feet with hidden castors.
The locks would have been expensive at the time and tie in with the rest of the good quality of the desk and Gillow's work. This design is known to have been made by Gillow by at least 1830. On first glance, taking into consideration the use of burr walnut, you would date this Davenport to around 1840 or 1850. This date, however doesn't tie in with the original Chubb locks whose registration numbers date to around 1875. This points to the later Thomas Willson, who was mostly listed as an Upholsterer, as the seller of the Davenport. Click on his name above to read about the Willson family who were predominantly Furniture Brokers.
This is a very interesting desk, not just for the quality of its make but also for the fact that Gillow or one of their journeymen cabinet makers continued making the design for a number of years and that the T. Willson is not the Thomas many would first think of. Circa 1875.
Dimensions:
Circa 1875
Burr walnut veneer, solid walnut and mahogany.
T. Willson, 68 Great Queen Street, London
Gillows Davenport
Good, old split to one corner of the desk top.
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. The exterior pen drawer sits behind the two dummy drawers, inside the desk, when not in use. The interior also has two short working drawers above the two dummies with a large well in front of them to store papers etc. The four graduated drawers and the desk slope all have Chubb locks that work to the same key and have consecutive numbers starting at 710954 to the top drawer and finishing with 710957 to the bottom drawer. The slope lock is numbered 710953. The Davenport has a gallery to the back with turned spindles, a number of which have been replaced. The desk sits on bun feet with hidden castors. The locks would have been expensive at the time and tie in with the rest of the good quality of the desk and Gillow's work. This design is known to have been made by Gillow by at least 1830. On first glance, taking into consideration the use of burr walnut, you would date this Davenport to around 1840 or 1850. This date, however doesn't tie in with the original Chubb locks whose registration numbers date to around 1875. This points to the later Thomas Willson, who was mostly listed as an Upholsterer, as the seller of the Davenport. Click on his name above to read about the Willson family who were predominantly Furniture Brokers.This is a very interesting desk, not just for the quality of its make but also for the fact that Gillow or one of their journeymen cabinet makers continued making the design for a number of years and that the T. Willson is not the Thomas many would first think of. Circa 1875.){kind=link}