Rare 1794 George III Gillows of Lancaster Double Sided Postmasters Sorting Desk

I have never seen another with this particular type of drawer and cupboard formation, to the front you have two full length cupboard doors both with working locks and one middle drawer, open either cupboard door and you find four perfectly fitted drawers, to the rear you have three rather hidden cupboards, the only sign that they have anything inside is the locks, all of which have the original keys. The left and right cupboards have postmasters pigeon holes, they cover the full alphabet, the central cupboard has one single drawer and vertical file dividers. The leather top is original with a very ornate embossing around the trim of the like and quality again, I have never seen

This is an exceptionally rare example of an even rarer model desk made in the later part of the 18th century by one of the finest if not the finest furnisher in English history, Gillow’s of Lancaster and London

I’ll include a short biography below on Gillows for those who aren’t fine furniture connoisseurs.

This desk has the correct J Bramha 14 Piccadilly stamped locks under the crown, referenced to Gillows Of Lancaster and London 1730-1840 Volume II page 337. The desk is made from golden mahogany which has a wonderful patina throughout, it looks truly exquisite. Each side is fitted with very Regal bronze Lions heads holding rings in their mouths

In terms of the condition we have cleaned waxed and polished it, everything works absolutely perfectly, I have most of the original keys with one replacement, the middle drawer doesn’t have a key. The desk has normal patina marks all over from genuine age and honest use

Dimensions

Height 75.5cm

Width 115cm

Depth 96cm

Leg room

Height 62cm

Width 40cm

Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point

Gillows of Lancaster and London, also known as Gillow & Co, was an English furniture making firm based in Lancaster, Lancashire, and in London. It was founded around in Lancaster in about 1730 by Robert Gillow (1704–1772 Gillows was owned by the family until 1814 when it was taken over by Redmayne, Whiteside, and Ferguson; they continued to use the Gillow name.

Gillows furniture was a byword for quality, and other designers used Gillows to manufacture their furniture. Gillows furniture is referred to by Jane Austen, Thackeray and the first Lord Lytton, and in one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operas.

In 1903 Gillows merged with Warings of Liverpool to become Waring and Gillow and although the furniture remained of a high quality it was not as prestigious.

Gillow family (1728–1814)

In 1728 Robert Gillow began trading in Lancaster as a joiner, builder, house carpenter, furniture maker and overseas merchant. By the summer of 1731 he had entered into a partnership with a fellow catholic, George Haresnape, which had ended by 1735. By 1734 six other names appeared on their staff list. Gillows notably made heavy use of mahogany wood, which is indigenous to the Americas, from the early 1730s. In the early 1740s, Gillow owned a twelfth share of the ship Briget, which he partially used to import mahogany from the West Indies.

The success of the firm was partly due to his ability to directly import mahogany; by 1742 Gillow was exporting finished mahogany furniture back to the West Indies. On 1 January 1757 Robert entered into an equal partnership with his son Richard Gillow (1733–1811), and the firm was known as Robert Gillow & Son. Richard was also the architect for several buildings in Lancaster. He financed the building of the Catholic church in Dalton Square, Lancaster in 1798.

The family’s Catholic history was important in building up a customer base within Lancashire’s gentry, and their subsequent purchase of Leighton Hall, Lancashire from a cousin in 1822. On 31 December 1768 Robert Gillow I retired and left his share of the firm to his other son, Robert Gillow II (1747–1795). In 1769 and 1770, a shop at 176 Oxford Street, London, was sent up by the brothers’ cousin, Thomas Gillow (1736–1779), to sell their furniture. Goodison and Hardy state that the firm opened a London branch in 1760 at 176 Oxford Road. By 1775 the Lancaster branch had 42 employees, and by 1789 there were about 50 employees.

This item is available for collection from our Wimbledon warehouses.

Condition

Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description around condition

Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of cracking creasing and wear, we recommend regular waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade.