Thomas Chippendale

[adzeman]

As previously posted I have visited Otley in North Yorkshire to view with interest its connection with Thomas Chippendale the celebrated furniture maker.

I was disappointed that the local museum (voluntary run by locals) did not have a section related to one of Otley’s most famous inhabitants.

I fully understand that they could not exhibit artefacts due to the security of such valuable items but a display with pictures including important facts appertaining to Chippendale could be present.
The Chippendale Society founded in Otley is based at Temple Newsome in Leeds which I have visited on a few occasions, once with fellow students from college some years back.

The Statue and blue wall plaque are at Prince Henry’s Academy School (I remember it as a Grammar School) where Chippendale attended. So he had a good education but, there is no indication of where he was born or lived when he returned back to his home town.
The records show he was baptised at Otley Parish Church and came from neighbouring Farnley. An area I know reasonably well (the location near to where the original Emmerdale Farm was shot)
There are not many old buildings surviving in Farnley but the Old Smithy Cottages are still there and if like my home village the local carpenter/wheelwrights were not far away. Though we formed our own rims the blacksmith formed the welds. Old maps should show where the carpenters shop was located.
The shop I worked at was originally owned by the local estate and not far from the Old Smithy is Farnley Hall. It would be a good bet that they also owned the local joiners shop or at least had strong connections. Farnley Hall had the same architect that designed Harwood House. Its owners were the Fawkes family, yes those of the bonfire variety and where Turner the painter stayed and painted.
These big houses kept good records so its worth some further investigation.

There are plenty of old yards in Otley good for a joiners shop, one would be spoilt for choice.

 

[toolmaniac]

When I was at college learning cabinetmaking, I got into trouble with the senior lecturer, who was a great Chippendale fan:

I wrote in an essay that Chippendale was the 18th Century Arthur Daley (that dates me), that he was a great salesman, but not necessarily any good on the tools.

The premise was that nothing has (had) been found that could be attributed to TC.. There is no evidence that he ever made anything himself.

This is true, but not popular!!

 

[adzeman]

I have no knowledge of Chippendale not actually being attributed to actually making any furniture and not for a minute do I doubt you. I think that with Harwood House, Nostell Priory and maybe Farnley Hall being reletavely close to his home must have some bearing on what he produced. His education at Prince Henry's would have been classical which would have made him more than a common country carpenter. He would have learnt geometry and the skill of draughtmanship. His father would have ensured he learnt his trade but according to the Chippendale Society the only surviving work peice presuming made by his father is described as typical of the period a crude oak chest. I imagine his father saying "reet lad awl this booklearning s fine but learn a trade thi can tek away books but thar cant teck awa yer ands" or words to that effect. I am interested if Farnley Hall had any influence. Did he work on the house? Was this his first sight of fine furniture? What gave him the thirst for personel wealth? He would have been educated with the sons of rich landowners or business men at Prince Henry's. We know he went into partnership with Adams and I had the privalige of project managing refurbishing Adams own house and I can tell you the workmanship above stairs was superb but below stairs was just plain basic and in some cases crude.

 

[bugbear]

When I was at college learning cabinetmaking, I got into trouble with the senior lecturer, who was a great Chippendale fan:

I wrote in an essay that Chippendale was the 18th Century Arthur Daley (that dates me), that he was a great salesman, but not necessarily any good on the tools.

The premise was that nothing has (had) been found that could be attributed to TC.. There is no evidence that he ever made anything himself.

This is true, but not popular!!

The program about Gibbons made (implicitly) a similar point, mentioning the large "workshop", presumably full of craftsman, that he set up.

BugBear