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Monthly Archives: February 2012
John Evelyn
Born on October 31st, 1620 at Wotton in Surrey, the British writer John Evelyn died at Wotton on February 27th, 1706. A country gentleman from a wealthy landowning family, he wrote some thirty books on the fine arts, forestry, and … Continue reading
A George II Irish Elm Dressing Table – Part One
I’ve been unable to locate the original photographs I took of this dressing table, but the restoration worksheet dated ‘February/March, 1988’ assigns the piece to a ‘Mrs. […], Kilbride, Co. Wicklow (ex Powerscourt).‘ The table had been purchased by the … Continue reading
Posted in Tables
Tagged cabriole legs, dressing table, Irish, Powerscourt House Estate, trifid feet
2 Comments
Samuel Pepys
The English diarist Samuel Pepys was born in London on February 23rd, 1633. Born into a humble family, Pepys was appointed about 1659 as a clerk in the office of the Exchequer, where on January 1st 1660, he began the … Continue reading
Back Spring Locks
Lock-making was a well established cottage industry[1] in the original South Staffordshire area of the British Midlands by the middle of the seventeenth-century. Its success was largely due to the local abundance of iron ore, and charcoal from Cannock Forest … Continue reading
Baize and Bay(e)s
… or latterly… “Never mind the quality, feel the width!” Introduced into England by Dutch Huguenot immigrants in the third quarter of the sixteenth-century, baize is a loosely woven woollen cloth, not to be confused with felt – a randomly … Continue reading
Posted in Materials
Tagged baize, bayes, bays, behind the green baize door, Bocking, card table, carding, Chippendale, Colchester, Dutch, felt, Flemish, Fuller's teasel, fur, Huguenot immigrants, lining, Nostell priory, teasel, teasel gig, teazle, Uppark, wool
28 Comments
Queen Anne
Anne was born on February 6th, 1665 to Anne Hyde and James II. Although James was a nonconformist, Anne was baptised an Anglican. Anne’s older sister, Mary, also a Protestant, married William II and jointly succeeded Anne’s and Mary’s father to … Continue reading
Posted in Distractions
Tagged Duchess of Marlborough, James II, Mary II, Queen Anne, William III
1 Comment
An invitation to Britain
Dame Judi Dench invites you to Britain in a short video. Jack Plane
Oratory and Sponge Cake
I have tentatively been invited to give a talk to an unsuspecting group of provincial woodworkers, which, if it does come to fruition, promises, for me at least, to be an enjoyable event. It’s been about twenty-five years since I … Continue reading
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