In September 2002 The Regional Furniture Society organised an exhibition
of West Country farmhouse and cottage furniture at Winchester Museum. The
aim was to illustrate the distinctive nature of furniture from that region.
The exhibits comprised furniture and other related items from the counties
of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire; they were
selected by the late Gabriel Olive, who also curated the exhibition.
Gabriel Olive researched West Country Furniture for more than
50 years, and his work in the area as an antique dealer enabled him to observe and record furniture in situ, identifying the
subtle differences between one area and another. Through his efforts many
rapidly disappearing traditions have been noted. Gabriel's eye for detail
and his love of the history behind each piece of furniture gave him
an unrivaled knowledge of the subject stylistically, as well as in constructional
detail and social context. Over the years he published many articles,
and these have been brought together into a book, Farm and Cottage Furniture
in the West Country, published by and available through the Society. Details. The following images and
text are drawn from the 2002 exhibition and his work.
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In Glynde Path Cottage, Dorchester,
April 1884 by Henry Joseph Moule
MA, watercolour and pencil.
The settle portrayed here is of typical West Country
type, with the shaped end cut from a single board and random width
vertical boards forming the back. The cricket (stool) stands under
the seat. The space between the settle and the fireplace is filled
by a draught screen over which is draped some washing. the chair
is a country version of a fashionable type, probably made from fruitwood,
with extra heavy stretchers between the legs. placing a pelmet over
the fireplace was a common practice, to increase the draught and
prevent the chimney smoking.
From the Henry Moule Collection,
courtesy of Dorset Natural History & Archaeological Society.
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The Background
The range of furniture that was found in West Country Farmhouses and cottages
was similar to that found elsewhere. The most important pieces were the
long table, the settle and the dresser. There are at least five different
types of dresser distinguishable from the region, two of which were included
in the exhibition.
Each piece had its own place in the farmhouse kitchen, the table under
the window for maximum light, the settle by the fire to create a warm snug
area, and the dresser on the opposite wall. Though not generally fixed they
always kept their traditional positions. Some farmhouses would have more
than one dresser, the one in the kitchen being supplemented by another in
the parlour for display of the best china.
The illustration above shows a settle in its traditional place in a Dorchester
Cottage. In the West Country and South Wales some settles were made with
a cupboard in the back in which could be hung sides of bacon to dry, rather
than hanging them in the chimney to be smoked.
Furniture Makers
Much farm and cottage furniture was made within the rural community. Its
makers were skilled woodworkers able to make and repair most kinds of farm
equipment. Closely bound to the soil they understood the needs of their
fellow workers in the fields. The furniture they made was essentially practical.
Methods of construction were more those of the joiner than the cabinet-maker
and relied on the natural qualities of the materials being used. The most
common timbers were oak, ash and elm, but any other suitable local materials
would also be used. There are a number of items of furniture recorded in
inventories as being made of wicker or rush. Oak and elm were plentiful
and could be converted from the tree into broad planks using a sawpit; smaller
sections might be cleft or split.
Many typical West Country pieces are made from these wide boards including
settles, dressers and coffers. Coffer is the the local name for the six
board chests common in the region. A distinctive feature of these coffers
is the notching on the ends of the top and sides; a feature also seen on
stools and boxes from the area. Another feature is the 'V' shape cut from
the vertical end boards to form feet. On occasions the cuts were continued
upwards to form a decorative 'X'.
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End of a six plank West Country coffer showing
the distinctive 'V' cut and decorative 'X' formed by extending the
saw cuts.
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One specialist furniture trade that did develop was Windsor chair making.
There was a notable centre of production at Yealmpton in Devon flourishing
in the early nineteenth century. The exhibition included several examples
of Yealmptom chairs with distinctive 'bamboo' effect turnings on the legs
and spindles. There were many other places where chairs were made including
a factory at Aldbourne in Wiltshire towards the end of the nineteenth century.
In 1909 a child's chair similar to the one shown below would have cost 3s.
6d. (17p) and hundreds were made to supply the County's schools.
