Methods and initial information

The use of documented facts from Census and other records, trade directories and sale catalogues is thwarted for this early period. ‘The lack of printed pattern books as sources until well into the 18^th century’[3] also frustrates research. However, comparison of stylistic carved motifs to evidence regional tradition is extremely helpful as a starting point for any research,[4] and recognition must be given to Victor Chinnery’s assistance in his excellent 1980 publication.[5]  However, one has to bear in mind that moveable furniture must be authenticated by recourse to the historically convincing comparison of built in furniture in traditional buildings of a region as an invaluable benchmark of known period woodwork. Basic clues as to origin are followed but its attribution is challenged and then investigated in a more simplistic starting manner. This leads to comparison with primary items of known provenance and eventual justification.

The geographical subject area has already been alluded to but just like any research the relevant starting point was with the ‘primary’ subject object, unravelled perhaps like the investigation by a detective from the evidence initially presented. The chest[6] which measures overall 30 inches in height by 46 inches width by 20 inches depth is made of oak. It was offered for auction sale in 1999 at the East Anglian provincial salerooms of Thomas Wm. Gaze & Son,[7] which perhaps could not have been further removed from its ultimate perceived region of origin. The provenance given by the vendor, a known travelling dealer of good local integrity, was that it came from the estate of a deceased school mistress in Oxfordshire. Inside the chest was a reproduction copy of a Map of Oxford dated 1648. (Fig. 2).

Figure 2

It was suggested, albeit never catalogued, that the date on the chest of 1683 coincided with the known date of the opening of Britain’s oldest public museum, the Ashmolean at Oxford and the carved dating suggested a tenuous commemoration connection to the University.

 Written Evidence

However the former information was pure speculation with no research basis and was soon proved to be erroneous. Much more unique and useful information was found written inside the chest in black ink. This purported to give details of the chests’ previous ownership, and is written on either side of the end panels of the brown paper lining. Hand written in script on the left it simply reads, ‘Miss Whiteside Lorton’ (Fig. 3) and on the right in a different hand, ‘from Thomas Johnson Station St Cmouth’ (Fig. 4) and underneath, the inscription, ‘R.S. Whiteside Esq. Lorton’ (Fig. 5). The suggestion was apparent that these were certainly significant as probable former owners of the chest.

Figure 3	Figure 4	Figure 5

The lining paper has the age and appearance of having been in place since at least the 19^th century and the ink used and style of writing further verifies similar age estimation. Cockermouth is situated in West Cumbria on the north west fringe of the Lake District, whilst Lorton and Lorton Vale extend south easterly of this town toward the lakes of Crummock Water and Buttermere. However the written information, whilst giving possibilities of previous owners, does not in itself give indication of regional origin of the piece because it is readily transportable and not fixed furniture. Interest in the district was intensified as a point for further study when a search of Bulmer’s Directory of Cumberland found the record of a ‘Mary Whiteside (Gentlewoman) of Kirkfell Lorton’ and a ‘Thomas E Johnson (Tailor and Draper) of Station Street, Cockermouth’.[8] Furthermore from Principal Inhabitants of Cumberland and Westmorland 1829, it was revealed that a certain ‘John Whiteside’ of ‘Highside, Lorton’ was listed as once residing there.[9]

Construction and design, purpose and regional Style

Construction of the chest is as expected to be found on furniture purporting to date from the 17^th century. The front, sides, hinged straight top and back are made with panels, rebated into stiles, muntins and rails. The frame components are fixed together by mortise and tenon joints, stabilised by fixing tapered pegs or ‘dowels’ of initially green wood[10] driven through the joint union (Fig. 6). This type of construction is commonly called ‘joined’ indicating that it was made by a Joiner with knowledge of construction techniques rather than a planked and nailed assembly by a jobbing Carpenter. These chests were made for storage of all manner of items including food[11]and the construction allowed for shrinkage and expansion of timber without splitting.[12]

However the chest does have hand-made nails with crude uneven heads holding a planked base to the under-frame. These planks are affixed front to back, which, as Noel Riley points out, is common to cupboards and chests of the Lake District and Yorkshire [13](Fig. 7). The stiles, rails and muntins on the front and sides are channel moulded. The back stiles and rails are similarly shaped and so are the top rails and muntins. This feature is typical of pieces recorded in the area (See Fig. 6) both by Victor Chinnery.[14]  This characteristic was noted by Riley as ‘grooving’ and referenced to the channel moulding noted and quoted by Peter Thornborrow.[15] The chest lid is hinged by forged iron ring and hoop fixings. The fixing ends are crudely driven through the frame and bent over to form a right angle in ‘paper-fastener’ fashion (Fig. 8). It has sadly lost its iron lock, but evidence of three different keyholes on the top frieze is seen on an uncarved rectangular section. Particular attention is drawn to the figure ‘1’of the carved date which has the characteristic stylisation of intertwining seen on many examples from the Lake District. The chip-carved background and deep cutting of the carved decoration to the panels and frieze gives highlights and shade which have also been recorded by Chinnery as distinctive of ‘Lakeland joinery’ (Fig. 9). Noticeable too is the fine patination, apparently achieved, says Chinnery:

 by smoky interiors, generations of proud housewives and, as the locals would have it, the occasional applications of a polish compounded from bull’s blood, vinegar and beeswax.[16]

Construction and decoration 

	Fig. 6 (left).  Part of panelled top & pegging Shows the straight lid with rail and muntin joined  together and double pegging through joint, which today stands slightly ‘proud’. The channel moulded decoration can also be seen, stylistic on pieces recorded in the region.
Fig. 7 (right). Chest underside planking  The underside of chest and front to back planking affixed to frame with uneven headed nails and the rebating of stiles to ‘let-in’ the bottom planking. A feature again observed in the geographical area.
	Fig. 8 (left). Hoop & ring hinges The iron ring and hoop fixing. Mortise and tenon joint of the rear stile, the panelled lid rail and the muntin with underside of peg through the joint just showing
Fig. 9 (right). Key-holes, numbering & patina Front top rail with various key holes cut into frieze. Stylistic figure one, deep cut carved decoration to frieze and middle panel showing intricacy of the craftsmans’ work and the patination in natural light which now reveals this distinctive Lakeland furniture feature. Locally grown plentiful Oak in the valleys ‘beside the lakes and often closed grained, caused by quick straight growth in fight for light in the deciduous forests that once clothed the Fells.’[17]

Influence Comparison and style of carving

The carved detail in Cumbria is more obvious than many parts of the country for elaborate interlace of Celtic knot and strap-work motifs. The survival/revival of Scandinavian decoration from Norse settlers together with the isolation of the Lake District was a determining factor for adoption seen in 17^th century carving, fashionable until the mid 18^th century.[18] There is further evidence of revival and continuing tradition when one looks at the house at Townend Troutbeck and George Browne’s Victorian improving of plain oak as suggested by Susan Denyer.[19] Consider too, the prolific number of Celtic Crosses in Lakeland cemeteries and the influence on Arts and Crafts style as espoused by John Ruskin (1819-1900).[20]

Comparison was made between the joined armchair (Fig. 10) dated 1662, known at St. Bartholomew’s Church Barbon,[21] near Kirby Lonsdale Cumbria and the State Tester bed (Fig 11) dated 1672 at Townend, Troutbeck[22] in the heart of the Lake District.  The left and right panels of the subject chest were compared to the back panel of the chair.

Figure 10		Figure 11

Although the chest left panel has the flowing appearance of the Celtic Classical Knot, its symmetry is complementary to the chairs’ double interlaced ‘S’ scroll and fern leaf terminals. The fern leaf device is used in a different manner of decoration between the two examples but the overall appearance is extremely similar, particularly the centre knot cross-over. The chests’ right panel is the same decorative device as the chair, but terminates in a six leaf stylistic floral terminal as opposed to fern leaf The basic overall shape of the presented decoration is identical. Further comparison was made to a built in cupboard at Green End Farm Hawkshead, dated 1690 and the upper left bed panel in the Townend bed (Fig. 12). The Hawkshead central cross-over knot is identical to the chests left panel although the centres of the knots feature stylised rosettes, but the balance of design is the same. On the Townend upper left bed panel comparison to the central cross-over of both end panels of the chest are closely comparable.                                                      

Left panel of subject chest dated 1683	Green End Farm Hawkshead cupboard dated 1692
Townend Troutbeck, top left bed panel of Tester state bed dated 1672.	St Bartholomew's Barbon Church armchair dated 1662
Figure 12

Behind the pillow on the bed at Troutbeck and slightly below the level of the linen covering it is to be found another panel (Fig. 13) which uses both the S scrolls and interlace seen in the right and centre panels of the chest (Fig. 14). Closer comparison of the floral designs shows similar six leaf plants placed symmetrically and identically in four positions at the centre of the S scrolls.

Figure 13		Figure 14

The use of ‘zoomorphic’ detail discussed by Well-Cole[23]and the ‘use of fantastic animal and human details’ by Chinnery[24] open a wonderful insight into the carving detail found on the left panel of this chest (Fig. 15). It can be suggested that Celtic influence came from many sources.

Figure 15

The Lindisfarne Gospel cruciform page was cited by Wells-Cole,[25] but an interesting direct local comparison here is indicated in the Royal Commission Historic Monuments, Westmorland Inventory.[26] This shows under the heading ‘Pre-Conquest stones’ a cross shaft recorded at Kirby Stephen Church, Cumbria in 1936 (Fig. 16). The pointed chin, head shape, eyes and nose profile of the carved figure is remarkably similar to the panel form (Fig. 17). Reference is also drawn to the composition of head details in a portrait of St. John from the MacDurnan Gospels, a 9 th. century Celtic manuscript [27](Fig. 18).

Figure 16		Figure 17		Figure 18

The former mentioned inventory notes a number of court cupboards and built in beds which are excellent reference upon which to compare moveable furniture carving styles. At Common Farm, Windermere, two three stage cupboards are illustrated[28] with a provenance that the homestead was that of the Williamson Family, supporters of Society of Friends. The earliest dated 1628 cupboard has an identical fern pattern on the outer doors, whilst the central door has a rose or floral carving and fern all similar to the patterns on the subject chest. Again at Wood Farm Troutbeck a cupboard with identical double interlaced S scrolls is shown.[29] At a yeoman farm dwelling at Fusethwaite Yeat, Windermere another built-in cupboard with initials EE is dated 1683[30] and has identical interlaced S Scrolls and fern carving as the end panels on the subject chest.

Conclusion

The chest is localised as being stylistic in both construction and carved decoration to the indicated fixed cupboard furniture of the Lake District. Although not built-in, the Tester bed of Townend, which from Inventories kept by the National Trust, says curator Margaret Gregg; ‘has been installed at Townend since it was first constructed in 1672 for George and Ellinor Browne’,[31]has also been compared to the well studied chair at Barbon and the subject chest, all being found conclusively stylistically related one to the other.

The possible ownership of the subject chest by the Whiteside family at the turn of the 19^th century in Lorton was traced to various locations in that area. Between High Side, a Hamlet and Kirk Fell, at the edge of Lorton Vale a stone-built farmhouse was located in which stood a large free standing court cupboard with a carved frieze and dated 1705. The property’s present owner said, ‘It was too large ever to have been moved from the room’,[32] which is borne out by the only access through a low and narrow latch type panel door. Inscribed on the frieze of the cupboard, next to the date and a stylistic eight petal flower are carved the initials W and M with a further letter W slightly above, between the two. This type of carving, mentioned by Christopher Gilbert as a Brideswain,[33] is possibly the celebration of marriage, with the family name as the central top initial. Chinnery points out ‘they are not always marriage initials, but may represent only the head of the household.’[34] However, what these initials represent as far as has been understood for the last three hundred years is, William and Mary Whiteside who were resident in the early eighteenth century and whose family descendants are known to have resided in the Lorton area until the mid twentieth century!

Postscript.

The rural isolation of the region in the 17^th and 18^th centuries with just one known main route north/south, its inaccessibility of the pikes, mountains, lakes and fells, in all probability helped maintain the individuality of the traditions from outside influences. The subject chest with its constructional and carved devices is now identified, not only to Lakeland craftsmanship but possibly to its original owner’s locality as well. Beautiful carved oak identified of the region, the cabinets and cupboards, chests and beds themselves possibly previously enclosed within a cabinet of Coleridge’s beauties.

Lorton Vale [35]

The Yew Tree