John Boson
Encyclopedia
John Boson was a cabinet maker and carver
whose work is associated with that of William Kent
. It is said that if he had not died at such a relatively young age then his place would have been assured in the history of furniture making in the United Kingdom
. He was born around the year 1705 and it is most likely that he learned his trade and served his apprenticeship near the naval ship yards of Deptford
, for by the 1720s he had a yard and workshop in Greenwich
. His name first appeared as that of a carver when he worked on St. George's Church, Bloomsbury
in London
. In 1725 his first domestic work is recorded when he made carvings for 4 St James's Square, London. He was at the same time one of the craftsmen employed to work on the Fifty New Churches designed by Sir Christopher Wren
. He did not neglect the secular and domestic market and he is recorded as a worker at East India House
, Leadenhall Street in 1730; this time with a partner named John How. He is well known for his carved chimney-pieces and there are good examples in the 'Great Room' at Baylies, Stoke Poges
, Buckinghamshire
and another example at Sir Michael Newton's seat of Culverthorpe
, Lincolnshire
. The 1730s were the years of Boson's greatest success and it was during this time that he regularly carried out work for Frederick, Prince of Wales
at his houses at Leicester Fields, Kew Palace
, and Cliveden
, Buckinghamshire.
There are very few pieces that are recorded as being the work of John Boson and only seven pieces remain complete with their receipts. One of these is a large carved and gilt mirror that is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum
, London.
Carver
-People:*Bob Carver, American physicist and audio equipment designer*Caroline Carver , thriller writer, award winner and adventurer*Dante Carver , American actor*George Washington Carver , American botanist and inventor...
whose work is associated with that of William Kent
William Kent
William Kent , born in Bridlington, Yorkshire, was an eminent English architect, landscape architect and furniture designer of the early 18th century.He was baptised as William Cant.-Education:...
. It is said that if he had not died at such a relatively young age then his place would have been assured in the history of furniture making in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He was born around the year 1705 and it is most likely that he learned his trade and served his apprenticeship near the naval ship yards of Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
, for by the 1720s he had a yard and workshop in Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. His name first appeared as that of a carver when he worked on St. George's Church, Bloomsbury
St. George's Church, Bloomsbury
St George's, Bloomsbury is a parish church in Bloomsbury, London Borough of Camden, United Kingdom.-History:The Commissioners for the Fifty New Churches Act of 1711 realised that, due to rapid development in the Bloomsbury area during the latter part of the 17th and early part of the 18th...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1725 his first domestic work is recorded when he made carvings for 4 St James's Square, London. He was at the same time one of the craftsmen employed to work on the Fifty New Churches designed by Sir Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
. He did not neglect the secular and domestic market and he is recorded as a worker at East India House
East India House
East India House in Leadenhall Street in the City of London in England was the headquarters of the British East India Company. It was built on the foundations of the Elizabethan mansion Craven House, the London residence of Sir William Craven, Lord Mayor of London, to designs by the merchant and...
, Leadenhall Street in 1730; this time with a partner named John How. He is well known for his carved chimney-pieces and there are good examples in the 'Great Room' at Baylies, Stoke Poges
Stoke Poges
Stoke Poges is a village and civil parish in the South Buckinghamshire district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the south of the county, about three miles north of Slough and a mile east of Farnham Common....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and another example at Sir Michael Newton's seat of Culverthorpe
Culverthorpe
Culverthorpe is a hamlet in the civil parish of Heydour, in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies south-west from Sleaford, north-east from Grantham and 3 miles south-east from Ancaster....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. The 1730s were the years of Boson's greatest success and it was during this time that he regularly carried out work for Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales was a member of the House of Hanover and therefore of the Hanoverian and later British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, as well as the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria...
at his houses at Leicester Fields, Kew Palace
Kew Palace
Kew Palace is a British Royal Palace in Kew Gardens on the banks of the Thames up river from London. There have been at least four Palaces at Kew, and three have been known as Kew Palace; the first building may not have been known as Kew as no records survive other than the words of another...
, and Cliveden
Cliveden
Cliveden is an Italianate mansion and estate at Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. Set on banks above the River Thames, its grounds slope down to the river. The site has been home to an Earl, two Dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Viscounts Astor....
, Buckinghamshire.
There are very few pieces that are recorded as being the work of John Boson and only seven pieces remain complete with their receipts. One of these is a large carved and gilt mirror that is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, London.