Robert Gillow
Encyclopedia
Robert Gillow was an English furniture
manufacturer.
Born in Singleton, Lancashire
he served an apprenticeship as a joiner and cabinet maker. He joined with a family of traders called Sattersthwaite and sailed with them to the West Indies as a ships carpenter. In Jamaica he became interested in mahogany
and brought samples of the wood back to Lancaster in 1710. This may have been the first mahogany to be imported to England. He married Agnes Fell in 1729 in Lancaster.
He founded the luxury furniture and furnishings firm Gillow of Lancashire in 1730. During the 1730s he began to exploit the lucrative West Indies trade exporting mahogany
furniture and importing rum
and sugar
, in addition to fitting out ships cabins and doing finishing work in construction. The firm rapidly established a reputation for supplying high quality furniture and furnishings to the richest families in the country. They also had a London workshop in Thames Street. In 1764 a permanent London branch of Gillow's was established at 176 Oxford Road, now Oxford Street, by Robert's son, Thomas Robert Gillow (1745–1793), and William Taylor. Following Robert's retirement in 1769, the business was continued by his two sons, Richard (1734–1811) and Thomas Robert (his other children were Alice, Edward and John). Richard Gillow was an architect of some note, and he is credited with originating the telescopic dining-table and the first English billiard-table.
For over a century, the firm was known for its luxury furniture and furnishings. During the final years of the 19th century the company ran into financial difficulty and from 1897 began a loose financial arrangement with Waring of Liverpool, an arrangement legally ratified by the establishment of Waring & Gillow in 1903.
English furniture
English furniture has developed largely in line with styles in the rest of northern Europe, but has been interpreted in a distinctive fashion. Regional styles are significant, for example between the North Country and the West Country....
manufacturer.
Born in Singleton, Lancashire
Singleton, Lancashire
Singleton is a village and civil parish in Lancashire, England. It is situated on the coastal plain called The Fylde. It is located south-east of Poulton le Fylde, and as of the 2001 census had a population of 877...
he served an apprenticeship as a joiner and cabinet maker. He joined with a family of traders called Sattersthwaite and sailed with them to the West Indies as a ships carpenter. In Jamaica he became interested in mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
and brought samples of the wood back to Lancaster in 1710. This may have been the first mahogany to be imported to England. He married Agnes Fell in 1729 in Lancaster.
He founded the luxury furniture and furnishings firm Gillow of Lancashire in 1730. During the 1730s he began to exploit the lucrative West Indies trade exporting mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
furniture and importing rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, in addition to fitting out ships cabins and doing finishing work in construction. The firm rapidly established a reputation for supplying high quality furniture and furnishings to the richest families in the country. They also had a London workshop in Thames Street. In 1764 a permanent London branch of Gillow's was established at 176 Oxford Road, now Oxford Street, by Robert's son, Thomas Robert Gillow (1745–1793), and William Taylor. Following Robert's retirement in 1769, the business was continued by his two sons, Richard (1734–1811) and Thomas Robert (his other children were Alice, Edward and John). Richard Gillow was an architect of some note, and he is credited with originating the telescopic dining-table and the first English billiard-table.
For over a century, the firm was known for its luxury furniture and furnishings. During the final years of the 19th century the company ran into financial difficulty and from 1897 began a loose financial arrangement with Waring of Liverpool, an arrangement legally ratified by the establishment of Waring & Gillow in 1903.
External links
- "Gillow - Cabinet Making Firm" at the Lancashire Museums site
- History of Gillows