William Vile
Encyclopedia
Biography
Vile was one of the best EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cabinetmakers of his time during the Georgian Age of the Designer and overshadowed by Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale was a London cabinet-maker and furniture designer in the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. In 1754 he published a book of his designs, titled The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director...
who was clearly the most famous.Georgian Cabinet Makers – Edwards & Jourdain 1945 Vile was amongst a handful of 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...
based cabinetmakers such as William Bradshaw, John Cobb
John Cobb (cabinetmaker)
-Biography:It is believed that John Cobb was apprenticed in 1729 to Timothy Money , a Norwich upholsterer. In 1755 he married Sukey, a daughter of the cabinetmaker Giles Grendey, and is said to have acquired a ‘singularly haughty character’, strutting ‘in full dress of the most superb and costly...
and John Gumley. Their standard of craftsmanship has been virtually unchallenged until the late 20th Century British Craft Revival with makers such as John Makepeace
John Makepeace
John Makepeace OBE, , is a British furniture designer and maker. He bought Parnham House, Dorset in 1976 and founded the Parnham Trust and the School for Craftsmen in Wood to provide integrated courses in design, making and management for aspiring furniture-makers, alongside but...
and his lesser known apprentice Andrew Whateley demonstrating unrivalled craftsmanship.
William Vile went into partnership with John Cobb in 1750 until he retired in 1765 Operating out of (No. 72) The corner of St. Martin's Lane
St. Martin's Lane
St. Martin's Lane is a street on the edge of Covent Garden in Central London, which runs from the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, after which it is named, near Trafalgar Square northwards to Long Acre.A narrow street with relatively little traffic, St...
and Long Acre
Long Acre
Long Acre is a street in central London, England. Starting from St. Martin's Lane it runs from west to east just north of Covent Garden piazza, one block north of Floral Street. The street was completed in the early 17th century. It was once known for its coach-makers, and later for its car dealers...
, London.They were Cabinet-makers and Upholsterers to His Majesty (George III) from 1761 to April 1764, based mainly on the superb quality of Vile's cabinet work and the individuality of his designs.
The partners were not known as great innovators, but their standard of craftsmanship was seldom equalled. One outstanding piece was a jewel cabinet of mahogany, inlaid with ivory and various woods and exquisitely carved, made for Queen Charlotte in 1761.
Following Viles retirement the Royal Warrant was awarded to two of their employees William France and John Bradburne.
Sources
- Geoffrey Castle – 'The France Family of Upholsterers and Cabinet-Makers' – Furniture History Society Journal Vol XLI pp 25–43, Published 2005
- G Beard & C Gilbert – 'Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660–1840' 1986 – Furniture History Society (ISBN 0 901286 18 4)