Centre table
probably Banting, France and Co.
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1825
Materials
Maple, mahogany and deal construction, brass castors
Measurements
71 cm x 121.5 cm (Diameter)
Place of origin
St James's Street
Order this imageCollection
Ickworth, Suffolk (Accredited Museum)
NT 850170
Summary
A maple centre table or breakfast table, probably by Banting, France & Co. circa 1825 The hinged circular top with stained holly stringing above a spreading triform column with scroll and leaf carving and with moulded scrolled brackets joining a plinth and raised on lions paw feet and castors.
Full description
Banting and France & Co., 27 St.James' Street, London (1813-40) The furniture in the main entertaining rooms at Ickworth was almost exclusively supplied by the firm of Thomas Banting and William France. The invoices for this outstanding group of furnishings are in the Hervey papers (See Suffolk County Records office, Bury St. Edmunds: 941.81/17 and 941/81/11). Banting and France were Royal cabinetmakers and held Royal Warrants in the reigns of George III, George IV, William IV and Queen Victoria. The Hervey family of Ickworth also maintained property in London at 6 St James's Square, as well as Bristol House in Putney and a house at No.19 Sussex Square, Brighton to which Banting and France were to also supply furnishings. Most of the contents of the Brighton property was moved to Ickworth in 1936. Banting and France assisted with the organisation of the sale of furniture by auction at St James' Square in 1814, although the Hervey family kept and refurnished the property, moving the later contents to Ickworth in 1950. Ickworth and its contents passed to the National Trust in lieu of death duties in 1956 although the family leased back the East Wing and continued to live there until it was sold by the 7th Marquess of Bristol (1954-1999) who sold the lease to the National Trust in 1996. (James Weedon 2017)
Provenance
Part of the Bristol Collection. Acquired by the National Trust in 1956 under the auspices of the National Land Fund, later the National Heritage Memorial Fund. The family leased back the East Wing and continued to live there until it was sold by the 7th Marquis of Bristol (1954-1999) who sold the lease to the National Trust in 1996. The Hervey family maintained property in London at 6 St James's Square, as well as Bristol House in Putney and a house at No.19 Sussex Square, Brighton to which Banting and France supplied furnishings. Most of the contents of the Brighton property was moved to Ickworth in 1936. Banting and France assisted with the organisation of the sale of furniture by auction at St James' Square in 1814, although the Hervey family kept and refurnished the property, moving the later contents to Ickworth in 1950. It is unclear in most cases which items were made specifically for Ickworth and which came from the other Hervey properties.
Makers and roles
probably Banting, France and Co., furniture designer and maker
References
Beard and Gilbert, 1986: Geoffrey Beard and Christopher Gilbert (ed), Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, 1986, pg37 Castle, Geoffrey - 'The France Family of Upholsterers and Cabinet-Makers' – Furniture History Society Journal Vol XLI Published 2005, pp 25–43, De Bellaigue, G. & Kirkham, P. - 'George IV and the Furnishing of Windsor Castle' – Furniture History Society 8 (1972)