A pair of walnut and burr walnut Wellington chests, English, circa 1860
C. Hindley & Sons, Oxford Street
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1860
Materials
Walnut, burr walnut, mahogany drawer-linings
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Scotney Castle, Kent
NT 790896
Summary
A pair of walnut and burr walnut Wellington chests, English, circa 1860, by C. Hindley & Sons. Each with a moulded top and seven graduated drawers with original knob handles and enclosed by a locking bar, standing on a plinth base, each stamped on the top drawer C. HINDLEY & SONS 154 OXFORD ST. LONDON 52249. *Reputedly named after the Duke of Wellington, a Wellington chest is tall and narrow and typically has seven drawers; a hinged vertical bar is often present to overlap the drawer edges and can be locked in place.
Full description
Charles Hindley (1792-1871) began his career in 1817 when he took over an upholstery business owned by Benjamin Nias. For the next twenty years he specialised in floor coverings and carpets, adding upholstery and cabinet-work to the repertoire of the Berners Street operation. In 1844 he took over the prestigious Oxford Street firm of Miles & Edwards who had supplied curtains, carpets, fabrics and wallpapers to high-end clients since 1822. Hindley's continued in this line of business and prospered as a family firm through the 19th century. They exhibited furniture at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the International Exhibition of 1862, both held in London and were described at the latter as 'meritorious contributors'. From circa 1870, the position of the complete house furnishers such as Hindley's began to be less profitable with the advent of the department store. Following a prolonged period of slowing sales Charles Hindley & Sons closed in 1892. See Laura Microulis 'Charles Hindley & Sons, London House Furnishers of the Nineteenth Century: A Paradigm of the Middle- Range Market', Studies in the Decorative Arts, Vol 5, No.2, 1998, p.69-96 for a detailed study of this firm.
Provenance
Part of the Hussey collection. The contents were bequeathed to the National Trust in 2006 by Mrs. Elizabeth Hussey.
Makers and roles
C. Hindley & Sons, Oxford Street, cabinetmaker