William Ince (1737-1804) & John Mayhew (1736-1811) formed an important cabinet-making firm in 1759 and produced beautiful furniture which can now be found in museums and stately homes around the world.
Ince & Mayhew serpentine commode topTop of serpentine commode by Ince & Mayhew in Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY Image in the Public Domain Fletcher Fund, 1959
Their partnership  lasted until an agreement in 1799 to end the business.  They produced a great deal of furniture in that period, which is of an extremely high quality, sometimes with amazing marquetry and often with a delicate touch.  

There is a full description of the firm’s activities in the article in the Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840 by Hugh Roberts and Charles Cator (Beard, G and Gilbert, C eds. 1986 pp. 589-598) now available online.  A number of more recent articles about Ince & Mayhew have appeared in the Furniture History Society Journal - see Further Reading.

Check the Blog for more detailed information and information on Ince & Mayhew furniture for sale.

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The second editon is about twice the size of the original with a greater emphasis on celebrating the work of William Ince.  It also includes new information on his father and sisters in Worcestershire, his wife’s family in London and the intriguing adventures of William’s son Frederick in America linked to the struggles of his long-suffering wife Martha de Bar in England, taken from Frederick’s papers written between 1824 and 1836.  

There is a chapter on John Mayhew and his family, including new research on John’s baptism and his siblings, and information about his children and grandchildren, including royal dentists and the State Trials for High Treason.   

There is also information on some of William’s more notable descendants, including the colourful actress Annette Ince, who played Juliet to John Wilkes Booth’s Romeo and the artists Joseph Murray Ince, Charles Percy Ince and Charlotte Grace Cowell.  There are many more illustrations.
A brief outline of the lives of William Ince and John Mayhew
An overview of the firm's activities and the long-running law case that followed the ending of their partnership...
Ince & Mayhew furniture can be seen in many stately homes in England as well as in museums around the world...
Ince ancestors in Worcestershire and  descendants around the world.
Mayhew's grandson, Henry Mayhew author...