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.
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A detailed family history of William Ince and the life of John Mayhew, partners in the important 18th century cabinet making firm Ince & Mayhew. Their antique furniture is on display in a number of museums and stately homes around the world. The postscript describes the intriguing adventures of William’s son Frederick in 1830s Virginia.
Sarah Ingle’s book is of interest to the furniture historian as well as the social historian, for she traces the lives of many members of the Ince family from the early sixteenth century to the famous cabinet-maker’s father… Throughout, Ingle paints a convincing picture of the economic and social background for the family making its way from relative provincial obscurity to William Ince’s pre-eminence in Britain’s furniture industry in London’s fashionable West End in the 1760s to the 1790s. Lily White, Furniture History Society Newsletter, no. 219, August 2020 ‘A fascinating and painstakingly researched study’ Sir Hugh Roberts Surveyor Emeritus of The Queen's Works of Art ‘An absolutely fascinating book providing the reader with a real sense of how life was lived during that great period of English furniture making.’ Lennox Cato, Antiques Roadshow Furniture Specialist www.lennoxcato.com |
 Top 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 at BIFMO. Biographical information for William Ince, John Mayhew and members of their family have been updated on BIFMO following publication of the book. 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. William Ince Cabinet Maker Second Edition available at these sites and others:
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A brief outline of the lives of William Ince and John Mayhew
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An overview of the firm's activities and the long-running law case that followed the ending of their partnership...
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Ince & Mayhew furniture can be seen in many stately homes in England as well as in museums around the world...
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Ince ancestors in Worcestershire and descendants around the world.
Mayhew's grandson, Henry Mayhew author... |