143:
William France on the understanding that it would be refunded if
Chippendale defaulted. Although the agreement had been drawn up and signed by Robert Adam, its transaction was the responsibility of the cabinet-maker in charge; so, instead of paying the £170 directly to Chippendale or Adam his Lordship gave it to France who was responsible not only for handing it over to Chippendale but for returning it if the deal collapsed. The Glass was evidently delivered within the three-month term as Lord Mansfield paid the balance due in November – the receipt for payment in full being jointly signed by Thomas Chippendale Junior and William France. To conclude the transaction Chippendale was required to confirm that he had received payment in full at the foot of the original estimate. This contract has been cited as evidence of Chippendale's devious business ethics, but in fact the same procedure applied to other agents who worked under Adam's personal direction. At the time Chippendale was under great financial strain and found credit hard to secure which may explain his request for a cash advance. The looking-glass was used for two mirror-lined recesses flanking the chimney-piece in the salon at Kenwood. The elaborate carved and gilt frames were made by William France in 1769–70 at a cost of £149 8s.0d.; he also supplied the pair of sofas which originally stood against the dado in each alcove.
138:
An interesting series of documents were preserved amongst Lord
Mansfield's papers with regard to the construction of the majestic salon at Kenwood by Robert Adam. Thomas Chippendale was contracted to supply a sequence of looking-glass plates, the frames of which were made by William France to Adam's
87:
in July 1764 and although much of the work had been completed to
Buckingham House, renamed the Queen's House, they completed the Saloon and over the coming years supplied furniture and furnishings to the growing royal family. During this period William's older brother John and younger brother Robert
82:
In 1764 the partnership between Vile and Cobb was dissolved on Vile's retirement and although Cobb continued in business on his own account, William France and his colleague, John
Bradburn cabinetmaker, took over their business, their premises in Long Acre and their customers, who included the royal
27:, where he was christened on 7 January 1727 the second son of Edward, a yeoman farmer, and Agnes France. His elder brother, John, was christened on 27 March 1725 and was apprenticed to a cabinetmaker in Lancaster where he married Elizabeth Townson the daughter of John Townson, a joiner, in 1747.
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Chippendale obviously encountered difficulty in fulfilling his promise as, ten days after the allotted two months had expired, a memorandum was drawn up giving him an extra three months to deliver the consignment. Under the terms of this new bond Lord
Mansfield agreed to advance half the sum to
201:
One of
William France's ledgers has survived and is in the National Archives at Kew. It covers his work for the Great Wardrobe and is inscribed 'Great Wardrobe Fair Leidger 1771 Mr France's'. The ledger commences in April 1771 and ends after William France's death.
217:. It is also known from legal documents produced after the death of John France in 1775 that William France's business was in a poor financial state at the time of his death and it had not been possible to pay the legacies made in his will.
320:
It is suggested in 'The
Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660–1840 by Beard & Gilbert' that William France was born in London in 1734. Extensive genealogical research has shown this to be inaccurate. see reference 1 for Geoffrey
340:
Contrary to the major 'recognised' works on 18th century
Cabinetmakers (e.g. The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660 to 1840 et al.), Edward was not William Sr.'s son but his nephew. see reference 1 for Geoffrey
713:
330:
Westminster City
Archives: St Martin-in-the-Fields Parish Register, burial of William France. He was buried in the vestry vault, but his remains were removed in 1857/58 to catacomb B under the church (F6102 and
718:
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at nos 60/61, where the France family continued to trade until 1804. Both the original partners continued working for the Royal Family with
William France trading as both an upholsterer and a cabinetmaker.
151:
Apart from being Cabinet makers and Upholsterers from 1765 the France family were also the Royal undertakers and a list of these Royal family funerals overseen by William France Sr. follows.
62:. In the same year Vile and Cobb were appointed cabinetmakers and upholsterers to the King. This proved to be a very busy time for the partnership and William France, as the king married
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39:, possibly in Lancaster, the same as his brother John. The first written evidence of his career is in 1759 in London, aged 32, when his name appears in the bank account of
131:, Hampstead. These commissions are known because the bills have survived and much of the work was in association with the great Scottish Architect and furniture designer
186:
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were refurbished for the new queen and work was also required for the Coronation. Then in 1762 the King purchased Buckingham House, now the site of
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The National Archives, Kew NA LC/9/270, William France's Ledger. In the catalogue of the Lord Chamberlains papers it is recorded as 'Miscellaneous'
63:
44:
459:
London, Duchy of Cornwall Archives: Augusta Princess of Wales, household a/c Vol LIV, half yr ending 1 October 1767 total amount £1750 2s 4.75d
588:
Geoffrey Castle – 'The France Family of Upholsterers and Cabinet-Makers' – Furniture History Society Journal Vol.XLI pp 25–43, Published 2005
377:
Geoffrey Castle – 'The France Family of Upholsterers and Cabinet-Makers' – Furniture History Society Journal Vol.XLI pp 25–43, Published 2005
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Anthony Coleridge – 'Chippendale Furniture: the work of Thomas Chippendale and his contemporaries in the rococo taste' 1968 Faber (
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Ralph Edwards & Margaret Jourdain – 'Georgian Cabinet Makers' 1944, 1946; revised 1951 (3rd edition 1955)
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Following the deaths of John and Edward in 1775 and 1777 respectively, the business eventually passed on to
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209:. In his will dated 9 February he bequeathed the business to his elder brother, John, and his nephew
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The National Archives, Kew NA/LC/5/57(26&27), Royal Warrants certificate dated 7 July 1764
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both worked for the business, although neither enjoyed the acclaim of their brother William.
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Pat Kirkham – 'The London Furniture Trade 1700–1870' 1988 – Furniture History Society (
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were, at that time, one of London's leading cabinetmakers and upholsterers and George,
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A Superb Pair of Giltwood Girandoles Attributed to William France – retrieved 4/9/2017
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Christopher Gilbert – 'The Life and work of Thomas Chippendale' 1978 – Studio Vista (
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G Beard – 'Upholsterers and Interior Furnishing in England 1539–1840' 1997 – Dewey (
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G Beard & C Gilbert – 'Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660–1840' 1986 –
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Eileen Harris, The Furniture of Robert Adam (London:Academy Editions, 1973), p.69 (
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Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660–1840 by G Beard & C Gilbert, 1986 (
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Eileen Harris – The Furniture of Robert Adam (London:Academy Editions, 1973) – (
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William France died on 12 February 1773 and he was buried in the church of
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Sir Ambrose Heal – 'London Furniture Makers 1660–1840' 1988 – Dover NY (
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Among Vile and Cobb's customers for whom they continued to work, were
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Christopher Gilbert – 'The Life and work of Thomas Chippendale' 1978
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had been dissolved and William France had moved to premises at 101
74:, and the house was refurbished as the home of the King and Queen.
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The National Archives, Kew NA LC/2/33 Duke of Cumberlands funeral
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William Henry Cavendish Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
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died in 1760, the Prince of Wales succeeded his grandfather as
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Perth,Scotland: Scone Palace, Mansfield MSS, Kenwood Accounts.
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Whittington Parish Records, Lancashire Parish Register Society
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The National Archives, Kew (The Lord Chancellors Bill Books)
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Sir Ambrose Heal – 'London Furniture Makers 1660–1840' p189
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123:. France also supplied furniture and fittings to
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64:Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
236:, Herts & 19 Arlington Street, London for
19:was born in the small agricultural village of
719:A George III Giltwood Demi-Lune Console Table
273:, Hampshire & Charles Street, London for
247:George William Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry
170:(daughter of Frederick Prince of Wales) 1768
164:(2nd son of Frederick Prince of Wales) 1767
704:The Vyne information at the National Trust
185:By the late 1760s the partnership between
176:(wife of Frederick Prince of Wales) 1772
573:"The National Archives Documents Online"
562:Westminster City Archives NA PROB/11/985
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156:The Duke of Cumberland
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23:, six miles north of
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595:– London: Collins.
432:, 1899; pages 32–33
187:France and Bradburn
168:Princess Louisa Ann
162:Edward Duke of York
109:Sir Lawrence Dundas
222:William France Jr.
195:Thomas Chippendale
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441:Ayling, pp. 85–87
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78:Main career
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728:Categories
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474:0854589295
349:References
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275:John Chute
260:George III
117:John Chute
60:George III
234:Moor Park
113:Moor Park
56:George II
41:John Cobb
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331:419/29).
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321:Castle.
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121:Mayfair
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