T WILSON OF LONDON (1799-1854)

6730

Mahogany

287.00 cm wide   282.00 cm high   51.00 cm deep

112.99 inches wide  111.02 inches high  20.08 inches deep

Thomas Willson is listed at 68 Great Queen Street, London as a furniture broker, auctioneer and appraiser (1799-1854). It has been suggested that Willson's were fine quality second-hand furniture dealers, although there is mention of a 'Furniture Works' in the 1838-54 entries, which may be a reference to a repair workshop rather than a manufactory. See G.Beard & C.Gilbert, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840 p.985.

Chubb Locks

Charles Chubb was apprenticed as a blacksmith before starting business as a ships’ ironmonger in Winchester. Jeremiah soon joined the business, and by 1818 the brothers had branched out into lockmaking, founding the famous Chubb Company.
The business really got started when Jeremiah Chubb patented his new ‘detector lock’ in 1818The lock was constructed so that if someone tried to pick it or open it with the wrong key it became inoperable. To make the lock work again the owner had to use a special key supplied with the lock.
The lock soon became popular, and sales of the Chubbs’ products increased even more when they won a government competition to design a lock that could only be opened using its own key.After the invention of the detector lock, the Chubbs decided to move to Wolverhampton, which already had an established lock making industry. By 1838 they were making 28 000 locks a year at their Wolverhampton factory.Another product was added to the Chubb range in 1835 when a patent was taken out for a burglar resistant safe, and in 1837 the Chubb safe works were opened in London.By the mid-1840s ‘Chubb’ had become a household name, appearing in playbills and popular verses of the timeWhen Charles Chubb died in 1846 his son John took over the business.The firm remained in Wolverhampton, and continued to make locks, keys and other security products under the directorship of members of the Chubb family until well into the 20th century.Chubb locks are still made in Wolverhampton today.

Excellent

Of four door Breakfront form, constructed in a well figured San Domingo mahogany, and rising from a running plinth base, with four panelled blind doors above with cross beam gothic tracery, and above four glazed doors with conforming gothic astragal mouldings, and atop, an ogee form cornice. The doors with signed and numbered Chubb of St Paul’s Churchyard locks, dating to 1819/21. The piece having the retailers stamp, ‘T. Willson’.

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