English Regency Flame Mahogany Secretaire Desk Bureau Chest Of Drawers By Gillows Of Lancaster (Circa 1830)
Tarporley, United Kingdom
£14,450
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Item details
Height
109.8 cm
Width
71.0 cm
Depth
41.0 cm
Wear conditions
Excellent
This item has been confirmed as being signed by artist by the seller. Please reach out to the seller for more information.
Included
Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Description
This is a stunning quality antique English Regency flame mahogany Gillows Secretaire desk incorporating a chest of drawers below, circa 1830, by Gillows of Lancaster, which is in very good condition and completely original, having been constructed from the finest materials.
Summary:
• Item: Gillows Secretaire Desk
• Circa: 1830
• Period: Regency
• Provenance: England
• Wood: Flame Mahogany
• Cabinetmaker: Gillows of Lancaster
• Signed by Richard Irvin (Gillows cabinetmaker)
• Mahogany gallery
• Original working lock (with original key)
• Hinged Secretaire writing compartment
• 10 internal mahogany drawers
• 4 internal pigeon holes
• Original ink wells holders & pen tray
• Original dark navy blind tooled leather
• Original brass hinged arm supports with locking mechanism
• Original turned rosewood knobs
• Decorative quarter veneered insets (top drawer)
• Double “D” moulded doors
• 8 large Internal graduated document drawers
• Original flush brass military campaign handles
• Hand-dovetailed mahogany linings
• Original melon turned feet
• Original pine backboards
• Completely original
• Stunning colour & patination
• Excellent condition & quality
• Free delivery to England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• 14-day Free UK returns policy
Description:
This is a stunning quality antique English Regency flame mahogany Gillows Secretaire desk incorporating a chest of drawers below, circa 1830, by Gillows of Lancaster, which is in very good condition and completely original, having been constructed from the finest materials.
Featuring a mahogany gallery above a moulded top, the flame mahogany drawer, which retains its original working brass lever lock (and key) and original turned rosewood knobs, slides out and folds down (by unlocking the original brass mechanism on the drawer linings) to reveal a compartmentalized desktop interior).
The interior comprises of four pigeonholes, flanked by ten small mahogany drawers, all of which are mahogany lined and hand dovetailed. The internal drawers retain their original rosewood turned knobs on mahogany drawer fronts; with the finest quality hand dovetailed mahogany linings. The bottom right drawer retains two original inkwells holders and pen tray. The writing surface boasts the original dark green blind-tooled inset leather.
The top drawer of the Gillows Secretaire desk is decorated with double “D” mouldings and the original turned rosewood knobs and the ornate squares are inset with quarter veneers, on a flame mahogany veneered background. The carcass incorporates vertical reeded columns, below carved rosettes. Further below, there are two flame mahogany doors also exhibiting matching “D” mouldings with quarter veneers, which open up to reveal a bank of eight graduated internal campaign style drawers. The doors retain their original working brass lever lock and original key. Please note, only the best quality pieces of furniture had doors, which enclosed the drawers. The drawers retain their original brass inset military campaign handles; they are also mahogany lined and constructed to the highest standard with fine hand dovetail joints. The Gillows Secretaire desk is raised on its original melon turned bun feet below a breakfront-moulded frieze, the carcass retains its original panelled backboards. This is an extremely heavy piece of furniture, which is testament to the quality construction and the finest materials used at the time.
The Gillows Secretaire desk displays a mellow brown mahogany colour. As it boasts the original polish, it has a fantastic colour and patination; this can only be achieved through age and years of care and cleaning it has received.
This Gillows Secretaire desk would look superb in a variety of rooms, from the library to the office and it would certainly grace either a traditional or contemporary home. So don't miss out your chance to own a lovely piece of furniture.
Provenance:
Interestingly, one of the drawer bottoms are signed by the cabinetmaker, Richard Irvin, who was an employee of Gillows of Lancaster workshop between the years 1821 - 1841. There is reference to Richard Irvin’s work in possibly the most authoritative books on Gillows furniture, called “Gillows of Lancaster & London, 1730 – 1840” written by Susan E. Stuart (see photos).
Although this Secretaire is not stamped Gillows of Lancaster, it was most likely privately commissioned for a wealthy customer, rather than being “retailed”. However, not all of their furniture was stamped. It should be noted that this piece was sourced from a private residence, where it had been in situ since it was built. Items that were “retailed” by the Gillows of Lancaster usually bore the stamp on one of the drawer linings.
It is worth noting the same designs were used in other Gillows pieces of furniture, which can be viewed at the historic stately home of Tatton Park in Cheshire, England.
Gillows of Lancaster and London, also known as Gillow & Co., was a furniture-making firm based in Lancaster, Lancashire, and in London. It was originally established in Lancaster in about 1730 by Robert Gillow (1704-1772). The family owned Gillows until 1814 when it was taken over by Redmayne, Whiteside, and Ferguson; they continued to use the Gillow name. Gillows furniture was a byword for quality, and other designers used Gillows to manufacture their furniture. Gillows furniture is referred to by Jane Austen, Thackeray and the first Lord Lytton, and in one of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operas. In 1903, Gillows merged with Warings of Liverpool to become Waring and Gillow. They were the largest company of its type outside London; where they maintained showrooms and workshops. They had a solid reputation for quality. The company won commissions to furnish and decorate public buildings in Australia, South Africa, India, Russia, Germany, France and the U.S. It provided furniture for aristocratic houses, such as Tatton Hall, where some 150 extant pieces complement the work of the architect Lewis William Wyatt. Details of the commissions can be found in the Pattern Books in the Gillow archives. By 1897, they were over extended and formed an informal partnership with Warings of Liverpool. In 1903 Warings bought them out and the two companies became Waring & Gillows.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillows_of_Lancaster_and_London
External Dimensions:
External Height (Including Gallery) = 109.5cm / 43⅛” / 3ft 7⅛”
External Width = 114.5cm / 45⅛” / 3ft 9⅛”
External Depth = 59cm / 23¼” / 1ft 11¼”
Gallery Height = 5.1cm / 2”
Base Height = 104.4 / 41⅛” / 3ft 5⅛”
Internal Dimensions:
Writing Height = 75cm / 29½” / 2ft 5½”
Writing Width (Back) = 94cm / 37” / 3ft 1”
Writing Width (Front) = 99cm / 39” / 3ft 3”
Writing Depth = 46cm / 18⅛” / 1ft 6⅛”
Knee Height = 72cm / 28⅜” / 2ft 4⅜”
Condition Report:
This is a stunning quality antique English Regency flame mahogany Gillows Secretaire desk incorporating a chest of drawers below, circa 1830, by Gillows of Lancaster, which is in very good condition and completely original, having been constructed from the finest materials. Nominal old use marks to the corners and leading edges, including old use marks to the top of the Secretaire within the galleried area (see photos), but nothing significant considering the age of the item. The item retains all of its original drawer knobs, working locks, keys, leather, drawer linings, pen tray, brass handles & hinges, feet, backboards and polish. It is very rare to see a piece of furniture of this quality in completely original condition. The Gillows Secretaire desk retains its original working locking mechanism. All drawers close flush to the frame and feature the original working locks (with a key). The item stands on its original feet and incorporates the original backboards. As it boasts the original polish, it has a fantastic mellow colour and patination; this can only be achieved through age and years of care and cleaning it has received. This is an extremely heavy piece of furniture, which is testament to the quality construction and the finest materials used at the time. It is extremely rare to see a piece of furniture of this quality in good original condition.
Price:
The price for this item is £14,450 including free delivery to England, Wales & Southern Scotland*.
Customer Service:
We offer customer satisfaction through the following services:
• Free delivery to England, Wales & Southern Scotland*
• Free 14 Day Returns
• Full money back assurance
• Worldwide shipping
• Full insurance of items in transit
• Full assembly service
Further Information:
For more information or photographs please email or call us.
Office: 01829 458 070
Julian: 07960 738 212
Yolanda: 07971 882 567
Customers outside the UK should call:
Office: 00 44 1829 458 070
Julian: 00 44 7960 738 212
Yolanda: 00 44 7971 882 567
Email: info@yolagray.com
Free UK Delivery*:
We offer free delivery to mainland England, Wales, and Southern Scotland (anywhere south of Stirling). *We do not offer free delivery to locations north of Stirling in Scotland, Northern Ireland, or any British Islands off the mainland; for example, the Isle of Man, Isle of White and Channel Islands. If you live in one of the areas where we do not offer free delivery, please contact us for a delivery quote before purchasing the item. Delivery will be made by our specialised antique furniture delivery service, or in some cases we will use a courier service for distant deliveries.
Delivery times are usually 1-4 weeks depending on location; we aim to deliver the majority of items within 2 weeks. All items are professionally packaged and fully insured in transit, therefore, we can assure you, your items will be securely protected in transit and arrive safely with you.
Once you have purchased an item, we will contact you by email and/or telephone and provide you with a provisional delivery date, in order for you to confirm if it is suitable for you. Once you have confirmed you can accept delivery on the provisional delivery date, we will book the delivery in with our shippers and it then becomes a confirmed delivery date.
We will also provide you with our shippers' contact details, in case you need to contact the driver on the day of delivery. It's helpful if you can provide us with both the landline and mobile telephone number, in case the driver cannot reach you on one of the numbers on the day of delivery, they can contact you on your alternative number.
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Free 14 Days UK Returns & Refunds:
A free 14-day “no quibble” returns policy (from the date you receive the item) is available if you are not happy with this item. We will collect the item free of charge from you (we do not charge a return fee / collection fee). You will be given a full refund as long as the item is returned in the same condition. We will collect returns using our own specialist furniture delivery company. We will not accept returns via a courier service (due to experience of damaged items in transit). This refund policy only applies to deliveries to the UK.
UK Buyer Feedback Score:
If your feedback score is less than 2, please contact us prior to purchasing this item.
UK Buyer Payment:
For UK buyers, we accept cash on collection or delivery; cheque, credit card, BACS (free bank to bank transfer) or PayPal. Payment is requested within 5 days of the sale. Payment must be cleared before the items are collected or delivered.
International Buyers:
If you live outside the UK and you would like to purchase this item, please contact us before purchasing it, so that we can obtain an accurate shipping quote and delivery lead-time. The shipping quote provided is a global estimate only. The actual shipping cost will vary by country and postcode. We ask that you have a minimum feedback score of 50 to buy this item. Due to the distances and costs involved with shipping outside the UK, a returns policy is therefore not available for international buyers. Before placing your order(s) please make sure this is the item for you. We request payment by bank transfer (we do not accept payment via PayPal, credit or debit cards for international purchases). Payment is requested within 10 days of the purchase. Payment must be cleared before the items are collected or delivered to our shippers. The advertised price of the item does not include the shipping cost, sales tax, import duty or custom fees.
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We only accept payment from fully verified PayPal account holders with confirmed addresses only. Items will only be sent to the confirmed address registered in PayPal. If you purchase an item and your address is not confirmed, your payment will be refunded and the purchase cancelled. It only takes a few moments to verify and confirm your PayPal details.
Delisting & Sale Cancellation:
This item is currently being advertised elsewhere than eBay. If it is sold through another sales channel, it will be removed from sale on eBay at the earliest possible time (even if the eBay listing has not ended). If this item has been purchased through eBay but the item has already been sold via another sales channel prior to the eBay sale, we reserve the right to cancel the sale of this item on eBay.
About the Seller:
This item is being sold by Yola Gray Antiques who is an accredited member of LAPADA (the UK’s largest Trade Association of Professional Art and Antique Dealers) and CINOA. CINOA is the world association of Art & Antique dealer associations. All LAPADA & CINOA members abide by their strict code of practice by adhering to reputable standards of quality, expertise and integrity.
Yola Gray has dealt in fine art and antique furniture for over 45 years. Yola Gray has a special interest in colonial furniture, specifically colonial four poster beds. Yola Gray also provides a variety of fine English antique furniture, art and fabrics to clients in the UK, Europe and further afield.
Please visit the Yola Gray website at www.yolagray.com for further items and information.
Ref. 105844
Condition report:
This is a stunning quality antique English Regency flame mahogany Gillows Secretaire desk incorporating a chest of drawers below, circa 1830, by Gillows of Lancaster, which is in very good condition and completely original, having been constructed from the finest materials. Nominal old use marks to the corners and leading edges, including old use marks to the top of the Secretaire within the galleried area (see photos), but nothing significant considering the age of the item. The item retains all of its original drawer knobs, working locks, keys, leather, drawer linings, pen tray, brass handles & hinges, feet, backboards and polish. It is very rare to see a piece of furniture of this quality in completely original condition. The Gillows Secretaire desk retains its original working locking mechanism. All drawers close flush to the frame and feature the original working locks (with a key). The item stands on its original feet and incorporates the original backboards. As it boasts the original polish, it has a fantastic mellow colour and patination; this can only be achieved through age and years of care and cleaning it has received. This is an extremely heavy piece of furniture, which is testament to the quality construction and the finest materials used at the time. It is extremely rare to see a piece of furniture of this quality in good original condition.
Cancellations
We offer free cancellations and full refund for orders cancelled before dispatching. View full policy.
Returns
We have a 14-day return guarantee for orders from individual sellers, within the UK and European Union. View full policy.
Estimated delivery time
Less than one week
Free collection available
Yes
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- Selling at Vinterior since 2023
- 35 sales
- Ships from Tarporley, United Kingdom
Seller Reviews
Cancellations and Returns
Last updated: 24th March 2025
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