Thomas Willson

1799 - 1900

At least 3 generations of Willsons ran their family business of Furniture Brokers, Auctioneers, Cabinet Makers and Upholsterers throughout the whole of the 19th century.

According to a later trade label, the business of Thomas Willson was described as Cabinet Maker & Upholsterer etc. and established in 1818. However, it is likely that the business actually started out as Auctioneers and Furniture Sellers at the end of the 18th century. Thomas Willson is noted as an Auctioneer at Little Queen Street in 1799. By 1802 he had added Upholster to his description and the fuller address of 28 Little Queen Street is given. Thomas and his wife Mary had a son called Matthew in 1796 and it may be that he joined the business in 1818 with his son (also named Thomas) later producing the trade label and erroneously using that date for the establishment of the business. It makes more sense that a later generation made use of the company's earlier established date to notify their standing. There was little point to adding a short-established date to a label. The trade directory of 1823, only 5 years after their supposed established date, does not list Thomas senior under Cabinet Makers but as both an Auctioneer and Appraiser and as a Furniture Broker.

In 1821 Thomas Willson was listed as a Broker and Appraiser at 68 Great Queen Street and this was to be his and his family's main address over the years, although Little Queen Street which was ... show more

At least 3 generations of Willsons ran their family business of Furniture Brokers, Auctioneers, Cabinet Makers and Upholsterers throughout the whole of the 19th century.

According to a later trade label, the business of Thomas Willson was described as Cabinet Maker & Upholsterer etc. and established in 1818. However, it is likely that the business actually started out as Auctioneers and Furniture Sellers at the end of the 18th century. Thomas Willson is noted as an Auctioneer at Little Queen Street in 1799. By 1802 he had added Upholster to his description and the fuller address of 28 Little Queen Street is given. Thomas and his wife Mary had a son called Matthew in 1796 and it may be that he joined the business in 1818 with his son (also named Thomas) later producing the trade label and erroneously using that date for the establishment of the business. It makes more sense that a later generation made use of the company's earlier established date to notify their standing. There was little point to adding a short-established date to a label. The trade directory of 1823, only 5 years after their supposed established date, does not list Thomas senior under Cabinet Makers but as both an Auctioneer and Appraiser and as a Furniture Broker.

In 1821 Thomas Willson was listed as a Broker and Appraiser at 68 Great Queen Street and this was to be his and his family's main address over the years, although Little Queen Street which was

located close by, was still kept on. Matthew's son Thomas is noted at Little Queen Street, with his wife Lucretia, in the 1851 census. In 1826 Thomas senior is still listed as a Furniture Appraiser and Broker at 68 Great Queen Street and in 1829 but this was likely the year of his death as the following year the business is listed as Mary Wilson & Son at the same address.

From 1838 the business is listed as Matthew Willson Furniture Warehouse & Upholster or as Furniture Works, still at 68 Great Queen Street. By 1839 the additional address of 38 King Street, High Holborn had been added to the business premises, but it seems to have been short lived.

In 1839 there is also another company listed as J. Willson, Furniture Broker at 34 Little Pulteney Street, Golden Square. By 1846, Mary Willson (presumably Thomas senior's wife and Matthew's mother) was listed as a Furniture Broker at 33 Little Pulteney Street, Golden Square. It is not known if there is a connection with J. Willson but given the close proximity of the addresses it is probably likely that they were somehow related. Little is known about J. Willson with research not even giving his or her first name. By 1852, the 2 Little Pulteney Street addresses are occupied by an oilman and a currier.

In the 1861 census, 36 year old Thomas Willson, a Furniture Warehouseman and Upholsterer was shown at 68 Great Queen Street. Ten years earlier, as noted above, the census gave his address as Little Queen Street and occupation as an Upholder (Upholsterer). Given his address in 1851, his grandfather (also named Thomas) was likely the man who started the business at the end of the 18th century in Little Queen Street. It is probable that Matthew died around 1854, with his son taking over the business. Matthew and Eliza Willson also had 5 daughters. In 1865, Thomas Willson is still listed as an Upholsterer at 68 Great Queen Street. It is perhaps in this period that they also became Cabinet Makers, as noted on the label. If this is being read on a posting other than by Christopher Clarke Antiques, it has been copied without permission. Thomas had enlarged the premises to include 67 Great Queen Street by 1880 (although a fruitier is also listed at 67) and was still working as an Upholster. In the early 1900s, it appears that 68 Great Queen Street disappeared with the changes to Kingsway.

Thomas Willson senior, his wife Mary, son Matthew and grandson Thomas were predominantly sellers of furniture manufactured by others or they sold second hand furniture. They were also auctioneers, cabinet makers and upholsters at different periods of time. A number of pieces of good late 18th and 19th century furniture bare the stamp of 'T. Willson 68 Great Queen Street London' and they seemed to have a particular liking of Gillows furniture. Some of which is stamped both Gillows and T. Willson, others just T. Willson. It is not known if the business bought furniture directly from cabinet makers such as Gillows to retail, just bought it second hand or did a mixture of both. As such, it is difficult to tell when their name stamp was applied to the furniture they sold. Furniture stamped M. Willson, for Mary or Matthew, is known, as is a Davenport that can be dated to circa 1873 from its registered Chubb locks and so must have been stamped by the grandson Thomas.

Some, but not all, of the above information was researched by the Furniture History Society and can be seen on the BIFMO website.