User:Jackross/William France Snr (Upholsterer & Cabinetmaker)

William France Snr was born in the small agricultural village of Whittington, six miles north of Lancaster, where he was christened on January 7th 1727 the second son of Edward, a yeoman farmer, and Agnes France. His elder brother, John, was christened on 27th Marchl 1725 and was apprenticed to a cabinetmaker in Lancaster where he married Elizabeth Townson the daughter of John Townson, a joiner, in 1747.

Early Years

Where William trained as an upholsterer is unknown but it is likely that, like his brother, this was in Lancaster. Having moved down to London, the first evidence of his career is in 1759, aged 32, when his name appears in the bank account of John Cobb for payments of his salary. Vile and Cobb were, at that time, one of London’s leading cabinetmakers and upholsterers and George, Prince of Wales, was among their customers.

On the death of George II in 1760 the Prince of Wales succeeded his grandfather as George III. 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 the Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1761 and apartments in St James’s Palace 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 Buckingham Palace, and the house was refurbished as the home of the King and Queen.

Main Career

In 1764 the partnership between Cobb and Vile was dissolved on William Vile’s retirement and although John 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, including the royal family. France & Bradburn were granted the Royal Warrant 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.

Among Vile and Cobb’s customers for whom they continued to work, were Princess Augusta, the King’s mother for [[Carlton House], Lord Coventry at Croome Court, Worcestershire, Sir Lawrence Dundas at 19 Arlington Street, London and Moor Park, Hertfordshire and John Chute at his London house in Charles Street, Mayfair. William France also supplied furniture and fittings to Lord Mansfield. for Kenwood, Hampstead. These specific commissions are known because the bills have survived. William France’s business included that of an undertaker and his first royal funeral was that of the Prince William, Duke of Cumberland in 1765.

Latter Years

It would appear that by the late 1760’s the partnership between France and Bradburn was dissolved and it may be at that time that William France moved to premises at 101 St Martins Lane, (a stones throw from the premises of Thomas Chippendale), 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 .

William France died on the 12th February 1773 and he was buried in the crypt of the church of St Martin in the Fields. In his will dated February 9th he bequeathed the business to his elder brother, John, and his nephew Edward, John’s eldest son then aged 24. Perhaps because of Edward’s age and inexperience the ongoing partnership was not granted the Royal Warrant. 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.

Acknowledgements

• Geoffrey Castle - 'The France Family of Upholsterers and Cabinet-Makers' - Furniture History Society Journal Vol.XLI pp25-43, Published 2005