Bale, James

Winchester, Hampshire; cabinet maker (fl.1792-1805)

On 22 April 1799, James Bale, cabinet maker, upholsterer and auctioneer, advertised in the Hampshire Chronicle that he ‘…takes the earliest opportunity of soliciting the friends of Mr. BORMAN, who has quitted the above Business, and assures them that no pains on his part shall be spared to give universal satisfaction’. However, Bale was premature in his attempt to capitalize on Borman’s retirement, evoking a sharp rebuke in the next issue, Borman claiming that ‘… business continues to be carried on as usual…’. Bale published an apology but Borman nevertheless retired and sold his stock two months later.  

Bale was recorded in High Street, Winchester, in 1805.

Sources: DEFM; Stabler, ‘English Newspaper Advertisements as a Source of Furniture History’, Regional Furniture (1991).