Bywater, John

Grosvenor Street, Bond Street, London; cabinet maker and upholsterer to His Majesty (fl. 1803–39)

Recorded at 70 Lower Grosvenor Street, 1812–39; as Bywater & Goodbarne at no. 10 in 1835, and no. 70, 1836–37; and as Bywater & Co. at no. 70, 1829–39.

Purchased a Sun Insurance policy on 27 January 1812 for £3,900 of which £3,000 accounted for stock, utensils, warerooms and workshops, and £200 for warehouse and sawpit in Grosvenor Mews [The London Archives (TLA), Sun MS vol. 459, ref. 867039]. Signed prefatory recommendation to P. & M. A. Nicholson's Practical Cabinet Maker, 1826.

A fire in premises adjoining Bywater's private dwelling was reported in The Times, 7 February 1835.

Bywater worked for Lord Crewe, probably at his London house rather than Crewe Hall, Cheshire, between 1819–26, receiving a total of £3,437 17s 7d [Chester Record Office, Crewe Hall papers, DCR/47, boxes 4–5].

As an upholsterer to His Majesty, Bywater carried out general jobbing work for the royal yachts. M. (Mr?) Bywater is recorded working on The Royal Sovereign yachtin 1827, and also repairing chair and sofa cases, and supplying a mahogany chest, £7 7s, japanned candlesticks and snuffer, and campstools covered in carpet.

Named in the Royal accounts with Goodbarne, 1832–45, in June 1836 being paid £3 3s for ‘attending at Windsor Castle to examine furniture, writing out a statement on the quality and workmanship and reporting thereon’; and £1 1s for ‘inspecting furniture in Mount Street’ [TNA, LC 11/56; 3031; 92].

Probably the upholsterer, Bywater of London, named in the accounts ofLord Stamfordof Dunham Massey, 15 May 1817 [Dunham Massey papers] and probably also the cabinet maker, John Bywater who subscribed to Sheraton's Cabinet Dictionary, 1803.

Source: DEFM