Cashen, William snr

Liverpool, Lancs.; gilder (1796–1824)

Admitted freeman 31 May 1796. Initially in business in Paradise St where his number is shown as 55 (1796), 65 (1800), 67 (1804), 86 (1805), 85 (1807–10 and 1814), 81 (1811) and 84 (1813 and 1816–18). Between 1821–24 the business address was 90 Paradise St and in addition 53 Byron St in 1821. Head of a large Liverpool family of carvers and gilders; his sons were Philip (fl.1818-29) and William junior (1818-d.1829). He received payment from Liverpool Council on 23 February 1821 of £48 2s 6d for ‘framing glasses’, probably the two Drawing Room chimney glasses (illus. Dean, Furniture History (1989) p. 142. In 1808 he was also involved with another local carver and gilder, George Bourne, in the provision of a frame for the portrait of the Prince of Wales for the Town Hall (illust. Dean, Furniture History (1989) p. 142). Cashen had previously been paid £44 1s for ‘window and cornice’ there in July 1817. His apps were James Smart (indenture 1793, free 1802), Harry Wilson (indenture 1800, free 1812), John Davies (indenture 1804, free 1812), William Kenyon (indenture 1814, free 1822) and William Smith (indenture 1824, free 1831).

Source: DEFM; Dean, ‘The Regency Furniture in Liverpool Town Hall’, Furniture History (1989).