Chippendale (Chippindale), William

Farnley, Yorkshire, joiner (fl.1735–76)

Second cousin to Thomas Chippendale snr.   In 1735 William Chippendale was mentioned in the accounts for work at Lindley Milne, Yorkshire: ‘Pd. Wm. Chippindale for all Woodworke both Carpenters & Joiners £4’.

In 1767–68 he erected a second storey over the school house at Burnt Yates, Yorks. and in 1770 made the Trustees of Admiral Long's School ‘A strong wooden Chest well secured with iron clamps and three locks and Keys … wherein to deposit the Deeds and other writings and papers relating to the trust £1.11s. 6d.’. This survives and is illustrated in Gilbert (1978), fig. 27.  Chippendale issued four promissory notes on Thomas Hartley of London in favour of Thomas Chamberlain in April 1766 and May 1768.

He may have been involved with financial dealing in property and in a ‘Dead of Lease and Release of 1770’ and Christopher Gilbert suggests that, ‘Thomas Chippendale was either lending money to William Chippindale on security of the property or, more probably, buying a property in Boroughgate, Otley, already mortgaged to William Chippindale of Farnley who was encountering difficulties over repayments – thus redeeming the mortgage’. Possibly was the William ‘Chippindal’ who was declared bankrupt on 17 December 1776.

Sources: DEFM; Coleridge, ‘William Chippindale’s Promissory Notes’, Furniture History (2001).