Howes, Joshua

Leicester and Evington, Leicestershire; cabinet maker, Windsor chair maker, timber merchant and victualler (fl.1779-1845)

The son of John Howes the Elder, Joshua was baptised on 17 February 1758 in St John's, Garboldisham, Norfolk. The family moved to Leicestershire and Joshua was apprenticed on 15 June 1773 to Joseph Eyre, cabinet maker of Swithland.

Howes later working as master cabinet maker in Swithland, apprenticed George Levitt (1779). He married Mary Massey at St Mary & All Saints', Chesterfield, Derbyshire on 15 February 1785.

In addition to cabinet making Joshua held periodic wood and land sales at his premises and also worked as victualler in Leicester. His addresses were the Old Coal Yard (1810); Castle Inn (1815); Wellington Castle, London (1817-24); and Evington Lodge where he farmed and had workshops (1825 onwards). He sold his cabinet making work bench in 1837 along with some of his timber stock, the remainder being sold in 1845.

Census records showed him still as cabinet maker in Evington (1841) and as 'formerly farmer & inn keeper' living with his son-in-law, William Read, cabinet maker, and his daughter, Sarah & family in Leicester (1851). In 1853 Joshua was recorded at the Blue Boar Inn, Southgate and he died in Morledge Street on 13 December 1853, at a reputed age of 101. Joshua & Mary also had a son, George Massey Howes, who became a cabinet maker in Birmingham.

John Howes (1764-1825), the brother of Joshua, was also recorded at the Old Coal Yard address as a carrier from Leicester to Bristol and before his death at Humberstone Gate, Millstone Lane and Marble Street, Leicester.   

The impressed mark ‘HOWES’ is recorded on two Windsor chairs; illus. Furniture History (1978) pl. 55a. A chair also stamped 'Howes' sold by Gildings, Market Harborough July 2019 and two similar chairs in the Robert Hirschhorn Collection; illus. Regional Furniture (2021) figs. 2-12.  It is possible that these were made during the early career of Joshua Howes before his move to Evington.

Sources: DEFM; Crispin, 'English Windsor Chairs', Furniture History (1978); Parker, 'Leicestershire Windsor Chairs - Howes That?', Regional Furniture (2021)