Rayner, Thomas snr

Norwich, Norfolk and Cambridge, Cambridgeshire; chair maker (fl. 1757–1830)

Thomas Rayner was apprenticed to William Rayner, a chair maker of Norwich on 3 May 1757. 

He is recorded in the Norwich poll books between 1768–1830 as Thomas Rayner, chair maker of Cambridge and the later references may be to Thomas jnr.

As no record of his having a business in Cambridge can be found, he presumably remained a journeyman working for one of the firms in Cambridge. With this in mind it is interesting to note that his son, Thomas Rayner jnr was employed by Elliot Smith of Cambridge, so it is quite possible that Rayner snr was employed in the same workshop. The idea is strengthened by the fact that in 1820, Elliot Smith supplied a set of 28 dining chairs to Trinity College, eight of the set being stamped with the chairmaker's initials ‘T.R.’ (Fig. 38) [Norwich apprentice register; Furniture History, 1976].

Source: DEFM