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Rowcliffe, William & James (1900-1935)

Rowcliffe, William & James

London; cabinet makers (fl.1900-1935)

William Rowcliffe, b. 1868 in Soho, was the son of Matthew, a cabinet maker. William was involved in the making of Heal’s furniture displayed at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. He originally lived and had a workshop in North Wembley, running his own business until it burnt down (date unknown), after which he was apparently employed by Heal’s as a cabinet maker until he retired in 1935. 

The 1921 Heal’s stock books recorded Rowcliffe as a supplier of two mahogany dining tables (Heal’s nos. ‘80’ & ’99) and a mahogany writing table. Rowcliffe’s name occurred in the Heal’s suppliers column of the stock books until 1938 when his mahogany and black dining table (no. ‘99’) was finally sold off, but it could have been made years before this date.  William made a mahogany and black bookcase which was lent by Ambrose Heal to the Heal’s display at the 1923 Arts & Crafts Exhibition. He also made a desk designed by Edward Maufe for the 1925 Paris exhibition which was given in 1968 by Prudence, Lady Maufe (formerly chief buyer at Heal’s), to the V&A.

Image
desk
Copyright (Attribution/Credit)
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Desk designed by Edward Maufe [Circ.898-1968], 1925. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70955/desk-maufe-edward-brantwood/

William’s younger son, Herbert James Rowcliffe (b. 1899), also worked in the Heal’s ‘little workshop’ until 1940/1 and E. J. Rowcliffe, his grandson, was employed in the main workshop from the end of 1939 for one year. William's brother, Matthew James (1854-1931) was also listed as a cabinet maker (census 1891, 1901 and 1911), although it is not known whether he also worked for Heals.  

The catalogues of the Arts & Crafts Exhibitions, London, 1910-1916 record both Y. and J. Rowcliffe; it is likely that these were mis-prints and refer to William, for the latter years, Herbert James, or other relations:

1910 – casket carved in French walnut, cabinet work by Y. Rowcliffe, designed/exhibited by Maria E. Reeks (cat. no. 482)

1916 – coffee caddy, inlaid mahogany, price £4, executed by J. Rowcliffe, designed by Hamilton T. Smith and exhibited by Heal and Son (cat. no. 311b); altar designed/exhibited by Jessie Bayes, executed by Jessie Bayes, E. Ammonier [Aumonier], K.E. Figgis, E. Yorke and J. Rowcliffe (cat. no. 582); altar cross, gilded and painted wood, executed by Jessie Bayes assisted by J. Rowcliffe (cat. no. 583).

Sources: Heal, Sir Ambrose Heal and the Heal Cabinet Factory 1897-1939 (2014); Arts & Crafts Exhibition catalogues, 1888-1916.