Strahan, Patrick

‘The King's Arms & Ball’ by Fleet Ditch, London; cabinet maker (1709–41)

The combination of his name and his ability to attract Scottish clients suggest that he came to London from Scotland in his youth. He was already in the Fleet area by 1715 and both in that year and in 1717 was fined for declining parochial office in the parish of St Bride. His business was substantial and in February 1722 he took insurance cover for £1,000 on his goods and merchandise at the sign of ‘The King's Arms and Ball’ which was described as his dwelling house. He entered a partnership with James Strahan and both were declared bankrupt in January 1741. The partnership was already formed by November 1737 when a commission was undertaken for the Duke of Gordon. The earliest known commissions were for the Duke of Montrose. A large walnut desk and glass were supplied in 1709 for £3 16s and in 1714 a large walnut arched glass, eighteen fine matted chairs, two elbow chairs and a wainscot table. These latter items cost £14 12s. In the following year payment of £13 was received for a walnut arched desk and bookcase. A wainscot chest of drawers for which £1 1s was charged in 1726 was probably also for the Duke of Montrose. The order of 1714 was specified for the Duke's office in the Cockpit and was placed at the time that he was Secretary of State. Of the Duke of Gordon's orders, which cover the period from November 1737 to May 1740, several of the items were specified for the Duke's London house and all may have been destined for it. Furniture supplied in November and December 1737 included a walnut strong box at £3 10s, a wainscot desk at £1 8s and a clothes press on a ‘frame’ at £4 10s. The furniture supplied between December 1738 and May 1739 was mostly of mahogany and included a writing table at £4 10s and a large bookcase with glass doors at £12. An account submitted in April 1738 contains sums for porterage from Pall Mall and conveyance by cart to Wapping with the necessary wharfage possibly suggesting some transfer of furniture to Scotland. Between September 1739 and May 1740 three mahogany sea chests were provided in addition to a strong box. [GL, MS 6561, p. 4, Sun MS vol. 14, ref. 24988; London Daily Post and General Advertiser, 26 January 1741; Scottish RO, GD 220/6/1121/3, 1162/2, 1159/7, 1162/45, 1348/17; GD 44/51/465/3/66, 465/4/30, 475, 260, 465/1/36, 465/4/63] A walnut chair, c. 1735, stamped ‘STRAHAN’ is illustrated in Gilbert (1996), fig. 886, sold Christie’s New York, 27 Jan 1990, lot 92.

Source: DEFM; Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840 (1996).