Strode, Edward & John

London; cabinet maker (fl. 1715–53)

Edward Strode was living in the parish of St Bride, Fleet Street by 1715 when his address was given as Ditch Side. In that year he served as Scavenger and in 1716 as Questman and was fined for declining parochial office in 1717 and 1723.

In 1720 he was trading at ‘The Queen's Head & Ball’, Fleet Ditch. His trade card states that he made and sold ‘all Sorts of Joyners and Cabinetmakers Goods, viz Cabinets, Scrutores, Desks, and Book-Cases; Chests of Drawers, Cabinet-Beds, Union-Shutes, Glasses, Sconces’. A receipt of this year was, however, signed by John Strode and an insurance policy taken out in July 1722 was in his name also. This provided cover for goods of £500.

A John Stroud jnr is recorded in the parish records of the Church of St Bride from 1725, in which year he served as Constable. He also held the position of Collector for the Poor in 1738 and Scavenger in 1745.

Edward's surname was also rendered as Stroud in the parish records. John jnr's address was given as Ditch Side. This seems to indicate that the two were closely related. It is, however, not clear whether the John Strode jnr active from 1725 is identical with the John Strode recorded in 1720 and 1722.

Certainly John Strode did not take over the business this early for in April 1727 insurance documents were issued in the name of Edward for a total cover of £1,000 of which £500 was for utensils and stock.

John jnr traded until 1753, the year of his death, when the address was rendered as ‘The Queen's Head & Sun, in the middle of Fleet Market’. In this year his household furniture and stock in trade was auctioned for the benefit of his widow and children.

Two customers of this business are known. In 1720 goods to the value of £1 9s were supplied to Paul Foley of the Temple and Little Ormond Street, London and Newport House, Almeley, Hertfordshire. In 1728 a chest of drawers and twelve chairs were supplied to Holkham Hall, Norfolk at a cost of £2 8s. A further chest of drawers supplied in the same year was charged at £1 10s.

Sources: DEFM; Hertfordshire Record Office, Foley MS, F/AIII/ 55; London Metropolitan Archive, Sun MS vol. 14, ref. 25864; vol. 23, ref. 41326; MS 6561, pp. 5, 14; British Library, Burney MS, 4266; V&A archives.