Stubbs, John (1779–1814)
Stubbs, John
Stubbs Manufactory, City Road and Old Street, London; chair maker (fl. 1779–1814)
Although trade cards list both the City Road and Old Street addresses, directory entries refer to the Old Street premises only. These were initially at 3 Brick Lane, Old Street but from 1800 the address became 20 Old Street.
From 1812 the business traded as Stubbs & Smith. Their trade card - which has an identical frame and engravings to that of Lockington Foulger and William Webb - states that John Stubbs could supply ‘all sorts of Yew Tree Gothic & Windsor Chairs Alcoves & Rural Seats Gardening Machines Dyed Chairs &c.’.
Trade card of John Stubbs, c. 1790-96 [Heal,28.219]. © The Trustees of the British Museum
He was included in the list of master cabinet makers in Sheraton's Cabinet Dictionary, 1803.
In 1782 he purchased insurance cover of £300 of which £100 was for utensils and stock. In January 1812 insurance cover at 21 Old Street was taken out in the name of William Stubbs at £700 for the dwelling house and offices (£400) and household goods only. William, described as a chair maker, may have been the son of John, living next door and active in the business.
Chairs attributed to John Stubbs based on those shown on his trade card are illustrated by Boram, Regional Furniture (2010), figs 10-12 and 14-16; Boram, Regional Furniture (2015), fig.41.
Sources: DEFM; Boram, ‘Eighteenth-Century Fancy Chairs from High Wycombe’, Regional Furniture (1999); Boram, ‘Makers of 'Dy'd, Fancy and Japan'd' Chairs’, Regional Furniture (2010); Boram, ‘The Domestic Context for Gillows' Rush- and Cane-Seated Chairs’, Regional Furniture (2015); Parker, 'Windsor Chairs, Children's Carts, German Stools, Rustic Chairs, Summerhouses and Perambulator: The Webbs (and Bunce and Carter), Dells, Priors and Trotmans, Regional Furniture (2020)
The original entry from Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, 1660-1840 can be found at British History Online.
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