Watson, John snr.

Newcastle; cabinet maker and upholder (fl. 1778–1816)

At Rosemary Lane, 1778–82 and Spital, Westgate St, 1787–1811. A Joseph Watson was trading in Westgate St in 1778 as an upholsterer and may be related. In April 1816 John Watson snr was in Collingwood St which was described as his house. He announced that he was giving up the manufacturing of furniture and his stock of new items was offered for sale by auction. The stock consisted of ‘a Secretary & bookcase, mahogany lobby & dressing chests, of drawers, dining & turn-over Tables, chairs, writing tables, night tables, celerets, washstands, portable desks, chimney glass pier & dressing glasses, painted wash tables, rush-bottomed chairs etc.’. In 1811 John Watson supplied to Cuthbert Ellison of Hebburn Hall, Gateshead, Co. Durham two ‘sideboards, inlaid with brass banding, broad & narrow & black stain ditto’ at £24 10s. Subscribed to Sheraton's Drawing Book, 1793. This is perhaps the same man who apprenticed Jacob and James Sopwith, who gained their freedoms in 1792 and 1801 respectively.

Source: DEFM; Allwood, ‘Thomas Sopwith of Newcastle 1803-1879’, Furniture History (1990).