A GEORGE II MAHOGANY BUREAU CABINET

The cabinet bears the coat of arms and motto of the Langton family and was most certainly supplied to Thomas Langton (d. 1802) at the time he was rebuilding Ash Tree House in the mid-18th century. The cabinet can be attributed to the Lancaster-based Gillows, based on stylistic attributes and a connection with the Langton family.

Stylistically, the distinctive Corinthian pilasters relate closely to those on a clothes press supplied in 1761 for Ralph Bell of Thirsk Hall, Yorkshire (S. E. Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2008, vol. II, pp. 52-53, pl. 595-596) whose capitals were carved by James Townson. The broad proportions of the piece, high quality timber and scalloped outline of the pediment all support a Gillows attribution. Furthermore, Thomas Langton’s firm, Langton, Birley & Co. in Kirkham are noted as having approached Gillows in 1786 regarding the purchase of Riga oak (Stuart, op. cit., vol. II, p. 156) confirming the family’s association with the firm.