Gillows of Lancaster and London
Active Era: Georgian, Regency, William IV, Victorian, and Edwardian periods (c. 1730 to 1903 under the Gillows and Gillow & Co. name)
Established: c. 1730
Ceased Trading: 1903 (Merged with Waring of Liverpool to become Waring & Gillow)
Primary Locations: Lancaster, Lancashire, and Oxford Street, London
Specialities: Fine mahogany furniture, dining tables, library furniture, writing tables, bookcases, side cabinets, upholstery, architectural joinery, and complete country house furnishing schemes
Authentication Marks: Stamped “GILLOWS LANCASTER”, “GILLOW”, “GILLOW & CO”, journeyman pencil or ink inscriptions, and later Waring & Gillow brass plaques
Introduction to Gillows of Lancaster and London
Gillows of Lancaster and London was one of the most important English furniture making firms of the Georgian and Regency periods. Founded in Lancaster by Robert Gillow in the early eighteenth century, the firm developed from a regional cabinet making and joinery business into one of the most respected names in British furniture.
The Gillows name became closely associated with well-made furniture in the finest timbers, particularly mahogany, rosewood, satinwood, and walnut. Their work was admired for its clean proportions, practical design, and exceptional cabinet making quality, rather than excessive ornament. This restrained but highly finished character is one reason Gillows furniture remains so desirable to collectors today.
Unlike many cabinet makers of the period, Gillows left behind an extensive archive of estimate books, sketchbooks, accounts, and records. These surviving documents allow many pieces to be studied with unusual accuracy, making Gillows one of the best-documented furniture firms in British cabinet making history.
[IMAGE: A fine example of work by Gillows]
Workshop History and Prominent Commissions
Robert Gillow began trading in Lancaster as a joiner, builder, house carpenter, cabinet maker, and merchant. Lancaster’s position as a trading port gave the firm early access to imported hardwoods, particularly West Indian mahogany, which became central to the quality and reputation of their furniture. By the middle of the eighteenth century, Gillows had become one of the leading cabinet makers in Lancaster.
In 1757, Robert Gillow entered into partnership with his son, Richard Gillow, and the business became Robert Gillow & Son. Richard was an important figure in the development of the firm, combining cabinet making knowledge with architectural training and a strong understanding of fashionable London design. By the late 1760s, the family had established a London branch in Oxford Street, allowing Gillows to serve both northern country house clients and the wealthy London market.
The firm supplied furniture to a wide range of important houses and patrons. Notable commissions include furniture for Tatton Park in Cheshire, where many Gillows pieces remain in their original setting, and furnishings connected with the Royal Pavilion at Brighton during the time of George IV as Prince Regent. In the nineteenth century, Gillow & Co. also secured major commissions including furniture and fittings for the Palace of Westminster.
Overview of a highly figured butterfly quarter cut veneer chest firmly attributed to Gillows dating to the George III period
previously sold by Freshfords Antiques.
Distinctive Style Characteristics and Workmanship
Gillows furniture is often recognised by its quality of timber, precise construction, and well-balanced design. The firm made frequent use of richly figured mahogany, rosewood, satinwood, and walnut, often with carefully selected veneers and crossbanding. Their pieces usually show strong cabinet making discipline, with clean lines, practical proportions, and details that are decorative without being overworked.
Typical features associated with Gillows include finely fitted drawers, good quality brass handles, reeded legs, gadrooned mouldings, carved shell motifs, turned supports, and well-finished secondary surfaces. Many pieces were made to be viewed in the round, particularly library tables, writing tables, and side cabinets, with the reverse often finished to a high standard.
The firm was also known for practical innovation. Gillows is closely associated with the extending dining table and the Davenport desk, both of which reflect the firm’s ability to combine fashionable design with function. Their work often appealed to country house clients who wanted furniture that was fashionable, durable, and made from the best available materials.
Maker’s Marks, Stamps, and Identification
Gillows was unusual among English furniture makers because a proportion of their furniture was stamped. The impressed stamp “GILLOWS LANCASTER” appears from the late eighteenth century, although not every piece was marked. Some rare pieces are stamped “GILLOWS LONDON AND LANCASTER”, while later nineteenth-century examples may carry “GILLOW”, “GILLOW & CO” or related marks.
Stamps are often found in discreet locations, such as the top edge of drawer linings, drawer interiors, backboards, rails, or other hidden structural areas. In addition to stamped marks, some Gillows pieces carry pencil or ink inscriptions by journeymen, sometimes including names, dates, or workroom references. These marks can be especially useful when considered alongside construction, materials, and known archive designs.
The general development of Gillows marks is broadly understood as follows:
c. 1770-1780: “Gillow and Taylor”
c. 1780-1850: “Gillows Lancaster”
c. 1850-1870: “Gillow”
c. 1870-1890: Reference letter and number marks followed by “Gillows Lancaster”
c. 1890-1903: “Gillow & Co”
Post-1903: “Waring & Gillow” on thin brass plaques
Legacy and Collectability in the Modern Antique Market
Gillows occupies a central position in the history of English furniture. The firm combined provincial manufacturing strength with London design awareness, producing furniture for country houses, aristocratic patrons, public buildings, and private clients across Britain and overseas.
For collectors today, Gillows furniture remains highly regarded for its quality, documentation, and long association with the best traditions of Georgian and Regency cabinet making. Pieces with strong provenance, stamped marks, original surfaces, well-figured timber, or archive-related designs are especially desirable within the premium antique furniture market.
George IV Regency Period Rosewood Breakfront Side Cabinet by Gillow previously sold by Freshfords Antiques
Museum Collections and Institutional References
City of Westminster Archives Centre (London): Holds the monumental, definitive archive of Gillows corporate records, encompassing nearly two hundred manuscript volumes, cash books, day books, and the legendary Estimate Sketchbooks dating from 1731 to 1986.
The Judges’ Lodgings Museum (Lancaster): Houses the world’s most important public collection of physical Gillows furniture, located in the firm’s home town, alongside an extensive regional archive of their eighteenth and nineteenth-century production.
Lancaster University Library Special Collections (Lancaster): Maintains a comprehensive, master collection of the Gillows microfilm archives, providing global furniture historians with the primary source material for verifying stamped inventory numbers.
The Victoria and Albert Museum (London): Displays crucial exhibition-grade pieces of Gillows and Waring & Gillow furniture within the permanent British Galleries, charting the firm’s technical progression from the Georgian era through to twentieth-century luxury ocean liner outfitting.
