Everything about Ince And Mayhew totally explained
Ince and Mayhew were a partnership of
furniture designers,
upholsterers and
cabinetmakers, founded and run by
William Ince (died 1804) and
John Mayhew (1736 – 1811) in
London,
England, from 1759 to 1803; Mayhew continued alone in business until 1809. Their premises were listed in London directories in
Broad Street,
Soho, 1763-83, and in Marshall Street,
Carnaby Market, 1783-1809. The partnership's volume of
engraved designs,
The Universal System of Household Furniture, dedicated to the
Duke of Marlborough (published in parts, 1759-63), was issued in imitative rivalry with
Thomas Chippendale; Ince was a subscriber to the first edition of Chippendale's
Director.
John Mayhew served as apprentice to William Smith Bradshaw, a prominent
upholder, and William Ince served his time with John West, King Street,
Covent Garden, according to the advertisement the partners took out in the
Public Advertiser 27 January 1759, as they set up in the former premises of Charles Smith. The following year Ince and Mayhew contributed some furniture designs to the joint production
Household Furniture in Genteel Taste for the year 1760. By a Society of Upholsterers.
The notices to the designs of their
Universal System are given in English and French, and the firm advertised "French furniture consigned from Paris"; Mayhew's name appears repeatedly in
Christie's archives as purchaser of French furniture and gilt-bronze at auction.
An early neoclassical suite of six armchairs and a settee, to be covered in tapestry, were provided to the sixth Earl of Coventry for the Tapestry Room at
Croome Court, Worcestershire (now at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art) The 'Antique Elbow Chairs" were the first neoclassical chairs in Europe with oval backs. Ince and Mayhew were also among the first London furniture-makers to exploit
marquetry decoration when it became fashionable once again in the 1760s: in 1765 they provided for Croome Court a pair of uncompromisingly rectangular commodes with richly engraved neoclassical marquetry of satinwood and holly.
The ceiling at Croome was designed by
Robert Adam. Ince and Mayhew provided furniture for a number of Adam's other patrons:
Sir John Whitwell at
Audley End (1767), the Duchess of Northumberland (from 1771) the Earl of Kerry (from 1771). In 1775 they constructed, to Adam's numerous and detailed designs, the celebrated "Kimbolton Cabinet" inlaid with Florentine
pietra dura plaques for the Duchess of Manchester (now at the
Victoria and Albert Museum);
Boulton and Fothergill supplied the gilt-bronze mounts. For Lady Derby's Dressing Room at Derby House, London, they executed a demilune commode to Adam's design of October 1774, delivered in November 1775; it combined strongly contrasting richly engraved satinwood and harewood marquetry in an "Etruscan" taste with painted panels and gilt-bronze mounts; discovery of the commode enabled Hugh Roberts tentatively to identify a series of comparable demilune and serpentine-fronted marquetry commodes to the firm. Furnishings were also provided for the Duchess of Devonshire's private apartment at
Chatsworth.
Ince and Mayhew also provided furnishings for Humphry Sturt at
Crichel House, Dorset, where
James Wyatt was providing designs for the interiors Their furniture for
Warren Hastings at Daylesford House, Worcestershire, amounted to £2187
The firm was prominent enough to be commissioned to vet
Dominique Daguerre's bills for furnishing
Carlton House, 1783-89, but none of their production for the Prince of Wales nor the royal family has been identified.
They provided furniture in 1802 for
Hester Thrale Piozzi at Brynbella. A suite of "Hepplewhite" chairs with the Prince of Wales's feathers in the backs were provided for the Westminster Fire Office (1792), where they remain.
The two partners married sisters, in a double wedding at the fashionable church of
St. James's, Piccadilly, 20 February 1762.
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