The range of old ‘Country’, or vernacular, chairs is very wide. But they mostly fall into one of two main structural groups:
Jointed Frame Chairs – where the back legs and the two main back uprights are continuous pieces and the seat is a four sided jointed frame.
Windsor Chairs – where all the main parts: legs, back bows, sticks etc fit into a solid seat: effectively the chassis.
Frame chairs developed from the stool by the addition of a back, early examples being known as back stools.
(Laurie 'The Chairman' Kent - Antiques Dealer at Hemswell)

Childs Windsor Chair

Dim: W-44.5 D-46.5 H-97 (cm)

Price: £120.00

Lloyd Loom Chair

Lloyd Loom Chair with Original Sprung Seat Cushion with Blue and Gold Paintwork

Dim: W-50 D-50 H-84 (cm)

Price: £34.00

William IV Carved Walnut Framed Upholstered Armchair

William IV Carved Walnut Framed Upholstered Armchair. With Carved Scroll Arms Circa 1835

Dim: W-65 D-78.5 H-92.5 (cm)

Price: £335.00 This item has been sold

Pair of Victorian Walnut Chairs

Pair of Victorian Walnut Chairs with Rich Cream Upholstery. Gents and Ladies on Castors. (Dimensions of Ladies Chair)

Dim: W-58 D-62 H-88.5 (cm)

Price: £950.00

Carved Oak Chair

Carved Oak Chair with Barley Twist Supports Circa 1900

Dim: W-50 D-47 H-110 (cm)

Price: £155.00

Set of Six Kitchen Chairs

Set of Six Kitchen Chairs with Wheelbacks

Dim: W-41 D-43 H-89 (cm)

Price: £295.00

Leather Edwardian Wing Back Library Chair

Dim: W-87 D-80 H-102 (cm)

Price: £1250.00

Smokers Bow High Back Chair

Smokers Bow High Back Chair. An Early 19th Century Elm Chair, Typical of Chairs Produced in the Notts, Lincs, Yorks Area. Featuring a Hoop Back of Eight Spindles Flanking a Wheel Pierced Splat. Bowed Arm Rail with Outswept Pad Terminals, on Six Turned Baluster Spindles. The Shaped Seat on Twin H-Form Stretchers.

Dim: W-64 H-122 (cm)

Price: £750.00

Childs Windsor Chair

Dim: H-77 (cm)

Price: £230.00

Mahogany Upholstered Armchair

Mahogany Upholstered Armchair Circa 1910

Dim: W-70 D-76 H-97 (cm)

Price: £575.00

Victorian Oak Deep Buttoned Armchair

Victorian Oak Deep Buttoned Armchair in a Pale Blue Fabric Circa 1860

Dim: W-60 D-75 H-94.5 (cm)

Price: £295.00

French Original Louis 16th Chair

French Original Louis 16th Chair with Later Paint Finish. Recovered in a Good Quality Fabric

Dim: W-59 D-55 H-90 (cm)

Price: £325.00

Edwardian Mahogany Carver Chair

Dim: W-58 D-64 H-118 (cm)

Price: £140.00

Victorian Spoonback Armchair

Victorian Spoonback Arnchair. Re-upholstered in Diamond Shaped Light Pink Fabric Circa 1880

Dim: W-71 D-91 H-101 (cm)

Price: £395.00

Pair of Georgian Country Chairs

Pair of Georgian Country Chairs Circa 1820

Dim: W-45 D-43 H-86 (cm)

Price: £145.00

Pair of Victorian Mahogany Carver Chairs

Pair of Victorian Mahogany Carver Chairs with Tapestry Seat Covers. Circa 1880.

Dim: W-58 D-57 H-100 (cm)

Price: £950.00

Rare Childs Yew Wood Windsor Rocking Chair

Rare Childs Yew Wood Windsor Rocking Chair on Original Rockers. Circa 1830.

Dim: W-41 D-54 H-70 (cm)

Price: £850.00

Pair of 19th Century Deep Buttoned Mahogany Armchairs

Pair of 19th Century Deep Buttoned Mahogany Armchairs retaining the Original, but Distressed Covering. Original Country House Condition. Stamped Cope & Co. Turned Legs with Brass Pot Casters. Circa 1860.

Dim: W-76 D-67 H-82 (cm)

Price: £775.00

1920s Oak Swivel and Tilt Office Chair

1920s Oak Swivel and Tilt Office Chair with Leather Seat.

Dim: W-63.5 D-57 H-84 (cm)

Price: £275.00 This item has been sold

Edwardian Mahogany Inlaid Armchair

Edwardian Mahogany Inlaid Armchair in Elegant Traditional Material with Original Brass Castors Circa 1900

Dim: W-61 D-73 H-103 (cm)

Price: £950.00

Victorian Mahogany Framed Upholstered Nursing Chair

Victorian Mahogany Framed Upholstered Nursing Chair with Original Brass Front Castors

Dim: W-55 D-74 H-87 (cm)

Price: £325.00

Pair of Edwardian Salon Chairs

Pair of Edwardian Salon Chairs in need of re-upholstery.

Dim: W-66 D-64 H-87 (cm)

Price: £300.00 This item has been sold

Edwardian Mahogany Upholstered Armchair

Edwardian Mahogany Upholstered Armchair with Turned Spindle Decoration.

Dim: W-52 D-53 H-99 (cm)

Price: £105.00

Victorian Rocking Chair

Victorian Rocking Chair.

Dim: W-48 D-69 H-97 (cm)

Price: £295.00

Queen Anne style Wing Armchair

Queen Anne style Wing Armchair in Tapestry style Fabric with Feather Seat Pad.

Dim: W-87 D-92 H-109 (cm)

Price: £455.00

Victorian Rocking Chair

Victorian Rocking Chair with Re-Caned Back and Seat.

Dim: W-46 D-64 H-77 (cm)

Price: £68.00

Victorian English Windsor Chair

Victorian English Windsor Chair with Crinoline Stretchers.

Dim: W-56 D-52 H-92 (cm)

Price: £495.00

Pair of Victorian Armchairs

Pair of Victorian Armchairs with Hand Carved Oak Frame. Circa 1890.

Dim: W-71 D-74 H-118 (cm)

Price: £499.00 This item has been sold

Pair of Art Deco Walnut Armchairs

Pair of Art Deco Walnut Armchairs.

Dim: W-63 D-56 H-104 (cm)

Price: £275.00 This item has been sold

Early 20th Century Gothic Revival Oak Armchair

Early 20th Century Gothic Revival Oak Armchair.

Dim: W-55 D-55 H-120 (cm)

Price: £325.00

Childs Hoop Back Windsor Armchair

Childs Hoop Back Windsor Armchair with Wheel motif to Back Splat. H Stretcher. Stamped G.M. Elm and Beech.

Dim: W-37 D-35 H-67 (cm)

Price: £110.00

Victorian Spoonback Nursing Chair

Victorian Spoonback Nursing Chair with Carved Walnut Frame and Cabriole Supports.

Dim: W-60 D-80 H-97 (cm)

Price: £425.00

There are many regional variations. But most vernacular frame chairs have oak, ash or beech frames with rush, caned or solid wood seats. There are several styles of seat back most having top and bottom crossrails. ‘Spindlebacks’ have one or more rows of vertical spindles between the rails. Vase and other shaped splats are also used. In ‘Ladderbacks’ all the 3,4 or more ‘rungs’ are effectively cross rails. Because they were simple country chairs, upholstered seats and imported woods such as mahogany were rarely used.
Windsors first appeared in the 18th C and many variants developed both within in England and across the Atlantic in New England over the next 200 years.
Again there is a wide range of styles and quality, from the humble scroll back kitchen chair, through the classic high and low bowbacks, to the very elegant, comb backed, cabriole legged armchairs in yew wood. Elm with its beautifully figured grain was the favoured wood for seats, with ash, yew or beech for legs stretchers and back bows.
Windsors were made in three main regions in England, namely: the Thames Valley including High Wycombe, the West Country and the Eastern counties of Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
There are always good examples of an extensive range of country chairs to be found at Hemswell Antiques, particularly from the dealers who specialise in country furniture. (Laurie 'The Chairman' Kent - Antiques Dealer at Hemswell)

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