The design of these chairs is derived from that of the famous pair that were commissioned by the 4th Earl of Shaftesbury for St. Giles's House, Wimborne, Dorset. Having been separated in the 19th or 20th Century, the St. Giles's pair were re-united in the collection of Samuel Messer, Esq., and were sold from it in these Rooms, 5 December 1991, lot 63.
It is probable that they were made by William Hallett who supplied chairs and dining-room furniture for the house between 1745 and 1752.