John McLean subscribed to Thomas Sheraton's, The Cabinet Dictionary, London 1803 in which he is mentioned in the text for a pouch work table (p. 292) '...The design...was taken from one executed by Mr M'Lean in Mary-le-bone street, near Tottenham court road, who finishes small articles in the neatest manner'. His work has a distinctive manner finished very neatley in the French style, mainly using rosewood with banding in satinwood or boxwood and towards the end of the firm's existence, brass-inlay

This pair of secretaires can be dated to between 1805 and 1815 by the type of label used. After John's death in 1815 the business went into decline under his son William, finally closing in 1825. The firm's overall style did not change greatly in design merely the ornament used to embellish it. An identical secretaire is illustrated in S. Redburn, 'John McLean Sons', F.H.S. Journal, 1978, pp. 31-37, pl. 32B