This chair was commissioned in 1972 by the current vendor's family, for which the invoice exists.
Philip Clissett, a rural chair maker from Bosbury, Herefordshire (fl.1841-1913) inspired the Cotswold Arts and Crafts movement through the work of Ernest Gimson who learned traditional turned chairmaking from him during the 1880's. Gimson employed Edward Gardener, the son of a local sawyer, as his chair maker. Later, in the early 20th century, Gardener set up his own workshop in Warwickshire and employed Neville Neal as his apprentice. In turn, Neal set up his own workshop at Stockton, nr. Rugby, Warwickshire and continued making turned rush seated ladder and spindle back chairs in the manner of the Arts and Crafts movement using the hand skills which were part of the ethos of this movement. Following his death last year, Neville Neal's workshop passed to the ownership of his son, Lawrence, who continues to work in this tradition.