Lot Essay
The cabinet-making firm established by George Seddon in the early 1750s was a prolific one. An entry in the Gentleman's Magazine of 1768 notes a fire on the premises of Mr. Seddon, 'one of the most eminent cabinet-makers in London, which resulted in 20,000 in damages'; in 1783 another fire destroyed an enormous £100,000 in property. Despite these setbacks, Seddon Sons were one of the leading cabinet-making firms and boasted clients such as the Empress of Russia, the 5th Duke of Bedford and Lord Mansfield of Kenwood house. In 1786, a visiting German novelist, Sophie von La Roche, noted in her travel journal that the firm employed over 400 apprentices. She describes 'Some of the department contains nothing but chairs, sofas, stools of every description, some quite simple, others exquisitely carved and made of all varieties of wood from the simplest and cheapest to the most elegant and expensive.."
George Seddon was joined by his sons in 1785 and his son-in-law Thomas Shackleton followed into the business by June 1790, when the bill head was changed to 'Seddon Sons and Shackleton'.
George Seddon was joined by his sons in 1785 and his son-in-law Thomas Shackleton followed into the business by June 1790, when the bill head was changed to 'Seddon Sons and Shackleton'.