The British Nicholson bench derives its name from the author of a book published in 1812 – “Mechanical Exercises“. Peter Nicholson (1765-1844) was a Scottish architect, mathematician, and engineer. He apprenticed as a cabinetmaker, then worked as a journeyman in Edinburgh before becoming an author. In 1831 the book was republished as “The Mechanics Companion“.
The bench consists of a top (ABCD) supported by four legs (E,F,G,H). Near the left end of the bench is a bench hook (a) which can be adjusted up and down using a hammer or mallet. A vertical board or apron (DI) is fixed to the front legs of the bench. A wooden vise is found on the left-front end of the bench used to “fasten boards between the cheeks, in order to plane their edges”. The leg H contains a series of holes to hold pins to support the end of long boards. The height of the bench is circa 32”, it is 10-12 feet in length, and 30” wide. The legs are not less then 3½” square. The top near the front is 1½-2” thick, and the rear 1¼”.
Each pair of legs is coupled together by two rails dovetailed into the legs. Between each pair of legs the bench is divided into 3-4 equal parts with transverse bearers fixed at the divisions to the side boards. There are a number of benefits to this design
- There is a substantial bench top surface.
- The large aprons permit the use of holdfasts on the vertical and horizontal surfaces.
- The zig-zag pattern of bench dog holes on the front apron.
The bench was not named by Nicholson, and very little appears in 19th century literature relating to this bench. Having said that, the bench often appears in pictures of English joiners workshops, e.g. English Joiners (1816). The influence of this bench can be seen in artwork as well. In “Christ in the House of His Parents” by artist John Everett Millais painted in 1849-1850, it is clear that the bench in Joseph’s workshop is a Nicholson style. Of course it is not unusual for artists to use artifacts which are contemporary to their time in the depiction of historical events.
Husluck describes similar joiners benches in the early 1900s, but they are not named as such [1]. Touring places like open-air museums in the UK, these benches are quite common.
Eventually with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, many of the things which were made by hand, e.g. architectural trim, were eventually made by machines in factories. This reduced the need for benches 10-12 feet in length, and as the nature of woodworking changed, so too did the style of bench. By the transition to Edwardian era, there is little reference to these benches in the likes of tool catalogs.
Further reading:
- Cassell’s Carpentry and Joinery Paul N. Hasluck (ed.) David McKay Publisher (1908)
working by hand 