Benches in Victorian Britain

While it seems like the Nicholson bench was popular, in all likelihood it was not the archetypal bench in Victorian Britain. Many of the benches found in woodworking workshops in open air museums seems to be more of an ad hoc nature, and in reality were probably built in-situ for whatever task they were required to perform. There is probably also some disparity between benches found in real settings and those in urban settings. It is quite challenging to find pictures of workshops during the Victorian period. There is some evidence to be found in carpenters literature of the period. In Forty Lessons in Carpentry Workshop Practice, published in 1889, Charles Mitchell of the Polytechnic Institute in London describes a bench which is not that dissimilar to a Nicholson-type bench.

In 1866 a book published in New York, “Our Workshop; being “A Practical Guide to the Amateur in The Art of Carpentry and Joinery”, described a rough type of bench. The book seems to anonymous, but uses Sterling, so is of British origin. The bench “consists of a strong rough frame, surmounted by a stout top, formed of 2-inch board. The height of the bench should be about 2 feet 6 inches, but this must be regulated to some extent by the stature of the workman.” The bench was about 5 feet long, 2 feet four inches wide.

“The screw-chops, C, are of great service for holding work which may require planing on the edge, such as a long board. The chops consist of a face board, C, which should be made of some hard wood, that is not liable to warp; mahogany is very good. Common benches are fitted with chops made of pine, which is generally the material of which the bench is itself constructed. The face-board is made to advance to the edge of the bench, or to recede therefrom , by a strong wooden screw, P, which works in a wooden nut, fixed to the underside of the bench. The face-board is guided by a square rail, r, which is secured thereto, the other end sliding in a suitable mortise, under the bench. The screw is moved by a round wooden bar, which passes through the head, P, the bar being an easy fit, to enable us to draw it through the head on either side as may be required; it is kept in its place by a head at each end.”

This bench is emblematic of those typically found in many carpenters shops. It is relatively difficult to classify the type of bench found in the Victorian era, but pictures from the Arts and Crafts Movement suggest that by the turn of the century at least benches found in established workshops were more of a Scandinavian design.

Due to the rise in tool catalogs, normally from re-sellers, it is usually possible to trace some of the impact of the types of workbenches being sold. In the Edwardian era, we have seen quite an influx of differing workbenches in catalogs. The same can not be said of the Victorian era. In the Melhuish & Sons (London) 1885 catalog there are only two benches shown. The first is a standard European-type bench with a front and tail vice. The second is a strange sort of bench, which the catalog suggests Melhuish & Sons “introduced in this country”. It has a sled-leg on the left side, and normal legs on the right. There is a shoulder vise in the front (with a miniscule capacity), and the end a classic tail vise. Made of solid beechwood, and of various lengths, these were the standard fare in the late 1800’s.

In all likelihood the lack of any real designs, and the adoption of German and Scandinavian-style benches likely had more to do with their utility, and the automation of woodworking in the Victorian era. By the end of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of electricity ultimately changed the role of the workbench. With the introduction of machinery to take on the tedious work of preparing stock via sawing, jointing and planing (now often done before it reached the furniture maker), the workbench was likely relegated to tasks such as cutting dovetails, assembly, and fine-detail work. By 1850 there were 68 steam mills for sawing planks in London alone. By the mid 19th century, furniture makers obtained mouldings direct from moulding mills. Mechanizing woodworking likely meant that workbenches could be factory produced at a reasonable cost.

Siddons workbench (1837)

The fifth edition of G.A. Siddons The Cabinet Maker’s Guide (1837) has very few illustrations. I think it’s kind of challenging to explain a practical art by words only, but I imagine pictures were more expensive to print. Little seems to be known about the author, however the book does contain one woodcut print showing a workshop. It seems as though the bench is of a Nicholson style, with a front vise that spans the entire length of the bench, with two screws. Obviously this is useful for planing the long boards required of a cabinetmaker.

Weird clamping

Sometimes you just don’t have enough clamps of the right length, so you have to improvise. Here the four 60″ clamps I have were used on the corners, so I had to find a solution for the long edge… and it worked just fine!

The bench in Henry Havard’s books

Henry Havard (1838-1921) was a fine arts inspector, art historian and critic. In each of the books he wrote (L’ébénisterie, La menuiserie), there was a small picture on one of the header pages at the start of the book, and also embossed on the cover. For example the one shown below is from La menuiserie (1891). Is it possible to date this picture? The bench is a simple one, with nothing in the way of vices, but it is the joiners hat that helps put the bench into a timeframe. The bench is likely from the 18th century, because the hat, known as a tricorne, was popular then, and by 1800 had fallen out of fashion. On close inspection it is quite obvious that the bench is a Roubo-type bench. Sometimes a bench can only be dated by the style, and things surrounding it in a picture. Tools aren’t always a good indicator, because they didn’t really change that much (except for differences between countries).

From La Menuiserie (1891)

What ever happened to? – the Veritas Dividing Rule

I’ve always liked the idea of a dividing rule, an easy way to divide a piece of wood into segments. Veritas designed one, The Veritas Dividing Rule, which appeared in over 20 years, could be used to divide workpiece up to 8″ wide into two to 10 divisions.

I don’t know why Lee valley decided to discontinue this tool? There seemed to be a couple of people that complained that the holes were too big for a pencil, but the concept certainly seemed solid. Although maybe this tool was just considered redundant by many woodworkers, because it’s just as easy to use a square or ruler to divide a board. It’s probably quite easy to make a jig as well, one that could be wider than 8 inches.