Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum has an 18th-century Sedan chair, acquired as a gift in 1955 from Mrs Treseder-Griffin and her sister, great great granddaughters of the original owner, William Snooke 1730-1779 who lived at Bourton-on-the Water.
In his diaries he mentions,
'Mrs Beddows first event out since her
lying-in. She had our sedan chair.' (14th February 1768)
'Visited Mr and Mrs Raymonde. Mrs Snooke came
home in the sedan.'
(19th September 1768)
This particular chair was
privately owned, as opposed to
those available for public hire. It
is made of black leather, with
green damask cushions and
curtains. The carrying poles are
missing, but all the internal
fittings are original, including the
adjustable seat. It was probably
made in London, or could have
been copied from a London chair
by a local coach maker.
Did Beddome ever get a ride in it one wonders?
No comments:
Post a Comment