Robert A Leath
Robert and William Walker and the “Ne Plus Ultra”: Scottish Design and Colonial Virginia Furniture, 1730–1775

American Furniture 2006

Full Article
Contents
  • Figure 1
    Figure 1

    Robert Walker, side chair, King George County, Virginia, 1746. Mahogany with beech. H. 38 7/8", W. 21 3/8", D. 17 1/4". (Courtesy, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; photo, Hans Lorenz.) 

  • Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Detail of the knee carving on the side chair illustrated in fig. 1.

  • Figure 3
    Figure 3

    Detail of the Rappahannock River valley in John Henry, cartographer, Thomas Jefferys, engraver, A New and Accurate Map of Virginia, Wherein most of the Counties are laid down from Actual Surveys (London, 1770). Engraving and watercolor on paper. (Courtesy, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; photo, Hans Lorenz.) This map highlights and identifies the sites associated with Robert and William Walker.

    1. Beverley–Blandfield
    2. Brent–Richland
    3. Carter–Cleve
    4. Carter–Nomini Hall
    5. Carter–Sabine Hall
    6. Fitzhugh–Bedford
    7. Fitzhugh–Boscobel
    8. Fitzhugh–Eagle’s Nest
    9. Fitzhugh, Lewis-Marmion
    10. Jett–Walnut Hill
    11. Lee–Stratford Hall
    12. Lee–Bellview
    13. Mercer–Marlborough
    14. Spotswood–Newpost
    15. Tayloe–Mt. Airy
    16. Thornton–Fall Hill
    17. Turner–Walsingham
    18. Washington–Ferry Farm
    19. Washington–Wakefield

  • Figure 4
    Figure 4

    Billhead used by Francis Brodie, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1739. Engraving on paper. (By permission of the trustees of the Goodwood Collection.) 

  • Figure 5
    Figure 5

    Armchair attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1735–1745. Walnut. H. 40", W. 25". (National Art Galleries, XVII and XVIII Century American Furniture, New York, December 3–5, 1931, lot 483.)

  • Figure 6
    Figure 6

    Detail of the carved crest and splat on the armchair illustrated in fig. 5.

  • Figure 7
    Figure 7

    Corner chair attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1745–1755. Walnut with beech. H. 34", W. 23", D. 26". (Courtesy, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; photo, Hans Lorenz.)

  • Figure 8
    Figure 8

    Detail of the carving on the front leg of the corner chair illustrated in fig. 7. 

  • Figure 9
    Figure 9

    Christ Church, Lancaster County, Virginia, 1728–1735. (Courtesy, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Old Salem Museums & Gardens.)

  • Figure 10
    Figure 10

    Dalkeith Palace, Midlothian, Scotland, 1702–1711. (Country Life, October 7, 1911).

  • Figure 11
    Figure 11

    Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County, Virginia, ca. 1740. (Courtesy, Stratford Hall Plantation, Robert E. Lee Memorial Association, Stratford, Virginia; photo, James R. Dunlop.)

  • Figure 12
    Figure 12

    Kinross House, Kinross-shire, Scotland, 1685–1693. (Country Life, July 13, 1912). 

  • Figure 13
    Figure 13

    Second-floor plan of Kinross House illustrated on pl. 61 of William Adam, Vitruvius Scoticus (1812).

  • Figure 14
    Figure 14

    Second-floor plan of Stratford Hall. (Courtesy, Stratford Hall Plantation, Robert E. Lee Memorial Association, Stratford, Virginia.)

  • Figure 15
    Figure 15

    Tea table attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1740–1750. Mahogany. H. 28 3/4", Diam. of top: 32 13/16". (Stratford Hall Plantation, Robert E. Lee Memorial Association, Stratford, Virginia; photo, Gavin Ashworth.) 

  • Figure 16
    Figure 16

    Detail of the carving on the pillar and legs of the tea table illustrated in fig. 15. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 17
    Figure 17

    Tea table attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1745–1755. Woods and dimensions unrecorded. (Edward Wenham, The Collector’s Guide to Furniture Design [New York: Collectors Press, 1928], p. 216.) The top is virtually identical to that on the Lee family table illustrated in fig. 15. The guilloche-and-flower motif between the legs of the table shown in fig. 17 is common in eighteenth-century architecture, but less so in furniture of the period.

  • Figure 18
    Figure 18

    Account of William Walker with John Mercer, John Mercer Account Book, 1741–1750, fol. 36. (Courtesy, Mercer Museum, Bucks County Historical Society.) This account records the May 1749 charges for carving the Mercer-Walker chair illustrated in fig. 19 and Mercer’s subsequent sale of the set of fourteen chairs back to William Walker in July 1749.

  • Figure 19
    Figure 19

    Robert Walker, armchair, King George County, Virginia, 1749. Mahogany. H. 38 1/2", W. 28 1/2", D. 18". (Courtesy, Mary Washington House, Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities; photo, Gavin Ashworth).

  • Figure 20
    Figure 20

    Detail of the back of the chair illustrated in fig. 19. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 21
    Figure 21

    Detail of the chair illustrated in fig. 19, showing the attachment of the gadrooned molding and (missing) knee blocks. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 22
    Figure 22

    Detail of the chair illustrated in fig. 19, showing the undercut gadrooned molding. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 23
    Figure 23

    Detail of the chair illustrated in fig. 19, showing the attachment of the arms to the stiles. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 24
    Figure 24

    Detail of the chair illustrated in fig. 19, showing the attachment of the arms to the side rails. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 25
    Figure 25

    Detail of the knee carving on the chair illustrated in fig. 19. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth).

  • Figure 26
    Figure 26

    Detail of the left arm terminal of the chair illustrated in fig. 19. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 27
    Figure 27

    Side chair attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1745–1755. Walnut with oak and yellow pine. H. 37 7/8", W. 22 3/4", D. 20 3/4". (Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; photo, Hans Lorenz.)

  • Figure 28
    Figure 28

    Patrick Strahan, side chair, London, 1735–1740. Walnut. Dimensions not recorded. (Christopher Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture, 1740–1840 [Leeds: Furniture History Society, 1996], p. 442.) Like many of the chairs documented and attributed to Robert Walker, this example has a scroll in the center of the crest rail, three lobate piercings in the splat, rounded and molded rear legs, shell and bellflower carving on the knees, and compressed claw-and-ball feet with prominent rear talons. 

  • Figure 29
    Figure 29

    Cleve, King George County, Virginia, ca. 1740–1747

  • Figure 30
    Figure 30

    Detail of Dalkeith Palace illustrated on pl. 24 in William Adam, Vitruvius Scoticus (1812).

  • Figure 31
    Figure 31

    Armchair attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1745–1750. Cherry with beech. H. 39 5/16", W. 24 5/8", D. 18 3/8". (Courtesy, Shirley Plantation, Charles City County, Virginia; photo, Hans Lorenz.)

  • Figure 32
    Figure 32

    Detail of the knee carving on the chair illustrated in fig. 31.

  • Figure 33
    Figure 33

    Tea table attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1750–1760. Mahogany and cherry. H. 28 1/2", Diam. of top 30". (Collection of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Old Salem Museums & Gardens, gift of Mr. and Mrs. John T. Warmath in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Worsham Dew; photo, Wes Stewart.)

  • Figure 34
    Figure 34

    Detail of the carving on the pillar and legs of the tea table illustrated in fig. 33.

  • Figure 35
    Figure 35

    Detail of the top of the tea table illustrated in fig. 33.

  • Figure 36
    Figure 36

    Kettle stand attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1750–1760. Mahogany. H. 31 3/4", Diam. of top: 21". (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 37
    Figure 37

    Detail of the carving on the legs of the stand illustrated in fig. 36. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.) Like the tea table illustrated in fig. 33, this example originally had knee carving featuring a broad, flat leaf scrolling up and turning over where the top of each leg joins the pillar.

  • Figure 38
    Figure 38

    Detail of the top of the stand illustrated in fig. 36. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 39
    Figure 39

    Easy chair attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1745–1755. Mahogany with beech. H. 46", W. 32", D. 30 1/2". (Courtesy, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, Virginia; photo, Gavin Ashworth.) This is the only American easy chair with cabriole rear legs that end in claw-and-ball feet.

  • Figure 40
    Figure 40

    Side chair attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1750–1760. Walnut with beech. H. 39", W. 22 5/8", D. 20 1/2". (Courtesy, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, Virginia; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 41
    Figure 41

    Detail of the knee carving on the chair illustrated in fig. 40. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 42
    Figure 42

    Armchair attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1750–1760. H. 39 3/4", W. 24", D. 21". Mahogany. (Courtesy, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, Virginia; photo, Gavin Ashworth.) The crest rail and splat were replaced in the nineteenth century.

  • Figure 43
    Figure 43

    Detail of the knee carving on the chair illustrated in fig. 42. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 44
    Figure 44

    Armchair attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1750–1760. Walnut. H. 37 1/4", W. 22 5/16", D. 17 5/8". (Private collection; photo, Hans Lorenz.) Like other seating attributed to Walker’s shop, this chair has laminated triangular glue blocks at the corners of the seat frame, a splat with beveled rear edges and piercings related to those on earlier seating in the group, an arched rear rail that is integral with the shoe, and arms that are attached to the side rails with a coped joint and four screws and joined to the rear stiles with an exposed dovetail reinforced with a screw. The chair originally had a slip seat, but it was replaced with plank boards during the nineteenth century.

  • Figure 45
    Figure 45

    Side chair attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1760–1775. Walnut with beech. H. 37 1/2", W. 22 5/8", D. 17". (Courtesy, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, Virginia; photo, Gavin Ashworth.) Two chairs from this set are at Mount Vernon and two are at Kenmore.

  • Figure 46
    Figure 46

    Side chair attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1760–1775. Walnut with beech. H. 37 1/2", W. 22 1/2", D. 17". (Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; photo, Hans Lorenz.) This chair retains its original leather covering and linen under upholstery.

  • Figure 47
    Figure 47

    Clothespress attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1750–1760. Walnut with yellow pine. H. 84 1/2", W. 42 1/2", D. 23 1/2". (Courtesy, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Old Salem Museums & Gardens.) The feet are incorrect replacements.

  • Figure 48
    Figure 48

    Detail of the interior of the press illustrated in fig. 47.

  • Figure 49
    Figure 49

    Desk-and-bookcase attributed to Robert Walker, King George County, Virginia, 1750–1760. Yellow pine; remnants of original blue paint under later blue paint. H. 91 1/2", W. 48 5/8", D. 16 3/4". (Courtesy, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, Virginia; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 50
    Figure 50

    Detail of the interior of the desk-and bookcase illustrated in fig. 49. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 51
    Figure 51

    Chart of Walker family members and their respective trades, illustrating four generations of furniture-related artisans in the Rappahannock River valley and their likely Scottish ancestry.

  • Figure 52
    Figure 52

    “The Thomas Lord Fairfax Chairs” attributed to William Walker Jr., Stafford County, Virginia, 1771–1772. Woods and dimensions not recorded. (Samuel T. Freeman, Executor’s Sale, Antique and Modern Furniture, Collected by the Late George W. Childs, Philadelphia, November 20–23, 1928, lot 291.)

  • Figure 53
    Figure 53

    Robert Cockburn, side chair, Orange County, Virginia, 1773. Walnut. H. 34", W. 20 1/4", D. 17". (Courtesy, Greensboro Historical Museum, gift of Mrs. Whitfield Cobb.) The crests and splats of Madison’s chairs identify them as products of the Walker shop tradition, and their construction features separate shoes and rear rails—a trait differentiating William Jr.’s work from that of his uncle.

  • Figure 54
    Figure 54

    Detail of the back of the side chair illustrated in fig. 53.