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17th Century Jacobean Paneled Room

Project by woodwkr posted 633 days ago 825 views 2 times favorited 24 comments Add to Favorites Watch

This was an interesting project that I worked on a few years ago. The first photo is the panels in the original room at Henwood Priory, Warwickshire, England. The next two are the panels installed in an office in Kansas City. They were bought by William Randolph Hearst at some time in the past, and shipped stateside and forgotten. His heirs found them in a barn and had them auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York on April 16,1998. They were bought by our client and stored in a climate controlled cave in Missouri until they found a wood shop capable of sorting the mess out. That was us. They are all made of English White oak. I have gathered some pictures and drawings and will discuss the project in more detail on a blog. http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/woodwkr/blog/3715

-- Marshall _ Wichita, Ks _ "Growing Old is Mandatory - - Growing Up Is Optional" :)


24 comments so far

View gizmodyne's profile

gizmodyne

1675 posts in 985 days


posted 633 days ago

That is very cool. I would love more details.

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

9528 posts in 883 days


posted 633 days ago

Very cool looking room. Man, I wish I had a office like that!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View Tony Z's profile

Tony Z

173 posts in 685 days


posted 633 days ago

Wow.

-- Tony, Ohio

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

20668 posts in 717 days


posted 633 days ago

Now that is something that you don’t see every day. If I had an office like that I wouldn’t be able to get anything done because I would be staring at the woodworking all day.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View woodwkr's profile

woodwkr

64 posts in 662 days


posted 633 days ago

WoodJack-
I will post the Sotheby’s flyer on the blog. I will try to get it up tomorrow

-- Marshall _ Wichita, Ks _ "Growing Old is Mandatory - - Growing Up Is Optional" :)

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

7638 posts in 1113 days


posted 633 days ago

What a cool story! Can’t wait to read the blog and see some more photos.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View woodwkr's profile

woodwkr

64 posts in 662 days


posted 633 days ago

WoodJack-
The great thing about this forum is that one should ALWAYS jump in :)

-- Marshall _ Wichita, Ks _ "Growing Old is Mandatory - - Growing Up Is Optional" :)

View ND2ELK's profile

ND2ELK

6199 posts in 669 days


posted 633 days ago

What a beautiful treasure of craftsmanship that has been restored. Thanks for sharing.

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

View grovemadman's profile

grovemadman

558 posts in 667 days


posted 633 days ago

AWESOME!! Post the blog soon!

-- --Chuck

View Chris 's profile

Chris

1469 posts in 886 days


posted 633 days ago

Excellent Story ! Thanks for sharing it with us…

-- Chris

View Yettiman's profile

Yettiman

153 posts in 633 days


posted 633 days ago

Hi, Do you know when they originally left the Priory?

ie how old are they?

Great photos by the way, they look fantastic

-- Keep your tools sharp, your mind sharper and the coffee hot

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

14159 posts in 1055 days


posted 632 days ago

the story behind this is amazing… and to think that you are now part of its journey!!
A book could be written about the travels the wood has taken.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

View shaun's profile

shaun

360 posts in 800 days


posted 632 days ago

That is an absolutely incredible project. I’m not sure what part fascinates more. The idea of purchasing 17th century wall panels from England, having them shipped to the US, stored in a barn! and then forgetting about them, or the work that had to go into sorting the whole thing out then figuring out a way to reconstruct it all in a room that could not possibly have had the exact same dimensions.

Marshall my hat is off to you several times over!

-- I've cut that board three times and it's still too short!

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

14159 posts in 1055 days


posted 632 days ago

and don’t forget about the cave Shaun…
and I never thought about the measurements of the room!!! ok.. gets even better!

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

View woodwkr's profile

woodwkr

64 posts in 662 days


posted 632 days ago

Yettiman – >Do you know when they originally left the Priory? ie how old are they?<<
According to the Sotheby’s info, they are second quarter 17th century. I do not know when they were sold to Hearst and brought to America.

I found some history of the building the panels were built for – -

5. THE PRIORY OF HENWOOD
In the beginning of the reign of Henry II, when Walter Durdent was bishop of Chester (1149-1161), Ketelberne de Langdon founded a priory for Benedictine nuns, dedicated to the honour of St. Margaret, in his lordship of Langdon, in the parish of Solihull. It was built near a fair spring lying to the east of Langdon, and was at first termed Estwell. He granted to the nuns considerable lands at Langdon, with free court and all customs and liberties, with pasturage and pannage, together with the right of taking timber for building their church and dwellings from the woods of Langdon, and leave to erect a mill on any suitable site opposite his own lands. After a time it came to be called Heanwood or Henwood,’ by reason of the tall oaks there growing, the word bean in our old English signifying high.’ (fn. 1)

The Black Death wrought much havoc in the priory. On 19 August, 1349, there was no prioress, ’ and of fifteen nuns which lately were there, three only remain.’ Lady Joan Fokerham, one of the three sisters, was appointed prioress in the following month. (fn. 10)

In 1540 the site and the possessions of the priory were sold to John Higford by the crown for the sum of £207 5s. (fn. 15)

From: ‘Houses of Benedictine nuns: Priory of Henwood’, A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 2 (1908), pp. 65-66. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36491&strquery=Priory of Henwood. Date accessed: 02 March 2008.

-- Marshall _ Wichita, Ks _ "Growing Old is Mandatory - - Growing Up Is Optional" :)

View roman's profile

roman

1118 posts in 788 days


posted 632 days ago

Maybe the answers will be in your blog

Did you re-construct this magnificant piece of craftsmenship to fit an existing room or was the room built to fit this piece of craftsmenship?

Thats a heck of puzzle

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

View woodwkr's profile

woodwkr

64 posts in 662 days


posted 632 days ago

Ok – I have started the blog. [ my first :) ]

-- Marshall _ Wichita, Ks _ "Growing Old is Mandatory - - Growing Up Is Optional" :)

View Popintraining's profile

Popintraining

109 posts in 733 days


posted 632 days ago

I’ll bet you’re glad this one is off the books, great post

-- Illegitimis nil carborundum - Don't let the bastards grind you down http://woodworkingtipsfrompop.com

View dennis mitchell's profile

dennis mitchell

3789 posts in 1209 days


posted 632 days ago

Now that is some history. I’m looking forward to your blog!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

View Vanadaar's profile

Vanadaar

3 posts in 681 days


posted 632 days ago

I would never leave that room! Great post!

View rikkor's profile

rikkor

11335 posts in 769 days


posted 632 days ago

THE ultimate power office. I am speechless! It is so intense….

View Mathew Nedeljko's profile

Mathew Nedeljko

44 posts in 725 days


posted 632 days ago

Fantastic, just unbelievable. WOW!!!

What a story… I’m going to read the blog next.

-- When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt! Henry J. Kaiser

View cutman26's profile

cutman26

17 posts in 889 days


posted 631 days ago

We would all be schooled by old school carpenters!...What they did with what they had was incredible. When used properly hand tools can do so much more than power tools! so much for all those jigs

-- Jeremy

View mmh's profile

mmh

1385 posts in 617 days


posted 354 days ago

Incredible workmanship and history in these panels. It’s wonderful that they have been cherished and saved. It must have been a great experience working with them.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

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