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These type of chairs have a long pedigree and
were related to the long benches and three-legged stools that still
formed the principal seating of many homes. Of stick
construction, these would have been cheaply, although often
skilfully, made of hedgerow timber by men who were probably not
full-time furniture makers or even necessarily full-time woodworkers,
and perhaps often by the owners themselves. The widespread use of
similar basic features confirms the ancient pedigree of these styles,
and the enormous diversity that is found within these apparently
simple structures - which defy precise regional classification -
indicates that a large number of makers were responsible. Many were
produced by those craftsmen who made implements and utensils using
similar timbers and techniques and who were present in every
community, particularly coopers and wheelwrights who relied on tight
joints and habitually looked for naturally-shaped pieces for their work.
Although one example has been recorded with the
incised date of 1697, most surviving stick
chairs are probably no earlier than the
mid or late 18th century, by which date the variation was enormous.
Many had short legs implying their use around the hearth rather than
at a dining table, with many being in effect stools with a simple
back support. The majority had arms, for strength as well as comfort,
sometimes formed of a single piece, but more usually of a curved
section which had been halved and joined, often with an additional
section inserted. The arm supports at the front were normally either
bent backwards for strength, or of larger size than the other
uprights. The rounded sections, including legs, were usually shaped
with a drawknife rather than turned. The style often thought of as
the most typical had tall back spokes with either a 'comb' top rail
or a hoop. A few had the arms attached to the outside uprights, the
design that was the norm in Ireland. Many were three-legged, which
gave stability on uneven floors, although by itself this is not an
indicator of either region or date.
These deceptively simple chairs were a feat of
engineering with small-section timber used to produce pieces that
were both comfortable and long-lasting. Although a number of timbers
were used, surviving examples are normally of ash, which was the
favoured material for many rural products, with the seats (which
needed to take a number of holes) being less prone to split than if
made in oak, and the cleft legs and spokes being more pliable. They
were found in areas, such as the Towy and Swansea valleys, which
produced fine joined pieces but their construction was not
necessarily a cheap alternative and they may simply have been more
readily available in some districts because of the particular skills
of certain craftsmen; they might have been better suited to some
uses, and it is arguable that they were more comfortable. Family
histories from the early 20th century suggest that there was
sometimes one alongside the hearth for the head of the household,
with a settle and stools for the rest of the family. They were
perhaps not seen as appropriate for either the parlour or dining
room, and by the time more chairs were deemed necessary in the cegin,
the joined chair had become the established vernacular form. Interior
pictures of the 19th century showed both joined and stick chairs in
the same setting, but whether in the 18th  century
they were used for different social levels or parts of the house is
less certain. Many show not only great care in the selection of the
timber, but decorative features including turning, outline shaping
and fretwork, with similar patterns to those found on other furniture
forms. They often had proportions that show them to have been made
for a particular person, with some owned by important nonconformist
leaders indicating the types of homes for which they were intended,
as such individuals were typically drawn from the ranks of small
farmers and craftsmen.
Some were apparently left unfinished, although
subsequent additions and removals of paint and varnish make it
difficult to judge if this was the norm. By the late 18th century
painted and grained finishes had become more common on many other
types of furniture partly because of the greater use of deal, and
since it was the practice to paint wheels and wagons (usually in
either red, blue or yellow), it is certain that some chairs were
originally coloured; this is confirmed on many examples as well as on
stools and comparable pieces of treenware.
More
details regarding this and other furniture types can be found in Welsh
Furniture 1250-1950 by Richard Bebb |
