Curious about the Museum? Want to know more about High Wycombe’s history? Have a browse through our list of Frequently Asked Questions and sources of further information.
Checked our FAQs and still have a question? The Museum runs an enquiries service. We can answer questions about our collection and similar artefacts, but for Family and Local History, please check the information below. Find out more about our enquiries service here.
On Wycombe Museum
Is Wycombe Museum the same as The Chair Museum or The Chair-Making Museum?
Lots of people know Wycombe Museum as ‘The Chair Museum’ and have done so for decades. The Chair Making Museum is a separate entitiy, and is newer. Read on for more details.
Despite popular belief there was never an officially named Chair Museum in Wycombe. From around 1875 a local lawyer, James Oliff Griffits, collected books and objects to create a general-interest ‘High Wycombe Museum and Library’. At this time, objects were collected on the grounds of general interest, rather than relevance to High Wycombe. This explains the presence in the collection of objects such as the Babylonian tablet and the Parisian velocipede, which have no specific local connection.
Soon after the Museum opened in the 1930s, local chairs and tools were collected and displayed, reflecting the dominant local industry. As a result, the Museum would come to be known informally as ‘The Chair Museum’.
The Museum kept the name ‘High Wycombe Museum’ until the 1980s when the ‘High’ was dropped and it was renamed ‘Wycombe Local History and Chair Museum’ – to remind people that the collections cover local history from the wider Wycombe District, including Marlow, Stokenchurch and Princes Risborough. In the 1990s the Museum became simply ‘Wycombe Museum’. We are still Wycombe Museum but don’t mind if you prefer to call us The Chair Museum! In recent years, we have rebranded our furniture galleries as The Chair Museum too, as it’s what everyone calls us it anyway!
The High Wycombe Chair Making Museum is not in fact a formal Museum but the showroom and workshop of traditional furniture maker Stuart Linford, which he opened to the public. It included a display of Thames Valley Windsor Chairs. The original has since closed, but the displays have been taken over by Kraftinwood in High Wycombe.
How old is the Museum?
In the 1870s James Oliff Griffits, a local lawyer, raised money for a free public library. The story goes that he held dinner parties where each guest brought a book or an object or a monetary donation. In 1875 he opened his library – with space to display some small objects – in Church Street, High Wycombe.
In 1917 Sir John Thomas of Wooburn, a paper mill owner, left land to the council for ‘a Public Museum and Art Gallery’, as well as some paintings which formed the basis of our art collection.
In 1929 the upper floors of the Library were set aside as a dedicated museum space and more objects started being donated. Fred Skull – an antiques dealer from a furniture-making family – was appointed Honorary Museum Curator.
In 1932, a new library/museum opened in Queen Victoria Road with an extension 5 years later.
In 1962, Wycombe Museum moved to its current home, Castle Hill House on Priory Avenue. The move was initially meant to be temporary, but we’re still here today!
On Castle Hill House
Why is it called Castle Hill House?
There is a long-standing belief that the mound in the grounds was a defensive motte-and-bailey castle in the Middle Ages (see below section on the Museum Grounds). This belief gave the house its name. As the mound has never been excavated, it is not possible to either prove or disprove this belief.
How old is Castle Hill House?
Different parts of Castle Hill House were built at different times, so there are a number of answers to this question. The oldest parts date back to the late 1600s, with the most recent parts added on around 1910.
The original house is believed to have been built between 1690-1720, and is at the rear of the Museum as it currently stands. The original house consisted of the kitchen, hallway and living room on the ground floor, a landing and two bedrooms on the first floor, and the attic which had extra bedrooms.
About 200 years ago the flint fronted extension was added to give bigger rooms and a more impressive façade. These new rooms had higher ceilings which left no room for an attic at the front of the house. This is particularly noticeable in the Museum’s foyer, where the more recent front half has higher ceilings which then lower towards the staircase to the first floor, and is the reason our lift makes multiple stops on the two levels of the first floor. At the same time that the front extension was built, another was added for the servants’ use at the rear of the building – this is where the toilets are now.
About 100 years ago the eastern end of the house was extended resulting in its current, lopsided, appearance.
Who lived at Castle Hill House?
Before Wycombe Museum moved to Castle Hill House, it was a family home. Some of the house’s residents were locally important, but not national figures.
The Shrimpton family, who were tenants here, provided a mayor 21 times for High Wycombe between 1699 and 1786.
Samuel Welles, a member of the family who owned the house until 1808, was Mayor of High Wycombe 5 times. Although his family owned Castle Hill House, Welles never lived there himself.
In 1808 Samuel Nash, the Town Clerk, bought the house and lived in it.
Afterwards it was owned by the Carrington family, who lived at Loakes Park (now Wycombe Abbey School). The Carringtons leased the house to their land agents.
John George Peace, another Mayor of High Wycombe, bought the property in 1892.
From 1909 to 1962 the Clarke family owned the house. All 3 house owners – Daniel, Arthur and Roland Peace – were Mayors of High Wycombe.
Is Castle Hill House haunted?
There are said to be at least 3 ghosts:
A Victorian lady walks through the blocked door in the upstairs chair gallery, a man in a Tricorn hat on the front lawn, and footsteps through the upstairs chair galleries.
However, none of these ghosts have been witnessed in recent years – unless you count our staff and volunteers dressing up at our Halloween events!
On the Museum Grounds & Garden
How have the grounds of Castle Hill House changed over time?
Until the middle of the 19th century, the house grounds went all the way down to Castle Street, across to Amersham Hill and up to Priory Road. Land was sold off as follows:
- 1862 – land to the south sold to the railway for the extension to Princes Risborough & beyond.
- 1875 – land to the east sold for Greenways houses.
- 1975 – land to the north sold for Haystacks houses.
- 1975 – a small parcel of land to the south-west sold for a new vicarage.
Was a Saxon burial site discovered in the grounds of Castle Hill House?
In 1901, a wedding was taking place in the House grounds. It’s said that during the ceremony, workmen working on the driveway unearthed an old grave. Amongst the grave goods was an approximately 1,000-year-old golden Saxon pendant. Although the original is now kept by the British Museum, Wycombe Museum holds a replica of the pendant in our galleries.
The amount of truth in this story is unknown. While there was definitely a Saxon burial site and golden pendant discovered, it’s not known exactly where within the grounds they were found, or whether they could have been discovered during a wedding ceremony. In 1901 the boundaries of Castle Hill House’s grounds were not the same as they are today. Before the railway was built, the House’s driveway went right down the hill and came out at the bottom of Amersham Hill. When the railway came, the House’s driveway ran along the north of the railway and still came out in Amersham Hill, but just above the railway bridge. Priory Avenue was not made until about 1901 so were the workmen working “on the driveway” somewhere between the present gates and Amersham Hill? If men were working on the driveway, then how did guests get in and out of Castle Hill grounds for the wedding celebration?
Sadly, the exact location was not recorded, so these questions remain unanswered.
What is the history of the mound in the grounds?
The mound, together with the rest of the grounds, was scheduled as an Ancient Monument by English Heritage (now Historic England) meaning it is of national importance. They declared it to be a Norman fortification called motte-and-bailey, probably dating to the 12th century period known as The Anarchy when Stephen and Matilda contested the English throne.
There are people in Wycombe who dispute the motte-and-bailey claims, and say it is a landscape garden feature, although this is also disputed. There have been several other suggested origins but, sadly, there is no conclusive proof as to what the motte is or is not. Mike Farley, former County Archaeologist, says that, until clear evidence is found, perhaps it should simply be called ‘The Mystery Mound’.
On Furniture & Furniture Making
What is a Windsor chair, and why are they called Windsor chairs?
A Windsor chair is, most simply, a stool with a back added. It refers to how a chair is constructed, rather than to a particular design.
Read our blog post What is a Windsor Chair here
Ironically Windsor chairs were not produced in Windsor. It might seem logical that they should be called ‘Wycombe chairs’, since so many of them were made in High Wycombe in the 19th century. But they were already called ‘Windsor chairs’ by the early 1700s, long before High Wycombe became a centre for chair production in the early 1800s. We know that Windsor was where chairs made in the surrounding area were loaded onto river barges for transporting to London. This is almost certainly how Windsor chairs got their name.
Why did so many furniture factories catch fire?
Factories were made of wood, were full of wood used for the furniture, tools had wooden handles, and the air within factories was filled with sawdust and wood chippings. Open stoves were used for heating chair-glue, which set hard if it got cold. This combination made fires almost inevitable.
It has been suggested that some fires were started deliberately for the insurance money, especially towards the end when factories were becoming unprofitable, but these claims are unsubstantiated.
What do the initials stamped on chairs mean?
Many chairs will have initials stamped onto them, usually on the back edge of the seat. They are usually the initials of the chair ‘framer’ – the worker who put all the chair parts together to complete the chair. It made sure the worker was paid for all the chairs he completed. Initials on their own are not enough to identify a specific chair framer.
Can you tell me who made my chair, or when it was made?
Unfortunately, we can almost never tell you who made your chair, unless it has a specific maker or company mark. Throughout the area's furniture making history, there have been thousands of individual furniture makers working, and there is no list of all of them.
Your chair may be stamped - usually on the underside or back of the seat, if it's a wooden chair. If you're lucky, you may have a company name listed, so will be able to tell which factory it was manufactured for.
If you find initials, these usually belong to the chair ‘framer’ – the worker who put all the chair parts together to complete the chair. It made sure the worker was paid for all the chairs he completed. Initials on their own are not enough to identify a specific chair framer.
As for when your chair is made, we may be able to give you a general idea from the style, especially if it was locally made. If you email us a picture to info@wycombemuseum.org. This will be only an estimate though, as lots of reproduction furniture has been produced - for example, companies might have made 16th century-style chairs in the 1900s.
If your chair is a traditional wooden chair from the UK, we may be able to tell you which regional characteristics it has.
Why were some chair makers called bodgers?
Read our article on the history of bodgers.
Bodgers produced all the parts of chairs that were turned on pole-lathes – including the legs, stretchers, arms and rods. The rest of the chair was completed in the factories and workshops. Bodgers worked in the woods around Wycombe, within walking distance of their homes. Bodger is an informal name for these turners and it doesn’t appear to have become common until the early twentieth century. The first time it was written down was 1911. They never called themselves bodgers. When they had to record their job, they always used the more correct word ‘turner’.
It’s not possible to know exactly where the name came from – one idea is that it has links with the idea of a ‘bodged job’, and was a derogatory term used by workers in furniture factories when referring to men who worked in the woods. Or it may simply refer to men who produced incomplete chair parts, leaving the factory workers to produce the finished product. By around the middle of the 20th century, it no longer had any negative associations and was widely used to describe the specific, traditional and skilled job these chair makers did.
Can you give me advice on restoring my chair or furniture?
Furniture restoration is outside the expertise of Wycombe Museum.
We recommend contacting:
- British Antique Furniture Restoration Association
- The Basketmakers' Association (for caned seats)
Can I donate my chair/furniture to the museum?
Wycombe Museum’s unique collection has grown thanks to the generosity of local people. We're always grateful to anyone reaching out with things they think we may be interested in. That being said, there are things that we do and don't collect.
Our remit is the Wycombe area and we do not usually collect items that have a history from outside of this area.
We prioritise objects with a good provenance or background information. This links the artefact to people and makes it more interesting to visitors.
Please see our Offers to the Collection page to check whether your object is something we may be interested in, and whether we are currently able to accept offers.
Is there a list of High Wycombe furniture factories & makers?
Are there other places I can go to find out more?
Here are some external sources with further information on furniture & furniture making.
- British and Irish Furniture Makers Online
- Furniture History Society
- Furniture Making in High Wycombe (Article)
- High Wycombe Furniture Archive (by Buckinghamshire New University)
- Kraftinwood & High Wycombe Chair Making Museum
- Museum of the Home (Previously The Geffrye Museum)
- Regional Furniture Society
- Temple Newsam House
- Victoria & Albert Museum Furniture Collection
On High Wycombe’s History & Heritage
What is the origin of High Wycombe’s mayor weighing tradition?
Traditionally, a mayor was weighed at the beginning and end of their term to make sure that they had not ‘grown fat’ at the expense of the people of Wycombe. It has in recent years become more of a ceremonial tradition. The date of the first mayor weighing in High Wycombe is unknown, but in John Parker’s history of Wycombe (1878) he claims that this tradition had fallen into disuse since the dissolution of the old Corporation in 1835. There are no other known references to the tradition.
Mayor weighing is almost unique to High Wycombe - in 1951, mayor weighting was adopted by Minneapolis in America, based on Wycombe's tradition.
Why were chair arches built in High Wycombe?
In Victorian Britain many towns often constructed arches to mark special occasions, sometimes composed of objects which symbolised the town, and High Wycombe was famous for chairs.
The original idea of a triumphal arch goes back to classical Greek and Roman times. More recent examples were probably inspired by Marble Arch which was moved from Buckingham Palace to Hyde Park Corner in 1850-51. See more on the town’s chair arches on our Photography page.
What is the origin of the Wycombe swan emblem?
The association between Buckinghamshire, its towns, and the swan starts from around 1444, when Humphrey sixth Earl of Stafford became Duke of Buckingham. The swan was his personal crest. However, the direct link to High Wycombe is not known. The crown that accompanies the swan on the emblem of High Wycombe is said to come from the belief that High Wycombe owes its allegiance to no one but the crown.
There are differences between the Buckinghamshire swan crest and the High Wycombe swan crest. While they both derive from the Duke of Buckingham’s crest, the Buckinghamshire county swan almost always has its wings open, whilst the High Wycombe swan’s wings are almost always closed.
Is High Wycombe listed in the Domesday Book?
The Domesday Book is a record of the 1086 Great Survey, that was undertaken in much of England and parts of Wales, as ordered by William the Conqueror. There is an entry for High Wycombe (then Wicumun), which includes these details:
Population: 60 ‘very large’ households - 40 villagers, 8 smallholders, 8 slaves & 4 boors.
Ploughland: Land for 30 ploughs - 3 lord's plough teams & 27 men's plough teams.
Other resources: Meadow - 3 ploughs. Woodland - 500 pigs. Mills - 6.
A ‘boor’ was the lowest grade of peasant, but above a slave. A ‘plough’ was a measure of land, determined by what could be ploughed by a team of 8 oxen in a day.
Was there ever a castle in Desborough?
It is believed that a castle was built at Desborough during the 1150s, during the reign of King Stephen and the war with his cousin Matilda. A fortress could have been sited at Desborough as early as 1000BC.
See Buckinghamshire's Heritage Portal for more information.
Are there other places I can go to find out more?
At Wycombe Museum our focus is on the artefacts we look after and Wycombe’s nationally significant chair collection. For more general local and family history there are plenty of other resources.
External Resources on Wycombe’s History & Heritage
On Local Art and Photographs
Can I get copies of any of the Museum’s photographs and paintings?
Wycombe Museum’s photographs, and prints of many of our paintings are available to be purchased and licensed for reproduction. You can find out more on our Image Licensing page.
Can I see more historic photographs online?
There is a public access online database of old photographs of High Wycombe: Sharing Wycombe's Old Photographs, 'SWOP'.
It contains digitised versions of most photographs in the archives of Wycombe Museum, High Wycombe Library, and The Bucks Free Press, as well as those in private collections.
SWOP is free to use and has advanced search features to help find what you're looking for.
Can I see more of Wycombe Museum's art collection?
You are able to view all of Wycombe Museum’s oil paintings on ArtUK, which have been digitised through the Public Catalogue Foundation.
See Wycombe Museum's oil paintings.
On Local Records & Family History Research
Can Wycombe Museum help me with my family history research?
Wycombe Museum does not carry records specific to family history research. We recommend you use the resources available at the Buckinghamshire Archives and High Wycombe Library.
If you are looking for information on a relative you know to have been associated with a particular local furniture factory, there is a small chance we may have information on them, but our records are not designed to be useful for family history research. You may also want to look at our List of High Wycombe Furniture Factories for names and dates of factories and makers.
If you are looking for information on relatives who are not involved in the furniture industry, we recommend using the resources below.
Where can I go for help with family history research?
On Offering Objects to the Museum Collections
Can I offer my object to the museum collection as a gift?
Wycombe Museum’s unique collection has grown thanks to the generosity of local people. We’re always grateful to people reaching out with things they think we may be interested in. That being said, there are things that we do and don’t collect.
Our remit is the Wycombe area and we do not usually collect items that have a history from outside of this area.
We prioritise objects with a good provenance or background information. This links the artefact to people and makes it more interesting to visitors.
Please see our Offers to the Collection page to check whether your object is something we may be interested in, and whether we are currently able to accept offers.
Will the museum buy my object from me?
Probably not. We are small charity with an extremely limited budget, and we simply do not have the budget to be making purchases for our collection.
Very occasionally, in the case of something truly exception and of great significance for our collection, we may be able to secure funding via a grant to make important purchases. However, this would be a rare case.
Please see our Offers to the Collection page to check whether your object is something we may be interested in, and whether we are currently able to accept offers.
Research & Enquiries
Can Wycombe Museum help me with my research?
Wycombe Museum offers an enquiries service, answering questions about local history matters. This can also includes access to our stored collection, viewing items from the museum’s stores.
Check our Enquiries & Research page for full details.
This is a service that we offer for free, but would be grateful for any donations that you are able to make to support us.
See our Research Policy here.
Checked our FAQs and still have a question? The Museum runs an enquiries service. We can answer questions about our collection and similar artefacts, but for Family and Local History, please use the relevant links to other sources of information above.
