Featured Free table!

Found a guy giving away what turned out to be 17th century Irish grandfather clock. It was taken already unfortunately. I decided to see what else he had and he gave me this table. Very kind of him. I was thinking it may be quite old too, and of a similar origin. I drove to get it and realized it has the dowel/rod construction. I believe Brad told me that is specific to a very short era exclusively. Like maybe 1880’s or so? I’m not sure if I would have thought it had an Irish or Scottish look if the clock had not pointed me in that direction. However turns out it does have an old British train sticker on it. Staplehurst to Charing, just outside of London to the south. So the origin theory could hold true. Anywho I don’t do furniture much and would love opinions. It looks well older than 1880’s to me but that time Brad or grasshopper mentioned that dowel technique is sticking in my head. Hopefully we can clear that up. This looks a good 100 years or so older to me. Maybe older. Quite a freebie. It’s spring cleaning season and I’ve gotten a ton of free goodies already. Keep your eyes open folks!

Btw I love the quaint little brasses on this table. He also gave me a sweet men’s vanity mirror on drawers for a dresser top or maybe on top of this table. A very well made one at that.

 

Think that should be read as Charing Cross (Station?)

 

It sure looks 18th century to me,wich is why those drawer pegs puzzle me to ne end. Maybe the drawer is a replacement ? Look at the wear on the feet,the color of the wood underneath,the size of the boards on top.All look old to me . Where in the heck do you live that people are giving away fabulous antiques ??? Im moving !

 

All I attempted to do was basically blow it up to see better, carefully clean around the letters, then fill in some of the letters.....'Charing' does look correct, and above in smaller print where it says "aplehurst To" underneath, it looks VERY FAINTLY like there might be more than one letter before the 'a' in 'aplehurst..............

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Maplehurst?

 

That is correct, I was just being brief.

 

The original quadrant. Where the most old stuff is and where the most people that no longer care about it are. The clock that the guy gave away I have to imagine was very valuable.

edit: I’d say that’s a smart thesis about the replaced drawer. However the peg construction continues through to other parts of the table. Still a good explanation but unless the the photographed part was also done later maybe it doesn’t fit here.

 

I appreciate your detective work as always aqua! In this rare instance I believe I actually had it figured in my original post. . You love the digital detective work so much that you skipped right over my drab text to get to it!

 

I believe it’s Staplehurst. The train station still exists, as does Charing Cross.

 

The long blocks/boards underside to support legs look added as well.

 

The handles are later, arts and crafts.

 

Great freebie.

Charing Cross is named after Charing, a hamlet that used to be there. There is also another hamlet named Charing, not in London, which still exists. So just writing Charing can be confusing.
For brevity you can use Charing X, the way the locals do.

 

Yeah, Staplehurst to London Charing Cross. 41 miles up the line.

Debora

 

It’s more romantic than that. The Cross commemorates Eleanor of Castile. Her coffin was carried back to London and a cross erected in each place where it rested overnight.

 

Yes, Charing Cross was the cross erected when her coffin stayed in the former hamlet of Charing.

 

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HAHAHAHAHA!!! SO sorry I did that....and now have looked!!

 

The only reason my house isn't more stuffed with stuff, is because I only have 700 sq. ft. in my little bungalow. Otherwise I'd go crazy picking up what people give away for free on FB Marketplace (and even sometimes, Craigslist). Might be it's younger people who have inherited antiques they aren't at all interested in and/or don't like brown furniture.

 

I think the reference is to Knapp machined joints, which are different than this. This is a simple pegged joint. Most likely by a country carpenter as opposed to being cabinet shop made. Consequently, I think this a bit older than 1890. If that is a 2 board top, probably not much older than 1870.