Featured Help requested with vintage 3-legged table. English?

It is odd no doubt, especially since these small tables were developed in the 16th century & cricket much later.

Actually, I think they chew tobacco!

 

I just checked Jack Plane's Blog and, he doesn't know exactly what the deal is on this "Cricket Table" thingy either and if Jack doesn't know, NO ONE knows!
Although he did build one for his wife & explains their historical construction.
https://pegsandtails.wordpress.com/2009/09/19/an-ash-cricket-table/

Fig. 14. The completed table in-the-white.

Fig. 17. The table top received subtle fading and ageing too.

 

Cricket, the game, is sixteenth century at the very latest, and probably far older than that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_cricket

 

Thing is, we will probably never know why this table form got nicknamed "Cricket Table", this is a common occurrence with old furniture. Things get forgotten, fall thru the cracks, get mislaid and centuries later become furniture mysteries never to be solved.

 

I inquired about this on Jack's blog

james conrad says:
6th May 2020 at 8:15 am
I wonder, why do they call them “cricket” tables? It seems such an odd name & doesn’t have anything to do with the game of cricket, does it?


Jack Plane says:
6th May 2020 at 10:04 am
No, nothing to do with the game cricket. Rather, the name seems to be related to cracket, being three legged stools.

 

About that batten ( called bearer by the English) and why they are important on this form of table.

No isn't and, kinda tricky to mill, check out this photo looking down on frame

"Those thinking ahead will have realised that the three boards of the top will be well supported at one end (where they cross one of the rails at ninety degrees), however, at their opposite ends, only the centre board will be wholly supported and the ends of the two outside boards will be left tentatively detached from the frame. The solution is to let in a bearer, the same width as the base of the triangle and equidistant from the table centre as the base of the triangle (fig. 10)."

Fig. 10. The bearer in situ.

The bearer was nailed to the underside of the top with wrought nails (fig. 12) after the top was attached to the table frame with more pegs (fig. 13).

Fig. 12. Bearer nailed to top.

Fig. 13. The table top pegged in place…

 

Indeed, from Jack's blog, a period painting of an English cottage scene.



Fig. 2. A cricket table laid out for taking tea. From the painting A Cottage Interior, by William Redmore Bigg.

 

This picture alone explains a lot.
Thanks for doing the research and posting.

 

No problem, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, particularly if one is unfamiliar with woodworking terms.

 

What kinda Englishman doesn't know what a cricket table is??!!
We thought everyone knew what a cricket table was.
What we wanna know is, why is it called a cricket table?
As soon as you get that worked out, give us a shout! we got folks waiting on an answer!

 

While we wait on that, check out this little guy.
It's early C. 1700, has drop leafs and it SWIVELS like a lazy susan.
It's also pricey, over 5k USD
https://www.sellingantiques.co.uk/670883/rare-early-18th-century-oak-cricket-table/



Notice the hole in framing for the top to swivel

 

@James Conrad,

Well, according to: https://www.heraldnet.com/life/16th-century-cricket-table-had-nothing-to-do-with-sport/

• by Terry and Kim Kovel
• Thursday, January 26, 2017

"“For sale, typical English cricket table,” said the auction ad. But what is a cricket table? Is it used for sports like the English game of cricket? Does it have anything to do with the insect?

No. The cricket table was first named and used during the 16th century. The French word “criquet” refers to its stick legs. And the table has three legs, so it can be used where the floor is uneven. Remember your geometry — three points determine a plane, so all three legs of any length will touch the floor at the same time, while a four-legged table might wobble.

Most antique cricket tables have triangular or round tops. Some have shelves halfway down the legs. It was a country furniture idea, and tables can be found that are made of sycamore, ash, oak, elm, cherry or walnut woods. A few have three drop leaves. In 2016, Thomaston Auctions sold an elaborate oak cricket table with sausage-turned legs and a T-stretcher for $1,170."
Aaaaand....that's all I've got on that subject to add.....but still very interesting!!!

 

That's a theory, not a fact, 2 totally different things. And, the fact is, no one knows nor are they ever likely to know why they call these tables "cricket" tables. That information like many others in the old furniture world has been lost to history.
Just saying............
I am going with Jack's theory on this one because his knowledge in these matters is unquestioned.
" Rather, the name seems to be related to cracket, being three legged stools."
But even Jack puts a qualifier in there " the name seems".