Item Description

A rare and superb quality George IV period Davenport desk in beautifully figured satinwood. This Davenport features a top which rotates through a quarter turn (to allow the user to sit at it), with a leather inset fall lifting to reveal a well with three interior pencil cedar lined drawers, and a sliding and hinged pen tray to the right hand side. Below this is a bank of four mahogany lined drawers, all with turned knob handles, raised on a plinth base with original brass castors. Circa 1825.

Bears makers’ stamp to the top drawer, ‘Miles & Edwards, 134 Oxford St, London 40258’.

About Miles & Edwards

Henry Miles and John Edwards are recorded in The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers as active from their Oxford St. premises between 1822 and 1840. Their clients included the British Ambassador to Paris and the Empress of Russia.  Commissions in the UK included furniture for Audley End House in Essex, Hampton Court, Burton Constable in Yorkshire, and Wynyard Park in County Durham. They were later taken over by Charles Hindley & Sons.

Condition & Details of Restoration

This item is in original structural condition. The polish has been refinished, by our own craftsmen, by hand in the traditional manner. There are some extremely minor old marks under the polish. The leather inset is a replacement.

Dimensions

Width 19” (48cm) Depth 19” (48cm) Height 33” (84cm)

We heartily recommend that you avail yourself of a tape measure and double-check that any item you are thinking of purchasing will fit into the space you have in mind for it – in our experience it is all too easy to view a photograph and imagine a piece is either double or half the size it actually is!

Delivery

We will be happy to arrange a quote for delivery should this be required. We have a network of reliable couriers we can recommend for both UK and international transport.

You are, of course, also welcome to arrange your own collection.

About Us

We are a long established family firm buying and selling fine quality antique and later furniture. Peter Martin founded the business some 45 years ago in the picturesque East Berkshire town of Eton – in the shadow of Windsor castle and home to the world famous Eton College – and was joined by son Paul just over 25 years ago. Peter has now officially retired and handed over the reins to Paul, but continues to work for the business on a consultancy basis. We still have an office in Eton, but our stock is now available to view in three different locations across the South of England.

Our warehouse and showroom is located at Unit 21 of The Vinery Complex, just a mile from the beautiful and historic West Sussex town of Arundel. Should you spot something on this website that is of interest but would like to see it ‘in the flesh’, just drop us a line or give us a call and we’ll work out the most mutually convenient way for you to view the item in question.

We carry a large and diverse range of furniture for the home and office, in oak, walnut, mahogany and exotic timbers. All restoration is carried out in the traditional manner by our own skilled craftsmen. Our stock dates mostly from the 18th to early 20th centuries, although we also offer a few later, high-quality pieces of traditional style. Also, from time to time we may have a limited range of paintings, prints, rugs and objects in stock, depending on what fortune sends our way. With two buyers constantly on the road searching for stock there are always fresh pieces available for your perusal. And if we haven't got exactly what you are looking for, our extensive range of contacts in the trade means there's a good chance we can find it for you.

Buy with Confidence

As can be seen our feedback rating is extremely positive, if a little short on numbers due to the fact that we tend to deal with our customers ‘person to person’ even when first contact has been made via eBay or other website. We have been in business for over 40 years, and are proud to be active and long-established members of the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses).

Money-back Guarantee

We are confident that our photographs and descriptions accurately represent the item being offered, but there is of course no substitute for viewing any item of antique furniture prior to purchase. You are always more than welcome to visit for an inspection; however, we appreciate that this is not always practical and so are proud to offer a full money-back guarantee on all items purchased. If for any reason you are unhappy with your acquisition, simply return it to us within 14 days of delivery, in the same condition as when it left our premises, and we will be happy to offer a complete refund on the purchase price. The only cost you will bear is that of the transport.

Payment

PayPal, Bank Transfer, or cash-on-collection/delivery preferred. Banker’s Drafts or personal cheques are acceptable, but please note that under no circumstances will goods be released until funds have cleared. We regret that we are unable to process credit or debit card transactions over the phone or online.

Thank you for your interest.

Paul & Peter Martin