D

DALTON, Thomas: Cabinetmaker at 31 Percival Street, Clerkenwell (1829); The Bazaar, Soho Square (c. 1830); 5 Great Ormond Street (1832); 6 Great Ormond Street, Queen Square, and The Quadrant, 85 Regent Street, London (1835-51). Listed as ‘Writing Desk and Dressing Case Makers’ in Robson’s Classification of Trades and Street Guide for London, 1829, p. 372; as ‘Portable Desk and Fancy Cabinetmakers’ in The Post Office London Directory, 1829; as a ‘Dressing case maker’ in Robson’s Commercial Directory of London, 1840. Label on base of rosewood stand with glass cover, supporting a large urn-shaped tea caddy, decorated with rolled paper work, c. 1800, states ‘T. DALTON Dressing Case, Fancy Cabinet Manufacturers and General Dealer in Fancy Articles Wholesale & Retail 6, Gt. ORMOND St, QUEEN SQ., LONDON An Assortment of Fancy Cutlery, Leather Goods, Glass, Carpet Bags &c Old Desks repaired or exchanged’. Possibly Dalton made the case and not the tea caddy, as the latter appears to pre-date Dalton’s move to 6 Great Ormond Street. (Bonhams, London, July 2003; Chapter 13: Rolled Paper, Figure 13.12) 

DARBY, William: (fl. c. 1750-1770). ‘Upholsterer, Appraiser & Undertaker At the Bear & Crown in Aldermanbury near ye Church, London’. Trade card, c. 1760, stating ‘Upholstery & Cabinet Goods’ for sale, including ‘Tea Chests’. Declared bankrupt (The Gentleman’s Magazine, December 1769), but trading again in 1770. (DEFM and Heal, pp. 42, 47) 

DAVIDSON, John (1817-1872): (fl. c. 1850 onwards). Mauchline ware manufacturer (boxmaker) in Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland, and later in Birmingham. As Clark, Davidson and Co., displayed wares at Great Exhibition, London, 1851. In 1855, Davidson formed a new partnership with Robert Wilson, and in 1856 they were joined in Birmingham by Simon Amphlet, trading as Davidson, Wilson & Amphlet (see below). Davidson left the firm in 1864, but continued to trade as John Davidson and Sons until his death. 

DAVIDSON, WILSON & AMPHLET: (fl. 1856-65). Mauchline ware manufacturers at The Victoria Works, Barskimming Road, Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland, and at 6 (later re-numbered 9) Regent Place, Birmingham. Rectangular sycamore tea caddy decorated with three transfer prints; tinfoil on underside of main and inner lids impressed ‘DAVIDSON, WILSON & AMPHLET MAUCHLINE’. (Private collection) See also entry for WILSON & AMPHLET (from 1865). 

DAVIDSON, R.: Possibly a cabinetmaker in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. ‘R. Davidson, June 29th 1839, Newcastle-upon-Tyne’ is pencilled underneath the velvet on the underside of the pagoda-shaped lid of a tortoiseshell two-compartment tea caddy. 

DAVI[E]S, Samuel: (fl. 1796-1829). Cabinetmaker and auctioneer at Eastgate Street (1797-1805), Foregate Street (1812-30) (at No. 132 in 1828), Chester. Advertisement for sale of stock-in-trade dated 16 March 1830 included tea chests. (Chester Freemen Rolls) (DEFM) 

DAW: Cheapside. Label on sarcophagus-shaped tortoiseshell-veneered tea caddy with canted corners, c. 1810; ring handles at ends and gilt-metal paw feet; interior with two compartments with tortoiseshell-veneered lids and blue glass sugar bowl. (Sold by May, Whetter and Grose (auctioneers), Par, Cornwall, 22 January 1980.) 

DEAN, Thomas: Listed as ‘Pearl, Tortoiseshell & Ivory Wrkrs. and ornament & Caddy maker[s]’ at 62 ½ Kenton Street, Birmingham, in Birmingham Trades Directory, 1873. 

DEANE & CO.: Principally ironmongers situated near London Bridge, opposite Monument; sold a wide range of goods, including papier mâché wares. Catalogue, Deane & Co.’s Descriptive Illustrated Guide to their Warehouses, Show-Rooms and Manufactories, &c., &c., c. 1855, includes tea chests and caddies. (The J. Evan Bedford Library of Furniture History; Chapter 16: Figure 16.36)  

DEELEY & WAKEMAN: Listed as ‘Tortoiseshell, ivory & horn box case, & caddee makers’ at 96 Suffolk Street, Birmingham, in Wrightson’s Triennial Directory of Birmingham, 1829-30. 

DEERING, William: (fl. 1760s). (Probably) an upholsterer and cabinetmaker ‘At the Cabinet and Carpet Warehouse, Great Newport Street, Long Acre, London’. In an advertisement in the Middlesex Journal dated 16 May 1769 (DEFM) Deering claimed to have been the ‘original maker of Venetian blinds’ and maker of games tables. Billhead dated 5 September 1771 suggests he was an upholsterer/house furnisher retailing mostly textiles; billhead receipted for sale of ‘1 Tea Caddy £0-18-0’ supplied to ‘Mr. Storer’. (The J. Evan Bedford Library of Furniture History) 

DILLER, D & J. (David and John): (fl. 1837-41). Box and case makers, and retailers, at 5 Chandos Street, Covent Garden, London. Mahogany tea chest, c. 1840, with satinwood crossbanding and ebony stringing; well for sugar bowl with label stating ‘D & J. Diller 5 Chandos Street Covent Garden’. (Woolley and Wallis, Salisbury, 13 May 2003, Lot 383). Mahogany tea chest, c. 1840, with label in well stating ‘D & J Diller Chandos St’. (Alexandra Palace Antiques Fair, 1 February 2009). Imported Indian (Vizagapatam) horn tea chest, c. 1835-40. Sandalwood carcass clad with polished horn (probably buffalo); label on underside of main lid. (Mark Goodger Antiques, Northamptonshire; Chapter 22: Miscellaneous …, Figure 22.5a). Trade card lists ‘Ladies Work & Jewel Boxes, Ebony Inlaid & Buhl Inkstands, Copying Machines, Tea Chests, Liquor Cases & Medicine Chests’. (DEFM)  

DILLER, George Christian: (fl. 1819-37). Cabinetmaker and box and case maker at 5, Chandos Street, and at 5 Charlotte Street, Covent Garden; listed under ‘Writing Desk and Dressing Case Makers’, as in Percival Street, London, in The Post Office London Directory ,1829. Rectangular mahogany tea chest, c.1825; interior with two lidded canisters and central well for sugar bowl; label on base of left well stating ‘G.C. DILLER Cabinet, Portable Writing Desk & Copying Machine Maker, No.5 CHANDOS STREET COVENT GARDEN Tea Chests, Dressing and Jewellry Boxes, made To any Pattern, at the shortest Notice’. (Roderick Butler Antiques, Honiton, Devon). Large rectangular rosewood tea chest with brass-inlaid decoration, c. 1830; bun feet; interior with two canisters with brass inlay on lids, and well for sugar bowl with same label as above. (W. A. Pinn & Sons, Suffolk).  

DIXON, James: Metalware manufacturer (pewterer) in Silver Street, Sheffield (from c. 1806-1822) and at Cornish Place, Sheffield (1822-1851); later traded as James Dixon & Sons at same premises (1851-1976). Britannia metal (pewter) tea caddy, c. 1823-9, impressed on base ‘DIXON & SON’ (Museums Sheffield), and electroplated Britannia metal (pewter) tea caddy, c. 1850, with embossed decoration; impressed on base ‘JAMES DIXON & SONS [patent no.] 494 EPBM’. (Private collection; Chapter 18: Pewter …, Figures 18.10 and 18.13a and b) 

DOBSON, William: Box maker and retailer at 165 Strand (1797-1805); 166 Strand, near Surry Street (1805-25); 162 Strand, London (1826-47). Listed under ‘Writing Desk and Dressing Case Makers’ in Robson’s Classification of Trades and Street Guide for London, 1829. Mahogany tea chest, c. 1820, with satinwood cross-banding and fan-shaped spandrels in corners; interior with two lidded canisters and blue glass sugar bowl; right canister with label on base stating ‘W. DOBSON Hardwareman: stationer and Dealer in Fine Cutlery Strand 166 London … Shaving and Dressing Cases’. (David’s Boxes, London, February 2002).  Bombé sarcophagus kingwood tea chest, c. 1825, with pressed brass feet and side handles; similar labels on bases of canisters. (Private collection; Chapter 5: Wood …, Figure 5.85) Mahogany tea chest, c.1825, with label under lid stating ‘Bought of Wm Dobson HARDWAREMAN, STATIONER etc. Strand 162 London Dealer in fine cutlery manufactures Pocket Books, Writing Desks, Shaving, Dressing Cases etc. BY HIS MAJESTY’S ROYAL LETTERS PATENT Portable Machines …’. (David’s Boxes, London, June, 2002). Billhead stating ‘Hardwareman, Stationer &c’ in the Strand, London, 1801. (The British Museum, London; Chapter 3: Making …, Figure 3.25)  

DUNCOMBE (Duncumb), John: (fl. 1702-1745). Pewterer in Birmingham (1702-1719), and in Wribbenhall near Bewdley, Worcestershire (1720-1745). Succeeded in Bewdley by son, Stynt (d. 1767). Oval cast pewter tea canister with cap lid, c. 1740; bears Duncumb’s mark ‘ID’. (Victoria and Albert Museum; Chapter 18: Pewter …, Figure 18.1) 

DUNNETT, Malcolm: (fl. 1799-1846). Retailer at 154 (and later 3) Cheapside, London. Tortoiseshell-veneered sarcophagus tea chest, c. 1820, with oval label on side of left canister stating ‘Dunnetts Toy & Tunbridgre Ware Repository No 3 Cheapside London’. (Private collection; Chapter 11: Tortoiseshell, Figure 11.18)