table and chairs
Basilica Museum
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| Object Name: | table and chairs |
| Classification: | man-made artefact |
| Category: | building furnishings |
| Sub-category: | furniture |
| Discipline: | church history local history material culture |
| Material: | oak leather cotton metal |
| Technique: | carved |
| Accession Number: | Noaccession04 |
| Origin-Country: | England ? |
| Origin-Continent: | Europe ? |
| Use-Province: | Pre-Confederation Newfoundland |
| Use-Country: | Dominion of Newfoundland |
| Culture: | English ? |
| Cultural Context: | personal use |
| Earliest Production Date: | c 1890's |
| Period: | late 19th century |
| School/Style: | Mixture of Elizabethan and Jacobean, known as Jacobethan |
| Description: | This table and chair set has been stained dark brown in colour and each of the chairs have had their seats covered in black leather. The table itself is in two pieces, to allow for table leaves to be inserted and make the table longer. A large piece of Plexiglas-glass has been placed on it's surface to protect it from being damaged. One of the legs on the table has some damage, however, as a piece of it near the top has been cracked off. In terms of design, the edge of the table top, the table's legs, and the back of each chair all have floral and leaf designs carved into them, but not all of the chairs have the same design. This is due to the fact that on some of the chairs, the curved lines that cross will cross from left to right, while on others they cross from right to left. |
| Narrative: | There are two accounts surrounding how Bishop Roche acquired this table and chair set. In the first account, during an interview with Brother Darcy in St. John's, he noted that the original owner was believed to be Lord Morris from England, and as such, the table and chair set could have possibly been imported from England and placed in his Summer House. In 1919, Bishop Edward Patrick Roche was diagnosed with tuberculosis, so Lord Morris offered his summer house, known locally as Beaconsfield, to Bishop Roche after Bishop Roche's residence at the time burned down. The land this house was built on is now near the center of St. John's, however, in 1919, the house was considered outside the city limits. The property was far enough away from the heavy amounts of soot and ash generated within St. John's by the coal that was used for heat, that the air was considered clean enough for Bishop Roche to breathe easier. In 1921 however, the summer house burned down, and this table and chair set was among several pieces of furniture rescued from the fire. Bishop Roche brought them with him when he bought Lord Morris' house for his permanent residence. In 1923, the summer house was rebuilt as a Priest's Residence, and is now located near Beaconsfield Junior High on Topsail Road, St. John's. The second account, attributed to Monsignor Wallace, has said that this table and chair set did not belong to Lord Morris, but instead belonged to the Reid Family, known throughout Newfoundland for their construction of the railway, and was given to Bishop Roche as a gift. |
| History of Use: | Used by the Archbishop whenever he had guests. |
| Quantity: | 1 |
| Number of Components: | 14 |
| Component Part Names: | table chairs |
| Additional Associations: | see also wine cabinet |
| Subject/Image: | furniture table chairs |
| Institution: | Basilica Museum |
| Institution City: | St. John's |
| Institution Province: | Newfoundland & Labrador |
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