Lancaster in Lancashire, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)

Gillows (1730-1897)

Gillows Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ray Gurganus, April 12, 2025

1. Gillows Marker

Inscription. Local lad Robert Gillow (1704-1772) ended his apprenticeship and set sail from Lancaster to Jamaica as a ship's carpenter. In the tropics, he found himself seduced by mahogany and returned with wood to work on in Lancaster.

Initially his furniture was exported back to the Islands and exchanged for coffee or rum. The next generation of Gillows hit upon the notion of shipping their work to London as well as Jamaica, and established a retail showroom on Oxford Street.

Gillows of Lancaster and London made increasingly fine furniture for well-to-do merchants connected with trade and more aristocratic homes.

Gillows became a byword for quality and luxury: never losing sight of the source of their significance, Gillows continued to use the very highest quality of imported hardwood when others had turned to softer local timbers and extol the virtues of veneer.

This legacy of excellence remains a well-kept secret, hidden in pattern books and guarded by family fingers, it was finally diluted after hard times forced the company's sale to workaday manufacturers Waring of Liverpool in 1897. By then the romance was over - and Gillows finest moments were behind them.

You can view some of their best work at Lancaster Castle and the Judges' Lodgings.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1730.

Location. 54° 2.918′ N, 2° 48.182′ W. Marker is in Lancaster, England, in Lancashire. It is at the intersection of King Street and Market Street, on the right when traveling north on King Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 King Street, Lancaster, England LA1 1JN, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North West England.

Globally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean,

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the North Atlantic Region,

in Europe,

in Atlantic Europe,

on one of the British Isles,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Charles Dickens (within shouting distance of this marker); Window to your soul (1750-1982) (within shouting distance of this marker); Fruits of the mind (1887 - ) (within shouting distance of this marker); Lancaster Castle (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Elizabeth Fry (about 180 meters away); Hidden Horseshoe (about 210 meters away); Quaker Meeting House (about 210 meters away); Only for Conscience Sake (1652- ) (approx. 0.2 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lancaster.

Also see . . . Gillows of Lancaster and London (Wikipedia). (Submitted on July 29, 2025.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 29, 2025, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 99 times since then and 12 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on July 29, 2025, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.