Writing Desk and Bookcase by Mordecai Kitching, Hull, 1828
The story behind this bookcase and writing desk is revealed by the plaque attached to its front: âThis secretaire was made by Mordecai Kitching and presented to his much loved sister Lucy Archer Kitching on the occasion of her marriage to George Francis Bristow at the Holy Trinity Church Hull, July 24th 1828â. The plaque allows us to discover more about the people who made and used the secretaire. It is rare for furniture to have such detailed information. Mordecai Kitching ran a small furniture making business in Hull in the early 1800s. His father Thomas had moved to Hull from Barton on Humber in the 1790s. Thomas married Mary Archer at Holy Trinity Church in 1796. They had at least eight children. Mordecai was born in 1805, and his sister Lucy followed in 1807. Mordecai is first listed in local trade directories in 1826, as a cabinet maker in Blanket Row. Later trade directories show that he moved his workshop several times. The last time Mordecai is mentioned in trade directories is in 1839, when he was working at Humber Dock Walls. He died on 22 February 1839, aged 33. The quality of this secretaire shows that Mordecai was a very skilled furniture maker. In many ways the design is typical of mahogany secretaire-bookcases from this period. This suggests that Mordecai kept in touch with fashionable styles and techniques by subscribing to published pattern books. However, the top of the bookcase â known as the pediment â is an unusual shape. This shape may have been characteristic of furniture made in the Hull area. Mordecai made the secretaire as a wedding present for his sister Lucy. The Bristow family, who Lucy married into, were respectable but modest tradesmen. Lucyâs husband George owned a grocery shop in Queen Street. High quality pieces of furniture were usually owned by very rich families. The ownership of this secretaire shows that craftsmanship of a high standard could also be available to less wealthy people.
