Ross & Co. Dublin Cabinet Makers

Ross and Co. of Dublin were one of the most important and famous makers of campaign furniture in the Victorian era.

Company history

Ross and Co. of Dublin were one of the most important makers of campaign furniture in the Victorian era and they are still considered as a leader in their field, today.

Eleanor Ross founded the company E. Ross at 6 Ellis Quay at the end of the 18th century. The business capitalized on the demand for portable furniture that accompanied the expansion of the British Empire in the 19th century. The increased movement of administrators, colonists and of course the army and navy to service Britain's overseas territories, provided a strong customer base for their campaign equipage. James Ross Murphy and Patrick Murphy are also associated with the business but their exact relationship to Eleanor is as yet unknown. It is likely Eleanor married James after the formation of her business and various newspaper articles refer to either a Mrs. Murphy, Messrs Murphy Ross & Co. or Mrs. Ross at the Ellis Quay address. Although examples of domestic furniture by Ross are known a large part of their business was campaign furniture. designed to quickly fold or pack down for ease of travel.

The company advertised that they were established in 1790 but their earliest found advert is their directory listing of 1820 which states: Ross Eleanor, (furn. ware) 6, Ellis Quay. By 1822 the entry changed to Ross E. Army Furniture warehouse, 6, Ellis-quay. They remained on the quay throughout their history although their address is listed in the Dublin Directories at various combinations of the numbers between 5 and 11 and they are known to have also later had a factory at 35 Tighe Street (now named Benburb Street). These two locations were of course ideally located for the many officers stationed at The Royal Barracks (now Collins Barracks) and this no doubt was a benefit to the business; a fact also picked up on by John Ireland, their neighbour and an Army Clothier, who was located at 11 Ellis Quay in 1850. The company's origin is unknown but in 1821 they are listed in the directories as being located at 6 Ellis Quay, and an advertisement from the mid 1800s states 'Established 1760'. Eleanor Ross is described in the 'Commercial directory of Ireland, Scotland and the four most northern counties of England 1820’ as being a proprietor of “furn. Ware”, 6 Ellis Quay.

Ross & Co. remained on the quay throughout their history although their address is listed in the Dublin Directories at various combinations of the numbers between 5 and 11 and they are known to have also later had a factory at 35 Tighe Street (now named Benburb Street). These two locations were of course ideally located for the many officers stationed at Collins Barracks and this no doubt was a benefit to the business; a fact also picked up on by John Ireland, their neighbour and an army clothier, who was located at 11 Ellis Quay in 1850.

Ross stand out from the many other campaign furniture makers of the period for a number of reasons but perhaps the most important is their originality in design. As can be seen from the adverts of the London makers of the day, such as Hill & Millard, J W Allen and Day & Son they were all making fairly similar campaign pieces. Their adverts would typically show a two part chest of drawers, a washstand, folding bed and a Douro pattern chair. There would be the odd item that was specific to a particular maker but generally by the mid 19th century there were standard pieces that most officers would require and which they could easily find from a number of makers. Apart from their most basic chest of drawers, which followed the traditional design, most items manufactured by Ross differed greatly to that by other makers. A number of their chests would have a clever, folding superstructure or an unusual combination of drawers, their washstands wouldn't have the normal brass standards adopted by the other makers but have turned columns and their easy chairs would put comfort at a premium.

Much of Ross's work can be considered typical of the William IV and Victorian periods in its use of the fashionable design features of the day. This would of course have given their cabinet making greater appeal than that which was purely utilitarian; an important factor to their customers who would mostly have been well heeled gentleman officers with an eye for the stylish. It also means that much of it is not obviously made for campaign until close inspection. A good example of this is the Desk Chair below, that breaks down into eight pieces for travel.

Suites of furniture

The majority of campaign furniture was commissioned or retailed as individual pieces but Ross very cleverly gave the option of buying a suite of furniture. Such a suite would have a combination of a short set of dining chairs, an easy chair, a couch, a center table and a chiffonier or sideboard which broke down to become the packing case. On the inside door of the cabinet furniture would be a label, giving packing instructions. The packing case cabinets were often adorned with carved decoration and moulding, which again was unusual for campaign furniture that mostly considered flat surfaces and square edges to be a pre-requisite. However, when it came to packing the cabinet, the moulding would be removed and the carved show wood protected with a bolt on panel so no sacrifice was made for the added decoration.

Perhaps the most famous such suite is that made for Captain Simner of the 76th Regiment and his wife, Francis Mary Bolton, as a wedding present on March the 27th, 1863. It was made from walnut taken from the family estate at Bective, in Ireland and travelled with the Captain and his wife to Madras, Burma and Secunderabad over a 12-year period. They may well have considered it their best wedding present, as it must have given great comfort in the very different climate of the Far East. Ross's concessions to embellishment with the carving probably also gave a reminder of the Europe that they had left behind and so a feeling of a little luxury in a harder environment.

Labelling and numbering

Ross labeled most of their work with either a painted stencil, or small ivory or brass plaque, with their current address at Ellis Quay. That which is not labeled was probably from a suite, where other items would have the Ross mark. However it is usually relatively easy to recognize Ross campaign furniture from its other traits. The use of walnut was common for Ross, perhaps because they recognized its revival in popularity under the Victorians, which again, would give an added selling point. Yet it was atypical of most campaign furniture makers who generally preferred mahogany or teak.

Ross's numbering, for ease of assembly, of the individual parts that make up a piece of furniture is also unique. Most campaign furniture makers used a simple system, often using Roman numerals but always starting, naturally, with the number one. Furniture by Ross is often given a two digit number or sometimes a letter and number depending on the item, and Roman numerals are not noted as having been used. An example of such numbering is the set of four Balloon Back Chairs, illustrated, where the numbers range from 62 and 63 on the first chair to 70 and 71 on the second, 74 and 75 on the third and 92 and 93 on the fourth. Although at first this seemingly random system of numbering does not seem to make sense, it was logical for a factory that may have been making several pieces of the same item of furniture at the same time. Added to this, Ross were likely selling their wares to members of the same regiments and their numbering system may well have saved future confusion amongst brother officers.

Recognition

Ross prospered and by 1864 their reputation was sealed by the approval of the Prince of Wales. By 1882, the Army recommended them. The Report of the Kabul Committee on Equipment (Calcutta) stated ". . . the committee now consider it to be necessary for the comfort of an officer, that he should have a bed, and they find that the pattern…made by Ross of Dublin is the most suitable. It weighs under 20lbs."

The success Ross and Co. of Dublin enjoyed throughout the 19th century can be attributed to a number of factors, including their skill at that cabinet making. This quality of work, coupled with their ingenuity of design, which was quite distinctive from their contemporaries, and attention to the popular styles of the day proved a winning combination. However, Ross also had other factors working in their favour to create a strong customer base. Not only were a large percentage of the British Army's officers Irish but Ross were clever enough to position themselves close to one of the biggest barracks in Europe. The barracks were garrisoned by an army that had spread itself across the world and whose mostly landed officers could afford the best, wished to travel in style and to have all the comforts of home when they arrived at their destination.

Decline

In December 1905, Ross & Co. announced their retirement from business with a subsequent auction in The Irish Times, as well as a number of other publications. Subsequent auctions of their remaining goods and properties continued over the next 2 years. As of 1909 there is no listing for Ross in the directories. Their last address of 8, 9 & 10 Ellis Quay is listed as vacant, surrounded by tenements.

The world and how war was conducted had changed significantly by the beginning of the 20th century. The Boers, with their speed of movement and good use of the ambush had taught the British Army a sharp lesson. H. O. Arnold-Forster, the Secretary of State for War perhaps recognized that things had to change when in 1903 he said ‘The British Army is a social institution prepared for every emergency except that of war.’ Domestic use had also tailed off, there weren't as many colonists as in past generations and those that were heading off to make a new life knew that their destination was now far better set up to furnish them than in their ancestor's days.

The emergence of the motorcar also meant people could travel farther more quickly and so did not need to take as much with them for the comfort of a long journey. Added to this Ross probably suffered from the same effect that many independent retailers also do today, the popularity of the supermarket. The end of the 19th century saw the spectacular rise of Army and Navy Stores, where everything could be bought and shipped to its destination, from a travel shaving brush to a tent.

References

• British Campaign Furniture Elegance under Canvas by Nicholas Brawer ISBN 0-8109-5711-6
• The Bonaparte - Wyse Papers. National Library of Ireland, Collection List No. 119, (MSS 41,612 -41,625), (Accession No. 2233)
• Commercial Directory of Ireland, Scotland, and the four most northern counties of England, 1820
• The Dublin Almanac and General Register of Ireland, 1843
• Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory, with the Post Office Dublin City and County Directory, 1850
• The Irish Industrial Exhibition, of 1853: A Detailed Catalogue of Its Contents
• The Exhibition Expositor, Wednesday, July 13, 1853
• Design for a Portable Reclining Chair, James Ross Murphy and Patrick Murphy. 3498 Design's Official Registration, August 11, 1853
• The Advocate, Saturday Evening, June 16, 1855
• The Dublin Evening Mail, Wednesday, April 15, 1860. Advertisement.
• Dublin Evening Mail - Friday 8 February 1861. Advertisement.
• Catholic Telegraph - Saturday 6 July 1861
• Dublin Evening Mail - Thursday 30 November 1871. Advertisement.
• Freeman's Journal - Tuesday 6 September 1881
• Freeman's Journal - Wednesday 9 October 1889
• Irish Times, Thursday, June 4, 1896
• Census Of Ireland, 1901 (10 Ellis's Quay)
• Irish Times, Tuesday, December 12, 1905
• The Irish Times, Tuesday, June 12, 1906
• Irish Times, Saturday, February 2, 1907
• A Most Delightful Station, The British Army on the Curragh of Kildare, Ireland, 1855-1922 by Con Costello ISBN 1-898256-73-X
• At Ease Gentlemen by Christopher Clarke Antiques
• The Portable Empire by Christopher Clarke Antiques
• Ireland's Antiques & Period Properties Vol 1 No. 3 Summer / Autumn 2004