Published in Windlesora 22 (2006)
© WLHG
The picture of the Theatre Royal shows a patron leaving by sedan chair. This would have been a regular means of transport at the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century. The sedan chair in the photograph is now in Brighton, but it was on show at the Guildhall in Windsor in 1951 when the Royal Borough Collection was in what is now the Maidenhead Room. It was on loan from Mr HF Barber, who had an antique and fine art business at 3 High Street, Windsor.
The sedan was made by Vaughan & Co of London, probably in the late 1770s. It ended up as a ‘taxi’ on the rank at Castle Hill, and there is a small label on the back with a number 1 on it, although it probably did not start life as such. This is because it has many extras not found on surviving taxis, such as festoon blinds and corner finials. It is also missing the roof catch release to the front, which normally exists where sedans were used as taxis, so that the roof cannot be lifted while in motion. It was probably obtained in about 1810 to replace an earlier one that had worn out, as the number 1 would appear to date from about 1781.
Stephen Loft-Simson, who took the photograph, has a list of about 70 sedans of this type, and it is by far the most numerous surviving style. He is looking for any further information about the pictured sedan or any others in Windsor. He would like to know what happened to this one between the time it was retired from work and its appearance in the Guildhall, and how it then got to Brighton. If you know, please contact the editor.
Ellen Dollery
Additional Information
Unfortunately, Stephen Loft-Simson passed in 2022. He was regarded as the expert in sedan chairs and had an extensive collection which he regularly lent to the TV & Film industry.
Since the publication of this article, the Antique Collecting Magazine has published “Antique sedan chairs collection at Chorley’s“. Also worth a look is “The Sedan Chair” by Ellen Castelow on the Historic UK website.
Windsor Local History Group 