The founding father of Waring and
Gillow was Robert Gillow, who came to Lancaster to start a career as a
cabinet maker. His father was allegedly imprisoned in Lancaster Castle
for his part in the Jacobite rebellion, and Robert Gillow may have
remained in Lancaster in order to be close to him during his detention.
Robert Gillow’s fascination for
carpentry began during a stint as a ship’s carpenter. He traveled to
the West Indies and brought back one of the first recorded shipments of
mahogany into the UK. Supplies of mahogany (supplemented with copious
amounts of rum) soon began to flow between Gillow and his West Indian
suppliers and in return, Gillow exported some of the finest furniture
ever crafted. He was later joined by this three sons and the
business expanded rapidly. In 1881, the Gillow's moved to North Road and
developed a factory in the St
Leonardgate
area. They were
previously based at Castle Hill.
In addition to furniture, the
Gillow's were praised in opera and fiction and they are also accorded
with the invention of the billiards table. They produced a substantial
amount of furniture for museums, presidents and luxury ocean liners.
Queen Victoria also commissioned a number of pieces from the company. During the First World War, they fashioned Navy munitions boxes from
teak and DH9 aeroplane wings and propellers. Mosquito wooded aeroplanes
followed in the Second World War. Unfortunately in 1961, the firm was
taken over and closed down, although Gillow's lives on today as part of
Maples Stores plc. The factory at St Leonardgate was later bought by
John Peter Ltd of Leeds and then purchased by the university in 1964 as temporary means of accommodation until 1966.
Two hundred thousand pounds was spent converting, equipping and
furnishing the building although the plans were nearly ruined when an
explosion ripped through the ground floor of the old factory in 1964.
The
building is now called St Leonard’s House and is a
centre for adult education and business advice. The Gillow's old showroom
is now Liquid nightclub.
