25 Finkle St, Kendal, Cumbria, UK - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Simpson was apprenticed, at the age of 14, to Kendal cabinet maker Robert Riggin. Three years later he became an apprentice carver for Gillows, and in 1879 worked for two years with Samuel Barfield in Leicester. In 1881 he briefly returned to Kendal to set up his own workshop, but within a year had moved to London. He returned to Kendal in 1885 and re-formed his company there.
In 1889 he exhibited at the Arts & Crafts Exhibition, and in 1901 opened an arts and crafts showroom in Windermere. Simpson became a leading light in the local arts and crafts movement. He was the joint secretary for the 1899 loan exhibition at the Abbott Hall in Kendal. He exhibited at the 1912 Ideal Home Exhibition.

The plaque reads

“Arthur W. Simpson, 1857-1922, Kendal Quaker, craftsman in wood, opened his first workshop here in 1885 making church and domestic furniture. He became an apprentice carver with Gillows of Lancaster and a journeyman with William Aumonier in London. He followed the aesthetic tradition of the Arts and Crafts Movement, simplicity being his guiding principle. Examples of his work may be seen in museums, schools, churches and private houses.”

Type of Historic Marker: Plaque Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Kendal Civic Society Give your Rating: Age/Event Date: Not listed Related Website: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   05/28/2018 Poole/Freeman visited it