There are many designs of antique extending tables dating back to the earliest draw leaf refectory tables whereby extension ends slid from under the tops of refectory tables form 16^th & 17^th Centuries. This method has continued through to today for more primitive builds in modern dining and kitchen tables. Also, many French farmhouse tables from 18^th and 19^th Centuries constructed in cherry and walnut had bread board extending ends, often in a base construction timber of beach or pine. At the later end of the 19^th Century, during revival of the Jacobean, Tudor and Gothic oak refectory table, many draw leaf refectory tables were made again with extending ends.

In terms of formal antique extending dining tables the first category of design is the Georgian D end sectional dining table with drop leaf centre section and leaves which were made during late George III period and into Sheraton era. The extending nature of these was fulfilled by simple gating legs and hinged lopers set under the tops. All bar a few were made in mahogany and at one time these early period tables were the most prized of all antique dining tables but today not all folk are agreeable with the multitude of legs underneath.

It was in the very early 19^th Century Regency period that new extending table innovations came to the fore with famous designers Gillows, Wilkinson and Pocock all introducing techniques to make the extending of a formal dining table more ergonomic. Wilkinson patented his concertina or ‘scissor’ action table around 1810 and this was utilised within the forms of up scaled Pembroke and fold over tea table formats to create an extending dining table that literally closed away to a side table and it is believe that this innovation was initiated for the wealthy estate owners who were now taking quarters in the evolving merchant and economic centres of London, Liverpool, etc.. although rare we do have original late George III Regency examples surviving today.

Pocock’s patent utilise the breakfast table format of sabre leg pedestal base and a hub of runners above that incorporated a sash pulley system to automate both ends extending away to allow space for extension leaves for a table of length up to about 8ft. The wining design that prevailed however stemmed from Gillows who illustrated his ‘Imperial’ table that was formed as two console ends enclosing a group of box section runners that met in that met in the middle to form a single unit table that could be made at any length. We’ve had examples up to 20ft length in stock here but typically a 12ft table or so would be average length and the versatility with extension leaves allowed seating for 6 to 20 people from the same table.

This superior ergonomic and ease of construction ensured that the Gillows format was adopted throughout the 19^th Century for extending dining tables and further evolved to become a single unit runner system table by late George IV and into William IV period. By Victorian times pretty much all antique extending dining tables surviving today would be of this strongly built runner system format, large turned legs and leaf system to extend. Mostly made in mahogany until 1880 when loss of the Colonies meant a reversion to use of English oak. It was Joseph Fitter of Birmingham that dominated the steel winding mechanism production form around 1850 with most tables being fitted thereafter and in the amateur antiques market the tables are often referred to incorrectly as ‘Joseph Fitter tables’.

The 1^st World War interrupted production in the UK and with timber shortages and skilled labour lost the last of the quality hand made extending dining tables were made in the 1920s, often following the revival of George III Chippendale design with cabriole ball and claw legs.