Edward Barnsley was born on the 7th February 1900. His father Sidney, uncle Ernest and their friend Ernest Gimson were furniture makers and designers who had been inspired by the ideas of William Morris.
In 1893 they moved from London to the Cotswolds to put their beliefs into practice, establishing a Cotswold tradition of furniture making. As a young boy Edward Barnsley would spend hours with his father in his workshop, studying his techniques and his attention to detail. Thus, he developed a deep appreciation for craftsmen and their work: meticulous in their selection of the finest timbers, and carefully working them by hand with immense precision.
In 1910 Edward was sent to Bedales school near Petersfield in Hampshire. The school encouraged the learning of practical skills and valued craftwork. He returned to Hampshire in 1920 to begin formal training in Geoffrey Lupton’s workshop in Froxfield. There he assisted Lupton on the construction of a new library at his old school Bedales, designed by Ernest Gimson. Just three years later, on Lupton’s retirement, Edward took over the workshop and the management of its employees. Initially the workshop produced furniture in the tradition of Edward’s father, but by the late 1930s he was introducing more modernist lines, and after the war he incorporated his interest and admiration for 18th century furniture into his designs.
Clean lines, along with subtle and simple decorative details dominated Barnsley’s work. His furniture marries exposed dovetails with unusual drawer pulls and cupboard latches, as well as intriguing exotic wood grains to create beautifully balanced and unique examples of skilled craftsmanship.
Barnsley also invested much of his time and energy into the training of young apprentices, passing down the essential knowledge and techniques of making. Barnsley’s legacy continues today; in 1980 a trust was established in his name to preserve the educational training opportunities at the workshop. Today these makers produce an array of innovative furniture designs to the high standards of workmanship established by Barnsley almost 100 years ago.
