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| An Oak cross, and other important items. |
According to James Herriot’s Yorkshire, Robert
Thompson was working as a wheelwright when Father Nevill commissioned him to
make a cross, along with a few other items.
The Priest was so taken by what the man delivered that he advised
him to specialize in Oak furniture.
While the famous woodworker’s history may be more involved that Herriot
suggests, this commission proved influential for young Robert, and it appears
that he held great store by Father Nevill’s opinion.
In order to distinguish his work, he drew inspiration from
the saying, “Poor as a church mouse.” In
time, most of what he made would not leave his shop until his unique trademark,
a mouse, was carved somewhere in the finished product. While the Mouseman himself has passed away,
his descendants carry on this tradition.
No, you cannot buy just a carving of a mouse, but one can find a mouse
on most of the larger items in the showroom.
Nor are all mice the same.
According to www.mousemanfurniture.com each item is personally overseen
from beginning to end by one craftsman, who carves his own unique
style of mouse into everything he makes.
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| An older mouse found in St. Mary's Church in Thirsk. |
We spotted our first mouse in St. Mary’s Church in
Thirsk, but they positively ran riot in Ampleforth Abbey, a nearby Benedictine
monastery. There's good reason for this. While Herriot records Father
Nevill as the local Parish Priest (presumably of Kilburn), Wikipedia
and other sources name him as the Headmaster of the abbey’s college. Might he have served in both capacities? In any case, it seems that Robert Thompson
never forgot the importance of the commission that got him started as the
famous woodworker of Kilburn. His little
mouse has scurried into homes all over the world, and into churches
all over Yorkshire. Isn’t it ironic that
the man chose one of the most diminutive animals for his trademark? I wonder what it says about how Robert
Thompson viewed himself, as well as how we ought best to see ourselves.
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| A Benedictine mouse in the visitor center of Ampleforth Abbey. |
I’m not sure how English churches can afford the firm’s prices,
but the workshop’s furniture is certainly built to last. For congregations that can trace their church's existence back not just hundreds of years, but in some cases over a thousand,
perhaps they take the long view when investing in pews and other furnishings. Considering the firm's heritage, maybe Robert
Thompson’s Craftsmen Ltd offers a clerical or church discount. I wonder how they would respond to a
commission from Father Dave, the Rector (and blogging Bishop) of St. Dragon’s
Parish in San Diego?
Just mousing around,
Dragon Dave
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