Queen Anne, attributed to John Townsend or his shop, Newport, Rhode Island, 1750-1770
Closed: 27-3/8"h x 47-3/4"w x 16"d
Provenance: Morphy's Auction, August 20th-22nd, 2003, Lot 667; Property from a Connecticut Gentleman

Based on a 2004 letter from Dennis Carr at the Yale University Department of History, this table was included in the University's ongoing database of Rhode Island Furniture makers project. He stated: I believe that this table may be attributed with reasonable confidence to the Newport Cabinet maker John Townsend (1732-1809) or another member of his family. In a number of specific aspects this table compares well with a signed and dated example by John Townsend in the Philip and Ann Holzer Collection now on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This letter further discusses particular construction details of drop leaf tables signed or attributed to John Townsend, one feature in particular is the use of 3 dovetailed cross braces on the top and bottom of the rails, the offered table has one cross brace.
A memo from Morrison Hechscher, Metropolitan Museum of Art, dated May 7th 2004 states that the drop leaf table with the Ichabod Potter Inscription certainly looks like it might come out of the shop of John Townsend, or perhaps his father Christopher.
The chalk inscription Ichabod Potter is written upside down on the stay rail and on the underside on one of the leaves.

Ichabod Potter was not an uncommon name in 18th century Rhode Island. There are several generations listed in the New England Historical the Genealogical Register in Newport and South Kingston, Rhode Island. The days book of cabinet maker John Townsend from 1762 through 1767 record entries for goods including a "Bagamon" table, a "Bedstide" and a Chimney Board to Ichabod Potter although spelled variously Ecobud, Ichabod and Icahbud Potter. The accounts of Job Townsend Jr, American Furniture bt Martha H. Willoughby, Chipstone Foundation, 1999.

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