Robert Thompson ‘Mouseman’
Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson (1876-1955), also known as ‘Mousey’ Thompson has now firmly established his reputation as one of the greatest furniture makers of the 20th century, synonymous with a carved mouse on each piece.
He was born a son of the village carpenter, wheelwright and stonemason in the rural village of Kilburn, North Yorkshire. After starting an engineering apprenticeship in Cleckheaton on leaving school, he returned home aged 20 and, following his father’s death in 1895, found himself running the carpentry business.
Business gradually flourished, aided considerably by commission work from 1919 onwards for the local Ampleforth College. This connection was to cement Robert’s reputation amongst the ecclesiastical community for his design abilities and his handcrafted oak furniture and church fittings. This consequently lead to commissions for local landowners and the gradual development of home furniture ranges in an Arts & Crafts style, incorporating adzed, panelled and pinned surfaces, wrought iron fittings and his now famous carved mouse. Many of these items, designed in the 1920s/30s, remain in production to this day as their popularity remains undimmed.
Now found on all pieces, it is claimed that the mouse motif came about accidentally in the early 1920s following a conversation about “being as poor as a church mouse”, which took place between Robert and one of his colleagues during the carving of a cornice for a church screen. This chance remark led to him carving a mouse on the piece and later recalling what a lovely trademark it would make. Whilst carved mice began to regularly appear on his furniture from the mid-1920s, it wasn’t until September 1931 that his mouse design was refined to his satisfaction and trademark registered with the Patent Office.
The 1930s are now regarded as a ‘golden era’ for Mouseman production with pieces made at that time now commanding ever higher interest and values from collectors around the world.
Now a firth generation business it continues to flourish to this day, retaining the same business and manufacturing principles established by Robert over 100 years ago.
Browse our collection of Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson pieces for sale, or previously sold, below.
