1876 - 1955

In the village of Kiburn in the North Riding of Yorkshire, beside the Parish Church, there is a carpenter's shop which is best known these days as a place where modern day "antique" furniture is made. This was the home of Robert Thompson, often known as "mousey" Thompson or as "the Mouseman" because of the trademark he created, a small mouse carved on almost every piece of furniture that he or his fellow craftsmen ever made.

I first came across oak furniture with the mouse trademark nearly 50 years ago while at boarding school in Dorset. The solid oak dining table and accompanying chairs (12 in all) all had a mouse, hidden away somewhere on their legs. For a child, this was fascinating. It was some years later, while my parents were staying at Helmsley in the North Riding of Yorkshire  that I discovered that Robert Thompson was well known for the furniture he made for schools, churches and similar institutions, and for the home. I bought my first piece, an octagonal coffee table for my first home in 1975.

Robert Thompson outside his workshop in the 1890s

Robert Thompson's house, now a showroom

Robert Thompson was born at Kilburn Old Hall on 7th May 1876, the son of John Thompson, a carpenter of Kilburn and his wife, Dinah, formerly Cornforth. Robert's father was the village joiner, carpenter and wheelwright.

Little is known of Robert's childhood but in his early working life, he was sent to a firm of engineers at Cleckheaton in West Riding, some 60 miles away to be apprenticed. When he reached the age of 20, he could no longer accept town life and mechanical engineering and he joined his father in his carpenter's shop, having discovered along the way the craftsmanship of William Bromflet of Ripon. He learnt about the English oak - quercus robur - and its suitability for carving because of its fine grain.

Robert Thompson with his craftsmen outside his house around 1911 with an example of his early church work

It was in 1919 that he first met Father Paul Nevill of Ampleforth College nearby and it was through his commission from him that he owed the work and reputation that followed by carving a large figure of Christ on a crucifix. This was seen by others and soon new work was to come his way, building gradually into a thriving woodcarving business.

Robert Thompson's memorial in Kilburn churchyard

The origin of the mouse is said to have happened accidentally. Robert Thompson and another craftsman were carving a huge cornice for a screen and the other craftsman happened to say something about being as poor as a church mouse. Robert Thompson carved a mouse there and then and it struck him as a lovely trade mark. This was in 1919 and the mouse has stayed until the present day.

Robert Thompson and his wife Ada had only one child, a daughter, Elsie, through whom the family business of Robert Thompson's Craftsmen Limited was to be continued, through Robert Thompson's two grandsons Robert Thompson Cartwright and John Cartwright.

Robert Thompson died on 8th December 1955 and was buried three days later in the churchyard next to his business, in the grounds of the Kilburn Parish Church.

Note: Kilburn is a few miles to the East of Thirsk. There is a visitor centre there as well as a showroom of the furniture that is made there.

Michael Thompson