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Home » The Domestic Sphere » Furniture and objects » Beds

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Victorian chamber pot
  • This oak tester bed once belonged to the Earl of Plymouth of St Fagans Castle (hence its name). The bed was made during the 19th century, with the tester and headboard probably being derived from a 17th century overmantel. A photograph taken during the 1890s shows that the bed was then situated in one of the bedrooms at St Fagans Castle. It was probably brought there during the 1850s when the house was refurbished for Robert Windsor Clive and his new wife.
The 'Plymouth bed', from St Fagans Castle [image 1 of 2]
  • This oak tester bedstead is both crudely constructed and decorated. Its main point of interest are the inscriptions on the headboard that read: 'DEATH', above a scratch-drawing figure with bow and arrow and 'JAMES PRICE - MAY 4 1658'. Although nothing is known of James Price, it seems likely that he died in this bed on that particular date. The bed originates from a farmhouse called Neuadd Lwyd in the parish of Nantmel, Radnorshire.
Death bed of James Price, 1658
  • This style of decorative bed produced in the early 18th century is known as an 'Angel bed'. Its original red hangings were made of red damask silk of French origin.
'Angel bed', early 18th century
  • This shows the interior of the main living room of Kennixton farmhouse, originally from Llangennith, Gower, which has been rebuilt at the Museum of Welsh Life, St. Fagans. One of the main features of the room is the built-in box-bed situated in a recess next to the fireplace (left side of image). When in use, the cupboard-bed doors would be closed, as they are here, but provision was made for ventilation in the form of decorative pierced panels above. Another interesting feature about this particular example is that it has an attached settle for daytime use. Most of the few surviving examples of box-beds have been recorded within Gower farmhouses, suggesting that the tradition may have been more common here than in other parts of Wales.
Cupboard bed, Kennixton farmhouse, Gower, 18th century
Page from a catalogue of 'Brass and Iron Bedsteads', 1882 , sold by Wasons Ironmongers, Penarth