The rectangular crossbanded top with pierced ormulu gallery and original tooled leather inset, the beaded frieze with a drawer and paterae, on carved columnar supports above a flat stretcher supported by carved scroll feet.

Earl Grey:

Charles, 2nd Earl Grey (1764-1845) entered Parliament in 1786, and became First Lord of the Admiralty 1806, Foreign Secretary 1806-1807, and Prime Minister 1830-1834. From an early stage in his career he was keenly interested in parliamentary reform, and his administration was responsible for the passage of the 1832 Reform Bill. He was a strong supporter of Catholic emancipation, and his interest in Ireland and in foreign affairs was lifelong.

Morel & Hughes:

The earliest mention of Nicholas Morel is in the accounts of the Prince of Wales in 1795. He was joined in business by Robert Hughes soon after 1805 and they were based at 13 Great Marlborough Street, London. Morel’s apparently French background evidently contributed to his work being held in very high regard by the fashionable society of his time. He supplied the Prince of Wales with numerous items for Brighton Pavilion and Carlton House and later Morel supplied furnishings for Windsor Castle in partnership with George Seddon. for many years. Morel & Hughes are also known to have worked for the Earl of Mansfield, the 6th Duke of Bedford, the 2nd Marquess of Bath and 3rd Duke of Northumberland, to name but a few of their aristocratic patrons.

(Information from The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840)