Monks bench

A monks bench or hutch table is a piece of furniture where a tabletop is set onto a chest in such a way that when the table was not in use, the top pivots to a vertical position and becomes the back of a Settle, and this configuration allows easy access to the chest lid which forms the seat of the piece.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Overview

Percy Blandford notes that "whether monks ever used such a bench is debatable, but it is an attractive name".^[4]

A monks bench was a useful form at a time when many homes had a large room used for multiple functions, because it allowed a large dining table to swing up and out of the way.^[5]

A monks bench configured as a table
A monks bench configured as a settle
A monks bench from the 1600s
A similar chair-table from the 1600s

Notes

^ monks bench (British English) or hutch table (American English)
^ Pearson 1985, p. 39.
^ Carney 1950, p. 97.
^ Blandford 1982, p. 132.
^ Strickland 1953, p. 165.

References

Blandford, Percy W. (1982). Constructing tables and chairs— with 55 projects (illustrated ed.). Tab Books. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-8306-1424-0.
Carney, Clive (1950). Furnishing art and practice. Oxford University Press. p. 97.
Pearson, Lu Emily Hess (1985) [1957]. Elizabethans at Home. Stanford University Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-8047-0494-6.
Strickland, Calton (March 1953). "The Early American Hutch Table". Popular Mechanics. 99 (3). Hearst Magazines: 165–167. ISSN 0032-4558.

[1] monks bench (British English) or hutch table (American English)

[FOOTNOTEPearson198539-2] Pearson 1985, p. 39.

[FOOTNOTECarney195097-3] Carney 1950, p. 97.

[FOOTNOTEBlandford1982132-4] Blandford 1982, p. 132.

[FOOTNOTEStrickland1953165-5] Strickland 1953, p. 165.

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