The may-Flower origin claimed for the “Governor Carver chair” and the “Elder Brewster chair” rests wholly upon tradition, and upon the venerable pattern and aspect of the chairs themselves.  The “Winslow chair,” in possession of the Pilgrim Society at Plymouth (Mass.), though bearing evidence of having been “made in Cheapside, London, in 1614,” is not positively known to have been brought on the may-Flower.  Thacher’s “History of Plymouth” (p. 144.) states that “a sitting-chair, said to have been screwed to the floor of the may-FLOWER’S cabin for the convenience of a lady, is known to have been in the possession of Penelope Winslow (who married James Warren), and is now in possession of Hannah White.”  There are certain venerable chairs alleged, with some show of probability, to have been the property of Captain Standish, now owned in Bridgewater, but there is no record attached to them, and they are not surely assignable to either ship or owner.  That some few tables —­mostly small—­were brought in the may-Flower, there is some evidence, but the indications are that what were known as “table-boards”—­long and narrow boards covered with what were called “board-cloths”—­very largely took the place of tables.  The walnut-top table, said to have once been Governor Winslow’s and now in possession of the Pilgrim Society, is not known to have come over with him, and probably did not.  It was very likely bought for the use of the Council when he was governor.  The “table-boards” mentioned were laid on “trestles” (cross-legged and folding supports of proper height), which had the great merit that they could be placed in any convenient spot and as easily folded up, and with the board put away, leaving the space which a table would have permanently occupied free for other use.

Bradford mentions that when the fire of Sunday, January 14., 1621, occurred in the “common house,” the “house was as full of beds as they could lie one by another.”  There is a doubt, however, whether this indicates bedsteads or (probably) “pallets” only.  Beds, bedding of all sorts, pillow-"beers,” pillow-cases and even “mattrises,” are of most frequent mention in the earliest wills and inventories. (See Appendix.) “Buffets,” “cupboards,” and “cabinets,” all find mention in the earliest writers and inventories, and one or two specimens, for which a may-Flower history is claimed, are in possession of the Pilgrim Society and others.  The “White” cabinet, of putative may-Flower connection, owned by the Pilgrim Society, is a fine example of its class, and both its “ear marks” and its known history support the probable truth of the claim made for it.  Of “chests” and “chests-of-drawers” there were doubtless goodly numbers in the ship, but with the exception of a few chests (or the fragments of them), for which a may-Flower passage is vaunted, little is known of them.  The chest claimed to be that of