The Surrey group of pin-hinged, clamped, medieval chests: a comparative study of the chests at Chobham, Godalming, Shere and Stoke d'Abernon

The Surrey chests are examples of joined construction in furniture and belong to a rare type found mainly in southern England. In the early 1900s writers dated them to the early 13th century on a stylistic basis. This article re-examines the Surrey chests in the light of dendrochronological research on other chests in the wider group and puts forward some new, later, dates for them. The diversity of the Surrey chests and the links of some of them with Sussex chests of the same construction type are emphasised. Some reasons for the development of pin-hinged, clamped chests and their possible original uses are discussed.