Note
Notes: Slab Tables: "Slate Table " are occasionally mentioned in the inventories of the 1730's, but by the next decade the marble slab table, or "Marble Slab and frame" as they were generally called, came into vogue. In 1740 Josiah Claypool, formerly of Philadelphia, was advertising that he made " frames for Marble Tables.... after the newest and best Fashions.... If one may judge from the inventories, they were very common by the end of the century. The mahogany frames were made by the local cabinet-makers. During the 18th C. the marble was imported from abroad, but in the early 19C. marble was also being brought in from Philadelphia. The probable reason for importing American marble was a 191/4% tariff on foreign marble by 1807. Therefore a piece of furniture containing " Chester County" marble, ( the kind quarried in the vicinity of Philadelphia) should not be arbitrarily assigned as being of Philadelphia origin until it has been carefully esamined.
Mahogany slab tables were also common, a thick mahogany board taking the place of the marble slab. thomas Elfe(q.v.) made a number of these tables. His charges for them vaired from L12 to L30. Coubtless the wide diff. in price were determined by the relative amount of carving on the frame.