Sash windows in the form of very basic timber shutters have a history dating back as far as the thirteenth century.
It was not until roughly the end of the sixteenth century that glazed versions started to appear that where horizontally sliding windows, and during the mid seventeenth century vertical sliding sash windows arrived, mainly in France.
Fearing the guillotine French nobility came to England and brought with them advances in sash window designs from across the channel.
The first recorded glazed sliding sash window was installed for the Queen Mother who had just returned from France with a highly skilled French joiner who pushed for the complete renovation of Somerset house in London.
The development of the sliding sash window is not very clear and numerous theories circulate. It is commonly believed that a weighted and balanced version was actually invented in England.
As an updated re-make of the original vertical sliding window glazed with small squares of glass and very thick glazing bars due to the delicate and primitive glass available at the time would have made it a very heavy window to operate.
Counter balancing was first used in doors. There is documented evidence of weights and ropes being fitted to doors in various parts of Whitehall. It was only a matter of time before this system was applied to windows.
The sash window has never been patented nor has anybody throughout history has ever claimed to be its inventor.
The number of panes slowly reduced as glass manufacture began to produce higher quality stronger glazing, but it wasn’t until the Government of the day stopped demanding window Tax duty in 1845, when the price of the glass dropped, that the panes became larger, with only two panes per sash.
It was a sign of being well off during the glass taxation period to have large glass windows in the UK.
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