A Limited Heirloom Collection
The Mary Shelley Collection.
Extraordinary English oak from the historic Shobrooke Estate in Devon — long held by the Shelley family — becoming just five individually handcrafted heirloom tables. Once they are claimed, the collection is complete.
The History
Two centuries of quiet witness.
The oak from which this collection is made stood for more than two hundred years on the Shobrooke Estate in Devon, a country seat held for generations by the Shelley Baronets. The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and, by marriage, Mary Shelley — author of Frankenstein — were among the most celebrated members of that family.
There is no direct evidence that Mary or Percy visited Shobrooke, but the tree was already growing during their lifetimes. It was a tree that grew through the era in which Frankenstein was written and published, and continued to grow long after. Its rings hold the seasons of nineteenth-century England within them.
After more than two centuries, the oak had to be felled on safety grounds. To let timber of this age and character go to waste would have been criminal — so every usable board was saved, air-dried, and set aside to become something worthy of the tree it came from.
A Timeline
From acorn to heirloom.
Mid 1700's
Stage 01
The Oak Takes Root
The English oak takes root on the Shobrooke Estate in Devon, long before the house and grounds become closely associated with the Shelley family.
1792–1851
Stage 02
The Shelleys' Lifetime
During the lifetimes of Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley, the oak is already a mature presence on the estate. Percy and Mary marry in 1816; in 1818 Mary Shelley publishes Frankenstein.
19th century onward
Stage 03
The Shelley Baronetcy
The Shelley Baronets hold Shobrooke for generations. The oak continues to stand as part of the estate's ancient parkland.
Today
Stage 04
A Limited Edition
Having reached the end of its safe life, the oak was reluctantly felled on safety grounds — it would have been criminal to let such timber go to waste. It is carefully milled and slowly air-dried. Five tables will be made from this wood, and no more.
The Timber
Slow-grown English oak with the tight grain and deep figure that only centuries of unhurried life can produce. Each slab has been air-dried for several years before any blade has touched it.
The Making
Each table is shaped by hand in our Lincolnshire workshop, where centuries-old joinery meets quietly modern methods. Traditional tools read the grain; contemporary precision perfects the silhouette — and the timber itself remains the author of every piece.
Secure a Number
Secure a number in the commission.
Only five tables will be made, each named MS001–MS005. Four of the five numbered commissions remain available — submit your enquiry to secure one of the remaining numbers and we will be in touch.
Each table is accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity detailing the history of the Shobrooke oak and the chain of ownership.
Mary Shelley commissions start at £7,000.