Who was the designer of the sliding sash window and when were they first used?
Its an English adaptation of a Dutch idea, with a French name… The origins the design probably derived from the much simpler horizontal sliding sash commonly known as the ‘Yorkshire Sash’. For many years it was believed that the vertical design had originated in Holland, during the later part of the Seventeenth Century. Others claimed it to be of French origin, as the word ‘sash’ is derived from the French word ‘chassis’ , meaning frame. However the French sash had not yet developed counter-balancing and the sliding sash frame was held in place by a swivel block. The earliest recorded account may be that of W.Horman who in his 1589 ‘Vulgaria’ wrote- “Glasen wyndowis let in the lyght…..I have many prety wyndowes shette with levys goynge up and down”. Certainly toward the end of the Seventeenth Century, sash windows were apparent in England examples include Chatsworth House (c1676 – 1680), Kensington Palace and Hampton Court Palace. The counter-weighted sash window that we know today
