Do they all have to match exactly?

A genuine set of 12 antique chairs should share the same timber and carved details. Because everything was cut by hand, minor variations in the carving depth or splat shape are normal.

I have inherited a large dining table and I am wondering if carver chairs are supposed to sit slightly higher than the side chairs?

Carvers usually have the same seat height as the standard side chairs in the set. They need to sit at the same level for comfortable dining. The overall height of the back might be taller on the carvers to give them a bit more presence at the head of the table. Their seats are also often wider to leave room for the arms.

Can I recover the drop-in seats?

Yes, drop-in seats pop out of the frame for easy recovering. You just lift them out and take them to an upholsterer without moving the heavy wooden chairs.

The webbing underneath the seats is sagging badly on about half of them, is this something a normal upholsterer can fix easily enough?

Sagging webbing is a common issue with a set of 12 antique chairs because they take a lot of regular weight. The jute fibres simply stretch and give way over decades of use. Any competent upholsterer can strip the base and tack fresh webbing across the frame. They will often reuse the original horsehair stuffing if it remains in good condition, adding new wadding over the top before covering.

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Set of 12 Chairs

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A true set of 12 antique chairs comprises matching seating made at the same time for a large dining table, usually featuring ten standard chairs alongside two elbow chairs for the ends.