Firebacks

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging on top and sides; cavetto-moulded-edged rectangle top centre (left side missing), enclosing date between initials; 14 shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard in three rows (5-4-5); Ayloffe: sable, a lion rampant Or, collared gules, between three crosses formy of the second; Sulyard: argent, a chevron gules between three pheons inverted sable.

Notes: William Ayloffe (c1535-1584) of Bretons, Hornchurch, Essex, Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, married (c1560) Jane, dau. of Sir Eustace Sulyard, of Runwell, Essex. The initials 'CT' are likely to be those of Charles Tyler, a founder whose working life and that of his family have strong parallels with the occurrence of these firebacks. The excrescences between some of the shields are the result of inexpert ladling of the iron during casting.

Inscription: C.1.6.1.2.T

Arms: Ayloffe impaling Sulyard (William Ayloffe of Bretons, Hornchurch)

Description: Rectangular shape; no edging; symmetrical arrangement of four stamps: across the top, three crowned roses with a fleur-de-lys between each pair; across the middle, three fleurs-de-lys with a chained portcullis between each pair; below and in the spaces between the fleurs and portcullises, four letters W.

Notes: The letter W may have an apotropaic significance; the stamps have not been recorded on other firebacks.

Inscription: W W W W

Description: Rectangular with three arches, the middle one larger than the outer two; cavetto-moulded edging; bottom panel, pictorial scene of Jesus and the woman of Samaria at the well (John 4), with other figures, buildings etc. in the background, illegible text below; centre arch, shield, helm, crest and mantling of unidentified arms, the initials 'GP' in bottom corners; left arch, probable figure of a saint; right arch, probable figure of a soldier.

Notes: The combination of a biblical scene (John 4) with a coat of arms.

Inscription: 16 30 / G P

Description: Arched shape with scrolled side brackets; astragal edging on arch; bipartite design with side pilasters and a central pilaster surmounted by two gothic traceried arches within each of which are two roses and two fleurs-de-lys; below left arch, letter ‘W’ (possibly ‘WY’ monogram) above first half of date; below right arch, shield bearing arms of the Borough of Stratford-upon-Avon above second half of date.

Notes: The combination of the monogram and the arms of Stratford suggest an individual with a formal office within the borough; a mixture of Gothic and Classical elements; damage to bottom right side.

Inscription: W [Y?] / 15 85

Arms: Borough of Stratford-upon-Avon

Description: Composite; Arched rectangular shaped, armorial fireback, cavetto edging, with Stuart Royal arms, garter, supporters, crown and motto, and 1662 date above crown; this overlies a rectangular plate, with rope-effect, fillet edging; a pattern of four rosettes surrounding a fleur-de-lys, its stem terminating in a small buckle, is repeated on each side of the central armorial fireback, with the initials above; each rosette is stamped separately.

Notes: A variant, bearing the same date, but the initials, A B, and without the rosettes, is at Norton Manor, Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 16 62 / C P / HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE / DIEV·ET·MON DROIT

Arms: English Stuart royal

Description: Arched rectangular shape; stepped cavetto-moulded edging; shiled, suporters, helm, crest, mantling and motto of Clan MacIntosh

Notes: Blazon: Quarterly, 1st, Or, a lion rampant, Gules, armed and langued, Azure (for MacDuff); 2nd, Argent, a dexter hand, couped, fessways, grasping a man’s heart, paleways, Gules; 3rd, Azure, a boar’s head, couped, armed, Proper, and langued, Gules; 4th, Or, a lymphad, sails furled, Azure, flagged and surmounted of her oars in saltire, Gules (for Clan Chattan). The motto means 'Don't touch the cat without a glove'.

Inscription: TOUCH NOT THE CAT BOT A GLOVE

Arms: Clan MacIntosh

Description: Rectangular shape; fillet edging; arrangement of five shields: centre, arms of the kingdom of France surmounted by a crown and, below, the word FRANCE on a fillet edged rectangular block over a cartouche; top left, arms of the duchy of Lorraine surmounted by a bishop's mitre and crozier separating a largely illegible text; top right, arms of the kingdom of Spain surmounted by a crown with the letters SPA to the left; bottom right, arms of the duchy of Nevers surmounted by a coronet below a fillet edged rectangle with the word NEVERS; bottom left, arms of the kingdom of England surmounted by a crown below a fillet edged rectangle with the word ANGLIA; bottom centre, the date 1623.

Notes: A taque de foyer or takenplatte; the arms in the corners are likely to be of (from top left): Louis III of Lorraine, Archbishop of Reims; King Philip III of Spain; Charles I, Duke of Nevers and Rethel; and Queen Elizabeth I of England. A similar fireback with the same arms, illustrated by von den Driesch (1990, p.181), has the date 1611, but the absence of a cardinal's hat over the arms of Louis of Lorraine suggests that the fireback originally dates from before 1605.

Inscription: [LORR]AI[NE] SPA / ANGLIA NEVERS / FRANCE / 16z3

Arms: Louis of Lorraine; Kingdom of Spain; Kingdom of France; Kingdom of England; Charles Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top centre; crowned Tudor royal shield with angled lion passant guardant sinister to the left, and an angled lion passant to the right; below, a crowned shield with a fleur-de-lys below initials (over-pressed), between two four-petalled, crowned roses; the same crowned rose repeated in each top corner, below each a vertical dagger, point upwards; inside the roses and daggers, two tiered pairs of ‘imp’ figures, one of each with arm raised, above a single figure, its arms lowered.

Notes: Each dagger, which is seen on two other firebacks (no. 660 and no. 1100), is approx. 35cm long.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: KH

Arms: Tudor royal arms of England