Firebacks

Description: Canted rectangular shape with moulded edging (top and sides) overlain by a length of twisted rope repeated six times; central vertical line formed of twisted rope, crossed with rope upper centre, with rope laid in a diamond pattern around the cross; lower centre, two irregular v-shapes formed of rope, one on each side of the vertical; shield shaped stamp with a fleur de lys repeated twice each side, upper left and right.

Notes: The twin V arrangement may have apotropaic significance and the cross above them having a Christian symbolism; the base board appears to have had a moulded edge, with rope lengths applied over part of the moulding after the board had been pressed into the casting bed; a sketch of this fireback was made by J. Starkie Gardner c.1891 and is in his collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Archive of Art and Design (AAD/2014/8).

Description: Rectangular, with canted top corners; twisted rope edging on top and sides; cavetto-moulded-edged rectangle top centre, enclosing date between initials; seven shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard; 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 Hornchurch, Essex, Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, married (c1560) Jane, dau. of Sir Eustace Sulyard, of Runwell, Essex. A large number of variants use the same shields. The possibility that 'CT' was the founder Charles Tyler (d.1629/30) is reinforced by the fact that Poundsford Farm, Burwash, was owned by his grandson, also Charles, and subsequently by the latter's widow, Mary. The back was first noted at Poundsford in 1869.

Inscription: C 1629 T

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

Description: Fragment; rectangular plate with series of parallelogrammatic billets arranged across the top; crossed billets in corners

Description: Rectangular; ovolo moulded edging (top and sides); central shield, crest and mantling of the Fuller family. The date, of which the 1 is not visible, is split between the top corners of the shield and about two-thirds of the way down.

Notes: A carved armorial on a plain, edged base board; the arms of the Fullers of Brightling Park, Sussex, are: Argent, three bars and a canton gules; the crest; Out of a ducal coronet Or, a lion’s head argent. The Fullers were iron masters and gun founders in the first half of the 18th century, operating Heathfield furnace, where it is likely that this fireback was cast.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: [1] 7 / 4 7

Arms: Fuller, of Brightling, Sussex

Description: Rectangular shape; cavetto-moulded edging; central abstract arrangement in low relief of a horizontally positioned oval surrounded by four separated spandrels forming a rectangular shape over all; at each side, on a raised rectangular field, a stylised bud or cone of helical form, within a calyx above a semi-circular base, one mirroring the other. A deep plankline is evident half way up the left plant.

Notes: An excrescence on the right side may have been caused by iron being poured from a ladle disturbing the casting sand. There are no parallels for this fireback design. The central abstract arrangement may be associated with a formal plan of a garden parterre, the stylised plants continuing that theme.

Description: Rectangular; plain plate; inscription in capitals split between top corners, ‘I’ crossed.

Notes: The letters are likely to have been formed by tracing their shape in the casting sand using a pointed implement.

Inscription: I R

Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top centre, Tudor royal shield between lion passant guardant to right and lion passant guardant sinister to left, both diagonally placed; below, a crowned rose; to left and right, an 'imp' with arms down, facing left.

Notes: One of a large series incorporating royal heraldic stamps. Canterbury Auction Galleries sale, 29 Nov 2017, lot 939 (£300).

Copies of this fireback are known.

Arms: Tudor royal arms of England

Description: Rectangular shape; wide fillet and ogee-moulded edging; approximately top centre, initials RH, with date 1701 centred below.

Notes: The character set for the initials and date lacks uniformity, some carved crudely, others more carefully; the lettering differs from another fireback (see no. 1166), with the same initials and date, by the position and shape of the letter 'R'. Formerly at Nethercote, Netherfield Hill, East Sussex. The former location in the Netherfield area of these two firebacks suggests a possible association with Richard Hay, owner of land in that area at that time and ironmaster at Beech Furnace nearby.

Inscription: R H / 1701

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); inner border of repeated strips of undulating vine tendril, inside of which are stamped panels of repeated grape bunches, totalling 27 along the upper edge and 13 down each side; inside them is a further border of vine strips within which are five columns of a bird stamp (probably a swan, a Lancastrian badge). each repeated three times, below each of which are three further grape bunch stamps except the middle column, where the grape bunches are above the swans.

Notes: A complex and well executed design incorporating three stamps found on many other firebacks.

Description: Rectangular; ovolo-moulded edging (top and sides); otherwise plain.

Notes: A base board, possibly used for other firebacks.