Firebacks

Description: Cavetto-canted rectangle with central pediment; cyma-reversa moulded edging; central pedimented panel, fillet edged, with shield, helm, crest and mantling of the May family; on either side, an incised floral pattern of a stem and six branches, rising from a rectangular, low-relief panel of two images of horsemen; above, the inscription in low relief.

Notes: The arms of May: Gules, a fess between eight billets Or; crest: Out of a ducal coronet Or, a lion’s head gules bezanty; the same armorial stamp appears to have been used on an unnamed iron graveslab in Ticehurst church. The initials are probably those of Susanna May (c1653-1718), heir to Pashley, in Ticehurst, who had married her distant cousin, Sir Robert May, in 1686. The May family had been involved in the iron industry in the 16th and early 17th centuries, but were no longer active a century later. Incised decoration on firebacks is uncommon, the decoration probably having been incised into the pattern board.

Inscription: 17S M02

Arms: May of Pashley, Ticehurst

Description: Canted rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); shield with recessed edges repeated seven times (3 and 4): a fess between three mullets of six points.

Notes: The arms are those of Courthope of Whiligh in Ticehurst; blazon: argent, a fess azure between three estoiles sable (two and one). Shown are molets of six points which have straight rays instead of (properly) estoiles which have wavy ones. However, the 1643/4 iron graveslab of David Barham of Snape, in Wadhurst church, has the same arms (also with molets instead of estoiles), which were those of his mother who was a Courthope.

Arms: Courthope, of Whiligh in Ticehurst

Description: Rectangular with two-stepped top; twisted rope edging to top of main plate and sides of lower step, reused frame moulding for sides of main plate; top centre, stamp formed of a talbot statant guardant upon a wreath; date below crest stamp; initials in triad, separated by, and below, date.

Notes: Straight elements in the letters and numbers are formed of the same short lengths of twisted rope that are used to form the edging; curved elements appear to have been formed by hand drawing in the casting sand; the talbot crest, which in this instance has been over pressed and shows the shape of the backing, has been seen on other firebacks indicating a common source, and is associated with firebacks with a stepped-shape.

Inscription: N 1615 W / K

Description: Rectangular; ogee-moulded edging on top and side edges; symmetrical layout of date and initials; date split between left and right sides, initials in centre, arranged in triad.

Notes: One of a series of backs dating to the 1730s and 40s using very similar sets of letters and numerals.

Inscription: 17 I M I 34

Description: Rectangular; astragal moulding on top and side edges; symmetrical layout of date and initials; date split between left and right sides, initials in middle.

Notes: One of a series of backs dating to the 1730s and 40s using very similar sets of letters and numerals.

Inscription: 17 IF 43

Description: Rectangular; plain edging; asymmetrical arrangement of stamps: top right, three 'renaissance' style shield stamps with a 'PL' monogram above two [?]bougets, in a triangular arrangement bases uppermost; top centre, a shield, indented at the top, charged with a bird upon a branch; top left, crowned shield of France Modern between two inverted 'PL' monogram shields above a bird shield; to the right, a broad bladed dagger, point uppermost.

Notes: The dagger is of the cinquedea style, introduced from Italy in the early-16th century, length approx. 38cm; the bird shield stamp has been seen on other firebacks. Wilkinson's Auctioneers, Doncaster, 24 Feb 2019, lot 534 (£650).

Inscription: PL [in five shields]

Arms: 'France Modern'

Description: Arched rectangular shape; gadrooned edging (top and sides); initials, in separate stamps, at top of arch; date probably in separate stamps, below; spindle used as a stamp repeated three times, one between date and initial stamps, the other two below to left and right.

Notes: The same base board and spindle have been used for other firebacks of the same period. A similar casting (no. 1284) has the 'W' in a slightly different position.

Inscription: I W / 16 22

Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo moulded edging; Tudor royal shield, garter, crown, motto and supporters (crowned lion and dragon), temp. Elizabeth I; initials in space on either side of top of garter; the top of the lion's crown and the dragon's ear overlap the edging.

Notes: The initials have been added to an early recasting; another version has a rose and portcullis either side of the crown, and the top of the lion's crown and the dragon's ear do not overlap the edging.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: I G / [Garter] HONI SOIT QVI MAL E PENSE / [motto] DIEV ET MON DROIT

Arms: Tudor royal

Description: Rectangular with 5-facetted arch; twisted rope edging; centre top, rectangular stamp, over-pressed, with crown above initials in bottom corners; diamond shaped stamp with fleur-de-lys repeated each side of crown, both over-pressed.

Notes: Notable for the large size of the fleur-de-lys stamp; this casting differs from another (no. 486) in the placement of the stamps.

Inscription: E R

Description: Rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); upper centre, two evenly-spaced, medium-sized twisted rope crosses.

Notes: Formerly (1950) at Maidstone, Kent. Illustration from Schubert, 1950.