Firebacks

Manufactured in England

869 results

  1. 58

    enniskillen,_florence court 01.jpg
    726 x 745 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; cavetto edging; a pheon (a downward-pointing arrow head barbed on the inner edge), the badge of the Sidneys, within a wreath, an earl’s coronet above; the date on either side of the coronet.

    Notes: The badge is of the Sidneys, Earls of Leicester. The date is most likely to be 1626 as the Earldom was not conferred upon Robert Sidney until 1618 and he died in 1626. A recast plate.

    Inscription: 16 [?]26

    Arms: Badge of Sidney family, Earls of Leicester

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 17th century possibly at Robertsbridge Furnace, Salehurst in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Florence Court, Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

    Museum number: 630836 (part of the National Trust museum group)

  2. 60

    etchingham,_king johns lodge  01.jpg
    >1130 x 670 mm

    Description: Fragment; rectangular; flanged top edge; probable symmetrical arrangement of crowned Tudor royal shield stamps (4 above 3); vertical line on either side of each shield; left hand print in bottom left corner, probably mirrored on right.

    Notes: The right side of the fireback is missing. Very crude modelling of stamp suggests an early date; the same crowned shield and use of hand print can be seen on a fireback at Rolvenden, indicating a common source..

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 16th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Etchingham, East Sussex, England.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

  3. 1179

    eton_college.jpg
    750 x 860 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; astragal and fillet edging (top and sides); central shield with arms of Eton College, surmounted by a small tilting shield of the pre-1603 Royal arms of England (France modern quartering England) aslant beneath a crown; to each side a spray of lilies; below, a scroll bearing the motto - Esto Perpetua; bottom left the date MCMXCII; bottom right, a panel bearing the phrase C of A and [?].

    Notes: The motto Esto Perpetua means Let it be perpetual. Fireback designed by and made for Martin, Lord Charteris of Armisfield, who was Provost of Eton College 1978-91. One of a set of two cast for the college.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: ESTO PERPETUA / MCMXCII C of A [Charteris of Armisfield]

    Arms: Eton College

    Manufactured: in 1992 in England.

    Current location: Eton College, Eton, Berkshire, England.

    Museum number: FDA-A.238:2-2013 (part of the Eton College museum group)

  4. 1180

    eton_college_2.jpg
    1170 x 860 mm

    Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shape; parallel simulated twisted rope edging enclosing a border of lilies; pictorial representation of the facade and gatehouse towers of Eton College, between which is a clockface below crenellation; above left, two house martins flying; at ground level, ?four people (one of which is said to be Nigel Jaques, one of the masters) all standing on a plinth bearing, in the centre, the date MCMXCV between four small cartouches, of which to the left and nearest the date is a pack of playing cards; others bear the inscriptions, MCM and CofA (Charteris of Armisfield).

    Notes: Designed by and made for Martin, Lord Charteris of Armisfield, Provost of Eton (1978-91).

    Inscription: MCMXCV

    Manufactured: in 1995 in England.

    Current location: Eton College, Eton, Berkshire, England.

    Museum number: FDA-A.298-2013 (part of the Eton College museum group)

  5. 1051

    every_catalogue 01.jpg
    ~730 x ~670 mm

    Description: Rectangular with triangular arch; ovolo-moulded edging (top and sides); small stamp of a ‘Renaissance’ shield bearing the initials IC, repeated eight times 3-2-3) in a regular arrangement.

    Notes: The initials have not been identified.

    Inscription: IC

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location:, not known.

  6. 1085

    faversham_930x620.jpg
    930 x 620 mm

    Description: Rectangular; rebated ovolo-moulded edging (top, left and half-right sides); top centre, date with unevenly positioned numerals.

    Notes: The asymmetry of the side moulding is unusual.

    Inscription: 1667

    Manufactured: in 1667 possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Faversham, Kent, England.

  7. 941

    fawley_court  01.jpg
    914 x 762 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; scalloping within wide fillet edging; shield, knight's helm, crest and mantling; date split either side of armorial.

    Notes: The arms are of Kyrle (vert, a chevron between three fleurs de lys or; crest: on a mount vert a hedgehog or) of Much Marcle, Herefordshire, quartered with Abrahall (azure three hedgehogs or; the fess appears to be erroneous) and Warnecombe (sable, on a fess dancetty argent between three bezants each charged with an escallop of the field as many lions rampant argent armed and langued gules). The second part of the date appears to have been altered by hand for the present casting as the style of lettering for the final two numerals is crude compared with the first two. Sir John Kyrle may have operated the iron furnace at Whitchurch, between Monmouth and Ross on Wye; the style of the carving is the same as on two other firebacks in the same county. It is apparent, from another example, that this fireback has either been broken and repaired, or deliberately reduced in height. Originally the mantling of the helm extended further down, ending in tassels on each side, making the height of the fireback approximately equal to its width. An early photograph of the Fawley fireback, taken by Alfred Watkins, the Herefordshire antiquarian, shows the division of the two parts more clearly (Herefordshire Record Office, AW339b). A copy of the original, un-reduced fireback has been noted with the date 1685 in the distinctive numerals seen on firebacks from Flaxley Furnace, Gloucestershire.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 16 20

    Arms: Kyrle quartering Abrahall and Warnecombe

    Manufactured: in 1620 possibly at Whitchurch Furnace in the Herefordshire area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Fawley, Herefordshire, England.

    Citation: Anon., 1918, 'Second Field Meeting 25th June 1918', Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club, p. xvi.

  8. 65

    fernhurst,_moses hill farm.jpg
    935 x 530 mm

    Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging; plain plate

    Manufactured: in the 16th or 17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Fernhurst, West Sussex, England.

  9. 66

    fernhurst,_vanlands 01.jpg
    905 x 755 mm

    Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging on top and sides of rectangle, and separately around arch; the rope ends extend beyond both ends of the top edge; vertical rope lengths, to full height, inside left and right edges; rope crosses in arch and in upper centre of rectangle.

    Notes: Probably an early vernacular example of a design mimicking the ‘Palladian’ style. The crosses suggest Christian significance.

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 16th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Fernhurst, West Sussex, England.

  10. 292

    flaxley_abbey 02.jpg
    755 x 545 mm

    Description: Rectangular; cavetto-moulded edging; top centre, date, above initials; two low-relief fleurs de lys down each side from top corners, and central fleur below and between the initials.

    Notes: The initials may relate to William Boevey who was owner of Flaxley furnace from 1683-92. Another fireback with the same date and initials, and more fleurs, is also known.

    Inscription: 1685 / W B

    Manufactured: in 1685 at Flaxley Furnace in the Forest of Dean area of England.

    Current location: Flaxley Abbey, Flaxley, Gloucestershire, England.

    Citation: Bick, D. E. [incorrectly printed as Bick, R.], Sept 1985, 'Firebacks', Period Homes, pp. 21-4.