Firebacks

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top centre, crowned shield bearing initials, KH, above a fleur-de-lys, between a leopard passant guardant sinister (on the left) and a leopard passant (on the right); below the rear legs of each leopard, a fleur-de-lys, each inclined slightly outwards at the top; beneath, and slightly to the left of the shield a circular stamp bearing the letter C.

Notes: One of the legs of the leopard on the right is missing, suggesting that the stamps, which appear complete on many firebacks, were well used and had been damaged; this suggests a relatively late use of these stamps. The style of fleur-de-lys is one of two seen on this series of firebacks. The fireback was formerly at Marden Hill House, Tewin, Hertfordshire.

Inscription: C

Description: Canted rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top left, date 1622; top right, initials T H.

Notes: The surface excrescences on the lower half of the fireback are likely to have resulted from the displacement of the casting sand by the pouring of the iron. Formerly at Marden Hill House, Tewin, Hertfordshire. There is no basis for the suggestion by Hertford Museum that this fireback might have been cast by a Thomas Hogge.

Inscription: 1622 T H

Description: Rectangular; rope edging (top and sides); two central crowned Tudor shields, one above the other, each with lion passant guardant sinister to the left, and lion passant to right; crowned, barbed, four-petalled rose in right and left corners; two crowned shields with KH in Lombardic characters above a fleur de lys, each irregularly placed between lions on left and right sides; three 'imps' with right arm raised, two on right and one on left between lions; two ‘imps’ with both arms lowered, one on each side in similar positions.

Notes: One of the legs of the leopards on the right is missing, suggesting that the stamp, which appears complete on many firebacks, was well used and had been damaged; this suggests a relatively late use of these stamps. The same heraldic charges can be seen on other firebacks, with other charges, forming the decoration on many other firebacks, suggesting they were the stock of one particular furnace.

Arms: Tudor royal arms of England

Description: Canted rectangle; simulated rope edging; otherwise plain.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Description: Rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides only); central initials, WS, in different character sets, between split date, also in different numeral sets, with a rectangular floral patera repeated at each end; below, and at a slight incline to the right, a horizontal twisted rope dividing the plate. The '5' of the date has been stamped in reverse.

Notes: A boldly cast fireback with disparate character styles. Probably acquired for the castle in the early-20th century during its refurbishment for Edward Hudson by Edwin Lutyens.

Inscription: 1 6 W S 7 5 [5 reversed]

Description: Canted rectangular; astragal edging (top and sides), inside of which are repeated panels carved with overlapping fleurs-de-lys; upper centre, date evenly spaced in individual numerals; below date, initials evenly spaced in individual letters; at each end of date, single small fleur-de-lys stamp; at each end of initials, large hollow fleur-de-lys; diagonally from each lower corner of canting, line of six squared cross stamps; in bottom corners, triad of small fleur-de-lys stamps each enclosing a large fleur below; bottom centre, woodblock stamp.

Notes: The repeated fleur panels are likely to have derived from furniture. Varied use of the same stamps are on other firebacks, including one dated 1667 at Upper End Farm, Hope Mansell, Herefordshire.

Inscription: 1683 / AK

Description: Rectangular with superimposed arch; embattled, cavetto-moulded edging, with the top edge of the rectangle interrupted; quartered shield, helm, crest and mantling.

Notes: The arms appear to be those of the family of Armeston of Burbage, Leicestershire, possibly Thomas Armeston (c1606-85), 2nd son of Thomas Armeston (d.1640), sometime MP for Leicestershire: 1st and 4th (Armeston) sable a chevron between three spear heads argent with a crescent for difference, 2nd (unknown) three chevronels with a rose in a canton, 3rd (unknown) a fess between two chevronels, a crescent for difference over all. The Armeston crest is a dragon's head erased vert scaled or and charged with a crescent of the same for difference; the crescent is the mark of cadency for the second son; in this instance the arms appear to be of a second son descended from a second son in an earlier generation. The embattled edging and superimposed arch are features of a series of firebacks dated 1619. However, the style of the mantling is typical of a small group of firebacks noted in Herefordshire.

Arms: Armeston, of Burbage, Leicestershire

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging on top and sides; date placed slightly right of centre near top.

Notes: A similar fireback with slightly different proportions has the same date using the same numerals.

Inscription: 1679

Description: Rectangular shape; no edging; upper centre, initials 'HI'; lower centre, date '1795'.

Notes: Simple design with bold, well-carved characters.

Inscription: H I / 1795

Description: Rectangular with two-stepped top; undefined edging; in arch, stamp formed of a talbot statant guardant upon a wreath; date below crest; vertical carved billet stamped three times, the centre one higher than the other two, between the initials, below each pair of which is a cross stamp.

Notes: The talbot crest is seen on other firebacks indicating a common source; from a drawing in report 2553 of the Domestic Buildings Research Group (Surrey). The fireback is obscured behind a stove.

Inscription: 16 30 / IM EM