Firebacks

Manufactured in England

870 results

  1. 1156

    lacock_abbey_01.jpg
    920 x 740 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; stylised twisted rope edging; centred, 'C & G' above 'S' above '1929', all between four stylised rope saltires.

    Notes: A twentieth century fireback designed and executed in a traditional form.

    Inscription: C & G / S / 1929

    Manufactured: in 1929 in England.

    Current location: Lacock Abbey, Lacock, Wiltshire, England.

    Museum number: 1545478 (part of the National Trust museum group)

  2. 1225

    lacock_abbey_02a.jpg
    750 x 730 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); in arch, marquess's coronet above a monogram with date split either side.

    Notes: The elaborate monogram has not been deciphered, but the fireback does not appear to be related to the Talbot family who owned Lacock throughout the 17th century.

    Inscription: 16 [undeciphered monogram] 68

    Manufactured: in 1668 in England.

    Current location: Lackock Abbey, Lacock, Wiltshire, England.

    Museum number: 996713 (part of the National Trust museum group)

  3. 359

    lamberhurst,_sandhurst farm.jpg
    820 x >535 mm

    Description: Rectangular; double fillet moulded edging; top centre, shield-shaped block with a rectangle containing the crest of the Fowles - an Arm in armour holding a Battle axe issuant from a Ducal Coronet, above the initials, WF; top left and right, two shields of the arms of the Fowle family - (Gules) a lion passant guardant between three roses (Or); across the lower half of the fireback are three solid triangular prisms of iron.

    Notes: The stamps relate to William Fowle (1568-1634), ironmaster of Riverhall furnace. The stamps also appear on grave slabs in Wadhurst and Frant churches and on an unprovenanced graveslab in Maidstone Museum. The iron prisms were included, perhaps, to retain heat and to prevent the fireback from cracking.

    Inscription: WF

    Arms: William Fowle, of Frant and Wadhurst

    Manufactured: in the early 17th century probably at Riverhall Furnace, Wadhurst in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: in private hands, Lamberhurst, Kent, England.

  4. 360

    lamberhurst,_scotney castle 01.jpg
    780 x 580 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo edging; Stuart royal arms of England (quarterly, 1st and 4th, France and England, 2nd Scotland and 3rd Ireland) with garter, crown, motto and supporters; initials either side of lion’s head; date either side of unicorn’s head.

    Notes: The slightly awkward positioning of the date suggests it was added later.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: I R [Iacobus Rex] 16 04 / DEV ET MON DROIT

    Arms: English Stuart royal - James I

    Manufactured: in 1604 possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst, Kent, England.

    Museum number: 791456 (part of the National Trust museum group)

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

  5. 361

    lamberhurst,_scotney castle 02c.jpg
    1490 x 840 mm

    Description: Quasi-rectangular; twisted rope edging on top and sides; cavetto-moulded-edged rectangle top centre, enclosing date between initials; 17 shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard in three rows (5-6-6); 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. 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.

    Inscription: C.1.6 2.0.T

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

    Manufactured: in 1620 possibly at Hawkhurst Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst, Kent, England.

    Museum number: 791898 (part of the National Trust museum group)

    Citation: Cowper, H. S., 1911, 'A Series of Kentish Heraldic Firebacks and the Identification of the Arms', Archaeologia Cantiana, 29, pp. 40-6.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2018, 'A series of Kentish firebacks and the possible identification of their founder', Archaeologia Cantiana, 139, pp. 312-15.

  6. 362

    lamberhurst,_scotney castle 04.jpg
    559 x 507 mm

    Description: Rectangle; no edging; date just above centre; initials above date.

    Notes: The disparity between the quality of the stamping of the date and initials may be because the date has been stamped from a single block. There are stylistic similarities with the memorial plate to John and Ann Luck, dated 1771, in Wadhurst church porch, Sussex.

    Inscription: I H / 1776

    Manufactured: in 1776 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst, Kent, England.

    Museum number: 791899 (part of the National Trust museum group)

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

  7. 363

    lamberhurst,_scotney castle 06.jpg
    750 x 615 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shaped, the arch linked to the rectangle by cavetto curves; cavetto edging ending in two opposed spirals at top; initials below spirals; date below initials; otherwise plain.

    Notes: Probably cast from a carved, edged board, with the initials and date added separately.

    Inscription: I or F H / 1698

    Manufactured: in 1698 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst, Kent, England.

    Museum number: 791911 (part of the National Trust museum group)

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

  8. 365

    lambourn,_ashdown house 01.jpg
    860 x 860 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; astragal edging with parallel astragal enclosing a border of undulating convolvulus vine, leaves and flowers; bead and disc circle in arch, above a pair of lions rampant facing each other, between which are a five-pointed star above a rose.

    Notes: A fireback in a retro-Regency style. Sotheby's auction, 27 Oct 2010, lot 209 (£2,500)

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the late 19th to early 20th century in England.

    Current location: in private hands, Lambourn, Berkshire, England.

  9. 841

    lechlade,_old bell antiques b.jpg
    1110 x 725 mm

    Description: Canted rectangle; cavetto-moulded edging (top and sides); single horizontal fillet below canted corners and vertical fillet parallel to each side, dividing the fireback into two side panels, two top corner panels, top panel and main central panel; corner panels, ‘daisy’ plant stamp; top panel, date between ‘daisy’ stamps, between initials in triad at each end; side panels, swirling foliage stamp repeated each side above a fleur-de-lys; centre panel, stamp of ‘Indian’ smoking a pipe at top left, stamp of seated ‘gentleman’ smoking a pipe and holding another, at top right; below each, a lion passant stamp, facing right on the left and facing left on the right; initials IB in bottom corners of centre panel.

    Notes: The 'daisy' stamp is identical to those on similar firebacks dated between 1703 and 1721, and probably indicating the same founder whose initials IB are at the bottom; the use of stamps relating to tobacco smoking may suggest an origin near Bristol, the main entry port for the tobacco trade at that time. Previously noted at Little Faringdon House, near Lechlade. Bishop & Miller auction, Stowmarket, Suffolk, 25 May 2022, lot 293 (ns).

    Inscription: TME [triad] 1706 TME [triad] / I B

    Manufactured: in 1706 in the Forest of Dean area of England.

    Current location: not known.

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., Autumn 2020, 'A Series of Distinctive Firebacks', Base Thoughts, Newsletter of the Antique Metalware Society, pp. 7-8.

  10. 366

    leicester,_guildhall_02a.jpg
    545 x 410 mm

    Description: Rectangular; astragal edging; shield motto and crest of the family of Lawrence.

    Notes: Blazon: Ermine, on a cross raguly gules an eastern crown or, on a chief azure two swords in saltire proper pomels and hilts gold between as many leopards' heads argent; crest: out of an eastern crown or, a cubit arm entwined by a wreath of laurel and holding a dagger, all proper. These arms apply to neither the baronetcy nor the two baronies awarded to members of the Lawrence family, the mottoes of which also differ.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: IN GOD IS MY TRUST

    Arms: Lawrence

    Manufactured: in the late 19th to early 20th century in England.

    Current location:, not known.

    Citation: Fox-Davies, A. C., 1929, Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-armour (London, Hurst & Blackett).