Firebacks

Description: Armorial; one plank line; shield, supporters, helm, crest and garter of the Sackville family: quarterly or and gules, a bend vair.

Notes: The arms of Thomas Sackville (1527-1608), created 1st Baron Buckhurst in 1567 and invested Knight of the Garter in 1589. He was MP for East Grinstead. He was created 1st Earl of Dorset in 1604; the back therefore dates between 1589 and 1604.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: HONI ... MAL Y PEN ...

Arms: Sackville, Baron Buckhurst

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging on top and sides; five stamps formed from a circular butter print with a diamond-shaped central element, divided in four, surrounded by a circular border with zig-zag pattern and a raised edge. The letters are interspaced with the top row of three stamps.

Notes: Butter prints were made of wood, and smaller than wafering irons. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.

Inscription: T T T B

Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo moulded edging; plain panel at bottom; Tudor royal shield, garter, crown, motto and supporters (crowned lion and dragon), temp. Elizabeth I; the top of the lion's crown and the dragon's ear overlap the edging.

Notes: 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.

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

Arms: Tudor royal

Description: Arched plate; ovolo moulding edging; shield, supporters, coronet, helm, crest and motto of Viscount Montague; quarterly Browne, Albini, Fitzalan, Fitzalan of Clare, Warren, Maltravers, Nevill, Montagu, Monthermer, Inglethorpe, Burghe, Delapole, Bradeston, Tiptoft, Charleton and Kent (Plantagenet); supporters: two bears collared and chained; the crest: an eagle, the wings elevated and displayed.

Notes: The arms of either the 2nd (Anthony-Maria Browne, succ. 1592-1629) or 3rd viscount (Francis Browne succ. 1629-1682) - the 1st viscount was a Knight of the Garter and no garter is shown; the style of the modelling bears similarities to that on the 1618 series of firebacks and may be the work of the same pattern-maker.

Inscription: VERITATE DUCE [Be led by Truth]

Arms: Viscount Montague

Description: Arched rectangle; dentil ovolo-moulded edging; shield, supporters, coronet, helm, crest, mantling and motto of Viscount Montague; quarterly Browne, Albini, Fitzalan, Fitzalan of Clare, Warren, Maltravers, Nevill, Montagu, Monthermer, Inglethorpe, Burghe, Delapole, Bradeston, Tiptoft, Charleton and Kent (Plantagenet); supporters: two bears collared and chained; the crest: an eagle, the wings elevated and displayed.

Notes: The arms of either the 2nd (Anthony-Maria Browne, succ. 1592-1629) or 3rd viscount (Francis Browne succ. 1629-1682) - the 1st viscount was a Knight of the Garter and no garter is shown.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: VERITATE DUCE [Be led by Truth]

Arms: Viscount Montague

Description: Rectangular; plain plate with shield, supporters, ducal coronet, motto and garter of the Duke of Dorset: Quarterly, Or and gules, a bend vair.

Notes: Almost certainly the arms of Lionel Sackville KG (1688-1765), created first duke of Dorset in 1720. This particular design of fireback has been produced in a variety of sizes depending on the space around the achievement of arms

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / AUT NUNQUAM TENTES, AUT PERFICE [Either do not attempt, or complete]

Arms: Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset

Description: Arched rectangular shaped central panel with 'nutshell' edging; pictorial: Mercury in his chariot drawn by two birds (possibly ravens) across the clouds, his caduceus held aloft; above are clouds, below is a landscape with plants; arched rectangular shaped border with fillet edging, a scallop shell top centre with descending symmetrical arrangement of vine and acanthus leaves and tendrils; the monogram, SHR, bottom centre; on top is a symmetrical design of scrolled floral tendrils. One vertical plankline right of centre.

Notes: The design is based on a personification of the planet Mercury in 'Planetarum effectus et eorum in signis zodiaci', by Marten de Vos (1585). The holes were for fixing to a grate.

Inscription: SHR

Description: Canted rectangle; astragal edging (top and sides); symmetrically arranged, initials separated by overpressed, fillet edged stamp bearing letters WF surmounted by a bent arm holding a battleaxe issuing from a chapeau; beneath are two shields bearing the arms of Fowle.

Notes: The shield and crest stamps relate to William Fowle (1568-1634) and are those used on iron grave slabs in Wadhurst and Frant churches and in Maidstone museum, as well as on other firebacks. The initials have not been identified. Other similar castings with the same set of initials have been noted.

Inscription: EC DT / WF

Arms: William Fowle, of Frant and Wadhurst

Description: Rectangular shape; cyma reversa moulded edging (top and sides); top centre, initials EHA in triad; date split each side of initials.

Notes: Well formed and well spaced letters and numbers.

Inscription: 17 EHA [triad] 51

Description: Arched shape; patterned astragal edging; central shield with helm, crest and mantling above, and motto scroll below; initials either side of crest; date split by shield.

Notes: The arms are those of Chamberlayne: gules, an inescutcheon within an orle of mullets argent; the crest: out of a ducal coronet the head of an ass (the tinctures vary according to the branch of the family); the initials are reputed to be those of Thomas Chamberlayne; the date appears to have been hand inscribed. The style of the carving is the same as on two other firebacks in the same county.

Inscription: T C / 16 18 / [motto unreadable]

Arms: Chamberlayne