Firebacks

605mm tall

  1. 1282

    catsfield,_potmans_place.jpg
    1060 x 605 mm

    Description: Rectangular shape; wide fillet and ogee-moulded edging; approximately top centre, initials RH, with date 1701 centred below.

    Notes: The character set for the initials and date lacks uniformity, some carved crudely, others more carefully; the lettering differs from another fireback (see no. 1166), with the same initials and date, by the position and shape of the letter 'R'. Formerly at Nethercote, Netherfield Hill, East Sussex. The former location in the Netherfield area of these two firebacks suggests a possible association with Richard Hay, owner of land in that area at that time and ironmaster at Beech Furnace nearby.

    Inscription: R H / 1701

    Manufactured: in 1701 possibly at Beech Furnace, Battle in the Weald area of England.

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

  2. 44

    cuckfield,_bigges farm.jpg
    ~920 x 605 mm

    Description: Rectangular; astragal edging; simple diamond pattern covering whole plate, formed from evenly-spaced diagonal lines.

    Manufactured: .

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

  3. 1233

    hook_915x605.jpg
    915 x 605 mm

    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

    Manufactured: in 1795 in England.

    Current location: not known.

  4. 388

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 023.jpg
    1045 x 605 mm

    Description: Rectangular, with canted top corners; twisted rope edging (top and sides only); ten shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard in three rows, 3-4-3; 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. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.

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

    Manufactured: in the early-17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: 1944.24.047 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society 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.

  5. 413

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 047.jpg
    360 x 605 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; standing figure of Abraham about to sacrifice a kneeling Isaac, Abraham's raised right hand holding a sword is retrained by an angel; behind Abraham is a ram; initials are placed in a triangle above behind and in front of the group; arched rectangular border with fillet edging and descending floral and fruit bunches on a ribbon, hanging from rings, foliate swirls at base; vases on rectangle shoulders and at top, between two putti

    Notes: The initials appear to have been added subsequently.

    Inscription: B / E A

    Manufactured: in the mid- to late-17th century possibly in the Siegerland area of Germany.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: LH000.946 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

  6. 513

    penshurst_04.jpg
    1345 x 605 mm

    Description: Rectangular; complex (astragal & fillet/cavetto) moulded edging; initials across top, between split date.

    Inscription: 16 WSG 98 [‘S’ reversed]

    Manufactured: in 1698 in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Penshurst Place, Penshurst, Kent, England.

  7. 722

    ticehurst,_whiligh.jpg
    955 x 605 mm

    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

    Manufactured: in the late-16th to early-17th century in the Weald area of England.

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

    Citation: Fitzgerald-Uniacke, R. G., 1914, 'The Barhams of Shoesmiths in Wadhurst', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 56, pp. 110-160.