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621
Description: Rectangular; ovolo moulded edging (top and sides); central shield, crest and mantling of the Fuller family. The date, of which the 1 is not visible, is split between the top corners of the shield and about two-thirds of the way down.
Notes: A carved armorial on a plain, edged base board; the arms of the Fullers of Brightling Park, Sussex, are: Argent, three bars and a canton gules; the crest; Out of a ducal coronet Or, a lion’s head argent. The Fullers were iron masters and gun founders in the first half of the 18th century, operating Heathfield furnace, where it is likely that this fireback was cast.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: [1] 7 / 4 7
Arms: Fuller, of Brightling, Sussex
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- carved pattern panels
- heraldic
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1747 probably at Heathfield furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Butleigh, Somerset, England.
- Attached to series:
- Ironmasters armorial series
- Personal armorial firebacks
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232
Description: Plain plate; central shield, helm, crest and mantling of the Lewis family: quarterly 1st, sable a lion rampant argent (Lewis of Y Fan), 2nd, sable a chevron between three fleurs de lys or (Einon ap Collwyn), 3rd gules three chevronels argent(Iestyn ap Gwrgan), 4th, sable a chevron between three spear heads argent embrued gules (Bleddyn ap Maenyrch); initials split by armorial stamp (’E’ over-stamped); date, formed from single numerals, below arms.
Notes: The arms are those of Sir Edward Lewis, of Van, who purchased St Fagans Castle in 1616. The same armorial stamp was used to model the arms on a lead cistern outside the front door of the castle. It is possible that this fireback was cut down from a larger fireback.
Inscription: E L 1620
Arms: Sir Edward Lewis of Van
- Decoration tags:
- sub-rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1620 in the South Wales area of Wales.
Current location: National History Museum, St Fagans, Glamorgan, Wales.
Museum number: 48.354/84 (part of the Welsh National History Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
- Welsh armorial firebacks
- Bristol armorial series
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335
Description: Canted rectangle; stepped edging; unidentified shield with 12 quarterings, helm and crest; arms carved on rectangular back board.
Notes: Two horizontal plank lines; arms over-stamped. Photographed at Messrs. C. Pannett & Sons, Highgate, Hawkhurst, Kent; from an album of photographs of firebacks by W. Galsworthy Davie c.1912 (National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum, London).
Copies of this fireback are known.
- Decoration tags:
- canted rectangular (shape)
- rebated fillet (edging)
- carved pattern panels
- planklines
- armorial
Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location:.
Citation: Shuffrey, L. A., 1912, The English Fireplace, London, Batsford
- Attached to series:
- Personal armorial firebacks
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288
Description: Arched rectangular with plain edges; arched rectangular inset with cavetto edging and armorial design in low relief: circular garter enclosing an ornate Tudor royal shield, surmounted by a crown; date inside top of arch; initials inside top corners of rectangle; a rose in each bottom corner of rectangle; inscription in a separate rectangular panel below, split by garter buckle.
Notes: The earliest dated fireback in the English style. Molland was a Devon manor belonging to the Courtenay family. Noted as having been at Wells Deanery, Somerset, in 1845; a variant without the motto, the existence of which was noted in 1840, was illustrated by Llewellin (1863); the West Country provenance for both of these firebacks suggests an origin in those parts.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 1553 / E R / HONV SOIT QVY MALE V PENCE / MOL LAND
Arms: Tudor royal - Edward VI
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- none (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1553 possibly at Pentyrch furnace in the South Wales area.
Current location: Davington Priory, Priory Road, Faversham, Kent, England.
Citation: Collier, C. V., 1897, 'Coats of Arms in Kent Churches', Archaeologia Cantiana, 22, pp. 190-1.
- Attached to series:
- Edwardian royal armorial firebacks
- Tudor royal armorial firebacks
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92
Description: Arched rectangular shaped; paternost bead edging (top and sides); Stuart royal arms: shield, garter, helm, crown, crest, supporters and motto; date split between top corners; initials split beneath supporters.
Notes: Firebacks with royal arms attributable to the reign of James II are, inevitably, uncommon owing to the brevity of his reign. Paternost beads are more usually found as edging on ‘Dutch’ types of fireback. A polychrome casting of this fireback is displayed as the royal arms in St James's church in North Cray, Kent.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 1687 /HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / I R / DIEU ET MON DROIT
Arms: English Stuart royal (James II)
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- bead-and-pellett (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- individual numbers
- armorial
- royal
- text
Manufactured: in 1687 possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Hampton Court, Richmond, Greater London, England.
Museum number: 1010 (part of the Royal Collection museum group)
- Attached to series:
- James II royal armorial firebacks
- Stuart royal armorial firebacks
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939
Description: Rectangular with triangular top; ovolo-moulded edging; shield and crown of the French royal house of Valois, encircled by the collars of the orders of Saint Michel and Saint-Esprit
Notes: Cast no later than 1589 when the House of Valois was succeeded by the House of Bourbon.
Arms: France Royal
- Decoration tags:
- triangular arched (shape)
- ovolo (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- armorial
Manufactured: in the late 16th century in France.
Current location: in private hands, Ewhurst, Surrey, England.
- Attached to series:
- Foreign armorial firebacks
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927
Description: Carved wooden fireback pattern. Arched rectangular central panel, astragal and fillet edge, pictorial, Hercules, sword in hand, preparing to slay the Hydra; arched rectangular border, fillet edge, ivy leaves and tendrils, monogram at bottom; swirled foliage on top.
Notes: Unusually for a pattern, it was carved from a single piece of wood; formerly in the custody of William Hobday (d. 1883), last surviving ironworker at Ashburnham furnace, this pattern was given to the Sussex Archaeological Society by the Earl of Ashburnham.
Inscription: TAN
- Decoration tags:
- 'Dutch' (shape)
- fillet (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- pictorial
- mythological
- text
- animals
- humans
Manufactured: in the early 18th century in England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
(part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
Citation: Dawson, C., 1903, 'Sussex Iron Work and Pottery', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 46, pp. 1-54.
- Attached to series:
- Patterns
- TAN series
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511
Description: Rectangular with semi-circular protrusions on the top and sides; cavetto edging; a pheon (a downward-pointing arrow head barbed on the inner edge), within a wreath, an earl’s coronet above; the date on either side of the coronet; the initials on left and right sides; a fleur de lys in each bottom corner.
Notes: The wreathed pheon and coronet are cast from a different pattern to the 1626 and 1630 plates.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 16 47 / R L
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with arched extensions (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- planklines
- heraldic
- text
Manufactured: in 1647 possibly at Robertsbridge furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Penshurst Place, Penshurst, Kent, England.
- Attached to series:
- Earl of Leicester series
- Personal firebacks
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865
Description: Arched rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); central date at bottom of arch.
Inscription: 1670
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- individual numbers
- text
Manufactured: in 1670 in England.
Current location: Church Street, Stow on the Wold, Oxfordshire, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date only firebacks
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744
Description: Arched rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides only); three water bougets (leather water containers) at top; knotted cord and tassel decoration on each side; centred inscription on six lines with ‘S’ reversed, bar across top of ‘A’ and letters individually placed and separated by double fleurs-de-lys].
Notes: The approximately mirrored cord decoration appears to have been affixed to shaped boards. The Wealden origin of this fireback suggests possible connections with the Roos, or de Ros, family, who owned property in Easebourne, or the Meeres family of Glynleigh, near Hailsham, the arms of both families incorporating water bougets. A connection, proposed by the Victoria and Albert Museum, with the Helmsley family of Yorkshire is improbable. One of a series of distinctive firebacks cast in 1582, most with inscriptions relating to individuals.
Inscription: THES:IS:FOR / WILAM:BRON / AND:ELISAB: / TH:HIS:SISTR / 15 82 / I A
- Decoration tags:
- arched rectangular (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1582 possibly at Pounsley furnace in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.
Museum number: M.977-1926 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Pounsley series
- 1582 IA series
- Fleur rope terminal series