Firebacks

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

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

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.

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

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)

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

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

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

Description: Arched rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); central date at bottom of arch.

Inscription: 1670

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