Firebacks

In the National Trust museum group

127 results

  1. 346

    ightham_mote 05.jpg
    910 x 892 mm

    Description: Rectangular with arched rectangular shaped top joined by cavetto curves; astragal edging; 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.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: [around shield] HONY SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE / [on motto scroll] AUT NUNQUAM TENTES, AUT PERFICE

    Arms: Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset

    Manufactured: in the early-18th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Ightham Mote, Ightham, Kent, England.

    Museum number: 825513 (part of the National Trust museum group)

  2. 354

    keighley,_east riddlesden hall.jpg
    433 x 463 mm

    Description: Quasi-arched rectangular shaped; unique, cavetto moulded edging, which loops upon itself three times. A mythical salamander shown in the flames which legend states it is able to resist; behind is what appears to be a palm tree, on either side of which the date is stamped. Two plank-lines.

    Notes: Whole pattern with added date; one of a series of firebacks where the number ‘1’ is hooked at both ends. Damage and subsequent repair to the bottom right corner has obliterated a letter 'M' seen on another casting; presumably part of 'IM'. A variant, at Lewes, is incorrectly dated 1550.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 1650

    Manufactured: in 1650 possibly at Brede Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: East Riddlesden Hall, Keighley, Yorkshire, England.

    Museum number: NT/ERH/M/40 (part of the National Trust museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2007, 'A Godly chimney plate and other firebacks from Brede', Wealden Iron, 2nd ser., 27, pp. 18-26.

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

    Citation: Schubert, H. R., 1957, 'A Forgery in Iron', Journal of the Iron & Steel Institute, 165, p. 125.

  3. 356

    knowle,_baddesley clinton 01.jpg
    1005 x 758 mm

    Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); bearded face stamp repeated in top corners and below inscription; date along top edge; initials split by date and slightly below.

    Notes: The distinctive style of the ‘4’ in the date and the bearded mask stamp have also been noted on a fireback at Callow Farm, Dymock, Gloucestershire, associated with the operator of the Newent furnace.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: E 1641 M

    Manufactured: in 1641 probably at Elmbridge Furnace, Newent in the Forest of Dean area of England.

    Current location: Baddesley Clinton Hall, Knowle, Warwickshire, England.

    Museum number: 342876 (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).

  4. 357

    knowle,_baddesley clinton 02.jpg
    550 x 697 mm

    Description: Stove side plate; ovolo moulded edging; upper panel, pictorial scene of Jesus and the woman of Samaria (John: 4), with inscription below; lower panel, two circular frames, each with a figure, male to the right, female to the left, decorative scroll work between.

    Notes: Stove plates were often used as firebacks once the stoves had been replaced by more efficient ones.

    Inscription: VON DEN FREWLEIN VON SAMARIA IOHAN 4

    Manufactured: in the late-16th to early-17th century in the Eifel area of Germany.

    Current location: Baddesley Clinton Hall, Knowle, Warwickshire, England.

    (part of the National Trust museum group)

  5. 358

    knowle,_baddesley clinton 03.jpg
    356 x 600 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging on a broad fillet; standing on a ground with a peacock behind her, a classically-dressed figure of a female, wearing a crown and holding a sceptre in her right hand, her left hand across her chest; above her, swagged drapery; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; central scallop shell at the top with a descending arrangement of swirled and interlinked lines; at bottom centre, a cartouche bearing the letter ‘N’; on top, two mirrored serpents.

    Notes: The figure is that of Hera/Juno. The pattern maker identified as ‘N’ is likely to have been working in collaboration with pattern makers whose fireback designs are identified with the initials, SHR and EB, and with the maker responsible for patterns made in 1724, some of which bore inscriptions in Welsh.

    Inscription: N

    Manufactured: in the early-18th century in England.

    Current location: Baddesley Clinton Hall, Knowle, Warwickshire, England.

    Museum number: 342886 (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).

  6. 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)

  7. 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)

  8. 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).

  9. 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.

  10. 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).