Firebacks

Description: Rectangular with lifting handles; twisted rope edging (top and sides); elaborate central rope design of concentric squares with eight symmetrical arms each with six branches; two crowned rose en soleil stamps left and right centre; three roses across the bottom interspersed with two fleurs de lys; in top corners, two carved furniture-derived stamps. The width of the main plate is 876mm.

Notes: The rose-en-soleil was the badge of King Edward IV and, thus, a Yorkist symbol. The individual stamps are to be seen, separately or together, on other firebacks, indicating a common source; lifting handles are infrequently encountered on firebacks. The elaborate central rope array may be an interpretation of the escarbuncle, which was the principal heraldic charge on the arms of the Duchy of Cleves (1515-57), possibly associating this fireback with the brief marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves. Formerly part of the Ade Collection (from Grove Hill, Hellingly, Sussex).

Description: Quasi-rectangular shape; rope edging on top and sides; central inscription panel; repeated trailing vine decoration from impressed wooden strips — one horizontal line at top, three vertical strips at each side, one horizontal strip below panel, plain panel at base.

Notes: A series of firebacks all bearing the inscription carved onto a panel and included with other stamps in the casting of the iron graveslab covering the tomb of Anne Forster (Foster) in St George’s church, Crowhurst, Surrey. Formerly in the John H. Every Collection, for which it was purchased in 1921 at Isfield Place, Sussex.

Inscription: HER : LIETH : ANE : FORST/ R : DAVGHTER : AND : / HEYR : TO : THOMAS : / GAYNSFORD : ESQVIER / DECEASED : XVIII : OF: / IANVARI : 1591 : LEAVYNG / BEHIND : HER II : SONES : / AND : V : DAVGHTERS

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); top row, two square-within-a-square arrangements of twisted rope between three stamps formed of Gothic tracery cresting; 2nd row, two more tracery cresting stamps (the one on the right over stamping a fleur-de-lys) between two crowned, star-embossed butter mould stamps with a crowned rose-en-soleil stamp in the middle; 3rd row, three star-embossed butter mould stamps with two pairs of fleurs-de-lys between them; bottom row, seven fleurs-de-lys; plus interspersed short rope lengths, and a vertical, double zig-zag arrangement of rope lengths on each side.

Notes: The rose-en-soleil was the badge of King Edward IV and, thus, a Yorkist symbol. Many of the stamps employed on this fireback are seen, with other stamps, on a wide variety of firebacks, suggesting a common source; similar gothic tracery stamps can be seen as pierced cresting on a rare late-Medieval, wooden Easter sepulchre at the redundant church of St Michael at Cowthorpe, North Yorkshire. Another fireback with an almost identical arrangement of the same stamps has also been noted (no. 713).

Description: Fragment; left part of rectangle; twisted rope border (top and sides); long, narrow stamp with undulating vine motif, repeated three times in 'A' shape with top bar; short length of same strip repeated six times, one across middle of 'A', two each side of 'A' at top, one lower right; indistinct stamp with swirled floral design between lower legs of 'A'.

Notes: The same vine strip stamp is seen, in both long and short lengths, on many firebacks, indicating a common source. All the stamps were probably derived from redundant furniture.

Description: Arched rectangular shape; thin twisted rope edging on top and sides; trailing vine strips frame a row of repeated bird (probably swan) stamps (5) above repeated rose en soleil stamps (5); single bird stamp with two short, slanting vine strips in top arch.

Notes: The rose-en-soleil was the badge of King Edward IV and, thus, a Yorkist symbol, while the swan had been adopted by Henry IV and was, therefore, a Lancastrian symbol.

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); undulating vine strip repeated in a line four times along the top, and four times vertically on each side of central inscription panel, with shorter vine strip repeated below vertical strips on each side.

Notes: One of several firebacks that re-use the memorial inscription to 'Ane Forster' (Anne Foster) of Crowhurst, Surrey. The vine strip stamp is seen on other firebacks. The excrescence obscuring part of the text was probably the result of clumsy pouring of the iron during casting which displaced some of the sand mould.

Inscription: HER:LIETH:ANE:FORST / R:DAVGHTER:AND: / HEYR:TO:THOMAS: / GAYNSFORD:ESQVIER / DECEASED:XVIII:OF: / IANVARI:1591:LEAVYNG / BEHIND:HER:II:SONES: / AND:V:DAVGHTERS

Description: Rectangular; carved moulding edging; centre, inscription panel; undulating vine strip stamp repeated thirteen times to form an inner border along each side of the inscription panel.

Notes: The only fireback of the Anne Forster series to have edging formed from wooden moulding probably from dismantled furniture or panelling. Given to the Sussex Archaeological Society in 1850 by Sir Henry Shiffner Bt., of Coombe Place, Hamsey, Sussex. A former occupant of his burnt-out estate cottage, where it had been found, was said to have been a Miss Forster.

Inscription: HER:LIETH:ANE:FORST / R:DAVGHTER:AND: / HEYR:TO:THOMAS: / GAYNSFORD:ESQVIER / DECEASED:XVIII:OF: / IANVARI:1591:LEAVYNG / BEHIND:HER:II:SONES: / AND:V:DAVGHTERS

Description: Rectangular; top and side edging formed from the repeated stamping of a short length of twisted rope; three gothic panels arranged horizontally, the centre one wider than the other two, each panel a symmetrical arrangement of tracery patterns with an inverted ogee arch on top incorporating two flowers; a separate fleur-de-lys stamp has been repeated above each panel.

Notes: The panels were probably derived from a dismantled wooden chest or hutch table, c.1500. Their gothic style belies the probable age of the fireback, such chests already being old when their parts might have been re-used. The same panels are on a fireback at Nymans, Handcross.

Description: Sub-rectangular fragment; undulating vine tendril strip repeated twice vertically from left edge with a bird stamp (probably a swan, a Lancastrian badge) repeated three times between, interspersed with a grape cluster stamp repeated seven times; vine tendril stamp repeated twice horizontally at right angles to rightmost vertical strip, three bird stamps between strips and two above, interspersed with seven grape cluster stamps.

Notes: This fragment incorporates common elements from a large series of firebacks.

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); stamp formed of a bordered strip with an undulating vine with grapes and leaves, repeated six times in three horizontal rows of two; below, a short piece of the same strip positioned vertically and repeated twelve times.

Notes: The vine strip features on many firebacks indicating a common source. Illustration from Lloyd, 1925.