Firebacks

Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo moulded edging; date in arch; below arch two parallel, vertical straps, each with a buckle at the top; initials left and right of centre; roughly symmetrical arrangement of four stamps repeated: rectangular stamp with deer three times down centre, one outside each buckle and one beyond each strap end; circular food mould stamp outside centre of each strap, beyond stag stamp outside buckle and at edge beyond strap end; 'rabbit' stamp at edge beyond food mould stamp outside each buckle and outside each strap end; rectangular stamp with 'dog' outside each initial and six times below strap ends.

Notes: The buckles suggest a connection with the Pelham family; the initials may relate to Sir Thomas Pelham, Bt. (1597-1654) who owned and operated ironworks at Waldron and Crowhurst in Sussex.From the drawing it is not certain if the stamps are the same as on another example of this fireback in Hastings Museum. The food mould stamp may be those seen on at least one other fireback. Recorded at Huggetts Farm, Waldron, Sussex, by Edward Hughes, of Heathfield, Sussex; J. Starkie Gardner collection, Victoria & Albert Museum, Archive of Art and Design (AAD/2014/8).

Inscription: 1642 / T P

Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); divided by rope lengths into four panels: centre top, square; centre bottom, trapezium; sides, irregular hexagons; buckle stamp repeated three times, in bottom and side panels; top centre panel, circular flower stamp with fleur de lys on each petal.

Notes: The buckle stamps suggest a connection with the Pelham family; illustrated in Butterfield 1916, where it was stated to have been in a house at Herstmonceux, Sussex..

Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo moulded edging; date in arch; below arch two parallel, vertical straps, each with a buckle at the top; initials left and right of centre; rectangular stamp with bird, four times across top; larger rectangular stamp with unidentified animal, twice below initials.

Notes: The buckles suggest a connection with the Pelham family; the initials may relate to Sir Thomas Pelham, Bt. (1597-1654) who owned and operated ironworks at Waldron and Crowhurst in Sussex. An example at Great Dixter, Northiam, has a different arrangement of the same stamps.

Inscription: 1642 / T P

Description: Arched rectangular shape; ovolo edging; date in arch; below arch, two parallel straps, each with a buckle at the top; initials left and right of centre; rectangular stamp with bird, four times across top.

Notes: The buckles suggest a connection with the Pelham family; the initials may relate to Sir Thomas Pelham, Bt. (1597-1654) who owned and operated ironworks at Waldron and Crowhurst in Sussex.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: 1642 / T P

Description: Rectangular shape; plain edging (top and sides); full-height impression of a fireback of arched rectangular shape and ovolo edging; date in arch; below arch, two parallel straps, each with a buckle at the top; initials T above R to the left of centre, and P above T to the right.

Notes: The side edging of the original fireback has been erased before casting. A variant of the 1642 series of firebacks bearing the Pelham buckle badge and the initials TP, believed to relate to Sir Thomas Pelham (1597-1654). It is not known to whom the initials RT relate; their style suggests they are contemporary with the original fireback. A larger fireback has been created by impressing the Pelham fireback into a plain rectangular mould.

Inscription: 1642 / T P / R T

Description: Plain edged, damaged rectangular plate; a buckle stamp repeated eight times in alternate horizontal and vertical pairs in four columns.

Notes: The buckle closely resembles that used to decorate glazed bricks on the walls of Laughton Place, Sussex, built by Sir William Pelham in 1534.

Description: Arched rectangular shape; plain edge with inset astragal on all sides; stylised buckle surmounted by an earl’s coronet between the two halves of the date.

Notes: The buckle is the badge of the Pelham family and the earl’s coronet may refer to the Earldom of Clare to which Thomas Pelham-Holles, 2nd Baron Pelham of Laughton was raised in 1714. The following year he was created Marquess of Clare and Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Inscription: 17 15

Description: Rectangular, with arched rectangular extension on top; double astragal edging (top & sides); shield, helmet, crest and mantling of the Pelham family: quarterly, 1st and 4th, Azure, three pelicans vulning themselves proper; 2nd and 3rd, Gules, two broken belts palewise the buckles upwards argent; the crest: a peacock in pride argent.

Notes: The arms may be those of Sir Nicholas Pelham (1517-59) or of one of his two sons, Sir John (d. 1580) or Sir Thomas (c1540-1624); the latter was created a Baronet in 1611. As there is no evidence of the augmentation of a baronet on the arms, the fireback probably predates the creation of the baronetcy.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Arms: Sir Nicholas, Sir John or Sir Thomas Pelham

Description: Rectangular; ovolo-moulded edging (top and sides); repeated guilloche pattern inside top and side edges; upper centre, diamond stamp with ovolo edges and recessed daisy flower in centre, between buckle stamps repeated twice.

Notes: The diamond stamp is possibly derived from a furniture panel design; the buckles suggest a Pelham family association; the buckle and diamond are separate stamps, and in each example their relative positions differ slightly; the guilloche design appears to have been carved on the base panel; an example at The Star Inn, Alfriston, Sussex measures 665mm x 480mm.

Description: Rectangular; ovolo-moulded edging (top and sides); repeated guilloche pattern inside top and side edges; upper centre, diamond stamp with ovolo edges and recessed daisy flower in centre, between buckle stamp repeated twice; the diamond stamp is repeated over-stamping the lower part of the first.

Notes: The diamond stamp is possibly derived from a furniture panel design; the buckles suggest a Pelham family association; the buckle and diamond are separate stamps, and in each example their relative positions differ slightly; the guilloche design appears to have been carved on the base panel; an example at The Star Inn, Alfriston, Sussex measures 665mm x 480mm.