Firebacks

Personal armorial firebacks

131 results

  1. 877

    unknown_56 pollen arms 580x570.jpg
    580 x 570 mm

    Description: Low arched rectangle; astragal and stepped fillet edging; slanted shield, helm and mantling; crest missing; at bottom, date split either side of shield.

    Notes: The arms are of the Pollen family of Redenham, Hampshire; blazon: azure, on a bend cotised or between six lozenges argent each charged with an escallop sable, five escallops vert.

    Inscription: 19 27

    Arms: Pollen of Andover, Hampshire

    Manufactured: in 1927 in England.

    Current location:, not known.

    Citation: Fox-Davies, A. C., 1929, Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-armour (London, Hurst & Blackett).

  2. 908

    unknown_62 520 x 570.jpg
    520 x 570 mm

    Description: Quasi arched rectangular shape with detached pediment above symmetrical ‘horns’ within arcs; cavetto-moulded edging; shield with helm, crest and mantling; initials split by crest.

    Notes: Blazon: quarterly 1st lion rampant (poss. Lewis, descendant of Gwaethfoed); 2nd a chevron between three fleurs de lys (descendant of Einon ap Collwyn); 3rd three chevronels (descendant of Iestyn ap Gwrgan); 4th as 2nd (but possibly different tinctures); crest: a lion rampant; the initials suggest the arms may be of a member of a cadet branch of the Lewis family.

    Inscription: T L

    Arms: Possibly a member of the Lewis family

    Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century in Wales.

    Current location: Ty-r-ash, Brecon Road, Crickhowell, Powys, Wales.

  3. 1054

    unknown_69_vernon_895x864a.jpg
    895 x 864 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular shape; chamfered edging; 'renaissance' style shield with floriate decoration; incised heraldic design.

    Notes: The arms are of Sir John Herbert Vernon Bt. impaling those of his wife, Elizabeth Bagnall; Blazon: (Vernon) Or, on a fess azure between two crosses moline gules three garbs of the field, a canton of a baronet; (Bagnall) Ermine, two bars or, over all a lion rampant azure. The fireback dates from between 1919, when Sir John inherited the baronetcy and his death in 1933.

    Arms: Vernon impaling Bagnall

    Manufactured: in the early 20th century in England.

    Current location:, not known.

    Citation: Fox-Davies, A. C., 1929, Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-armour (London, Hurst & Blackett).

  4. 1264

    unknown_fitch_115_737x718.jpg
    737 x 718 mm

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging (top and sides) enclosing a shield, helm, crest, mantling and motto of the Fitch family, descendants of Edwin Frederick Fitch (1839-1916); above the achievement, symmetrical laurel leaves, all within an arched rectangular astragal border surmounted by, on the dexter side, a behelmeted merman holding a scimitar and, on the sinister side, a mermaid holding a mirror; top centre, three ostrich feathers gathered with a ribbon.

    Notes: A pastiche of the 17th century Carolean 'Dutch' series (e.g. no. 280). Blazon: Vert, on a chevron between three leopards' faces or langued gules, as many cross crosslets fitchee of the last, in the chief point an ermine spot of the second; Crest: Upon a wreath of the colours, a leopard's face erminois pierced through the mouth with a sword broken in the middle argent, pommel and hilt or.

    Inscription: FACTA NON VERBA [Actions not words]

    Arms: Fitch

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 20th century in England.

    Current location:, not known.

    Citation: Fox-Davies, A. C., 1929, Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-armour (London, Hurst & Blackett).

  5. 737

    va_13.jpg
    960 x 670 mm

    Description: Armorial within complex ovolo moulded edging on all sides; two plank lines; the achievement is distinguished by the elaborately festooned mantling, the whole resting on a boat-shaped compartment.

    Notes: The arms, which are those of an esquire, may be those of John Trevor, the son of Sir John Trevor, one of Charles II’s Secretaries of State. He married Elizabeth, widow of William Morley, of Glynde, Sussex, from whom passed the Glynde estates. The arms on this fireback have been variously attributed to Lord Dacre (a descendant of John Trevor), and Col. Marcus Trevor, 1st Viscount Dungannon. The distinctive shape is seen in similar form on several other armorial firebacks, suggesting a continuity of pattern making, if not the same pattern maker. Many copies of this fireback exist.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Arms: Trevor family, of Glynde

    Manufactured: in the mid to late 17th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: 142.1892 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)

    Citation: Beetlestone, C. J., 1926, 'Notes and Queries No. 6, A Sussex Fireback', Sussex Archaeological Collections, 67, pp. 221-2.

    Citation: Gardner, J. S., 1898, 'Iron Casting in the Weald', Archaeologia, 56, 1, pp. 133-164.

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

  6. 740

    va_16.jpg
    835 x 580 mm

    Description: Plain rectangular plate; shield, garter, helm, mantling and supporters of the Blount family, Lords Mountjoy.

    Notes: The arms are those of Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy, who was invested Knight of the Garter in 1597. He was created 1st Earl of Devonshire in 1603. Blazon: 1. (Blount) Barry nebuly of six Or and Sable; 2. (Ayala) Argent, two wolves passant Sable on a bordure of the first eight saltires Gules; 3. (Mountjoy) Or a tower Azure; 4. (Gresley) Vair. An unusually bold and detailed casting; the buckle missing from the garter suggests that this plate has been cropped from a larger fireback.

    Inscription: HONI·SOIT·QVI·MAL·Y·PENSE

    Arms: Charles Blount, KG, 8th Baron Mountjoy

    Manufactured: in the late 16th to early 17th century in England.

    Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: 323.1907 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)

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

  7. 741

    va_17.jpg
    910 x 480 mm

    Description: Rectangular, with canted top corners; twisted rope edging (top and sides only); five shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard in two rows, 3-2; 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. Two cut notches probably for firedogs.

    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. A large number of variants use the same shields. The excrescences affecting the left and right sides respectively of the lower shields are the result of inexpert ladling of the iron during casting. Part of the bequest to the Victoria and Albert Museum by Lieut. Colonel G. B. Croft-Lyons in 1926.

    Arms: Ayloffe impaling Sulyard (William Ayloffe of Bretons, Hornchurch)

    Manufactured: in the early 17th century in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: M.621-1926 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum 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.

  8. 757

    va_33.jpg
    680 x 870 mm

    Description: Oval armorial bearings carried by two naked, kneeling male figures, between them a scallop shell; above the shield a lion’s face surmounted by a crest of a lion’s head erased; the shield is surrounded by floral scrolls. The arms are of Worge impaling Collier: Worge - gules, a fess ermine, cotised argent, in chief three lion’s heads erased of the last; Collier - argent, on a chevron azure, between three unicorns courant couped gules, as many oak sprigs fructed proper.

    Notes: George Worge (1705-65), of Starr’s Green, Battle, steward of the Battle Abbey estate, married Elizabeth Collier (d.1767) of Hastings in 1729. This deeply detailed fireback might have been cast in a closed mould; it had a circular aperture in the centre into which, in this instance, an armorial was placed; the same armorial is on a fireback, dated 1762, at Great Dixter, Northiam, Sussex.

    Arms: Worge impaling Collier (George Worge)

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 18th century possibly at Robertsbridge Furnace, Salehurst in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: 686.1899 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)

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

  9. 758

    va_34.jpg
    750 x 590 mm

    Description: Flattened arched rectangular shape; cavetto moulded edge all round; armorial; arms of Browne family of Brenchley, Kent: Gules, a griffin passant or, a chief of the second; Crest: a vulture proper, wings endorsed, displuming a mallard’s wings.

    Notes: John Browne, gunfounder, was granted arms in 1626. His principal furnace was in Brenchley parish, Kent. The royal gunfounder 1615-51, he petitioned the Crown for a monopoly of casting firebacks in 1633.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Arms: Browne of Brenchley (John Browne)

    Manufactured: in the early to mid 17th century possibly at Brenchley and Horsmonden Furnace in the Weald area of England.

    Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: 493.1901 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)

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

  10. 762

    va_38.jpg
    600 x 680 mm

    Description: Rectangular; astragal and fillet edging; oval shield of the Paulet family (sable three swords, points conjoined in pile), within a cartouche, surmounted by a marquis’s coronet; date split between bottom corners.

    Notes: The arms of Charles Paulet, 6th Marquess of Winchester, who succeeded to the title in 1674 and was created Duke of Bolton in 1689. The fireback is reported to have come from Grange Farm, Basing House, Hampshire; Basing House was the seat of the Paulets.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: 16 87

    Arms: Charles Paulet, 6th Marquess of Winchester

    Manufactured: in 1687 possibly at Sowley Furnace, Beaulieu in England.

    Current location: Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: M.103-1913 (part of the Victoria & Albert Museum museum group)

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