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: 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; J. Starkie Gardner collection, Victoria & Albert Museum, Archive of Art and Design (AAD/2014/8).

Inscription: 1642 / T P

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, who was active in 1642, and who had interests in several ironworks. 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 are likely to be those of Sir Thomas Pelham (1597-1654), 2nd baronet, who had interests in several ironworks.

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