Firebacks

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 either the original pattern of the Pelham fireback or a casting from it into a plain rectangular mould, and modifying it by removing the side moulding. It is unclear whether the additional initials, RT, had already been added to the 'pattern' or were added to this casting.

Inscription: 1642 / T P / R T

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); initials in top corners; below the initials, a saltire formed of possibly two straight lengths of twisted rope.

Notes: The saltire is likely to have an apotropaic purpose; the hollows in the risers of the letter 'H' and the end of the left line of the saltire may have been formed by gas bubbles in the molten iron during casting.

Inscription: N H

Description: Plain rectangular shape; no edging; separate initials in top left corners.

Notes: The regular form of the letters suggest that they might be reused printing blocks.

Inscription: T F

Description: Rectangular with moulded edging; shield, forward-facing helm, lion's head crest, mantling, lion supporters, and collar of the Order of St Michael

Notes: The arms are probably those of Jean Bouchu (1597-1653), French parliamentarian: azure, a chevron between, in chief, two crescents and, in base, a lion rampant sinister or.

Inscription: 1641

Arms: Bouchu

Description: Rectangular; twisted rope edging (top and sides); to each side, two saltires formed of crossed lengths of twisted rope; in between, and repeated seven times, a circular stamp decorated in low relief with a central disc perforated in the centre, surrounded by a circle inside a square looped at each corner, the sides of which are echoed twice on each side; the stamps are arranged in two rows, of three and four, in the upper part of the plate.

Notes: A boldly cast fireback with an excrescence top centre caused by disturbance of the casting sand by the pouring of the iron.

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

Description: Rectangular; double fillet moulded edging; top centre, shield-shaped block with a rectangle containing the crest of the Fowles - an Arm in armour holding a Battle axe issuant from a Ducal Coronet, above the initials, WF; top left and right, two shields of the arms of the Fowle family - (Gules) a lion passant guardant between three roses (Or); across the lower half of the fireback are three solid triangular prisms of iron.

Notes: The stamps relate to William Fowle (1568-1634), ironmaster of Riverhall furnace. The stamps also appear on grave slabs in Wadhurst and Frant churches and on an unprovenanced graveslab in Maidstone Museum. The iron prisms were included, perhaps, to retain heat and to prevent the fireback from cracking.

Inscription: WF

Arms: William Fowle, of Frant and Wadhurst

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)

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

Description: Rectangular; astragal edging; shield motto and crest of the family of Lawrence.

Notes: Blazon: Ermine, on a cross raguly gules an eastern crown or, on a chief azure two swords in saltire proper pomels and hilts gold between as many leopards' heads argent; crest: out of an eastern crown or, a cubit arm entwined by a wreath of laurel and holding a dagger, all proper. These arms apply to neither the baronetcy nor the two baronies awarded to members of the Lawrence family, the mottoes of which also differ.

Copies of this fireback are known.

Inscription: IN GOD IS MY TRUST

Arms: Lawrence