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461
Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging; irregularly spaced, 5 x 5 rope grid; damage to top right corner.
Notes: A 5 x 3 variant is also known.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- objects
Manufactured: in the mid- to late-16th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: 1944.24.046 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Rope design firebacks
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1048
Description: Canted rectangular shape; twisted rope edging (top and sides); two saltires formed of twisted rope irregularly arranged.
Notes: The small size suggests a 17th rather than a 16th century date. Formerly part of the J. H. Every collection.
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- apotropaic
- objects
Manufactured: in the late-16th to early-17th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.
Museum number: LH000.919 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)
- Attached to series:
- Rope design firebacks
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946
Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging (top and sides); initials in triad to left of date (7 reversed), all between two twisted rope saltires.
Notes: The distinctive form of the number '5' has been seen on another fireback indicating a common source.
Inscription: RAE [triad] 1657
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- apotropaic
- text
- objects
Manufactured: in 1657 in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Lindfield, West Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- Rope design firebacks
- Shortened '5' series
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864
Description: Canted rectangle; double fillet edging (top and sides); top centre, date; initials in triad, repeated on each side, with a fleur-de-lys between; three fleurs-de-lys evenly spaced below initial groups.
Notes: The initials are believed to be those of Edward Robinson, a bookseller, and his wife of 16 King Street, Ludlow, where the fireback was discovered.
Inscription: 1688 / ERI ERI [both triads]
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- double fillet (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
Manufactured: in 1688 possibly in the Shropshire area of England.
Current location: Castle Square, Ludlow, Shropshire, England.
(part of the Ludlow Museum museum group)
Citation: Moran, M., 2003, Vernacular Buildings of Shropshire (Almeley, Logaston Press).
- Attached to series:
- Ludlow series
- Date & initials firebacks
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1036
Description: Canted rectangular shape; no edging; lower centre, carved pattern panel of Stuart Royal arms: shield, garter, crown, motto, supporters and initials, RI separated by crown; lion statant guardant stamp repeated five times, three across top, one each side feet to left.
Notes: The impression of the decorative elements is irregular, with the achievement of arms under-pressed and the three lion stamps along the top over-pressed; the distinctive feature of the unicorn's horn in front of the initial R has been seen on a small number of other firebacks. From a photograph in the J. Starkie Gardner Collection, Victoria & Albert Museum, Archive of Art and Design (AAD/2014/8).
Inscription: I R
Arms: English Stuart royal - James I
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- none (edging)
- carved stamps
- carved pattern panels
- heraldic
- armorial
- royal
- text
- animals
Manufactured: in the early-17th century possibly in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Maidstone Museum, St Faith's Street, Maidstone, Kent, England.
(part of the Maidstone Museum museum group)
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970
Description: Canted rectangle; twisted rope edging; date along the top; initials in triad across the middle, inside canted rectangular rope border; fleur-de-lys stamp repeated five times down each side.
Notes: The initials probably represent those of a married couple, the 'V' for their surname; it is relatively unusual for twisted rope edging to continue along the bottom of the plate. The back was found in Massachusetts and may have been brought there by an early colonist.
Inscription: 1626 / MVS
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- rope (edging)
- simple stamps
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- heraldic
- text
Manufactured: in 1626 in the Forest of Dean area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Herndon, Virginia, United States of America.
- Attached to series:
- Date & initials firebacks
- 1620s Dean series
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1077
Description: Canted rectangle; astragal edging (top and sides); symmetrically arranged, initials separated by overpressed, fillet edged stamp bearing letters WF surmounted by a bent arm holding a battleaxe issuing from a chapeau; beneath are two shields bearing the arms of Fowle.
Notes: The shield and crest stamps relate to William Fowle (1568-1634) and are those used on iron grave slabs in Wadhurst and Frant churches and in Maidstone museum, as well as on other firebacks. The initials have not been identified. Another casting with the same set of initials, but in a slightly different arrangement, has been noted (no. 68), and Christy (1908 p.386) reported on another with slots for two firedogs.
Inscription: EC DT / WF
Arms: William Fowle, of Frant and Wadhurst
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- astragal (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- heraldic
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in the early- to mid-17th century probably at Riverhall Furnace, Wadhurst in the Weald area of England.
Current location: in private hands, Minster-on-Sea, Kent, England.
- Attached to series:
- Fowle series
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924
Description: Canted rectangle; elaborate cavetto moulded edging (top and sides); strapwork shield with a demi-flower at each side, between initials; arms quarterly of six, 1st Or two chevronels Gules, on a canton of the last a mullet of the first (Pope); 2nd Argent three bars Gules, on a canton ermine a bend of lozenges of the second (Walshe); 3rd Sable three laurel leaves in bend Or between two bendlets Argent (Waller); 4th Azure a chevron between three crosses Moline Argent (Lansdale); 5th Ermine on a bend Gules three lions' heads erased Or (Weston); 6th Azure a lion rampant Or supporting a cross pat?e fitch?e of the second (Pichingham).
Notes: The lower part of the shield is revealed more clearly in another casting. The date above the shield has been inserted before casting and differs slightly from another example of the same back.
Copies of this fireback are known.
Inscription: 1625 / S P
Arms: Pope (Sackevile Pope (b. 1589) of Hendall, in Buxted, Sussex)
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- complex individual (edging)
- whole carved pattern
- date stamp
- armorial
- text
Manufactured: in 1625 in the Weald area of England.
Current location:, L.T.C. Rolt - Life, Work, Legacy A Joint Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust / Keele University Conference 9th - 11th May 2024 Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Coalbrookdale, Shropshire Click here for details.
- Attached to series:
- Low relief armorial series
- Personal armorial firebacks
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910
Description: Canted rectangle; cavetto-moulded edging (top and sides); single horizontal fillet below canted corners and vertical fillet parallel to each side, dividing the fireback into two side panels, two top corner panels, top panel and main central panel; corner panels, ‘daisy’ plant stamp; top panel, central initials between split date, separated by 'daisy' stamps; side panels, swirling foliage stamp repeated each side, initial at bottom of panel: I to the left, B to the right.
Notes: The 'daisy' stamp and IB initials are identical to those on similar firebacks dated to between 1703 and 1721, probably indicating the same founder. Christie's Interiors - Masters & Makers (Sale 5462), South Kensington, London, 8 July 2014, lot 126 (£688).
Inscription: 17 IS 07 / I B
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- cavetto (edging)
- carved stamps
- individual letters
- individual numbers
- text
- plants
Manufactured: in 1707 in the Forest of Dean area of England.
Current location: not known.
- Attached to series:
- IB series
- Date & initials firebacks
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599
Description: Canted rectangle; ovolo moulded edging (top and sides); seven shields of Ayloffe impaling Sulyard - two rows with three on top and four on the bottom; two parallel vertical cuts for the insertion of firedogs.
Notes: 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. 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. There is a large number of variants using the same shields.
Arms: Ayloffe impaling Sulyard (William Ayloffe of Bretons, Hornchurch)
- Decoration tags:
- rectangular with canted top corners (shape)
- rope (edging)
- carved stamps
- armorial
Manufactured: in the early-17th century in the Weald area of England.
Current location: Mark Ripley Forge & Fireplaces, Northbridge Street, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England.
- Attached to series:
- Ayloffe series
- Personal armorial firebacks
- Andiron slot firebacks