Firebacks by Jeremy Hodgkinson
Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, 2022
Examination of a heraldic stamp that was used on several castings, all from a particular series o... more Examination of a heraldic stamp that was used on several castings, all from a particular series of Tudor firebacks, reveals progressive deterioration in its condition that provides evidence of the relative ages of the castings.
Base Thoughts, Newsletter of the Antique Metalware Society, 2022
Fifty iron firebacks were ordered for Boughton House, Northamptonshire, by John, 2nd Duke of Mont... more Fifty iron firebacks were ordered for Boughton House, Northamptonshire, by John, 2nd Duke of Montagu, in the 1740s. This short article relates the circumstances of their commissioning, where they were made and by whom, and how they were delivered.
Base Thoughts, Newsletter of the Antique Metalware Society, 2020
An intriguing group of firebacks was produced in the early-18th century, probably in the Forest o... more An intriguing group of firebacks was produced in the early-18th century, probably in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. What unites them , apart from their stylistic similarity, are the initials 'I' and 'B' on the bottom edge of most of them. Presumed to be those of the founder, they reappear on two examples, more than a decade later, cast at a Hampshire furnace.
Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, 2020
An unusual instance of the personalisation of an iron fireback is in the collection of the Sussex... more An unusual instance of the personalisation of an iron fireback is in the collection of the Sussex Archaeological Society at Anne of Cleves House, Lewes. A fireback bearing the English Stuart royal arms has been cast with the addition of the name ‘IAMES STANDEN’ moulded from the broken handle of a domestic skillet.
Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, 135, pp. 213-224., 2017
Three carved achievements of the Stuart royal arms in West Country churches bear distinctive deco... more Three carved achievements of the Stuart royal arms in West Country churches bear distinctive decorative features that indicate they were the work of the same woodcarver. The same features have been identified on a group of iron firebacks dated to 1618 and after, suggesting that the wooden patterns from which they were cast were the work of the same, anonymous craftsman.
Surrey Archaeological Collections, 101, pp. 99-114, 2018
Anne Forster died on 18 January 1592 (New Style) and was buried in the chancel of St George’s chu... more Anne Forster died on 18 January 1592 (New Style) and was buried in the chancel of St George’s church, Crowhurst, beneath an elaborately decorated iron plate. Following her burial a number of different firebacks were cast, each bearing the identical memorial inscription panel that identifies her grave. These have been found at various locations, and this paper considers the surviving examples, the likely motive behind their manufacture, and the possible connections with Anne Forster and her family that occasioned their distribution.
Archeologia Cantiana 139, pp. 312-315, 2018
Dated examples of a group of armorial firebacks first described in 1911 mostly bear the initials ... more Dated examples of a group of armorial firebacks first described in 1911 mostly bear the initials CT. Links between the Tyler family, a property owned by them and an example of one of the firebacks suggests that the iron founder who made them was from that family.
Sussex Archaeological Collections, 154, pp. 297-299, 2016
A 'Dutch' style fireback described in 1871 as depicting the rape of Europa, in the context of the... more A 'Dutch' style fireback described in 1871 as depicting the rape of Europa, in the context of the recent Franco-Prussian War, is shown instead to have been designed using as its inspiration an engraving of the marriage of two royal dynasties at the close of the Thirty Years' War.
Wealden Iron Research Group Newsletter, Mar 2007
Identification of the arms and initials on a 17th-century Wealden fireback
Wealden Iron Research Group Newsletter, Nov 2011
A fireback dated 1582 bears the identical inscription to that on an iron grave slab in a Sussex c... more A fireback dated 1582 bears the identical inscription to that on an iron grave slab in a Sussex church. Its discovery and the fate of a further fireback with the same inscription are described.
British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, HodgersBooks) OUT OF PRINT, Nov 1, 2010
Often passing un-noticed at the rear of fireplaces, firebacks began to be made in Britain in the ... more Often passing un-noticed at the rear of fireplaces, firebacks began to be made in Britain in the first half of the sixteenth century. Their decoration provides us with a reflection of the social history of the times in which they were made, whether in the heraldry of royalty and the landed class, the religious and political turmoil of the Stuart period, or the beginnings of the Enlightenment and the rediscovery of classical literature.
Fully illustrated with more than 300 photographs, this, the first book on British firebacks, sets out to explore their development and variety, and to provide interpretation, where possible, of the decoration to be found on them. The illustrations are to scale so the relative sizes of firebacks can be compared, and there is a comprehensive gazetteer with full details of each fireback shown.
Now out of print
The Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, 20, pp. 2-15, 2012
Firebacks began to be made in England early in the 16th century and were decorated in four main w... more Firebacks began to be made in England early in the 16th century and were decorated in four main ways: by the impression of the mould with simple objects, with prepared stamps, with complete carved patterns, and rarely with interchangeable carved panels. Examples of each of these methods are discussed, together with the influences on their design and the work of an anonymous craftsman.
The Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, 21 pp. 14-33, 2013
Alongside cast-iron firebacks with sophisticated, pictorial designs, introduced from around 1550,... more Alongside cast-iron firebacks with sophisticated, pictorial designs, introduced from around 1550, examples with much simpler patterns can also be found, although these are rarely dated. Mostly these designs take the form of letters, two forms of crosses and direct impressions of objects: many firebacks have designs formed from the impressing of cables or twisted rope in the casting sand. Some letters, commonly repeated, carried a meaning beyond simply representing the initials of an individual’s name. This paper seeks to explain their significance as apotropaic (evil-averting) symbols against accidental fires and other forms of supernatural influence.
Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group, 2nd ser., 33, pp. 27-31, 2013
Regional Furniture, 28, pp. 39-48, 2014
A small group of iron castings, the moulds for which were formed using carved wooden patterns mad... more A small group of iron castings, the moulds for which were formed using carved wooden patterns made in south-east England between 1638 and 1652, can be associated with a pattern-maker known only by the initials, IM. Examination of the distinctive work of this craftsman, who may also have been involved in joinery such as furniture-making, identifies some signature motifs which may aid the identification of such pieces.
Wealden Iron, Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group, 2nd ser., 27, pp. 18-26, 2007
Wealden Iron by Jeremy Hodgkinson
Base Thoughts, Newsletter of the Antique Metalware Society, 2023
Records of founders of ferrous and non-ferrous domestic vessels in the Weald of south-east Englan... more Records of founders of ferrous and non-ferrous domestic vessels in the Weald of south-east England have not received much attention, but there was an active trade in the 16th to 18th century associated with the ironworks in the region. This summary identifies some significant craftsmen.
Proceedings of the Open University Geological Society, Volume 9, 2023
The geology of the Weald provided the raison d'être for iron production in the region for more th... more The geology of the Weald provided the raison d'être for iron production in the region for more than 1000 years. The prospection, extraction and processing of its ore were significant factors of production. From archaeological and documentary evidence the changing methods and scale are described together with other developments in iron making in the region.
Adventure in Iron, 2019
The blast furnace and its spread from Namur to northern France, England and North America, 1450-1... more The blast furnace and its spread from Namur to northern France, England and North America, 1450-1650; a technological, political and genealogical investigation.
D.Bird (ed.), Agriculture and Industry in South-Eastern Roman Britain (Oxford, Oxbow Books), 2017
This chapter traces the growth of iron production from the pre-Roman period in the Weald of South... more This chapter traces the growth of iron production from the pre-Roman period in the Weald of South-East England, describing the smelting technology of the time and quantifying production; it examines the role of the Classis Britannica and the possible existence of an imperial estate in the region.
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Firebacks by Jeremy Hodgkinson
Fully illustrated with more than 300 photographs, this, the first book on British firebacks, sets out to explore their development and variety, and to provide interpretation, where possible, of the decoration to be found on them. The illustrations are to scale so the relative sizes of firebacks can be compared, and there is a comprehensive gazetteer with full details of each fireback shown.
Now out of print
Wealden Iron by Jeremy Hodgkinson
Fully illustrated with more than 300 photographs, this, the first book on British firebacks, sets out to explore their development and variety, and to provide interpretation, where possible, of the decoration to be found on them. The illustrations are to scale so the relative sizes of firebacks can be compared, and there is a comprehensive gazetteer with full details of each fireback shown.
Now out of print