CHAPTER VI - Chimneys and Fireplaces
It is perhaps as well to
repeat here what was said in The Parts of a Cottage, that in early days
the fire was made on an open hearth on the floor of the hall or other room and
the smoke escaped either through the door or by an outlet on the roof.
Although chimneys were first built in this country by the Normans, they would only be used in the houses of the wealthy, and many years passed before they became common. Thus, William Harrison, writing in the year 1577, tells us that in his own village in Essex there were not more than two or three chimneys.
There is no doubt that in the fifteenth century the chimneys of many town houses were made of wood. In one of the Ordinances of the City of London, compiled in 1419, it is declared "that no chimney shall henceforth be made unless it be of stones, tiles, or plaster, and not of wood, under pain of being pulled down." The more wealthy of the citizens of London began to use coal in the reign of the first Edward, when the Mayor and citizens were allowed to levy of toll of sixpence upon every shipload of coal passing under London Bridge. As coal gradually took the place of wood for fuel in the larger country houses, chimneys became more numerous, although the open firehearth continued to be used for the burning of logs and peat.
When the open fireplace was
made in the middle of the floor of the hall, it was generally raised on a low
platform of brick or stone and fitted with andirons, across which logs of
wood could be placed, as you will see by the illustration of the old hall
fireplace still remaining at the manor house of Penhurst, in Kent. These old
andirons can still be found in many old farmhouses, where large logs of wood are
still used for fuel.
For many years chimneys were only used in castles and large houses, and it was not until the end of the fourteenth century that wall fireplaces began to take the place of the open hearth on the floor. At first chimneys were single, but as time went on and brick came more into use, they were frequently clustered, or placed in groups, with very pleasing results.
The earliest chimneys were built of stone, but during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII they were mostly made of brick and richly moulded, a fashion that continued throughout the reign of Elizabeth. On no part of an old manor house did the masons spend more care on than the chimney.
When the large fireplaces in
the walls were bricked in at the sides to make them more suitable for the
burning of coal, they were often fitted with elaborate firebacks, like
the one shown. Large numbers of these beautiful firebacks still remain in
Sussex, and they date from the days when this southern county had a great
reputation for excellence of its iron-work - that is, from the middle of the
sixteenth century.
With the increase of chimneys and the building of fireplaces in the walls, chimney-pieces, or, as we now say, mantelpieces, came into use. Like the windows these were not as first regarded as fixtures. They were merely hung over the fireplace in such a way that they could be taken down when the owner of the house was absent.
When these mantelpieces were made of stone they became most ornamental, especially those in the hall or banqueting-room; and in the reign of Elizabeth, when mantelpieces of carved wood came into fashion, they were often very magnificent pieces of carpentry.
The illustration given is of a
fine wooden mantelpiece at the manor house of Birt's Morton, in
Worcestershire.
As you will see, it extends from the floor to the ceiling, and is richly carved
with the arms of various owners of the house. The grate is modern, but the other
part of it is just as it was when made. On each side of this fine chimney-piece
you will notice the thick silken ropes that were used for ringing the bells in
the servants' quarters.
Above this fireplace will be seen a small portion of the plaster ceiling of the room. This will give some idea of the beautiful ceilings that were placed in manor houses during the reigns of Elizabeth and James I.
