A rare and impressive late 17th / early 18th century brass and rosewood warming pan

Warming pans of this date are becoming increasingly difficult to find. We can be certain as to the date of production because warming pans of this date have noticeable differences from those produced in the 19th century:

Firstly, the pan does not fit directly into the collar at the end of the handle. An extension to the hinge piece is attached to a strip of wrought iron via two attractive hand made copper rivets. The handmade nature of this element is evidenced by the fact that these rivets are not quite in line with each other. The reverse of the rivets consists of two handwrought nails akin to those we find on 17th/18th century ‘Bible’ boxes and coffer lock plates

Secondly, the pans on 17th century items are much deeper than those found on 19th century items. Typically, 19th century pans have a depth of  4-5cms. The depth of this pan is 8cms.

Thirdly, 17th and early 18th century pans were made from iron as opposed to the brass and copper we find on later items. This means that this warming pan is considerably heavier than those produced in the 19th century

Fourthly, in 19th century pans the lids tend to be solid. 17th century warming pans have decorative lids with a considerable number of holes. This is because the way warming pans were used over the centuries changed. In the 19th century warming pans were often placed in beds and left there until the occupants retired to sleep. One drawback of this was that the warmth was localised within the bed. In the 17/18th centuries servants would pull back the over blankets to give access to the sheets. The warming pan would then be swept backwards and forwards numerous times so as to warm the entirety of the bed. The decorative holes in the pan lid allowed  the heat from the coals to escape. This method was more effective in warming a bed than the approach adopted in the 19th century, but was certainly more labour intensive. Given the amount of time and effort used in the 17th century to warm a bed it made sense to have a deep pan able to hold a significant number of coals

This warming pan has a rosewood handle. The artisan who made the handle (or the blacksmith who fitted it) took the trouble to ensure that the three oval shapes created by the grain of the wood were placed in line with the collar and hinge mechanism. Pride was obviously taken in the production of this item

Dimensions:

Overall length: 105 cms

Length of handle 65.5 cms

Length of hinge mechanism: 8 cms

Diameter of the pan: 31.5 cms

Depth of the pan: 7.5 – 8cms

Condition:

Very good considering the age of this item. There is a short split in the pan lid near the hinge mechanism as shown in one of the photographs

The hinge mechanism is secure and works well

Surprisingly few dings and dents on the lid

The iron pan is in good order with no splits, but is a little stained

The handle is in good order and is surmounted by a metal hanging hoop. The hoop is of a style we call a 'Queen Anne ring' dating to c. 1705. This is further evidence of this item dating to the late 17th/early 18th centuries

This is a heavy, well made, impressive item

A footnote:  I remember at school being told about a warming pan scandal in relation to James 11 and the future William 111 in the 17th century and always thought it strange that a baby could be smuggled into a bed chamber in a warming pan. It isn’t until you see the depth of one of these pans that you can imagine that some people at the time could be fooled into believing the accusation. For those unfamiliar with this part of 17th century English history here is a quick synopsis:

James 11 (1685-1688) was not a popular monarch primarily because he was a Catholic married to a Catholic. People could cope with this due to the fact that he was elderly and was due to be succeeded by his two Protestant daughters Mary and then Anne. When his wife, Mary, became pregnant in 1687, Parliament and many others quickly grew concerned about the possibility of a Catholic heir to the throne. There were also suspicions about the pregnancy, as Mary hadn’t been pregnant for over five years. On June 10th 1688 Mary gave birth to a boy (James Francis Edward)

The future Queen Anne (1702-1714) speculated with friends that Mary (the wife of James) had worn a fake stomach and that the child that was born was still born and that one of Mary’s bedchamber maids had smuggled another child into the room via a warming pan. The story quickly took hold and fearing for the child’s safety Mary fled to Catholic France. Prince William of Orange was invited to invade England and landed with troops in November 1688. James 11  fled to France.  Thus began the line of future Protestant rulers in England. James Edward Francis was the focus of the 1st Jacobite rebellion in 1715 with his son (Bonnie Prince Charlie) trying to take the throne in 1745 being ruthlessly defeated at the battle of Culloden