|
29 Jan 19 - 05:53 AM (#3973932) Subject: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Mr Red what does it represent? a small (maybe 4-6 inches long) oval cast iron plate. Screws at each end. Bearing the raised letters "S J". I asked in response to an erroneous suggestion on a local history Fakebook group. It got no answer. Twice - the second time with an image (here). Found 3 in one small Cotswold town (aka village). Mudcat usually triumphs where other avenues fail.......... TIA Mr Red |
|
29 Jan 19 - 06:19 AM (#3973940) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Manitas_at_home A firemark perhaps. To identify the insurance company whose fire engines would attend fires at the site. |
|
29 Jan 19 - 06:45 AM (#3973943) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Steve Shaw Anchor plate. They are used to stop old walls from bowing out. There'll be one on the opposite side of the house and there'll be a tie bar connecting the two. They come in various shapes, often decorative. A very common one is a diagonal cross, a big X. The initials, not unusual, could be those of the cottage owner of old. |
|
29 Jan 19 - 07:25 AM (#3973952) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Steve Shaw On the other hand, yours doesn't look much like one, so I withdraw my implied certainty. |
|
29 Jan 19 - 07:45 AM (#3973956) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Mo the caller My guess would be firemark too. Before the Fire Brigade was formed Insurance companies had rival fire brigades, and if you didn't pay they would let your house burn (not sure what they did if next door was insured by them) What was the erroneous suggestion? |
|
29 Jan 19 - 07:52 AM (#3973957) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Jack Campin Is there a cover plate on the pavement or street near it that might have some access point for gas or water underneath? |
|
29 Jan 19 - 08:09 AM (#3973961) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: DaveRo Firemarks usually have what today would be called a logo, and are in prominent positions. Parish boundary mark? Was/is there a parish of St John? |
|
29 Jan 19 - 09:29 AM (#3973969) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Rob Naylor Parish boundary mark....Most have dates, but not all. Similar to this one: Parish Boundary Mark - Chester |
|
29 Jan 19 - 10:01 AM (#3973974) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Mr Red not a firemark they tended to have logos or emblems with an identifying insurance company, because the fire appliances would not respond to a fireplate of a company not sponsoring that appliance. This was the reason for their distinctiveness. And they were bigger and higher up. And traditionally made of thinner metal. This could not have been a parish boundary because all three were within 400 M of the church which is slap bang in the centre of Painswick. I know where the boundaries are from OS/Streetmap. Maybe it was indicating something in the road, and in one case I noticed a stop cock in the pavement (didn't register the other 2) but how is S or J related to a waterworks company? Severn Trent WW didn't exist when these were fitted to walls. Trust me - their age is maybe 50 - 100 . I did come across a different plate elsewhere that said Junction Indicator, size - about the same. <PUN ALERT> My wild crap idea (when I was in the bathroom amazingly) was "Sewage Junction", but then why not at every house. 2 were in the middle of the length of the street with no side roads. Not impssible but......... |
|
29 Jan 19 - 10:22 AM (#3973978) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Manitas_at_home Sometimes parish boundaries change, especially when parishes are merged. Here in the City of London we still have very small parishes as there are so many churches still open. We have 3 parish churches within 2 minutes walk of me. |
|
29 Jan 19 - 10:29 AM (#3973980) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Rob Naylor We have a Parish Boundary mark here right outside one of the churches....and the current boundary is over half a mile away. |
|
29 Jan 19 - 11:01 AM (#3973986) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: punkfolkrocker SJ discreetly denoting a brothel - "Sex Joint"...??? |
|
29 Jan 19 - 11:18 AM (#3973992) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: DaveRo Painswick seems to have been a single parish for ages. Also most parish markers would have ST not S. Either some other bounday - the land belonging to S J, or building belonging to him/ her/ it. You'd need to research the history of those buildings. Such signs are designed to last, often to assert ownership or rights - or deny rights to others. |
|
29 Jan 19 - 01:36 PM (#3974013) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: McGrath of Harlow "Firemarks usually have what today would be called a logo" That picture does actually show what might be the remains of something like that. |
|
29 Jan 19 - 02:01 PM (#3974018) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: McGrath of Harlow And here is a fire mark that is pretty similar to this one. |
|
29 Jan 19 - 05:51 PM (#3974044) Subject: RE: BS: a UK 'metal plate on a wall' question From: Mr Red these are smaller than those firemarks. Painswick Local History Society will be contacted but replies are not yet in. I asked a similar question of the Archivist in Gloucester and got no reply, it is his job to know about the history there and its fabric. |
