It used to belong to The Abbey Inn, Oldham. According to an online source I can't find any more it dates from 1846 and is believed to be the work of a stonemason called Stott who later worked on the Houses of Parliament. There are a lot of Stotts in Oldham. The Abbey Inn had a reputation as a "rough" house- which may (I'd like to think) translate as "politically radical". The fireplace now belongs to Gallery Oldham- who have kept it in store for the past ten years. It currently serves as the centrepiece for an exhibition entitled Home is Where The Hearth Is.
The two blokes the Devil is holding by the short and curlies are a lawyer and a clergyman. Subversive, eh?
