1) An andiron or fire-dog. In this spelling the definite article became attached to the noun ‘andiron’.
1552 my lande iron, and gallow trees with crokes, Pontefract
1559 the land yrons cobyrons the gallows of yron, Ripon
1599 two laund yrons a paire of tonges a fier shovel, Rawmarsh
1638 one landiron ... one spet, Selby. It derived from Old French andier or l’andier but it was an iron implement and the termination was confused with English yre meaning iron.
2) Distinct from landiron (1). It was a kind of iron regularly imported into Hull in the fifteenth century from the Low Countries, possibly inferior in quality to osmunds.
1453 landeiren ... ˝ last’ osmondes
1461 4C lib’ land eyrn. An earlier reference occurred in a case that had to do with adulterated metal: 1428 John Lyllyng sent hym with hys awen carriage iijc & di. of landyren, and iiijc and mo peces of fals drosseyren ... to make in osmundes, York.