US Civil War era handcuffs -- Thompson & Lilly

Hello,

I have been asked to try to obtain some information on the Thompson and the Lilly restraints. I realise this has been attempted in past threads. Another time won't hurt, and perhaps new information is known.

Specifically, what is the first reference to Lilly? How do we know his first name was Horace? What branch of the military was he really in?

As to Thompson, anything others might know is of interest.


Cheers,

Jack
http://www.editing.org.uk/tanis/collectibles.htm

Jack

Thompson was a English firm located in Birmingham. The first reference in the Birmingham City directories appears in 1845 with John Thompson listed as a handcuff maker at 9 Court Coleshill Street. A few years later he moves to Batholomew Street at an address very close to where William Froggatt's company was located.

The references to the John Thompson company continue through the rest of the 19th century.


Thompson Darby

I have seen several Thompson Darby cuffs. They are all of very high quality and most interestingly except for size variations they are all very uniform in appearance. You don't see the range of styles that you see with the other companies.

The other Thompson cuff is the plug handcuff on chain. I have seen perhaps three of these. Stan Willis has one pictured on his CD. Michael Griffin has one up for sale on eBay now.

I never seen a Thompson plug 8 or Irish 8 and I have never seen a leg iron marked Thompson.

The curious thing is that Thompson cuffs seem to be relatively common in the US. I think it simply means that Thompson has a good export business to this country, perhaps at the time of the American Civil War.

Joe

Hello,

I have been asked to try to obtain some information on the Thompson and the Lilly restraints. I realise this has been attempted in past threads. Another time won't hurt, and perhaps new information is known.

Specifically, what is the first reference to Lilly? How do we know his first name was Horace? What branch of the military was he really in?

As to Thompson, anything others might know is of interest.


Cheers,

Jack
http://www.editing.org.uk/tanis/collectibles.htm

Click to expand...

Joe,

A couple of comments on that era:

1. The north embargoed the South. Few exports from England would have gone to the South.

2. Since Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus, he may have needed a boat load of restraints for dissenters and Maryland legislators.