Chain Room

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

I NEEDED MY FIX FOR THE DAY, GUNNA SHUT THE INTERNET DOWN SO I DON'T OVER DOSE!

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

With all of the Darby cuffs, legg irons, and plug restraints he has I'll bet Joe's rec room looks like this by now LOL.

Nice pic.

Steve

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

Are these leg irons or collar in the horizontal middle of the first picture?

Best regards,
Guenter

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

Hi Guenter,

I think they must be leg irons.

If you look at the second picture, at the centre top of that image you'll see part of what looks like 2 neck collars connected by heavy links.

Regards,

Mark(RMP)

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

I even see some 4 way darbys..

Keep dreamin...

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

It seems exhibiting restraints was long a tradition in British prisons. I found this passage in a biography of Ralph Rashleigh, who was convicted of housebreaking and transported to Australia. In describing his confinement to Newgate in 1825 prior to trial:

"[A] turnkey ordered Rashleigh and the other men to follow him along a gloomy passage, the walls of which were festooned with fetters and handcuffs, between which hung fire-arms of all sizes and dates. The sight of these added to Rashleigh's feeling of dread, but it was the instruments of punishment and torture, some of them then obsolete, which made the most terrifying impact upon his imagination."

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

Nice pictures.

This room does remind me of home. Although most of my Darbies are put away in drawers.

I have been looking at the "four way" Darbies. I am not sure if that is what they or if they just have hung two pairs of regular Darbies crosswise.

I also like the large rings with all the "end locks".

After I saw this post I went to Abe books (www.abe.com) and bought a copy of the book for $6.00. There are more copies there if anyone is interested. (I did buy the cheapest one.)

Joe

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

Hi,

I feel I should have made it a little clearer but the pictures I posted didn't come from the book I mentioned. I'm very sorry if I gave that impression.

The pictures are actually old photographs that I managed to obtain.

I'm going to pass them on to a friend who is better suited than I to enhance the images and bring out the best of the detail in them. I have a 3rd picture but it needs more restoration but when they are done I will let you know.

I don't own the copyright to them and don't know if anyone does. I understand that in the UK at least the copyright of a photograph end 50years after the death of the photographer unless the rights were sold prior to this. I think it's safe enough for me to offer to pass on the retouched larger file size images to anyone interested once they're been tweaked a little so long as no one tells.

When they done I'll let you know and will be happy to email the images to anyone interested.

Mark (RMP)

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

Mark
Once you get your best resolution on these pictures maybe Joe could put them in the next Handcuff Annual.

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

I believe they are 4 ways, but just the way they hung them based on the detail I get out of them. I can see a distinct overlap of the swivels instead of some means of them connected together. I think if they were true four way that we would see a center ring where the swivels connected to or just rings connecting to a center ring.

-Dorson

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

I meant to say they are not 4 ways.... Darn fingers don't always listen to the brain...

I have recently obtained some pictures of the chain room at Dartmoor Prison.

The image quality is not fantastic but I think you'll get the idea.






This is a passage from the book "Prison Governor" by Major B D Grew who was an Assistant Governor at Dartmoor in the early to mid 1920s. He states:

"One of the most interesting rooms in the prison at Dartmoor was the chain room. It was a cell with bright chains curled like snakes upon the spotless wooden floor, handcuffs, body belts with cuffs attached, and several mechanical restraints, most of the kinds used many years previously and which gave a medieval atmosphere.

The room as I remember it was as spotless as a hard working honour convict could make it. He worked most of the day swinging the cuffs and chains in an old sack in which had been placed fine sand - a method employed, I believe, by the cavalry in cleaning horses' bits, etc.

Apart from the value of the handcuffs and gang chains which were used when the convicts were transferred in numbers, the rest did not interest me, apart from an interest in museum pieces."

Hope this may be of interest to some of you.

Mark(RMP)

Click to expand...

Oh, what I wouldn't do for a 30 minute all you can grab shopping spree in there. Damn.