Hi,
I'm pointing this post towards Joe however posts from anyone are more than welcome.
I've recently picked up a pair of plug 8's stamped Griffin & Hiatt. I've obviously studied Joe's Hiatt timeline on many occations but would welcome any clarification of potential dates etc.
Thanks,
Mark (RMP)
Mark
Griffin & Hiatt cuffs seem to have been produced for a short time during the second decade of the 19th century by partnership between Thomas Griffin and Thomas Griffin Hiatt. Although we do not know the exact relationship between Griffin and Hiatt, it has been my hypothesis that they were grandfather and grandson. Griffin evidently started making cuffs about 1780 or so. Hiatt was born in 1782 and the first record of a company under his own name is 1816. Presumably your Griffin & Hiatt cuffs came shortly before this.
Previously two Griffin & Hiatt plug 8's have sold on eBay, yours would make a third. I also know of one example of a Griffin & Hiatt darby. So Griffin & Hiatt cuffs are pretty rare.
The interesting thing is that just about the same time Griffin also set up a second partnership with James Nichols. This one lasted about ten years starting in about 1818. The relationship between Nichols and Griffin is completely unknown and we do not have the obvious name similarity. But it is my thought that Nichols might also have been Griffin's grandson. Assume that Griffin had no sons or at least no son interested in the business. It would be natural for such a man to help two grandsons set up companies, but it would be strange for a man to set up a partnership with a grandson and a competing company with someone totally unrelated.
Griffin & Nichols cuffs are also very rare. Three or four plug 8's have been sold and I have a Griffin & Nichols darby.
We need some genealogical research to help us straighten this all out. It would be great if we could trace the actual connections between the Griffin, Hiatt and Nichols families.
Joe
Hi,
I'm pointing this post towards Joe however posts from anyone are more than welcome.
I've recently picked up a pair of plug 8's stamped Griffin & Hiatt. I've obviously studied Joe's Hiatt timeline on many occations but would welcome any clarification of potential dates etc.
Thanks,
Mark (RMP)
Thanks for the clarification.
I've had a look at various sites connected to early manufacturing around Birmingham and the Black Country and I sure that there will be information of use to handcuff collectors just waiting to be unearthed.
I'll continue to feret around and see what turns up.
Thanks,
Mark
