Mystery over ball and chain found in Thames

The shackle, which weights eight kilos and is probably of German origin, would have been used while transporting prisoners. Photograph: Frank Baron

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/ ... ery-museum


A locked ball and chain was yesterday unveiled as one of the most unusual items to have been pulled out of the Thames mud in years. The question is: what happened to the prisoner?

The shackle, beautifully preserved in the foreshore mud, went on temporary display at the Museum of London Docklands today, where Kate Sumnall, the museum's finds liaison officer, admitted its full story would never be known. "The tide is very good at sorting things so if there were any bones associated with it, they would have moved," she said.

The ball and chain was found in a Rotherhithe barge bed by an official mudlark there are many amateurs but only a few have permits to actually dig in the Thames foreshore called Steve Brooker. "I almost left it there to be honest because for three weeks in a row I'd had cannonball after cannonball and this looked like another one," he said.

Sumnall said the find was incredibly rare. All that is known so far is that it is 17th to 18th century, and it weighs eight kilos. It would have been used for transporting prisoners and nothing to do with slaves, and it was probably made in Germany.

After being displayed at the museum it will return to Brooker who plans to hang on to it. He called the Thames "a lost world".

Museum of London archaeologist Kate Sumnall with the the 300 year-old iron ball and chain found on the banks of the river Thames by mudlarks.

http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/Eng ... +month.htm


This iron ball and chain is likely to have been used to shackle prisoners during transport in the 17th - 18th century.

It was found by Mudlarkers (members of the public who are licensed to search the Thames foreshore) who thought they had found a cannon ball until the chain came slithering out of the Thames mud.

It is made from iron and the padlock has a brass plate around the key hole. The padlock is skilfully made with the screw-thread carved after the padlock was cast. English padlocks of this time were not made this way which suggests that this was made on the Continent. The long spike on the padlock would have pointed towards the other leg when it was fitted around the ankle.

When it was found, the padlock was locked but no key has been found - could someone have slipped out of custody?

Kate Sumnall (pictured with the ball and chain), Finds Liason Officer at Museum of London Docklands adds: "The river is the repository for so many of London's stories, and this extraordinary find gives us a tantalising glimpse of the human trails and tribulations of past Londoners. Whether a would-be Houdini freed himself from the "great iron on his leg", or perished in shackles, or whether this ball and chain was simply discarded, we can never know. Visitors to Museum of London Docklands will have to decide for themselves."

The shackle, which weights eight kilos and is probably of German origin, would have been used while transporting prisoners. Photograph: Frank Baron

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/ ... ery-museum


A locked ball and chain was yesterday unveiled as one of the most unusual items to have been pulled out of the Thames mud in years. The question is: what happened to the prisoner?

The shackle, beautifully preserved in the foreshore mud, went on temporary display at the Museum of London Docklands today, where Kate Sumnall, the museum's finds liaison officer, admitted its full story would never be known. "The tide is very good at sorting things so if there were any bones associated with it, they would have moved," she said.

The ball and chain was found in a Rotherhithe barge bed by an official mudlark there are many amateurs but only a few have permits to actually dig in the Thames foreshore called Steve Brooker. "I almost left it there to be honest because for three weeks in a row I'd had cannonball after cannonball and this looked like another one," he said.

Sumnall said the find was incredibly rare. All that is known so far is that it is 17th to 18th century, and it weighs eight kilos. It would have been used for transporting prisoners and nothing to do with slaves, and it was probably made in Germany.

After being displayed at the museum it will return to Brooker who plans to hang on to it. He called the Thames "a lost world".

Click to expand...

Listed on eBay soon...

The shackle, which weights eight kilos and is probably of German origin, would have been used while transporting prisoners. Photograph: Frank Baron

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/ ... ery-museum


A locked ball and chain was yesterday unveiled as one of the most unusual items to have been pulled out of the Thames mud in years. The question is: what happened to the prisoner?

The shackle, beautifully preserved in the foreshore mud, went on temporary display at the Museum of London Docklands today, where Kate Sumnall, the museum's finds liaison officer, admitted its full story would never be known. "The tide is very good at sorting things so if there were any bones associated with it, they would have moved," she said.

The ball and chain was found in a Rotherhithe barge bed by an official mudlark there are many amateurs but only a few have permits to actually dig in the Thames foreshore called Steve Brooker. "I almost left it there to be honest because for three weeks in a row I'd had cannonball after cannonball and this looked like another one," he said.

Sumnall said the find was incredibly rare. All that is known so far is that it is 17th to 18th century, and it weighs eight kilos. It would have been used for transporting prisoners and nothing to do with slaves, and it was probably made in Germany.

After being displayed at the museum it will return to Brooker who plans to hang on to it. He called the Thames "a lost world".

Click to expand...

Listed on ebay soon? the ball or Kate?
My money is on Kate.

The shackle, which weights eight kilos and is probably of German origin, would have been used while transporting prisoners. Photograph: Frank Baron

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/ ... ery-museum


A locked ball and chain was yesterday unveiled as one of the most unusual items to have been pulled out of the Thames mud in years. The question is: what happened to the prisoner?

The shackle, beautifully preserved in the foreshore mud, went on temporary display at the Museum of London Docklands today, where Kate Sumnall, the museum's finds liaison officer, admitted its full story would never be known. "The tide is very good at sorting things so if there were any bones associated with it, they would have moved," she said.

The ball and chain was found in a Rotherhithe barge bed by an official mudlark there are many amateurs but only a few have permits to actually dig in the Thames foreshore called Steve Brooker. "I almost left it there to be honest because for three weeks in a row I'd had cannonball after cannonball and this looked like another one," he said.

Sumnall said the find was incredibly rare. All that is known so far is that it is 17th to 18th century, and it weighs eight kilos. It would have been used for transporting prisoners and nothing to do with slaves, and it was probably made in Germany.

After being displayed at the museum it will return to Brooker who plans to hang on to it. He called the Thames "a lost world".

Click to expand...

Yes, but can Santini get out?

The shackle, which weights eight kilos and is probably of German origin, would have been used while transporting prisoners. Photograph: Frank Baron

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/ ... ery-museum


A locked ball and chain was yesterday unveiled as one of the most unusual items to have been pulled out of the Thames mud in years. The question is: what happened to the prisoner?

The shackle, beautifully preserved in the foreshore mud, went on temporary display at the Museum of London Docklands today, where Kate Sumnall, the museum's finds liaison officer, admitted its full story would never be known. "The tide is very good at sorting things so if there were any bones associated with it, they would have moved," she said.

The ball and chain was found in a Rotherhithe barge bed by an official mudlark there are many amateurs but only a few have permits to actually dig in the Thames foreshore called Steve Brooker. "I almost left it there to be honest because for three weeks in a row I'd had cannonball after cannonball and this looked like another one," he said.

Sumnall said the find was incredibly rare. All that is known so far is that it is 17th to 18th century, and it weighs eight kilos. It would have been used for transporting prisoners and nothing to do with slaves, and it was probably made in Germany.

After being displayed at the museum it will return to Brooker who plans to hang on to it. He called the Thames "a lost world".

Click to expand...

SHHHHHH must be quiet it could be on eaby no one has to know.....

Santini already got out of it no trace of bones....

The shackle, which weights eight kilos and is probably of German origin, would have been used while transporting prisoners. Photograph: Frank Baron

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/ ... ery-museum


A locked ball and chain was yesterday unveiled as one of the most unusual items to have been pulled out of the Thames mud in years. The question is: what happened to the prisoner?

The shackle, beautifully preserved in the foreshore mud, went on temporary display at the Museum of London Docklands today, where Kate Sumnall, the museum's finds liaison officer, admitted its full story would never be known. "The tide is very good at sorting things so if there were any bones associated with it, they would have moved," she said.

The ball and chain was found in a Rotherhithe barge bed by an official mudlark there are many amateurs but only a few have permits to actually dig in the Thames foreshore called Steve Brooker. "I almost left it there to be honest because for three weeks in a row I'd had cannonball after cannonball and this looked like another one," he said.

Sumnall said the find was incredibly rare. All that is known so far is that it is 17th to 18th century, and it weighs eight kilos. It would have been used for transporting prisoners and nothing to do with slaves, and it was probably made in Germany.

After being displayed at the museum it will return to Brooker who plans to hang on to it. He called the Thames "a lost world".

Click to expand...

La chaine n'est pas du 17e ou 18e siècle.
CLCL

The shackle, which weights eight kilos and is probably of German origin, would have been used while transporting prisoners. Photograph: Frank Baron

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/ ... ery-museum


A locked ball and chain was yesterday unveiled as one of the most unusual items to have been pulled out of the Thames mud in years. The question is: what happened to the prisoner?

The shackle, beautifully preserved in the foreshore mud, went on temporary display at the Museum of London Docklands today, where Kate Sumnall, the museum's finds liaison officer, admitted its full story would never be known. "The tide is very good at sorting things so if there were any bones associated with it, they would have moved," she said.

The ball and chain was found in a Rotherhithe barge bed by an official mudlark there are many amateurs but only a few have permits to actually dig in the Thames foreshore called Steve Brooker. "I almost left it there to be honest because for three weeks in a row I'd had cannonball after cannonball and this looked like another one," he said.

Sumnall said the find was incredibly rare. All that is known so far is that it is 17th to 18th century, and it weighs eight kilos. It would have been used for transporting prisoners and nothing to do with slaves, and it was probably made in Germany.

After being displayed at the museum it will return to Brooker who plans to hang on to it. He called the Thames "a lost world".

Click to expand...

To translate for CLCL, The chain is not 17th or 18th century.

On that note I tend to agree that the chain is more modern since I can see where it is electrically welded and the links are too perfect which says a machine did it. The shackle looks more like a reproduction from India or maybe Pakistan.