Family link between Griffin and Hiatt - recap and update.

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Paul

You have done a superb job working all this out. I have long searched for the connection between Griffin and Hiatt. We all owe you a great round of applause.

Joe

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Hi Paul,

Congratulations and thanks for the time you have spent researching this.

Regards,

Mark (RMP)

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Very well researched Paul

Michael Lee

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Nice job!

I know I can't argue with any of the points.
I never could understand how the Hiatt Company claimed that they were founded in 1780 and your mini dissertation may have the most plausible answer.
I would like any copies of the will or any other documents on Hiatt or Griffin if you please.

I hope you will continue with this research and have it ready for the 2011 Annual!

Mark
O--O

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Mark,

Hold the horses! The Annual 2008 is not issued yet and you are talking about 2011...

Lars

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Of course, my mistake....The "QUAD-ANNUAL 2008-09-10-11".
If this keeps up, I will need to write an article about the "antique" Hiatt-Thompson cuffs.

mark
O--O

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Good stuff.

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Hi Paul,

Excellent work and very interesting, thanks for doing the research.

Regards,

Justin

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

@Mark Lyons, what's stopping you from writing about "antique" Hiatt-Thompson cuffs?

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Dorson,
Nothing really, I wanted my article about the antique boxes that the cuffs came in to be printed first. After that, I was going to write about American Munitions/Handcuff Co. and the transition to ASP.
I have pictures from many collectors for the box article and have pics from all over the world of prototype AHC cuffs.
I have moved no less than 4 times during the last couple of years and hope I can locate my research. Luckily, I forwarded most pictures to Joe about 3 or 4 years ago.
I just hope Joe will find the time to continue with the annual one day. It sure was nice to read about all the history of the old time cuff manufacturers and the escape artists that escaped from their products.

mark
O--O

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

There has been some progress on the next book. Think "lots of nippers."

Mark's box article is part of it. If anyone has any nice original boxes of older cuffs then please sent them to me. We could use more.

Joe

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Hi Joe, I am dying to know, is there a box for a Bean giant?

Ian

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Hi Ian.

I have never seen a box for the Giants.
I have firsthand knowlegde that they came packed seperatly in metal cans and I assume the cans were packed in cardboard boxes for export shipment throughout the world.

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Ian
Mark must be correct cause I have never seen a Bean Giant or a Giant Bean box.
Joe

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

great info has been presented...... there are at least TWO - BEAN GIANT boxes out there (were in mintish condition) as i have had TWO of them complete with MINT condition B.G cuffs.....i sold one complete to a nice gentleman from MI & the other i don't remember.... i have photos SOMEWHERE - but where ??? in my stuff...... joe

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

I have several boxes that may be of interest to you. 1st Model S&W, early Peerless maroon box, Eisaman & Rome Police Nipper, Union Hardware Tower handcuff and Leg Iron boxes. If interested in images, please feel free to email me at handcuff5@aol.com. Take care, Shawn

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

Click to expand...

Thanks Paul Davies for this valuable Darby information.

For me, early English made handcuffs are some of the most interesting handmade handcuffs for the British handcuff collector because no two are the same. Birmingham in particular was the centre of the industry. The industrial revolution may have brought their production to a more central location and side-lined the local blacksmith. No-one really knows how long it took to make a pair of cuffs or how many were produced per year. The mass production of handcuffs is a whole different story and different era.

There has been much speculation as to whether Thomas Griffin (1750-1816) was the grandfather of Thomas Griffin Hiatt (1784-1847). This is important in dating handcuffs that have a makers mark on them such as Griffin, Griffin & Hiatt, Griffin & Nichols etc Here we witness a cottage industry becoming a marketed brand. Some makers are mentioned in early Birmingham Directories but I suspect others are not mentioned because they couldn't or wouldn't pay to have their business listed.

We know that Thomas Griffin died in 1816 and left his business to be be run by his friends James Nichols and Isaac Hill for the benefit of his wife and daughter. But there was no mention in the Will of his nephew T.G. Hiatt who would have been 32 years of age and probably already running his own business. It is more than likely that TG Hiatt served his apprenticeship with his uncle from the age of about 12 (1796) for 7 years or so until 1803.

From this you could argue that anything marked Griffin is 1780-1816.
Anything marked Hiatt is post 1803 and possibly post 1816.
Griffin & Hiatt may be somewhere between 1803 and 1816.
Griffin & Nichols would be post 1816.

It helps that Griffin did not have a son and Hiatt does not appear to have a brother in the business. So we are only talking about 2 people in the early days.
I had suspected that TG Hiatts father Richard Hiatt may have been in partnership with his brother-in-law Thomas Griffin, but have some evidence now to damped this theory.

Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Christened on 1st Jan 1785 (born 1784) at Bromsgrove, Worcester to Richard Hiatt and Elizabeth Griffin.

Richard Hiatt married Elizabeth Griffin at Bromsgrove on 17 Nov 1776 by special license. This special license describes Richard Hiatt as a yeoman and his witness John Garner as a weaver. Richard Hiatt had lived in Bromsgroves for only 4 weeks. They had 3 children born in Bromsgrove, the only children of that surname born there. Richards profession, yeoman, is ambiguous. There were yeoman farmers, yeoman militia, yeoman public officials. Basically he was middle class, not peasant or gentry, and not likely a blacksmith or handcuff maker. If he had only lived there for 4 weeks, he may not have been a farmer unless he bought or was given land. A dowry from a 29 year old wife could be the answer to his arrival and the land question???? That was old to marry in those days.

So Thomas Griffin appears to be the founder of the Griffin and Hiatt dynasty of handcuff makers. If Hiatts was founded in 1780, it was Griffin who founded it and Hiatt used that family connection for his own marketing purposes, as eluded to by other researchers.

Thomas Griffin (b.1750) and his sister Elizabeth (b.1747), wife of Richard Hiatt, were both born in Bromsgrove to Thomas and Eleanor Griffin. I do not think Thomas Griffin senior was a handcuff maker if the business was not founded until 1780 - when junior would have been 30.

As usual my disclaimer is that these are educated theories based on a few facts, and I'm happy to be corrected. To build on this research as I have done on others research is welcomed for the benefit of all collectors of these lumps of metal. If anyone would like copies of the original documents from Bromsgrove in the 1700s just email me and I'll email you some scans.

Happy collecting,
Paul Davies

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Hi Paul
I responded to one of your posts without coming across this one which clarifies my queries

could I please ask you to forward to me copies of the original Bromsgrove documents you have offered

Many thanks again

John