Cuff of the Day for May 20. Froggatt

Here is the schedule for coming days.  Take your pictures now.

20th Wednesday -  Froggatt
21st  Thursday - Italy
22nd Friday - Clejuso
23rd  Saturday  Mattatuck, Maltby, and Judd
Nipper Madness Begins.   A series of days devoted to nippers, grips and come-alongs.   
24th Sunday - The US Patent List.  How many can we find?
25th Monday -  US Nippers - Not on the patent list, odd balls and copies.
26th Tuesday - British Nippers
27th Wednesday -  Nippers from Europe and the Rest of the World

Today we explore cuffs made by the Froggatt family.    If Griffin/Hiatt is the first family of British Handcuffs, the Froggatt family must be number two.
The company was founded by William Froggatt in the 1820s, his son Thomas Froggatt (who for a while had is own company) and grandson also named Thomas Froggatt continued the company into the 20th century when it was sold to Hiatt.  The final Thomas Froggatt continued to work for Hiatt until he retired in 1948.

I have lot of Froggatt cuffs, but I will start things off with a look at Froggatt plug 8 handcuffs.

The first pair is an older one with a neat homemade key.

The next example is a later example.

I'll keep this simple, not to bore you all. I've created a new chart of all the Froggatt family members that I can prove were handcuff makers at some time in their lives. At other times they describe themselves as blacksmiths, whitesmiths, steel toy makers etc. Handcuff making is specifically mentioned for those shown with a handcuff symbol, in Census's, records of birth, death and marriages and for the owners of the businesses, in Trade Directories. There are MANY other family members who MIGHT have also made handcuffs in the family businesses. I just cannot prove it.

Paul
What a great chart!  It helps me sort things out... but also leaves mysteries.

William Froggatt had is own company, but did his father Elias?  He could have or he could have worked for Griffin or one of the other early handcuff makers.

The one possible addition as a handcuff maker is Thomas Elias Froggatt.  According to the note that the late Mick Hanzlik turned up, the T. Froggatt that had his own company was William Froggatt's son.  Thus the author of the note below must be  Thomas Elias Froggatt.

According to this note the original William Froggatt company "is now connected" to T.  Froggatt's company. I have assumed that this meant merged, but who knows?   The last of the Thomas Froggatts,  the one who retired in 1948, would be Thomas J. Froggatt, a first cousin once removed of Thomas Elias Froggatt.

Confusing enough?

What seems to be a homemade Solid State Froggatt 

A couple more Froggatt's

Froggatt Legirons
Another Pair


And a Combination Cuff

Paul, fantastic chart. Thank you!

Joe, great stuff! However I’m scratching my head and need a bit of education.

Your first pic is “older” and second is “later”. I only have a few of these and have read your book a couple times. So, what are the features that enable you to discern older from later? Also what do older and later mean in real time?

Thanks,
Brad


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Very little to add that has not already been posted. I am unaware of any unusual patterns that Froggatt made. His Plug 8 cuffs are more common than his Irish 8 cuffs and I am still looking for a set of his Scotland Yard Adjustables.
Certainly he made lots of different Combination Sets, photo shows single cuff to single leg shackle.
Apart from several Darby and Plug 8 cuffs I do have a special prototype marked Froggatt, as you can see it does not snap shut but is locked with a nut and bolt!

I thought I had two Froggatt, one of them turned out to be another Nichols.

However, the handcuffs I have are very odd. One side is stamped "Hard", "Warranted wrought", "Best" and the number "12". Also the key is number "12".
Now to the oddities; both sides are the same size but they look different. The second side has a slightly rusted "Froggatt stamping. The link on one the side is larger than the other.

The lock houses are slightly different. The key work both sides perfectly. The connections to the bows are different. Some kind of sales ample or just a bastard?

Brad
Sorry, to me later means newer.  Older came out first then later came later.
The second one is plated, smoother and just to me has the look of a turn of the 20th century cuff.
Joe

I have a few Froggatt cuffs in my collection. Plug 8, standard darby and the like. I also have 2 different leg irons, with 2 different lengths of chain, between them. And I was lucky enough to get this set of Froggatt Irish 8 cuffs, early on in my collecting. -Richard Knip-

Ok. I was hoping there was some specific clues to watch for. Just an overall feel and look of newness, I guess.

Thanks.


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However I didn’t notice that the later pair was nickel plated. That certainly is a clue.


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Thomas froggatt

Thanks Joe. Based on your document and a past thread, I have added 2 more Thomas Froggatt' to the handcuff makers. That's 5!!  Thomas Elias 1836-1880 is mentioned as a Blacksmith, Whitesmith, Manufacturer and Light Steel Toy Manufacturer, but since he took over the handcuff business in 1880 and in 1881 aged 16 was employing 2 men. He is a handcuff maker in my books. I've also added his son Thomas 1864-1951 based on the 1901 Census mentioned (and confirmed) in the thread ref above. He would be the Thomas Froggatt also shown in the above thread. I think we got there in the end!!

Outstanding work, Paul!
-RK-

PS Joe asked about Elias Froggatt and whether he had a business. Because he died in 1842, there were not many records but on baptisms for his children he is most often listed as a Jobbing Blacksmith and later a handcuff maker. So I guess he worked for other handcuff makers and then taught his own sons.
You'll see that I added a William Froggatt to the chart without a handcuff symbol. He was a Spoon and Fork presser and later was a Silversmith and Jewelery T????
That brings me to the tiny working silver handcuffs which I believe has been published by Joe and shown here before.

Here's my contribution to the cuffs- Adjustable cuffs and Plug Leg Irons

Didn't Froggart make a plug eight leg iron to challenge Houdini?

Paul
Thanks for sorting it all out.  It was quite a family.  

As for the challenge plug 8 leg iron, it is a Hiatt cuff, not a Froggatt.  However, lore says that it was made by the last Thomas Froggatt when he worked for Hiatt.    If anyone knows anything more about the story I would really like to know about it.   In particular is the leg iron mentioned in print anywhere.

I have been waiting to have a Hiatt day.  When I do I promise to post the Hiatt leg iron plug 8 as my first post.

Joe

This is my first and only pair. Would love to be able to age these but to me darbies all look the same really.




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