History of Hiatt U.K

Hey guys,

I would like to know when Hiatt UK start and end making handcuffs... Any of you have info about it?

Thank

also, some relatives comment in this thread (2019)
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/i ... any.15301/

Handcuffs with the Griffin & Hiatt name stamp are known to be quite rare.
I do not believe I have seen a pair other than mine.
Often these are mentioned as Hiatt and Griffin but this pair has the names reversed, Griffin having top billing.
Does an example with the markings of Hiatt and Griffin actually appear anywhere?  Has anyone an example with such markings?
Following Joe's Timeline, it seems that Griffin predated Hiatt and my cuff seems to be from 1810 or so when Hiatt's line intersected with the Griffin line.

Mark
Yours is the only Darby that I know of.  Mine is a plug 8.
Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Thomas Griffin's nephew.   He learned the trade with his uncle, but left to form his own company. 
The Griffin & Hiatt cuffs were likely the last cuffs that Hiatt made while still working for his uncle.
Griffin's partner James Nichols took over Griffin's company.
Joe

And just to show how close these handcuff makers were, Thomas Longmore was a witness at the wedding of James Nichols daughter.  James Nichols was a witness at the wedding of John Thompson, handcuff maker.

I also have a set of Griffin & Hiatt Plug 8 cuffs but not the Darbies. In your diagram you show Griffin & Co. I do have a set of Plug 8 cuffs with this marking (left handed). I would guess the first models that Griffin made are just marked Griffin then when he took on staff he changed it to Griffin & Co. what do you think?

The name variations on these cuffs is a bit of a grey area but could be limited to the very early part of the 1800s. Let's say 1810-1820. I think that when Griffin died in 1816 and the business was run by James Nichols and Isaac Hill, on behalf of his widow, that it could have been called Griffin and Co. His 30-year-old nephew Thomas Hiatt split off from the business and started his own around this time at Moore Street which might explain why he was not involved with the new Griffin business. If Isaac Hill dropped out of the business or was bought out, then the business might have been called Nichols. Nichols and Hiatt did have a working relationship though. They co-owned a foundry which would have cast their lock-tubes and keys. Anything marked Griffin and Hiatt should be pre-1816 because there was no reason for Hiatt to use the Griffin name ofter 1816 because he had his own successful business. Because of the known close relationships of Griffin, Hiatt, Nichols and Thompson, I believe they all worked together at some time. Froggatt was a 'jobbing smith' and most likely worked for Griffin as well which explains why all the darby style cuffs from these makers are almost identical. I have plans to write an essay on Australian Convict Era Restraints 1788-1869 in which some of this info will be included.

Gentlemen,
Please consider my membership to the Griffin Club.
I forgot that I have a Plug 8 with the Griffin name too.

I am honored to be in your company!

Mark, I think you are a member of nearly EVERY HANDCUFF CLUB. Unfortunately your Griffin does not have a plug so you can only be an Associate not a Full member!

Chris,  I am saddened by my demotion.  As a positive thinker, I vow to not let it bother me to excess.
Instead, I will strive to achieve full Club Membership with an acquisition that I am working a deal on.
It is a Griffin that is new old stock and is complete with its box.  They found it in a corner of the basement at the Alamo.

lauher wrote: ↑

Jan 03, 2021

cuff19_a.jpg
Mark
Yours is the only Darby that I know of.  Mine is a plug 8.
Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Thomas Griffin's nephew.   He learned the trade with his uncle, but left to form his own company. 
The Griffin & Hiatt cuffs were likely the last cuffs that Hiatt made while still working for his uncle.
Griffin's partner James Nichols took over Griffin's company.
Joe

I almost had one of these, it was seized by UK customs.. :(( One of the saddest moments of my collecting career....

james.slips wrote: ↑

Jan 06, 2021

lauher wrote: ↑

Jan 03, 2021

cuff19_a.jpg
Mark
Yours is the only Darby that I know of.  Mine is a plug 8.
Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Thomas Griffin's nephew.   He learned the trade with his uncle, but left to form his own company. 
The Griffin & Hiatt cuffs were likely the last cuffs that Hiatt made while still working for his uncle.
Griffin's partner James Nichols took over Griffin's company.
Joe

I almost had one of these, it was seized by UK customs.. :(( One of the saddest moments of my collecting career....

Click to expand...

Sorry to hear this!
Would you be free to tell this story?
I realize that you may want to put this experience out of your mind but it might help one of us from a similar fate.

Okay Mark that sounds good. Just found my set in original box and original packing sent to Davy Crockett at the Alamo ( did you know he had 3 ears? A right Ear a left Ear and a Wild FrontEar!).
Anyway just seen they are marked Hiatt & Nichols! Take care.

Mark Lyons O--O Cuffs wrote: ↑

Jan 07, 2021

james.slips wrote: ↑

Jan 06, 2021

lauher wrote: ↑

Jan 03, 2021

cuff19_a.jpg
Mark
Yours is the only Darby that I know of.  Mine is a plug 8.
Thomas Griffin Hiatt was Thomas Griffin's nephew.   He learned the trade with his uncle, but left to form his own company. 
The Griffin & Hiatt cuffs were likely the last cuffs that Hiatt made while still working for his uncle.
Griffin's partner James Nichols took over Griffin's company.
Joe

I almost had one of these, it was seized by UK customs.. :(( One of the saddest moments of my collecting career....

Sorry to hear this!
Would you be free to tell this story?
I realize that you may want to put this experience out of your mind but it might help one of us from a similar fate.

Click to expand...

Happy to. Long story short: If you're going to buy anything from the UK on eBay, make sure that the seller isn't going to use eBays 'Global Shipping Program'. It's been mentioned on the forum before. It's awful. Let's see...
I won the auction.
It was shipped, and then it was cancelled and the money returned to me.
I contacted ebay.. their 1st excuse' was ITAR... got through this one..
2nd Excuse.. EU laws... directed them to the part that clearly states that normal handcuffs within specific dimensions are allowed.
Excuse #3 was "It's not us, it's Pitney Bowes'.. after a LOT of complaining they finally gave up a contact at Pitney Bowes
Who told me that it had been seized by customs and there was nothing they could do.. which I'm pretty damn sure was all a lie.
I even threatened them with legal action, told them of the historical significance, they didn't care.

So, yes,  lesson learned, talk to the seller first, get it out of the hands of ebay and Pitney Bowes who eventually had to admit that they were not interpreting the law correctly, and ended up just blaming it on UK Customs.. which I knew I wasn't going to win.