The Locksmith Journal Sep/Oct 2018 - Issue 58 | Page 74

74 • HISTORY&HERITAGE Shackles, Legions and Handcuffs » » LOCKSMITHS, IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY work; rarely see the restraint locks of the authorities. Today, apart from police, and law and order authorities, escapologists are the main users of this class of lock. Many escapologists, in addition to the special items that feature in their act, have collections that tell the story of that special class of locking devices that lock up his fellow man. Modern restraints are used legitimately in a correctional context, but that wasn’t always the case. There was a time when men were ‘owned’ and there was considerable ‘trade’ in the acquisition of ‘stock’. The slave trade is well documented elsewhere and makes for difficult and distressing reading to today’s mind; so here we Two styles of simple hinged hoop shackles secured with a padlock or several could be linked with a continuous chain. These were produced in sizes to suit both wrists and ankles. An 17th/18th century padlock with 4 spring barbs. The key compresses the barbs allowing the removal of the locking pin to which they are attached, once removed the shackle can be swung up. examine one of the tools of that trade taken out of context and only lightly eluding to the back stories – the shackles of man. Like all locking devices shackles are very ancient and emerge with civilisations. There are references in ancient texts including the bible. Invariably loops of iron either wrist, ankle or neck size were connected with chains of whatever length for the purpose and secured with a padlock which was typically of the spring barb type. Shackles for galley slaves for instance were a simple hinged hasp, one end formed with a loop through which a chain was passed linking all oarsmen together at their stations with one padlock. Vincent Eras in his work about the Lips Collection ‘Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages’ comments Two sizes of adjustable restraints, the oversize butterfly would be wound down to a snug fit and secured with a padlock. The large size for wrists and the smaller for thumbs. LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | SEP/OCT 2018 An iron slave chain and spring barb padlock. Fig. 37 from Eras’ book ‘Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages’ (Dutch edition). “Déchelette (Joseph Déchelette, French Archaeologist, 1866-1914) refers to ‘Entraves’ (French meaning shackles) the so-called shackles or fetters and slave chains, operated by padlocks, also used for galley slaves. The chain with which St Paul was fettered and led through Rome, by a Roman soldier, has been pictured in National Geographic Magazine [Vol. CX No. Six of December 1956 page 157]. Gradually and with the changing or evolving of moral attitudes the trade in slaves diminished, but society still demanded custodial items and so the device also evolved both in terms of manufacture and in its inherent functions. A pair of neck shackles hinged and secured with an integral screw key lock. The internal shackle diameter on this set is 135mm. It was sometimes normal practice to not only apply handcuffs but also to transport prisoners in pairs.