Name/Title
Brighton Police "Scotland Yard" pattern adjustable handcuffs c1900Entry/Object ID
2549Description
Darby style adjustable unplated handcuffs with surface rust stamped "Hiatt Best Warranted Wrought Hard", with key which is stamped "No. 1 Hiatt".Use
To restrain prisoners. This type was in use across Sussex from at least the mid 19th century until the 1960s.Context
These type of handcuffs are known as "Darbies" or "D" cuffs. "Darbies" is a 17th century word used to refer to all types of hand/wrist restraints and "D" refers to the shape of this style. This type, which were made by various makers, do not have a lock in the strictest sense as they have a simple bolt which is released by screwing in the "key". This simple robust design probably explains why these type of handcuffs were in use for over 100 years.
Standard Darby handcuffs are of a fixed size which meant that small and larger sized versions were needed to fit persons with smaller or larger wrists. This is why adjustable Darby handcuffs like these, were introduced and the company of Hiatt, who made this pair called this model the "Scotland Yard" pattern. They are thought to have began to produce them in the late 19th century or early 20th century, but certainly by 1905 (Nichols 2002). This particular pair were used by a Brighton officer PC George Greenyer, who first joined Brighton Police in 1882, and from 1902 until 1919 was the police and court gaoler, looking after any prisoners and escorting them to court. Given the date of this particular design he probably used them in that capacity. They came directly from the Greenyer family.
Hiatt were a Birmingham based company that made restraints from at least 1780, and whilst best known for handcuffs, they manufactured other police equipment throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The company ceased UK production in 2008 following increased scrutiny over some of its products and their use abroad.