Name/Title
Life Preserver c1850 - 1900Entry/Object ID
2287Description
Badly damaged life preserver 11 inches (28cm) long with lead weighted ends and cane shaft bound in finely plaited twine, which is missing from both ends. No marker's marks.Use
For general use both as an offensive weapon and for self defence.Context
During much of the 19th century it was not uncommon for people to arm themselves as protection against assault and robbery and at the same time for criminals to carry weapons. Items such as this, with a flexible shaft and weighted coshes at each end were common during the period and are called "Life Preservers", as a reference to their intended use for self defence, and were carried by the public and criminals alike.
This item is one of a number that came to the museum from Sussex Police as confiscated weapons. It was common for the police to retain collections of such items for training purposes and for lessons in schools. Its damaged state gives an insight into how these Life Preservers were constructed.