Seventeenth century manacles

Please, does anyone know how European manacles were fastened - and released - in the seventeenth century? Did they have locks that could be opened with keys, or did they need to be struck off by a smith?

This seems (and is) such a basic question, but I simply can't afford to get it wrong. I have over eighty books on 17th century France, not one of which gives this information, and my google-fu is yielding nothing.

Heeeeellllpppp....

Louise

Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble, Sarpedon.

I think you're right. The technology was available for 'lockable' manacles in 17th century Europe - ie a basic cup-lock with a padlock, as built-in locks weren't (as far as I know!!!) around then - but I can't find any record of them having ever been used. The phrase in literature is almost always 'strike off his irons/fetters/whatever', referring to the practice of securing the cuplock with a chain and rivet, which a blacksmith would create with a hammer - and remove by flattening out again in the same way.

I was surprised to see it used as late as 1865 in the US, when built-in locks had long been available in Europe, but I gather the built-in lock was expensive, and not widely used until mass production make it viable. I'd guess US prisons weren't the only ones using the older, cheaper method.

Either way, it strengthens the likelihood of the 17th century version being a good old fashioned rivet and hammer job, and it looks as if at least I can't go wrong by following it.

Thank you again - I really appreciate it.

Louise

Sorry, RJK, I somehow got unsubscribed from this thread and missed your answer.

Yes, absolutely, that's apparently one of the best sets still extant. The pin seems to be a variant on the rivet (which has the advantage of being quicker to fasten because the rivet 'nail' doesn't have to be so tight in the hole and therefore needs less hammering). You're quite right - neither type could be removed by the person actually wearing them.

I'm reasonably solid on the working of mediaeval manacles (as one is...) but was only wondering whether the fact that portable locks were now much more readily available had yet affected the use of different types of fetters. I was scared of describing the old style when some better-read reader might say 'oh, but they all used locks by then'. It seems clear that the use of old-style continued in some areas for more than another century, so I must be pretty safe using them in the seventeenth.

I hope...

Thank you so much for taking the trouble to find and post this image. I really appreciate it.

Louise