Designed for Security

It is hard to imagine mounting any sort of escape with a pair of these around your ankles. Heavy leg shackles were an indispensable tool of law enforcement in New Zealand during the 1800s and were used for prisoners in police cells as well as for those convicted to a spot of gaol time.

The ring in the centre of the chain was designed to allow the shackles to be attached to a prisoner’s belt. They were designed for security rather than comfort but a Taranaki Herald correspondent reporting on the “Highwayman” Robert Wallath on 28 August 1893 put a rosy spin on things. “…the prisoner Wallath has never looked brighter since his capture. He exercises regularly in the yard set apart for prisoners on committal, the leg irons being no impediment to his enjoying this recreation.” The prisoner was not asked for his opinion.