I’m no expert but I think your keys were mostly made for locks on chests - probably eclesiastical chests. The ones I have come across were all with cast iron chests. I attach a couple of pictures.
Thought you might like to see a safe and key I have at present. It comes from a large chest which I believe was made in the early 19th century. I have an amusing story relating to the safe or rather it’s contents when we removed it.
You can see from the scale of my hand the key is about 6″ long. It locks the safe with a heavy clunk. The chest has been converted to an upright safe which is how it was used until earlier this year (2006). I guess it was uprighted years ago because you would need more than three Shreaded Wheat AND a tin of spinach to lift the door when in the chest position.
The whole thing is enormously heavy - and I’m talking as a safe man not a layman - 300kg plus. Considering two sides are quite thin (3mm) plate it’s amazing how heavy it is.
Does anyone have any ID information about this type of chest? I think they were mass produced in Warwickshire/Shropshire until the likes of Messrs Chubb, Milner, Chatwood and Price et al innovated them out of the market.
The other picture is of a similar but smaller and lighter chest. Key is a copy - not a good one - similar to the keys you are showing here.
It too had been uprighted probably for the same reason.
They were both in use as safes until the company’s insurance man visited and told them how old and useless they were as security and fire safes!
Sorry, I posted the pics 1, 2, 3 but they sit on the site in reverse order 3, 2, 1.
