Lock and Key Identification

peeg

Hi All

I was hoping someone could help me with dating (if possible) the lock and key in the picture below. They come from a wooden travel chest. We now the chest is at least 90 years old but believe it to be older. There are no markings on the chest or the lock/key. I am trying to find a rough age for the chest to help with my Family History research.

Paul Prescott

I don’t think you will be able to date it very accurately as there is nothing in particular that you can say about that lock to tie it down to a specific date. However the general style of the key together with the machine made nature of the lock would suggest a date of not later than 1939 or earlier than 1850.

peeg

Oldlock

Thanks for the fast response. We believe my ancestor was on his way to America when he died at Liverpool Docks, but we have never been sure what his name was, but thought it must have been around the mid 1800’s, so the 1850 date you mention fits with my other bits of info I have have.
Thanks for your help, hopfully I can narrow down which ancestor now.

Paul Gray

Tom Gordon

I would have leaned towards it being continental in origin.

Paul Prescott

I’m quite comfortable with it being english.

I would expect the style of the key to be different & it it be double throw if it were continental.