Alice allegedly swore at him so violently that he arrested her - and a local Justice of the Peace immediately commited her to the Clerkenwell House of Correction. When she was finally brought to trial at the Old Bailey, Alice's account of her treatment in prison caused a national outcry. She said that she had been put on a punishment diet of black bread and water, made to sleep on the bare ground, stripped and given 50 lashes and, what's more, she was pregnant at the time. In addition, her case, as well as several other similar cases, led directly to the passing of the Habeas Corpus Act in 1679. The wigs were originally made from human hair but these days they are made from horsehair.
Barristers also wear gowns in court.
Junior barristers wear gowns woven from alpaca wool, while senior barristers, known as the Queen's Council, wear 'silks' because the fabric is made from silk. The gown of every barrister has a pouch sewn into the left shoulder - which is a reminder of the period when barristers were not allowed to solicit fees and soliciters would furtively slip golden guineas into the pouch. Every year, without fail, the solicitor to the city of London attempts to cut a bundle of faggots with a blunt billhook, before finally slicing through with a sharp axe. The reason for this unusual ceremony, known as 'Quit Rent' dates from 1211 when the City Corporation rented a farm in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, from the Crown. The rent, which has remained unchanged for over 700 years, is the blunt billhook and sharp axe.