The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1911-06-07
DUCKINC A SC0LD
A Custom Quite Popular at One
Time In This Country.
WOMEN ALWAYS THE VICTIMS.
In Colonial Days Ducking Stools Were
Common In Maryland, In Virginia
the Penalty Was Often inflicted, and
Georgia Sinned as Late as 1919.

Common In Maryland, In Virginia
the Penalty Was Often inflicted, and
Georgia Sinned as Late as 1919.
Nowadays If woman forms the
habits of talking 100 loud and too long
or insists upon saying unpleasant
things in wrong places and at wrong
seasons there are several things which
may happen to her. If she is person
of some social standing her husband
may get a divorce. or if she belongs
in one of the lower strata he may
leave her without that little formality.
If she makes life too unbearable for
the neighbors she may possibly be ar
rested and fined. If she lives in Eng
land and interrupts the proceedings of
parliament. calls names, chaSeS digni-
taries to cover whenever they show
themselves in public and knocks off
policemen's helmets she is called suf-
fragette and sometimes imprisoned
But even the most "obstinately oppro-
brious and virulent woman" TO quote
the stately Addison. may be confident
that she will escape the punishment
melted out to her sister of old What
ever happens, she won't be sentenced
to the ducking stool. In many ways
modern life is tame and lacking in
dramatic incident for self assertive
lady, and even the English suffragettes
complain that they are not taken Sc
riOusly enough.
No such claim could have been made
In the past, say between the fifteenth
and eighteenth centuries. when far
more rigid views prevailed on the sub
ject of feminine self repression. In
those days magistrates were unani-
nous in the conviction that 'meekness
Is We chOjsest ointment for woman"
and it was held crime to speak dis
cornfully" of those in authority. civil
or ecclesiastical A woman must not
even indulge In too great freedom Of
speech In the privacy of her own home
and neighborhood. Sometimes she did,
and then she was attended to in sim
pie yet spectacular manner.
She was bound securely to a stout
chair firmly fixed to the end Of long
beam, arranged to work up and down
on the principle of the seesaw. on
the edge Of a river or pond. On the
bank at the other end a man worked
the continuance by means of a strong
chain, and she was given a ducking.
which lasted until justice was salts
fed or reform was promised. the popu-
lace of course gathering in large mum
bers to assist at the function.
In England the practice was so gen.
erai that each town had its ducking
pond conveniently located where petty
offenders of various kinds were disci
plined. The pond for the western part
of London was what is now portion
Of Trafalgar square, Charing Cross
Many of the old ducking stools are
still in existence as curiOsities. In the
days of their activity they were kept
doubtless pointed a moral as to the
naughty spirit which goeth before
fall
The first cOlonists brought the insti-
tuition to this country, although it new
er fourished in New England In fact,
there are no authentic records Of the
actual use Of the ducking stool in
these colonies. although a number Of
women were sentenced to be so pun
ished They had. however, other meth
DDS of treatment for ladies of shrew-
ish disposition, one Of these being
tongue.
In the central and southern colonies
the custom was quite popular. In the
seventeenth century ducking stools
were in every county in Maryland, and
in 1775 one was placed at the conf1u
ence of the Ohio and MonOngahela riv-
ers. In Virginia the penalty was often
employed. and In 1884 Thomas Hart
ly of that colony wrote. it is said. TO
Governor Endicott of Massachusetts.
giving detailed account of a ducking
administered to lone Betsey. wife of
John Tucker. who by violence of her
tongue had made his home and We
neighbOrhOod uncOmfOrta BILE" After
describing the machine he adds: "Ye
rope was slackened by We officer. and
We woman was allowed to go down
under We water for We space of half
minute. Betsey had a stout stomach
and would not yield until she had al
lowed herself to be ducked five SEVERAL
times" After she promised to ''sin no
more" Betsey was united and allowed
to walk home in her wetted clothes.
hopefully penitent woman"
The ducking stool prevailed longer
in America than in England. In the
old country it does not seem to have
been used later than 1909. but in Geor-
gia women were ducked for scolding
as late as 1919. 1t is interesting to
note that I'm 1924 woman in Phila-
delphia was sentenced to be ducked
but the decree was not carried out as
1t was deemed obsolete and contrary
to the spirit of the times" A writer
on colonial customs states that one of
the last indictments for ducking in
this country was that of Mrs. Anne
Royal in Washington. a lobbyist. who
became so abusive to congressman