Year: 1877

No punishment seems TO have been
more thoroughly appreciated, admired
and maintained among mankind as the
perfection of reason than the pillory
and from the universally of its accept
anee throughout the world, its ingeni-
Gus varieties, and constant uniform
tendency, it approaches as near H.
possible to the law of nature. In order
to attract the greatest contemp; in the
most public and conspicuous way upon
an offender, to rivet the gaze OF the
rabble upon him, and TO expose him
helplessly to their derision, their kicks
and cuffs, few implements so rude ss
this in structure have done so much
rough work in their time.


The pillory was usually combina-
ton of planks put so as to enclose the
head and feet and hands of the prisoner
in a fixed position, so as TO be exposed
to the public gaze, and so as to attract
public contempt; and a license was a.
lowed to bystanders, which was largely
taken advantage of, to throw filth and
rubbish at his head. The punishment
of the pillOry was very early in full
working order in England. Coke says
it was used by the SaxOns. Fraudulent
bakers and butchers were specially
ordered by the assize of bread and OF
bakers to be set in il; and in that age
probably all nations deemed it the
suit. BILE punishment for false weights
and measures. And when it became
urgent TO deal with runaway servants
and laborers, the duty was imposed on
every village TO provide stocks, a milder
punishment of the same class. In
London fraudulent baker was drawn
on hurdle through Cheapside in his
stockings, with a light loaf hanging
round his neck. Aprejurer was ordered
to stand on a stool at Guildhall and pro-
claim aloud his offence. Owing 10 the
way in which the pillOry was used la
1885, and probably long after, the ears
of the offender were so nailed to il that
by moving they were torn off. The
court of Star Chamber, with an addi-
ton ejusdem generis, condemned per
jurer to go thrice round Westminster
Hall, and thrice at Cheapside market.
and also at assizes, with paper round
his neck, inscribed "This man is will
fully perjured." And this wearing OF
papers was long practised as an appro-
pirate addition TO the punishment
Nayler was sentenced to be put in the
pillOry and whipped by the hangman
to the Exchange, and TO wear paper
describing his offence; and at Bristol
was made to sit on horse with his face
to the tail, and was publicly whipped
in the market place. So Dangertield
for libel was put in the pillOry, ordered
TO 90 about Westminster III all with II
paper in his hat signifying his crime.
and whipped from Aldgate to Newgate
and Tyburn.


Fuller also, convicted of libel, was
most numerically handled By the mob ,
as he stood in the pillOry at Charins
Cross and Temple Bar and Royal Ex-
change. In 1888, when DIR. Shebbeare
underwent the punishment of the
pillory, he had livery servant stand
ing beside him, holding an umbrella
over his head which merely rested on
the frame; though, as Lord Ellen
borough said, the sheriff had not on
that occasion done his duty, and he was
afterward fined and imprisoned on a.
count of il. The more usual case wa
for the mob to worry and illtreat the
prisoners put in the pillOry, and on one
occasion, when such prisoners stood
near HattOn Garden, though the sheriff
himself was in a balcony hard by, the
mob peited and nearly killed the men
with stones and oyster shells, or with
cabbage stalks. This additional punish
ment inflicted by the mob was ap-
parently treated as an unavoidable in
cident of the Liberty of
the Subject.