The old Village
Stocks
Old picture of the stocks.
The stocks probably date from
the early 17th century, but no record of their construction exists.
The stone posts have grooves on their inner faces, into which
are slotted two tiers of foot holes, to secure the prisoner by
his ankles.
Stocks were in general use from medieval times or before. They
were set up in a public place, either at the entrance to a town
or on a village green. No village was considered complete without
its stocks as they were essential to law and order.
According to the severity of the crime, the offender would be
sentenced to spend a number of hours, or even days, clamped in
the stocks.The stocks were used to punish minor offences such
as petty stealing, drunkenness and vagrancy. For instance, in
1605 every person convicted of drunkenness was either fined five
shillings or put in the stocks for six hours. Wood stealers might
well have been punished by two days in the stocks. Often prisoners
were taunted and laughed at by onlookers. Not only were stocks
used as a mode of punishment and show of public disapproval,
but also as a means of securing all offenders before they were
dealt with officially.
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