Weird History

What It Was Like to Be In the Stocks (2021x131)

: 05, 2021

Many a curious renaissance fair or historical park visitor has probably wondered: “What was it like to be in the stocks?” A lot of people picture having their head and neck restrained for a few minutes and being pelted by old tomatoes, but punishment on the stocks (and its cousin, the pillory) was rarely so pleasant. Today, the stocks and pillory are often confused with one another, but they were two different devices that had different effects. Stocks restrained the feet, with the offender sitting; the pillory restrained the head and hands, with the offender standing.