Finger pillory
Encyclopedia
A finger pillory is a style of restraint where the finger
s are held in a wooden block, using an L-shaped hole to keep the knuckle
bent inside the block. The name is taken from the pillory
, a much larger device used to secure the head and hands, teeth and neck.
Finger pillories operate on a slightly different principle than their larger cousins. In addition to the familiar semicircular cut-outs, the lower stock has vertical holes in which the first two joints of the finger are inserted. Once the stocks are closed, the finger (which is bent at the middle joint) cannot be removed. It was sufficient to imprison only the index
or middle finger
of each hand in this manner.
Finger stocks were routinely used in upper class halls to punish the disorderly during social gatherings, and to discipline servants. A particularly fine example can be found in Littlecote Hall, Berkshire
, England
. These stocks are still regularly used on unruly diners during contemporary medieval banquets.
Finger stocks were also used in churches for minor offences, like not paying attention during a sermon. An example still survives in St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
, Leicestershire
, England.
Finger
A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
s are held in a wooden block, using an L-shaped hole to keep the knuckle
Knuckle
The knuckles are the joints of the fingers and toes, which are brought into prominence when the hand is clenched and a fist is made. The word is cognate to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as the Dutch "Knokkel" or German "Knöchel" , i.e., Knöchlein, the diminutive of the German...
bent inside the block. The name is taken from the pillory
Pillory
The pillory was a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse, sometimes lethal...
, a much larger device used to secure the head and hands, teeth and neck.
Finger pillories operate on a slightly different principle than their larger cousins. In addition to the familiar semicircular cut-outs, the lower stock has vertical holes in which the first two joints of the finger are inserted. Once the stocks are closed, the finger (which is bent at the middle joint) cannot be removed. It was sufficient to imprison only the index
Index finger
The index finger, , is the first finger and the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the first and third digits, between the thumb and the middle finger...
or middle finger
Middle finger
The middle finger or long finger is the third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is usually the longest finger...
of each hand in this manner.
Finger stocks were routinely used in upper class halls to punish the disorderly during social gatherings, and to discipline servants. A particularly fine example can be found in Littlecote Hall, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. These stocks are still regularly used on unruly diners during contemporary medieval banquets.
Finger stocks were also used in churches for minor offences, like not paying attention during a sermon. An example still survives in St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
St Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
St. Helen's Church, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, is a parish church in the Church of England in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.-Description:The church is largely fourteenth century but was rebuilt in 1878 by James Piers St Aubyn with the addition of outer nave aisles...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England.