Jougs
Encyclopedia
The jougs, juggs, or joggs (Old French joug, from Lat. jugum, a yoke
) is an instrument of punishment formerly in use in Scotland
, the Netherlands
and other countries.
fastened by a short chain to a wall, often of the parish church, or to a tree. The collar was placed round the offender's neck and fastened by a padlock
. The jougs was practically a pillory
. It was used for ecclesiastical as well as civil offences. Examples could still be seen in Scotland at the beginning of the 20th century. It may have lent its name to the modern "jug", slang for prison
.
, East Ayrshire, Scotland, called the 'jougs', has a set of jougs still attached to the front wall.
Sir Walter Scott rescued the 'jougs' from Threave Castle
in the Borders and attached them to the castellated gateway he built at Abbotsford House
.
The old Tolbooth museum in Sanquhar
in the Nith valley has jougs attached to the wall just outside the entrance to the old jail.
Sorn
church jougs were stolen in the 1930s, but were located and returned. Cuthbertson refers to the jougs as symbols of the session's power against gossips and evil-doers.
The tolbooth
and weigh-house, part of the Fife Folk Museum in Ceres, Fife
has jougs on the wall next to the weigh-house door.
The jougs on the Isle of Cumbrae survive attached to a gatepost at the entrance to the Millport Old Cemetery entrance.
The 'Clachan Oak' is an ancient sessile oak near Balfron
in Stirlingshire. It can still be seen to be bearing metal bands around its trunk to which jougs were once attached for the restraint and humiliation of petty criminals.
Sorn
church has the jougs hanging from its external wall. For a number of years they went missing, however the laird and the minister recovered and restored them to the church wall.
Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen...
) is an instrument of punishment formerly in use in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and other countries.
Purpose
It was an iron collarCollar
Collar may refer to:Human neckwear:*Collar , the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck*Ruff collar*Slave collar*Collar , a device of any material placed around the neck of the submissive partner in BDSM...
fastened by a short chain to a wall, often of the parish church, or to a tree. The collar was placed round the offender's neck and fastened by a padlock
Padlock
Padlocks are portable locks used to protect against theft, vandalism, sabotage, unauthorized use, and harm. They are designed to protect against some degree of forced and surreptitious entry.- History :...
. The jougs was practically a 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...
. It was used for ecclesiastical as well as civil offences. Examples could still be seen in Scotland at the beginning of the 20th century. It may have lent its name to the modern "jug", slang for prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
.
Examples
The former Parish Council chambers in KilmaursKilmaurs
Kilmaurs is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies on the Carmel, 21.1 miles south by west of Glasgow. Population recorded in 2001 Census, 2601- History :...
, East Ayrshire, Scotland, called the 'jougs', has a set of jougs still attached to the front wall.
Sir Walter Scott rescued the 'jougs' from Threave Castle
Threave Castle
Threave Castle is situated on an island in the River Dee, 2.5 km west of Castle Douglas, in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland...
in the Borders and attached them to the castellated gateway he built at Abbotsford House
Abbotsford House
Abbotsford is a historic house in the region of the Scottish Borders in the south of Scotland, near Melrose, on the south bank of the River Tweed. It was formerly the residence of historical novelist and poet, Walter Scott...
.
The old Tolbooth museum in Sanquhar
Sanquhar
Sanquhar is a town on the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies north of Thornhill and west of Moffat. It is a Royal Burgh.Sanquhar is notable for its tiny post office , claimed to be the oldest working post office in the world...
in the Nith valley has jougs attached to the wall just outside the entrance to the old jail.
Sorn
Sorn
Sorn is a small village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated on the River Ayr. It has a population of roughly 350. Local services include: a pub, a church, a general store, a motorbike shop and a television shop. There is also a village hall and a bowling green and primary school...
church jougs were stolen in the 1930s, but were located and returned. Cuthbertson refers to the jougs as symbols of the session's power against gossips and evil-doers.
The tolbooth
Tolbooth
Tolbooth or tollbooth may refer to:* Tolbooth, a traditional Scottish 'town hall' for the administration of burghs, usually providing a council meeting chamber, a court house and a jail.* Toll house, a place where road usage tolls are collected...
and weigh-house, part of the Fife Folk Museum in Ceres, Fife
Ceres, Fife
Ceres is a village in Fife, Scotland, located in a small glen approximately 2 miles over the Ceres Moor from Cupar and 7 miles from St Andrews. The former parish of that name included the settlements of Baldinnie, Chance Inn, Craigrothie, Pitscottie and Tarvit Mill.-The village:It is one of the...
has jougs on the wall next to the weigh-house door.
The jougs on the Isle of Cumbrae survive attached to a gatepost at the entrance to the Millport Old Cemetery entrance.
The 'Clachan Oak' is an ancient sessile oak near Balfron
Balfron
Balfron, is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is situated near Endrick Water on the A875 road, 18 miles west of Stirling and 16 miles north of Glasgow. Although a rural settlement, it lies within commuting distance of Glasgow, and serves as a dormitory town.-History:The name...
in Stirlingshire. It can still be seen to be bearing metal bands around its trunk to which jougs were once attached for the restraint and humiliation of petty criminals.
Sorn
Sorn
Sorn is a small village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated on the River Ayr. It has a population of roughly 350. Local services include: a pub, a church, a general store, a motorbike shop and a television shop. There is also a village hall and a bowling green and primary school...
church has the jougs hanging from its external wall. For a number of years they went missing, however the laird and the minister recovered and restored them to the church wall.
See also
- Scold's bridleScold's bridleA scold's bridle, sometimes called "the branks", was a punishment device for men and women, also used as a mild form of torture. It was an iron muzzle in an iron framework that enclose the head. The bridle-bit was about 2 inches long and 1 inch broad, projected into the mouth and pressed down on...
- Shrew's fiddleShrew's fiddleA shrew's fiddle or neck violin is a variation of the yoke, pillory or rigid irons whereby the wrists are locked in front of the bound person by a hinged board or steel bar...