'Skeffington's daughter' stocks
- Made:
- 1551-1800
Punishment stocks known as 'Skeffington's' or 'Scavenger's' Daughter, British or Irish, 1551-1800.
Stocks and pillories were a form of punishment via public humiliation across Europe from Medieval times to the 19th Century. Stocks restrain the legs, whilst pillories restrained the neck and wrists.
This version was invented by the lieutenant of the Tower of London in the reign of Henry VII, Sir Leonard Skevington – a son of the Lord Deputy of Ireland. It follows the basic principle of the stocks and pillories combined by restraining the criminal by their neck, wrists and feet. The design built upon these devices with the addition of a screw that could be tightened in order to crush the criminal whilst in the crouching position, achieving the opposite effect of the rack.
It is thought that this type of device was very rarely used, appearing in only brief mentions within the Tower of London documents. There are two on display at the Tower currently, and one of those is a replica. It is unknown how frequently the device was used outside of the Tower.
Details
- Category:
- Wellcome (general)
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A159942
- Materials:
- iron
- Measurements:
-
overall: 30 mm x 1020 mm x 495 mm,
- type:
- stocks
- credit:
- Wellcome Trust (Purchased from Stevens)
