I saw Alan Ayckbourn's latest play Neighbourhood Watch last night, which is about a neighbourhood watch group that gets out of hand. At one point there is talk about whether they are to install stocks or a pillory on their estate, and one of the characters explains the difference.
Stock was one of the earliest words in English; it first meant a tree trunk and a few centuries later, a post or stake. Stocks are old instruments of punishment consisting of one plank of wood on top of another with holes cut out for the wrongdoer's ankles. The person would have to sit there unable to free his or her legs. These old stocks can often be seen in old English villages today. This meaning of stocks was first attested in the 14th century.
The word pillory also dates back to the 14th century. A pillory is similar to stocks; the difference is, though, that the victim stands up and the pillory holds fast his or her arms and head, not legs. The pillory as a form of punishment was outlawed in Britain in 1815, except in cases of perjury, and was abolished completely in 1837. Pillories are often seen, however, at school fêtes, garden parties and the like - often a hapless teacher or prefect (a volunteer, I think!) is fastened in the pillory while visitors throw wet sponges at him/her to raise funds.
The verb 'to pillory', meaning 'to expose to public abuse or ridicule', is quite common these days. Its original meaning was literally 'to put in the pillory'. There was once the verb, 'to stock', which meant 'to put in the stocks', but that is obsolete now.
No surprise, both devices were also used in the American Colonies and early US, and may be found today at reconstructed historical villages, such as Old Sturbridge Village and Plimoth Plantation here in Massachusetts. ("Plimoth" is actually spelt that way in the historicaL context,)
Interesting that you mention "school fetes" I haven't seen that expression since high school in Barbados.
Great post, Susan. Thanks.
Posted by: John | January 28, 2012 at 12:07 AM
As to the old meaning of stock, Treebeard uses it: "It is long, long since we met by stock or by stone" (Tolkien LOTR).
Posted by: Picky | January 28, 2012 at 08:42 AM
Thanks for those interesting comments. You must have a good memory, Picky, for remembering what you've read. Yes, John, the OED does mention USA; it says the pillory was not abolished in Delaware until 1905.
Posted by: Virtual Linguist | January 29, 2012 at 12:34 PM
Thanks Susan.
Your reference to late use in Delaware prompted me to see what Wikipedia had to say about use in the US. Apparently abolished in 1839, there is evidence of the pillory actually being used in Delaware as late as 1901, no doubt leading to the 1905 ban you reference.
I might have expected the device to have been in late use in the western states and territories, but not here in the East.
Posted by: John | January 29, 2012 at 02:20 PM