By F. A. Carrington, Esq. 



33 



former whereof, they have such a peculiar artifice at New-Castle 

 [under Lyme] and Walsall, for correcting of scolds, which it does 

 too so effectually, and so very safely, that I look upon it as much 

 to be preferred to the Clicking -stoole, which not only endangers the 

 health of the party, but also gives the tongue liberty 'twixt every 

 dipp ; to neither of which is this at all lyable ; it being such a 

 bridle for the tongue, as not only quite deprives them of speech, but 

 brings shame for the transgression, and humility thereupon, before 

 'tis taken off. Which being an instrument scarce heard of, much 

 less seen, I have here presented it to the reader's view, tab. 32, fig. 

 9, as it was taken from the original one, made of iron, at New- 

 Castle under Lyme, wherein the letter a shows the joynted collar 

 that comes round the neck ; b, c, the loops and staples to let it out 

 and in, according to the bigness and slenderness of the neck ; d, 

 the joynted semicircle that comes over the head, made forked at 

 one end to let through the nose ; and e, the plate of iron that is put 

 into the mouth, and keeps down the tongue. Which, being put 

 upon the offender by order of the magistrate, and fastened with a 

 padlock behind, she is lead through the towne by an officer to her 

 shame, nor is it taken off, till after the party begins to show all 

 external signes imaginable of humiliation and amendment." 



Dr. Plot was keeper of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, and 

 professor of chemistry in that University ; this work was printed at 

 Oxford in 1686, and dedicated to King James II. 



Mr Noake, in his " Worcester in the Olden Time," 1 gives the 

 following entry from the Corporation books of that city. 



" 1658. Paid for mending the bridle for bridleinge of scoulds, and two cords 

 for the same. js. ijd." 



Dr. Ormerod, in his History of Cheshire, 2 after mentioning that 



a Cucking stool was in existence at Macclesfield in the last century, 



adds, " and there is also yet preserved an iron Brank or Bridle for 



scolds, which has been used within the memory of the author's 



informant, Mr. Browne — and which is mentioned as <f a brydle for 



a curste quean," among the articles delivered by the serjeant to 



1 P. 110. 



2 Yol. iii. p. 385 n. Published in 1819. 

 VOL. VII. NO. XIX. D 



