Legal Definitions - pillory

A pillory is a wooden frame that has holes for an offender's head and hands. The offender is then placed in the pillory as a form of punishment. They usually have to stand while in the pillory, unlike the stocks where they can sit. In Ecclesiastical law, a finger pillory is a miniature stock used to confine the fingers of a person who misbehaved during church services.

• A thief was put in the pillory for stealing from the market.
• In the past, people who committed crimes such as fraud, perjury, and slander were punished by being put in the pillory.
• During church services, if someone misbehaved, they would be punished by being put in the finger pillory.

The examples illustrate how the pillory was used as a form of punishment for various crimes. It was a way to publicly shame and humiliate the offender. The finger pillory was used specifically for misbehavior during church services, showing how even minor offenses were punished in a religious context.