19th Century Prison History : 19th Century Prison Search

Beverley Pillory and Stocks (Market Cross)

Overview

Location   Near Market Cross, North Bar Within,  Beverley

County   Yorkshire

Year Opened   Unknown

Year Closed   1853

Century of Operation   1700-1799, 1800-1899

Remarks   Stocks were movable and placed adjacent to the Market Cross. The Market Cross is Grade I listed but listing does not reference the stocks or pillory. Now stored at St Mary's Church, North Bar Within, Beverley (Hull Civic Society Leaflet, 2017). Stocks were also located at Beverley Minster and an earlier pillory in the Dings (see separate listings)

Market Cross, BeverleyPhoto © G Laird (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Further information can be found at
https://www.prisonhistory.org/lockup/beverley-pillory-and-stocks-market-cross/

Descriptions

  • 'At Beverley, about 1853, the representatives of the church, while on their rounds, met in the streets a well-known local character called Jim Brigham, staggering along the street. The poor fellow was taken into custody, and next day brought before the Mayor, and after being severely spoken to about the sin of Sunday tippling, he was sentenced to the stocks for two hours. An eye-witness to Jim's punishment says: "While he was in the stocks, one of the Corporation officials placed in Jim's hat a sheet of paper, stating the cause of his punishment and its extent. A young man who had been articled to a lawyer, but who was not practising, stepped forward, and taking the paper out, tore it into shreds, remarking it was no part of Jim's sentence to be subjected to that additional disgrace. The act was applauded by the onlookers. One working-man who sympathised with him, filled and lit a tobacco pipe, and placed it in Jim's mouth; but it was instantly removed by one of the constables, who considered it was a most flagrant act, and one calling for prompt interference on the part of the guardians of the law." Brigham was the last person punished in the stocks at Beverley. The stocks, which bear the date 1789, were movable, and fitted into sockets near the Market Cross. They are still preserved in a chamber at St. Mary's in that town.'
    William Andrews, 'Bygone Punishments'. London: William Andrews & Co., 1899.

  • 'A second market place was evidently laid out by the 12th century. It was known as Corn Market by the 14th century and Saturday Market by the 16th...The market place accommodated a pillory and stocks.'
    A P Baggs, L M Brown, G C F Forster, I Hall, R E Horrox, G H R Kent and D Neave, 'Markets and Fairs', in 'A History of the County of York East Riding: Volume 6, the Borough and Liberties of Beverley', ed. K J Allison (London, 1989), pp. 218-223

Sources

  • William Andrews, 'Bygone Punishments'. London: William Andrews & Co., 1899.
    http://www.gutenberg.org/files/29117/29117-h/29117-h.htm
  • A P Baggs, L M Brown, G C F Forster, I Hall, R E Horrox, G H R Kent and D Neave, 'Markets and Fairs', in 'A History of the County of York East Riding: Volume 6, the Borough and Liberties of Beverley', ed. K J Allison (London, 1989), pp. 218-223
    British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/yorks/east/vol6/pp218-223
  • Hull Civic Society, Heritage Open Days, 'Beverley: A Thousand Years'
    https://www.hullcivicsoc.info/pdfs/Heritage%20Open%20Days%202017/BEVERLEY-HOD.pdf
  • East Riding Museums, Exhibition Guide, 'Criminals, Courts and Correction: A history of crime and punishment in Beverley'
    https://www.eastridingmuseums.co.uk/EasySiteWeb/EasySite/StyleData/lma/downloads/museums/past-exhibits/beverley-guildhall/crime-and-punishment-in-beverley.pdf