Drunkard's cloak facts for kids

A drunkard's cloak was a special kind of pillory used long ago to punish people who misbehaved. It was a strange and public way to make someone face the consequences of their actions.

The Drunkard's Cloak

What Was It?

The drunkard's cloak was actually a large wooden barrel. A big hole was cut in the top for a person's head to go through. Two smaller holes were made on the sides for their arms. Once someone was inside, the barrel covered their body down to their legs.

Imagine walking around in a barrel! People who wore it were often paraded through the town. This was a very public way to shame them. It was like a moving pillory, where everyone could see the person being punished.

Why Was It Used?

This unusual punishment was mainly used for people who had too much to drink and caused trouble. In England, laws about public behavior, especially concerning alcohol, became stricter around the 1500s. One important law was the Ale Houses Act 1551.

The drunkard's cloak became a common way to punish people who repeatedly caused problems. It was sometimes called the "Newcastle cloak." This was especially true during a time in English history called the Commonwealth of England. During this period, a leader named Oliver Cromwell closed many places where people gathered, especially in areas that supported the king. The authorities often used the cloak to punish those who broke the rules.

Stories and Sightings

One of the first descriptions of the drunkard's cloak came from a book in 1655. A man named Ralph Gardiner wrote about it. Another person, John Willis, said he saw it in Newcastle upon Tyne. He described seeing people walking through the streets in these big barrels. He called it the "new fashioned cloak."

This description helps us imagine what it was like. It shows how people were made to march for everyone to see. This was their punishment for misbehavior, especially related to drinking.

Across Europe and Beyond

The drunkard's cloak wasn't just used in England. Similar devices were seen in other countries too. In Holland, people like William Brereton and Samuel Pepys wrote about seeing a similar barrel punishment. This happened in cities like Delft and The Hague.

It was also recorded in Denmark in 1784, where it was called the "Spanish Mantle." Because of these sightings in different places, some historians believe the idea for the drunkard's cloak might have come from other parts of Europe. They think it was then used in England, mostly in Newcastle.

Even in the United States, there were reports of a similar punishment. In 1862, a newspaper described someone being put into a barrel. Their head stuck out of a hole, and they looked "like a half-hatched chicken." These stories show that this strange form of punishment was known in many places.