Criminal Punishments in Colonial Williamsburg

Branding

• a common punishment in colonial America

• required stoves to heat the irons

• The "T" stood for thief, the "M" for manslaughter

• The letter used for branding was defined to fit the offense. Thieves usually had "T" branded on the hand.

• A brand could be applied to hands, cheeks, shoulders, or foreheads, as a way to publically mark the offense.

The Pillory

• Also known as the"stretch-neck”

• Usually stood in the main squares of towns, in full view of the townspeople

• In the pillory, the subject cannot hide her face from bystanders. Sometimes townspeople threw food and other objects at the culprit.

• The pillory was used as punishment for a variety of offenses, e.g., treason, sedition, arson, blasphemy, witchcraft, wife beating, cheating, and drunkenness, among others.

• After a hanging, the deceased would be loaded into a wagon to be carried away for burial.