Between the 1567 and 1856 thousands of women were subjected to the Scold's Bridle for offences such as nagging, being a 'common scold', loud and riotous behaviour, public preaching, witchcraft, fighting or simply being 'troublesome'.

This was not only a form of public punishment, but also one of public shaming and humiliation. At the same time, it was also an illegal punishment which was never officially sanctioned in law, but which was nevertheless used throughout the country, reaching a peak in the 17th and early 18th centuries.

During this talk we will look at the origins of the Scold's Bridle, how it was 'imported' into England as a form of punishment by James I, and why the authorities used it when there were other, officially sanctioned, punishments available for these offences. We will look at the kind of people (men and women) who brought such charges against those subjected to the Bridle, and the only surviving account of what it was like to wear one. We will turn to the very few known instances of men being forced to wear the Bridle and why, and finally examine why it began to fall out of use from the later 18th century.