Law & Order: Colonial Style

Law & Order: Colonial Style

Back in Bermuda's early days, colonists convicted of offenses such as drunkenness, blasphemy, and slander would be locked in the stocks or forced to stand in the pillory for a set length of time. Either way the punishment was uncomfortable and humiliating (especially when rapidly thrown rotten fruit was added to the equation!). Today, replicas of both stocks and pillory can be found on King's Square in St. George's, and curious souls are welcome to try them out.

It is, however, recommended that you stay well away from the other apparatus townsfolk used to chasten the unruly—the ducking stool—unless you fancy getting wet. Originally reserved for women who nagged or gossiped, the device is essentially an oversize wooden seesaw. The accused would be strapped to a seat on one end, then wheeled out over the harbor, and repeatedly dropped in.

It's a procedure that Alison Outerbridge knows well because, for more than 15 years, she has played the part of St. George's resident nag in regularly scheduled reenactments. Outerbridge explains, "the punishment is carried out by the Town Crier who ducks me until I repent for my crime. I repent pretty quickly in the winter months, not so quickly in the sweltering heat of August. And I take as much time as possible if it is raining, so everybody in the crowd gets wet, too!"

These days, she adds, "the most tedious part of the job is all the laundry." But it's doubtful Outerbridge would be so philosophical if she were instead asked to demonstrate the "trial by water," otherwise known as "swimming the witch." In the 1600s suspected witches—typically women charged with such heinous crimes as bewitching hogs or having warts—would have their thumbs tied to their toes and be thrown into the harbor.

Those who sank, for whatever good it did them, were declared innocent. Those who floated were condemned. The unfortunates who fell into the latter category were hauled out to be hanged—and when it comes to the executioners' preferred locations, place names like Gallows Island and Gibbet Island are a dead giveaway.

To learn more about colonial life in St. George's, sign on for one of the hour-long tours Outerbridge leads. As a descendent of Bermuda's first settlers, a trustee of the St. George's Foundation, and a former town councilor, she's sure to have the inside scoop. Tours are priced at $15 per person and run thrice weekly April to November. To reserve a spot, contact her at441/297-2086 or by e-mail at alicatbda@yahoo.com.

—Susan MacCallum-Whitcomb