Canal and Ducking Stool (1974)

The business end of a ducking stool hangs over a canal in Chester. This specimen is a curiosity for tourists. But at one time, tying a woman to a chair at the end of a seesaw and lowering it into a convenient body of cold water was a favorite punishment for adultery, witchcraft, and other offenses. I was not surprised when I learned that it was even more popular in colonial America.

© 2004 by Ted R. Marcus
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