ducking stool
Quick Summary
The ducking stool was a form of punishment used in England, primarily from the 17th century. It involved strapping an individual into a chair attached to a beam, which was then lowered into a body of water. This method was often used for women accused of witchcraft, prostitution, or disorderly conduct. While intended as a humiliation, the ducking stool frequently resulted in death due to shock or drowning. The cucking stool, a similar device, was more of a commode placed in public for humiliation, though it did not involve submersion in water.12
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