IN THE STOCKS, EXETER , 1830.

In 1830 people were still being punished by being locked in the stocks in front of Exeter's Guildhall.   

It is impressive that the reporter of the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette news-item, below, seems to have assumed that his readers would be able to recognise a reference to Samuel Butler's Hudibras, and to the enchanted castle (the stocks) famously illustrated by Hogarth.   The paper of Saturday 2nd January describes how:

"An irregular called Wingfield, having only one arm, for the loss of which he receives a pension from which he derives his support, was on Saturday placed in Hudibras's enchanted castle, in front of the Guildhall, in default of payment of a fine for drunkenness, which had been attended with much abuse and some damage.   Having remained two hours in durance, the veteran, to prove how shameless he could be, volunteered a third hour, and actually remained a considerable part of it, the officers superintending the punishment, being unable to put any check upon so singular a propensity.   Some passers by inconsiderately gave the fellow money, with which he expressed his determination to have another debauch."

Mr. Wingfield sounds to me a typical old soldier or perhaps sailor.  He had the fatalistic sense of humour of a hardened warrior. 

Today, nearly two hundred years later,  the stocks are out of fashion but the shameless irregulars are still to be found in front of Exeter's Guildhall,  likewise those passers by who inconsiderately give them money.  That's what is called tradition!