Pillories were set up to hold people in marketplaces, crossroads, and other public places. They were often placed on platforms to increase public visibility of the person. Often a placard detailing the crime was placed nearby; these punishments generally lasted only a few hours.

What crimes were the pillory used for?

Crimes punishable by stock or pillory included public intoxication, especially in colonial times, blasphemy, fortune telling, arson and slave escape, which was primarily punished by use of the stocks.

How long were people kept in a pillory?

The time for standing, or rather walking round, on and in the Pillory, was one hour usually, from 12 to 1 O Clock at noon, the common dining hour of all sorts of persons who earn their livings by the labour of their hands, and consequently the time when the streets were crowded by such people.