1 : a house in which a guard is placed. 2 : a place where persons under temporary arrest are kept : police station.

What was a watchhouse?

A pillory was a wooden frame on posts with holes through which the head and hands of a criminal were thrust. The stocks, also made of wood, imprisoned the ankles. A spectacle. In 1640, John Greene of Twickenham was ordered to be held in the stocks for six hours, wearing on his head a notice describing his crime.

What is a watch house police?

Watch houses are built to hold adults for short periods of time after they are arrested, while they wait for their court hearing. They are staffed by police officers, and are generally attached to and run by police stations.