Churchtown Stocks, Southport, Merseyside
These stocks stand beside the wall of the Church of St Cuthbert. They are dated 1741 on an attached 20th century plaque. They have been moved and altered. They have a pair of square stone posts with rounded tops. On the inner side of each one there is a slot for a wooden rail (missing) and between the feet of the posts 2 low slabs have been hollowed out for 2 pairs of legs. Stocks were used to punish people who were guilty of petty (less serious) crimes. They had to sit on a bench with their arms and legs in the holes for a set amount of time. Often other villagers made fun of them or threw things like rotten fruit at them.
