Jougs

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The jougs, juggs, or joggs (Old French joug, from Lat. jugum, a yoke) is an instrument of punishment formerly in use in Scotland, the Netherlands and possibly other countries. It was an iron collar fastened by a short chain to a wall, often of the parish church, or to a tree. The collar was placed round the offender's neck and fastened by a padlock. The jougs was practically a pillory. It was used for ecclesiastical as well as civil offences. Examples could still be seen in Scotland at the beginning of the 20th century. It may have lent its name to the modern "jug", slang for prison.

The former Parish Council chambers in Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire, Scotland, called the 'jougs', has a set of jougs still attached to the front wall.

Sir Walter Scott rescued the 'jougs' from Threave Castle in the Borders and attached them to the castellated gateway he built at Abbotsford House.^[1]

The old Tolbooth museum in Sanquhar in the Nith valley has jougs attached to the wall just outside the entrance to the old jail.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.