ridle was unknown in America in its English shape:
though from colonial records we learn that scolding women were far too
plentiful, and were gagged for that annoying and irritating habit. The
brank, sometimes called the gossip's bridle, or dame's bridle, or
scold's helm, was truly a "brydle for a curste queane." It was a
shocking instrument, a sort of iron cage, often of great weight; when
worn, covering the entire head; with a spiked plate or flat tongue of
iron to be placed in the mouth over the tongue. Hence if the offender
spoke she was cruelly hurt.

Ralph Gardner, in his book entitled _England's Grievance Discovered in
Relation to the Coal Trade, etc._, printed in 1665, says of
Newcastle-on-Tyne:

"There he saw one Anne Bridlestone drove through the streets by an
officer of the same corporation, holding a rope in his hand, the other
end fastened to an engine called the branks, which is like a crown, it
being of iron, which was musled over the head and face, with a great gag
or tongue of iron forced into her mouth, which forced the blood out; and
that is the punishment which the magistrates do inflict upon chiding and
scolding women; and he hath often seen the like done to others."

[Illustration: The Branks.]

Over fifty branks of various shapes are now in existence in English
museums, churches, town halls, etc., and prove by their number and wide
extent of location, the prevalence of their employment as a means of
punishment. Being made of durable iron and kept within doors, and often
thrust, as their use grew infrequent, into out-of-the-way hiding-places,
they have not vanished from existence as have the wooden stocks and
pillories, which stood exposed to wear, weather and attack.

One of these old-time branks is in the vestry of the church at
Walton-on-Thames. It is dated 1632, and has this couplet graven on it:

"Chester presents Walton with a bridle
To cure women's tongues that talk too idle."

By tradition this brank was angrily and insultingly given by a gentleman
named Chester, who had through the lie of a gossiping woman of Walton
lost an expected fortune. One is in Congleton Town Hall which was used
as recently at 1824, upon a confirmed scold who had especially abused
some constables and church-wardens; and as late as 1858 a brank was
produced _in terrorem_ to silence an English scold, and it is said with
marked and salutary effect. Several branks are still in existence in
Staffordshire.