The “Drunkard’s Cloak” is actually an empty barrel with a hole cut out for the head to stick out. It appeared in 16th century England as a public punishment for drunkards.
If you’ve ever woken up with a pounding headache, an uneasy stomach, a feeling of nausea, and perhaps a sense of regret after a night of drinking, then surely, you have experienced the consequences of being drunk. Many might think those symptoms are a sufficient price for the act of heavy drinking. However, the authorities in 16th century England devised another punishment for habitual drunkards: the “Drunkard’s Cloak.”
The wooden barrel for those repeatedly arrested for drunkenness in England. (Photo: All That’s Interesting)
This punishment was quite simple. Anyone convicted of being drunk multiple times would have to wear an empty wooden beer barrel with a hole cut out for their head. Subsequently, they would be paraded through the streets amidst the ridicule and humiliation of the public.
The culture of drinking has always been a part of England’s history, but the “Drunkard’s Cloak” marked a strong protest against the vice of excessive drinking.
Drinking Culture in England
The “Drunkard’s Cloak” is also known by another name: the “Newcastle Cloak.” Some historians suggest it was first used as a punishment for drunkards in Newcastle upon Tyne, a city in the Northeast of England.
On the History Extra site, historian Dan Jackson explains that Newcastle is well-known for its drinking culture. “Newcastle was one of the first towns in England to brew beer. And ‘Newcastle hospitality’ was a very popular phrase in the 18th century. It meant generously treating guests by taking them out for a lavish drinking session,” he explains.
The fact is, similar to today, hundreds of years ago, people in Newcastle turned to alcohol for reasons such as needing to relax after a long day of hard work. At that time, their jobs often involved strenuous labor in coal mines and shipyards rather than sitting in an office for eight hours.
“It is inevitable that people want to have some relaxation time after hard work. Coal miners and shipyard workers were used to drinking. Especially sailors—who would be away for months and return home with money in their pockets,” Jackson states.
The more stressed and tired they became, the more they drank. Of course, this inevitably led some to overindulge. Thus, the authorities came up with an initiative to curb the problem of drunkenness.
The “Drunkard’s Cloak” Initiative
Fearing the consequences of excessive drunkenness, the English Parliament began seeking ways to regulate alcohol consumption across the country. The first step was passing the Licenses Act of 1551, which officially classified drunkenness as a civil offense. Moreover, Parliament also enacted several stringent regulations to punish alcoholics, particularly when they were arrested multiple times.
Anyone arrested for drunkenness had to pay a small fine of five shillings. However, if arrested repeatedly for public intoxication, they would face a more severe and humiliating punishment of donning a wooden barrel and parading through the streets.
The “cloak” is essentially an empty barrel with a hole cut for the head to stick out. Sometimes it also included holes for the arms to protrude.
The unique idea of the “Drunkard’s Cloak” may have originated from King James I of England. However, it became more widely adopted during the rule of Oliver Cromwell, the famous English military and political leader. According to Ancient Origins, Cromwell disapproved of vices such as gambling, drinking, and dancing.
The bizarre punishment using the “Drunkard’s Cloak” quickly spread beyond England. In Germany, it became known as the “schandmantel”—the cloak of shame. In Denmark, this form of punishment was referred to as the “Spanish Mantle.” Naturally, it swiftly crossed the ocean into America.
The “Drunkard’s Cloak” in America
The version of the “Drunkard’s Cloak” in the U.S. military. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons).
Although the “Drunkard’s Cloak” originated in Europe, it made its way to America in the 19th century. It was used to punish soldiers during the American Civil War.
One account states: “A poor offender was made to wear the wooden barrel, his head sticking out through a hole cut in the barrel” and “that drunken man wandered about in the most humiliating manner, looking like a chick just hatched.”
In another account from 1863, a captain of the Maine brigade punished two members of his unit after they had been drinking by placing them in a barrel with only a hole cut for their heads. They paraded around town for four hours with a sign that read: “I am wearing this because I drank too much.” Later, the captain recounted that one soldier thanked him because after being put in the barrel, he never touched a drop of alcohol again in his life.
Soldiers during the Civil War could also be forced to “wear” the wooden cloak for crimes like theft. Offenders had to crawl into a barrel labeled: “I am a thief.”
The most interesting aspect of the “Drunkard’s Cloak” is its effectiveness. Relatively mild compared to other forms of punishment or torture, the “Drunkard’s Cloak” affected the offender largely through public humiliation rather than the physical pain endured. This punishment was often effective in changing a person’s behavior.
However, the punishment did not always have the desired effect. The “Drunkard’s Cloak” has become outdated today, and drinking remains popular in places like Newcastle. “Good or bad, alcohol has always been an important part of Northumbrian culture. It is a means of social connection, and Newcastle is still considered a party city to this day,” historian Jackson concludes.
