'The Scavenger's Daughter' -- White Tower, Tower of London, Tower Hamlets, London, UK
N 51° 30.473 W 000° 04.538
30U E 702933 N 5710360
A simple device capable of causing great pain
Waymark Code: WMT1G4
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/09/2016
Views: 7
A rather grim display of torture and punishment items and devices are on display on the top floor of the White Tower of the Tower of London.
The so-called Scavenger's daughter, also known as "Skeffington's Gyves" or a "Spanish Cravat" was a horrific instruments of torture that was said to be able to compress the body, causing blood to pour from the nose and ears of the unfortunate victim.
An interpretive sign for the Scavenger's Daughter reads as follows:
"'THE SCAVENGER'S DAUGHTER'
This simple device was also known as "Skeffington's Gyves" after its inventor, Sir Leonard Skeffington, Lieutenant of the Tower in 1534. It was said that it could compress the body so much that blood was forced from the nose and ears.
A Tower guidebook of 1771 called it "The Spanish Cravats" and claimed it formed part of the Spanish Armoury, later Queen Elizabeth I's Armoury.
Probably British, Old Tower Collection."
Type of Device: punishment/torture
What is the approximate age?: 01/01/1588
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Associated Website: [Web Link]
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