A Close Shave for Vice: Guernsey’s Hair-Raising Cure for Drunkenness

In the early 19th century, Guernsey’s Court of Chief Pleas found itself grappling with a sobering dilemma: the rising tide of public drunkenness. With the island’s taverns bustling and spirits flowing freely, the authorities sought not just punishment—but deterrence. And what they proposed was as theatrical as it was controversial.

At a recent session, a bold proposition was tabled: anyone convicted of drunkenness three times would be publicly shorn—stripped of all hair from their head. The idea wasn’t new. Dr. Mansell, former surgeon of the town hospital (then the insular workhouse), testified that the method had once been employed with “exceedingly good” results. The logic was simple: shame is a powerful motivator, and few things strip dignity faster than a forced haircut in a tight-knit community.

This wasn’t just about humiliation—it was about visibility. In an era before social media, a bald head could serve as a walking billboard for civic disgrace. The proposal echoed older traditions of public penance, where stocks and pillories gave way to subtler, but no less effective, social cues.

But the Court didn’t stop there. General Huyshe, ever the reformist, proposed adopting the principles of the Maine Law—a temperance movement from the United States that restricted the issuance of new publicans’ licenses. His suggestion was met with approval and formally lodged “au greffe” for further consideration.

Together, these measures reflected a community wrestling with the costs of excess. Guernsey’s leaders weren’t just legislating—they were experimenting with morality, shame, and reform. Whether the hair-shaving tactic would hold up in today’s human rights climate is another matter entirely. But as a historical footnote, it’s a vivid reminder of how societies once tried to tame the bottle with the blade.