Katharina Buczek
“They wanted to give an advertisement to the population with this hanging cage. It was unusual because this tradition didn’t exist anymore in France, but the British still used it, so it was a new thing for us, and for us, an important political symbol,” Toupin said.
“It’s still in our memory because what they did was unfair.”
After five weeks, Corriveau’s body– and the metal gibbet that encased it– were eventually taken down.
Then, they were buried together in an unmarked grave– where she remained for a century while her story took on other supernatural characteristics.
Most notably, the shocking trial and idea that a woman was demonized after seeking help fueled public speculation.
Corriveau’s story also gained embellishments, including how she had seven dead husbands and practiced witchcraft.
“People tried to understand that event, so they made stories,” reasoned Toupin, “La Corriveau is still living among us because many people know the story.”
In 1851, though, the “cage” in which Corriveau was displayed was actually unearthed. And, of course, this discovery only led to more folktales being conjured up among the public.
The metal gibbet did not remain within Canada for long, though. Just months later, after being exhibited in a few Canadian cities, the cage actually ended up with P.T. Barnum– who later put it on display in his New York museum.
Afterward, in 1869, the cage was passed on to the Bostom Museum in Massachusettes. And thirty years later, it moved again to the Essex Institute in Salem, Massachusettes, around 1899.
Now, it is unclear just how long the metal gibbet remained on display at the Essex Institute. However, the cage remained a part of the institute’s collection for over one hundred years.
