Prie-dieu Prie-dieu A prie-dieu (French: literally, "pray [to] God", invariable in the plural) is a type of prayer desk primarily intended for private devotional use, but may also be found in churches. It is a small, ornamental wooden desk furnished with a thin, sloping shelf for books or hands, and a kneeler. Sometimes, instead of the sloping shelf, a padded arm rest will be provided. This type is useful for devotions, such as the Rosary which do not require a book, or for private, non-liturgical prayer. The prie-dieu appears not to have received its present name until the early 17th century.
John Prie 1727. John Prie John Prie (died 1727) was a minor pirate in the Caribbean. In 1727 Prie and some associates staged a mutiny aboard the Dutch-flagged ship "Young Lawrence" during a cruise in the West Indies. Prie murdered the Captain and declared himself Master of the ship. The mutineers were caught and tried in London. Prie tried to frame fellow sailor John Ashley for the murder, who responded with a profanity-laced tirade. Prie was convicted for both murder and piracy and sentenced to hang. He was hung at Execution Dock, then gibbeted in chains opposite the town of Woolwich in