Question re 'seat ownership' (CoTyroneList Digest, Vol 1799, Issue 1)
I've seen seat or pew holders' lists in County Tyrone's Protestant
church records, and as others can tell you, and you can also find
information on-line and in guide books, it was a way to generate income
for the church -- to pay the minister, for maintenance of the church
buildings and graveyard (if there was one), etc. Social rank was a
common seating arrangement: the most prominent families had pews closest
to the pulpit.
For instance, in Ballygawley Presbyterian church records, in the
"Session" books (not microfilmed by PRONI, but held locally by church
officials), a "Roll of Communicants" of the 1870s-1880s listed
designated seat numbers and names. Helpful genealogical details might be
included. Here are excerpts:
Seat #9. Andrew Wiggam, Andrew Wiggam (son), Mary Wiggam, Wm. Duff,
Andrew Walker - Scotland, Robert Wiggam.
Seat #12. William Hadden - Dead ["William" crossed out, and "James"
written above that name], Mrs. Hadden (mother). James Irwin - dead,
Sarah Irwin. Widow Oliver, Thomas Oliver, Catherine Oliver, Jane Oliver
- May 1875 Mrs. Downe. Sarah Oliver - May 1875, Left.
Seat #13. Richard Robinson - dead, John Wiggam, Mrs. Wiggam - America.
Alexander Downs, Mrs. Downs - America. Margaret Stephenson - dead.
Note: The parentheses are in the original ledger, not my additions. The
square brackets are mine.
Annie C.
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