Back in the olden days you didn't just walk into church and sit down. No! a fee was paid to be comfy at church. Church on Sunday was the place to be seen and meet up with neighbours. Now, to have a pew you were definetly one of the IN crowd. The pews were more expensive and came with a certain prestige. The benches were not as comfortable but were half price. The women prefered to sit at the back with the clergyman and his family. And no doubt a better view.

By paying the rental it mean't that certain seats were reserved for you and your family. If you didn't pay you stood.

On the 14th June 1841 St. Peter's Church of England,in Richmond, New South Wales, held a meeting to establish their pew rates, which they set at 10 shillings per year, per seat in a pew, a pew sat 8 people. A bench was 5 shillings a year. The clergyman and his family were allowed to sit free. These rates seem to have been open to some negotiation because Mr. FAITHFULL paid 2 pounds 10 for his 8 seats, whereas John TOWN Jnr. paid the same for only 5 seats. Mr. COX of Hobartville paid 4 pounds for 8 seats.

Here is a list from St.Peters church of the pew holders.

NAME

Mr Cox of Hobartville
Mr. Faithfull
Mr.George Bowman
Mr. William Bowman
Mr. John Town Jnr.
Mr T. Sharpe
Mr George Pitt
Mr A. Cornwell
Mr. Joseph Onus
Mr. George Guest
Messrs. Potts and Harland
Mr. Thomas Eather
Mr. Isaac Cornwell
Messrs. Cribbs and Watts
Messrs. Paine, Oxley and Richards
Mrs. Aston
Messrs. Crawley and Markwell
Messrs. Bainer and Hogsflesh
Mr.& Mrs. Faucet, Messrs. Bannister, McGraw
and Preston
Mrs. Dight
Mrs Towns
Mrs. Teiginour
Clergyman and Family
Mrs. Bell of Belmont

This list was transcribed from "St.Peter's Richmond" the early people and burials" by Yvonne Browning