Genealogy Chat

Excuse my ignorance, but does anyone know why such an occupation exisited? The lady in question is the widow of a grave digger.

I suppose to open the pews and close them. Maybe it was also to act as an usher or ensure no gatecrashers in pews reserved for others! There are quite a few sites for 'pew opener' on google, mainly excerpts from Victorian literature. In times when nearly everyone attended church there were a lot of posts connected with organising the congregation. My great-great Aunt Lou was given a job as 'church attendant' when she was widowed in the 1890s. I think she basically delivered the parish magazine and a few other odd jobs, and that the post was really created to give her a bit of an income with dignity. nell

Thanks for that Nell Have done a search and as you say there is quite a lot about it. Dee

My ancestors included a sexton and his wife. She is not shown as having an official status in censuses, but she clearly regards the church as her second home, witnessing more than her fair share of weddings. I think that Bella's marriage in Our Mutual Friend by Dickens is witnessed by a pew opener. It might be worth trawling through the marriage register to find mentions of your ancestor.

Hi Brenda Thats interesting, I may well do that. She is the mother of one of the girls who married into the family I am researching so not very close. I have noticed that the same names kept cropping up as witnesses to weddings in the parish registers, now I know a possible reason why. Through doing the search Nell suggested I have come across a site with the entire 'Sketches by Boz', in which 'pew-openers are mentioned. I have always loved Dickens so I can see me printing some of it off Dee

Meny years ago the great and the good (them with cash) uses to bye pew seats and they were kept privet by the uses of a small gate, at least in one of the churchs were I once lived. Puting 2x2 together I asume your relle was employed to open these gates on Sunday and keep them clean the rest of the week.

I am amazed at the knowledge people have on this site. I just looked at this thread out of curiosity, as I have never heard of a pew opener. It's incredible how much information people have come up with! It's not surprising that people become addicted to family history when one, seemingly obscure, occupation can yield so many avenues to explore. I'm very envious now, as mine are all Ag Labs! Natalie

Hi Peter I realised that people often had what they thought of as 'their pew' but hadn't realised they had paid for the privlege Natalie Most of mine are ag labs, and then in later years builders, just the odd few crop up with an odd occupation. Dee

Because people paid for pews, there were often plans drawn up of the seating arrangements in the church and lists of pew rents. Very few of these seem to survive, but where they do, they are brilliant. Not only can you work out where your ancestor sat in the church, but you will also have some clue to their status.