Stoke St Peter ad Vincula Seating Plan 1668

Seating Plan of St Peter ad Vincula Church, Stoke-upon-Trent 1668

from A Topographical History of Staffordshire by William Pitt (1817)

We insert the following account of former sittings in Stoke Church, in order to preserve an evidence of the primitive distribution of seats in regard to rank, age, and worth, as well as the separation of the men from the women in ancient places of public worship. 

The names of the parishioners of Stoke-upon-Trent, appointed to place the parishioners in their seats, that have [so done] by common consent, and [whose arrangement was] allowed by my Lord Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, Anno Domini 1668. 

Imprimis. Robert Clayton, Thomas Tittensor the younger, Thomas Barratt, Thomas Murhall, John Bucknall of the Gate, John Bucknall of Bentiley, Robert Hunt, John Brown, John Hill, Thomas Ames, Henry Brookes, and Richard Meire, who have placed the parishioners as followeth : 

South Side Men's Seats. 

1. Churchwardens for the time being. 

2. Thomas Hunt, Gent. John Brown, Gent. Thomas Fenton, John Lovatt and Thomas Lea. 

3. William Bagnall, John Machin, Richard Lovatt, Sir Richard Leveson's tenement, and Robert Bagnall. 

4. William Hill, Thomas Hill, and Mr. Bentiley.  

5. Mr. Terrick, Richard Broad, and Mr. Keeling. 

6. John Malpass, John Boulton's tenement, and William Simpson. 

7. Richard Nichols, Thomas Turner, and Roger Dale. 

8. John Brown, John Brown, John Dale, and John Prickett. 

9. John Doody, John Bowyer, and Nicholas Lovatt. 

10. Randle Woodcock, Thomas Fenton, and Roger Machin. 

11. William Knight, John Proctor, and Benson's Heir. 

12. Henry Stevenson, Nicholas Lovatt, and John Wright. 

13. Thomas Tittensor, Richard Beech, and Randle Bagnall. 

14. Roger Tittensor, Randle Woodcock, and Thomas Machin. 

15. Roger Wood, Mary Shaw, and George Hales. 

16. John Pattison, Wright's house, John Machin de Lane. 

17. John Stevenson, Francis Lycett, Hanley's de Hanley. 

18. Richard Boulton, John Barratt, and Dawson's house. 

19. John Biddulph, William Hall, and John Crockett. 

North Side Men's Seats. 

 1. Thomas Smith, Gent, and Thomas Bucknall, Gent, 

2. William Allen, Ridghouse, John Hill, and Roger Machin, senior. 

3. Thomas Serjeant, Gent. Mr. Bradshaw, John Murhall, and John Wood. 

4. At the Wall, Roger Machin, jun. Thomas Rawlins, John Adams, Ottiwell Jolley, and John Machin. 

5. George Hanson, John Machin, and Thomas Bucknall. 

6. Richard Cartwright, William Beech, and Thomas Pare. 

7. Thomas Tittensor, Richard Thorleys, and Brassington's. 

8. Richard Meire, Robert Cross, and John Leigh. 

9. Thomas Machin, John Boulton, and Robert Whilton. 

10. William Allen for tenement, William Allen de Hulme, and John Beech. 

11. Sir William Bowyer, for Craddock's, Whatson's, and Anthony Keeling's 

12 Bentiley's de Laund, Richard Walklott, and John Poulson. 

13. John Wedgwood, Richard Trevin, and John Smith. 

14. John Wood de Ash and tenement, John Bowyer, and John Plant. 

15. John Austen, Laurance Naylor, and William Cowap. 

16. John Stevenson, Gilbert's house, and John Boulton. 

17. Thomas Walklott, John Leese, Jeffry Steel. 

18. Lewis o'Land, Hugh Mare, and Francis Pool. 

19. Jeffry Meire, Richard Cartwright, and William Beech. 

20. John Adams, William Murhall, and Thomas Ames. 

North Side Women's Seats. 

1. Roger Bradshaw, and John Allen, Roger Bradshaw hath the Form end. 

2. Thomas Murhall, Wood de Ash, Austens de Ash, and Allen's de Hulme. 

3. John Machin de Bucknall, Boulton's house de Bucknall, William Adams de Bagnall, Hanson's house, John Beech de Bentiley. 

4. Richard Poulson, Laurence Sherratt, Randle Booths, lohn Hill of Shelton, Randle Bagnall of Eaves. 

5. Robert Whilton, John Hitchcock, John Bucknall, of the Gate, Thomas Lovat, of the Hole-house, Richard Walklott, of Kerry Hill. 

6. Thomas Ames, Thomas Hanley, of Hanley, the whole form. 

7. Hitchin of Lane, George Fenton, Robert Hill, and Francis Craddock. 

8. Richard Meire, German's house, Edmund Vise, Richard Hewet, and Thomas Pare. 

9. Richard Mear, Thomas Turmore, the house of Wright and Hanley, Richard Walklott, for Hanley-heys ; Thomas Tittensor, for the Over-house, 

Thomas Wood claimeth the same. 

10. Parker's house, Boulton's house, John Bradshaw and Thomas Bagnall. 

11. Thomas Fenton of Boothen, Thomas Ames, John Hanley's of Penkhull. 

12. Thomas Barrott, John Rowley, of Shelton, Hugh Wood, and Stephen Fenton. 

13. Spooner's house, Richard Tunstall, and John Hankinson. 

14. Roger Harrison, William Harrison, Jeffry Meire, and Roger Cowap. 

South Side Women's Seats. 

1. Thomas Bucknall, and Richard Serjeant, George Fenton claimeth the same. 

2. Thomas Ames, John Turmore, Brassington of Moor-hall. 

3. Hen. Brooks, Bartholomew Bowyer, Richd. Lovatt, and Widow Benteley. 

4. Robert Clayton, Thomas Dawson, John Lovatt, the house that is holden of Garnitt and Benson a seat, Home's land a seat, John Trinley claimeth the same. 

5. Robert Hunt, Roger Bagnall for Longton house, Whiston's house, Roger Bagnall of Clayton, for Longton house, the 4th seat;

Richard Aston claimeth for German's Land. 

6. John Kendall, William Machin, and Thomas Lovatt. 

7. Thomas Machin, John Proctor, Henry Lovatt, of Eaves, John Kendall, Thomas Tittensor claims the same for Fenton's house. 

8. John Brown, T. Broad to hill, and John Brown for his tenement. 

9. Widow Hordern, Thomas Tittensor for the lower house, Hugh Machin. 

10. Widow Bagnall, Mr. Egerton, Peter Knight, and John Woodcock the fourth seat. 

11. Iohn Hammersley, Richard Kendrick, William Barratt, Thomas Machin claims a seat for Bate's house. 

12. Iohn Dale, lohn Hitchin, lames Hudson, Ralph Bucknall, and lohn Pulsbury. 

13. Hugh Thorley, Roger Fox, lohn Simpson of Clayton, Widow Febkin, and lohn Simpkins. 

14. Widow Stevenson, lohn Bourn, and Roger Fixon. Richard Aston is unplaced and Robert Pyler.

Also the young maids are to kneel in the short forms. 

Transcribed by Mike Harbach 2020