Pewholder

I’ve found a treasure trove of information on one of my husband’s family lines! No less than six generations in a lovely fan flowing back from Jacob Bogardus of Coxsackie, Greene county, New York. My but those Yankees kept beautiful records!!

It contains several sets of eighth and ninth great-grandparents, compiled by a researcher generous enough to share with the world. Her kindness is so very much appreciated.

In addition to over 200 relatives, I was left with two specific thoughts. The first was how small our world really is.

Long-time readers know of my husband’s older brother, killed over Hoorn, Holland July 7, 1944. There are a couple of websites relating to the memorial built by the citizens of Hoorn, and to their adoption of the crew’s gravesites.

It was from Hoorn that Jonas Bronck (the source for our word Bronx) sailed to New Amsterdam. A Dane, his ship carried many from Holland, most likely including the Bastiaen Visscher family from Hoorn – a 9th great-grandfather to my husband.

This wealth of genealogical material included a descriptive word: Pewholder. It was used to describe a member of a congregation to whom a specific pew was assigned. The word remains in use today – an example is the New Hampshire General Court Title XXIX, Chapter 307, paragraph 17.

There are examples of pewholders today, in our own church. You know of them – perhaps you are one. They don’t pay for the right to set in a specific pew, but they are seated in the same pew often enough that it is considered theirs.

When we started attending our church, we sat about a third of the way from the back. No one was in that part of the pew and it was comfortable. But, over the years people come and go and seating shifts for some. Ours has until now we are in the third row from the front.

When we have guests, seating often shifts further. Last Sunday we had several young people from a Bible college in Oklahoma City. They arrived at the church early and sat on the second row. Some from their group were to sing and play the piano during the service, and two young men were to preach.

It was a surprise to a couple of pewholders to arrive a bit late to find their pew filled to capacity and they needed to move toward the back.

I’ve asked this question before, but it remains a valid one – where’s your pew? Do you sit toward the front, or the back of your church? Is your pew filled every service, or is there room for you to invite someone to join you there. “Or,” she said with a shudder, “do you not have a pew?”

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25 KJV)