Rare 1796 Pew Rights Legal Document / Deed / Grant

Rare 1796 Pew Rights Legal Document / Deed / Grant
Rare 1796 Conveyance of Church Pew - Document Conveys / Transfers exclusive pew rights located in the Meeting House of the East Precinct of the Town of Barnstable in Barnstable County [Cape Cod], Massachusetts. The recorded deed conveys "one quarter part of a certain hew situate in the lower floor of the North Meeting House in the East Precinct of [Barnstable]" | Partially printed / hand-written on watermarked laid paper | Deed transfers ownership of 1/4 of a church pew from Eleaner Sudders to James Pain Freeman | Approx. Size: 13.25" H x 8" W.A pew right is an exclusive right to occupy a certain part of a meeting house, for the purpose of attending upon public worship. This deed transfers a portion of a church pew already owned by a church member to another member.Pew Rights in the American Law, The Yale Law Journal Vol. 25, No. 6 (Apr., 1916), pp. 467-480 (14 pages), The Yale Law Journal Company, Inc. "There is perhaps no separate subject of litigation in the United States where the financial consideration directly involved is smaller and the amount of bitter litigation is larger than that relating to pews."LiteraturePew Rights in the American Law, The Yale Law Journal Vol. 25, No. 6 (Apr., 1916), pp. 467-480 (14 pages) Published by: The Yale Law Journal Company, Inc. " There is perhaps no separate subject of litigation in the United States where the financial consideration directly involved is smaller and the amount of bitter litigation is larger than that relating to pews. This is due to the fact that the owners of pews have frequently relied on their pew rights to prevent some change in the church edifice of which their pew was a part. A great number of pew cases have in consequence come before the various courts. Almost every possible angle of the matter has been investigated and adjudicated. There is hardly a con- tention that can be raised that has not at one time or another received judicial consideration.""The word pew is said to be derived from the Dutch word "puye" and to signify an enclosed seat in a church. A pew right therefore is an exclusive right to occupy a certain part of a meeting house, for the purpose of attending upon public worship, and for no other purpose." To constitute a church in which the pews are rented as distinguished from a "free church" it is not necessary that rights in all the seats be owned by individuals." See 'Aylward v. O'Brian, i6o Mass. ii8, I25, 35 N. E. 3I3, 22 L. R. A. 206; Brumfitt v. Roberts, L. R. 5 C. P. 225; and Dauitel v. Wood, i8 Mass. I02, I0PROPERTY IN CHURCH-PEWS, The American Law Register, February 1880.CHURCH PEWS, THEIR ORIGIN AND LEGAL INCIDENTS, WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROPRIETY OF ABOLISHING THEM, John Coke Fowler, Esq., of the Inner Temple, Barrister at Law, London, Francis & John Rivington, 1844.