‘To remove any from the place where they and their ancestors have time out of mind accustomed to sit will beget more brabbles, suits in law and prohibitions than either you or I would be contented to be troubles with.’
Archbishop Neile, 1635.
In 1616 Anne Archer, widow of Henry Archer, gentleman and lord of the manor of Hemnalls, in Theydon Garnon, made a formal complaint to the Bishop of London’s Consistory Court. Until her husband’s recent demise she had sat in the uppermost place in the foremost pew in the nave of the parish church, together with her neighbours Mistress Carleton and Mistress Mitchell. But recently she had arrived at church to find that,
‘without the consent and against the will of the said Anne Archer and without any lawful authorisation…..Mistress Carleton had….sett a locke on the door wherein the said Mistress Archer was to sitt and by that meanes kept her out.’
The Archers, Carletons and Mitchells were all members of the parish elite, although the Carletons were of slightly higher status in terms of wealth and landholdings than the Archers and Mitchells. The Carletons and the Mitchels had interest in lands that formed part of the manor of Theydon Garnon, and the Carletons had a turn in presentations to Theydon Garnon rectory. Mistress Carleton was taking advantage of Anne Archer’s social vulnerability as a new widow to assert a perceived precedence of symbolic status.
However, the Bishop’s Chancellor defended Mistress Archer’s title to her former seat and her status, reputation and property were protected.
