Pew Rents
Until the early/mid twentieth century, it was common practice in Anglican, Catholic, and Presbyterian churches to rent pews in churches to families or individuals as a principal means of raising income. This was especially common in the United States where churches lacked government support through mandatory tithing. This, by nature, enforced a sort of social status in church seating within a parish.
Pew rental emerged as a source of controversy in the 1840s and 1850s, especially in the Church of England, and many Anglo-Catholic parishes (more liturgical "High Church" parishes) were founded at this time as "Free Churches" characterized by their lack of pew rentals. In mid-century reforms, pews were on occasion removed from English churches in order to discourage rental practices.
Architecturally, pew rents lead to a divergence between American and European church furnishing persisting to this day. Pews became far more common in American churches because they were a source of income.
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