Description:This picture of the Levett pew at Baswich Church also shows the ancient tomb containing the remains of Brian Fowler and Jehanna Hanmer, his wife, and dating back to the 18th century, which was cut through to accommodate the stairway. The faculty was applied for on the grounds that the church was overcrowded.
A pair of lofty elevated pews, which interrupt the view towards the altar, are one of the features of the ancient church of Holy Trinity at Baswich. The pews were installed in 1812 by the local squires of Brocton and Berkswich, are a mute reminder of the days when the comfort and convenience of the gentry outweighed all other considerations.
Both pews are furnished with cushioned seated all-round the sides of the pews, being so designed to enable the squires to take an unnoticed nap, during the course of a tedious sermon. One pew is supported by thin columns and the other by thick ones. The pew belonging to the Chetwynd family boasts a fireplace, while beneath both raised pews are boxed in stalls, where the servants of the two county families sat. It was not unknown for the gentry in by-gone days to while away their time by card playing.
Although the Chetwynd pew has remained empty for over 30 years, the Levett pew was still used by Mrs G F Hassard, the last of the Levett’s, her husband and their family.
This photograph was published in the Staffordshire Newsletter on Saturday 20 July 1957. Reproduced by kind permission of the Staffordshire Newsletter who retain copyright.