A PLACE FOR EVERYONE & EVERYONE IN THEIR PLACE.

Another interesting find from Google ebooks!

I have several ancestral lines from Amesbury so I googled for a
history of the town and found Joseph Merrill's History of Amesbury.
It includes records year by year of early colonial town meetings, and I
found this on pages 89-90:


July 9th. A general meeting was held for the purpose of seating the
people  in the new church, and "Liften Phillip Challes, Richard Currier,
William  Osgood, Rober Jones William Barnes, John Weed, Thomas
Barnard sen Nathan Gold, Georg Martyn thes men above retten" to
apoint every man and woman in the towen there pertecular seatc
to set in in the metten house acording to there best judgment, exept
thes men wich the town themselves have plased."

Accordingly they proceeded to exercise their "best judgment," as
follows:—

"Richard Currier is to set at the tabell.

Thomas Barnard sen is to set in the seat behind the tabell.

Roberd Jons and John Weed are to set in the nor West corner of the
metten house.

The 2 seate in the nor West side Georg Martyn and Nathan Gould are
 to set in.


Good wiffe barens is to set in the front seate at the tabell.

Good wide Osgood and Good wiffe Challes and Good wiffe Weed
are to set in the first seate in the sowethest sid of the metten house. 12

Good wiffe Currier and Good wiffe Barnard is to set in the second
seate in the sowett west side of the metten house.

Good wiffe Jons is to set in the second seate in the sowethwest side of
the metten house.

Good wiffe Gould is to set in the 3 seate in the soweth side of the
metten house.

Good wiffe Martyn is to set in the 3 seate in the soweth est side of
the metten house.

Georg Martyn do enter his contry desent to the plasen of his wiffe
in that seat.

William Sargent sen is to set at the tabell.

Edward Goodwin is to set at the tabell.

Jarret Hadden and Sargent Hoyt is to set in the seate at the
back of the tabell.

Edward Cottell and Edmund Elleatt and Hen Blasdell is to set
in the 2 seat on the nor west side of the metten house.

Samuel Foot, John Hoyt jr Thomas Barnard jr Thomas Sargent,
William Hoyt lsa Colby Thomas Kowell is to set in the ftrst seat
in the nor est side in the metten house.

William Huntinton Thomas Fowler, Thomas Nichols Rob Quinby is
to set in the 3 seat in the nor west side in the metten house.

John Pressy, Jemes Ercs, Ezckicll Worthen, John Huntinton is to set in
the 2 seate in the nor west side in the metten house.

Jemes Gorg Joh Barber is to set in the 3 seate in the nor est side of
 the metten house."

The record is very much worn and it is probable that a few more may
 have been seated. William Barnes was moderator of the meeting and,
of course, had a prominent seat assigned him. Forty or more were seated
 and these constituted the principal inhabitants at this time, excepting
children. The seating seems to have been satisfactory, with a single
 exception. Those seated at the table may have been deacons, but we
do not find the term used. They were, no doubt, seated somewhat
 according to their standing in town. The seats were rudely constructed
 settees or benches, and the whole outftt of the house was very simple
and plain.  (p89-90)
There's a bunch of my ancestors on this list: John Hoyt, William Barnes,
William Sargent, Philip Challis. I don't know if that meeting house still exists
in Amesbury but if it does I could walk in and from this have a pretty good
idea of where they were seated at worship.

It's like that saying goes: all in their places with bright shiny faces!