Wooden pews became common around the 15th century;
the Protestant Reformation helped seal it as an iconic part of any church.
Before the pew, most churches would have stone benches either fixed to the
floor or wall, putting a limit on how many people could attend mass at a given
time. With wooden pews, churches could easily add more when the need arose or
put them away for special occasions in the premises. Of course, they're
considerably lighter than stone seats.
The typical pew
was formed out of church customs: kneeling, Bible reading, administering
comfort during sermons, and so on. The basic pew may not have all of these
features, which is why churches often opt for more expensive but versatile
pews. However, pew makers know that the traditional mass has portions where
people need to kneel. This is why pews, simple and intricate, come with padded
kneelers; try kneeling on the floor for a few minutes and see why they're
vital.
Versatile pews have a slot at the back acting as
simple storage, particularly for religious articles like the Bible. As the
front-row pews won't have the benefit of another pew to hold stuff, churches
often have a separate kneeler with a slot. All in all, the pew has provided the
ordinary attendee with everything he needs during the mass.
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