The following shows that some women, as in the case of my Brenchley ancestor, had strong views on this required ceremony. From the Archdeacon records...St Peter's, Sandwich, Kent. "Anne Brenchlie, the wife of Augustine Brenchlie, in the month of August 1596, came to the church at Wodensbergh to give God thanks for her safe delivery of childbirth, and being in the church and required by the minister to sit in the usual place appointed for the women to sit in such case, she utterly refused to do so, in contempt of that good time out of mind and evil example of all women there present, so as she resteth yet unchurched". Kristin Slater