The following is an extract from a Probate Inventory of a resident of the parish of Rustington, Sussex, dated 1670 - "Item three Chests A groaning Chare & chushen 00 : 13 : 00" Any ideas on what a groaning chair was? Regards Martyn

From: http://www.bootlegbooks.com/Reference/PhraseAndFable/data/233.html Groaning chair. The chair in which a woman is confined or sits afterwards to receive congratulations. Similarly "groaning cake" and "groaning cheese" are the cake and cheese which used to be provided in "Goose month." *************************************************************** from: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/weir/excerpt3.html "groaning chair" for the delivery. This was similar to a modern birthing chair, with a cut-away seat, *************************************************************** Glitz