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They make of the Church for their hawkes a mewe,
And canell for their dogges, which they shall after rewe.
It was the custom to supply a pew (or pen) for the dogs of the Lord of the Manor—the hall-dogs' "pew"—and as people worshipped (in their hats) with the church doors standing open, I suppose the hounds of the lesser gentry and inimitative yeomen would run in and fight and distract attention.
Though in the seventeenth century the hawk had ceased to be an integral part of a gentleman's equipage, the dogs had inherited the tradition of taking their masters to church, maybe. And as the worshipper, even in the seventeenth century, went from Divine service to a bull or bear-baiting, he would like to have his dogs on the spot. And no doubt all the curs of the village would want to follow them into church and ask the news of high life.—Yours, etc.,
G. I. Whitham.
Lyneham Cottage, Chudleigh, S. Devon, February 13th.