Widows, Widowers and Remarriage in Nineteenth-Century Netherlands

Abstract

This article examines the Dutch pattern of remarriage during the nineteenth century, using data from the vital registration system (marriages and deaths), and the population registers for the cities of Breda (South Netherlands) and Gouda (West Netherlands). A group of 6500 widows and widowers were followed from the moment they were widowed until they either remarried or died whilst widowed. Migrating widows and widowers were also followed to their new destinations. Proportional hazards analysis shows that the principal factor which determined the probability of remarriage was age at bereavement. The probability of remarriage was much greater for men than for women, and for the childless than for widowed persons with children. If a widowed person with a child or children wished to remarry, he or she was more likely to do so, of the child was young. The situation of widowed persons who remarried was close to that of those who married for the first time; the partner had to be relatively young and childless. Neither occupation nor religion significantly affected the chance of remarriage during the period studied, but in Gouda the probabilities of remarriage were generally higher than in Breda.