Contradictory interests: Work, parents, and offspring in early modern Holland

Abstract

The consistory notes of the Dutch Reformed Church (1573–1700) reveal conflicts over work between parents and children during the early modern period. Two issues that caused particular tension were the labor experience of future sons-in-law and the division of household tasks. Parents' concerns about the financial position of their future son-in-law were sincere and realistic. Skills definitely bettered the new family's chances to survive financially. Children were not expected to take care of their destitute parents nor were parents obliged to support their poverty-stricken married children. Power struggles between children and stepparents also resulted in conflicts over work. After a widowed parent remarried, children and stepparents had to redefine their roles in the new situation. The child who had assumed responsibilities when a parent died resisted a stepparent who took over those tasks. Although the cases presented may not represent everyday interactions between parents and children, they do provide insights into how work caused problems between parents and older children.

Keywords:

• Work
• Parents
• Offspring

Acknowledgments

This article was first presented as a paper at the Posthumus Conference Labor and Household Strategies: Contradictory Interests of Working Children and their Parents, 1500–2000, in Nijmegen, November 26–27, 1999. The author wishes to thank Theo Engelen, Paul Klep, Angelique Janssens, Catharina Lis, and Ali de Regt for their comments.

Notes

1 The following archives were investigated: Municipal Archive of Rotterdam (MAR), consistory notes of the reformed church, 1639–1700, inv. 1–8; Municipal Archive of Delft (MAD), consistory notes of the reformed church, 1573–1700, inv. 1–7, discipline books, 1651–1700, inv. 267, 277. In addition, the resolutions of the higher ecclesiastical councils (Classicale acta of Delft and Delfland, Classicale acta of Schieland, and Synodale acta of the southern province of Holland) have been examined.

2 van der Schoor (1999) counted 19,532 inhabitants of Rotterdam in 1622, while Knippenberg (1992) counted about 26,000. We have chosen to use the more recent figures of van der Schoor, who was appointed to investigate and write the history of Rotterdam from the premodern period onward at the municipal archive of Rotterdam. The population figure of Abels and Wouters (1994) for Delft in 1622 also differed from Knippenberg (1992). Knippenberg counted only 22,789 inhabitants since he did not include the inhabitants of Abtsregt, the Hof van Delft, and the Vrijenban.

3 From Gemeente Archief Rotterdam, Church Council Notes (hereafter referred to as GAR-CCN), inventory 5, February 4, 1660.

4 GAR, Repertorium Synodi Zuyd-Hollandiae, Dordrecht 1637, art. 51, fol. 128; Classis Schieland, inv. 5, July 6, 1632, fol. 31; Classis Delfland, inv. 2, July 28, 1605, fol. 24.

5 Samuel Minel (the father) probably decided not to bring the matter to civil court, since the case has not been found in the judicial archives of Rotterdam (GAR-CCN, inv. 4, June 19 and 26, 1652).

6 Thanks go to Ingrid van der Vlis for helping with this issue.

7 Gemeente Archief Delft, Church Council Notes (hereafter GAD-CCN), inv. 277, October 31 and November 4, 1689, fol. 5; June 25–29, 1691, fol. 73, August 31 and October 15, 1691, fol. 77, October 2, 1694.

8 Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal, part 20, 1052–1054; GAD, Delfts Keurboek VII, fol 170 (1641); GAR, Aantekenboek van vereiste bewijsstukken bij de ondertrouw, inv. 270, June 28, 1634.

9 GAR-CCN, inv. 5, March 1, 1662: “Wort gevraeght of hij niet sal hebben te verstichten voor sijn trouwen wert goedgevonden (…) of dat de kinderen ten minste een acte sullen parreren van voldaen te sijn”.