Widows: Outsiders in rural economy and society in central European villages, 1558–1750

Abstract

Due to the lack of micro-historical empirical studies, a general account of the situation of women in early modern rural societies of demesne lordship (Gutsherrschaft) is not possible, yet. Previous research has generally assumed that their economic position was difficult. Recent studies, however, aimed to modify this picture by emphasizing, in particular, their independent economic activities, especially with increasing age.

This paper will address the position of widows in rural society. It will analyze land transfer contracts for three individual villages of the Northern Bohemian estate of Frýdlant between 1558 and 1750 and contrast the results with normative sources of the same estate. It will particularly deal with the question whether widows could work subject farms and holdings independently and how they secured livelihood after selling their properties.

Keywords:

• Widows
• Economy
• Property
• Inheritance
• Family
• Gender

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Beatrice Moring, Richard Wall and the anonymous referee for their help and valuable suggestions.

Notes

1 See Christine Churches for the city Whitehaven (Churches, 1998, 177).

2 See the similar study of Knapp (1897). For new approaches see Peters (1995a, 1995b, 1997) also Kaak (1991).

3 Seignorial land registers were kept by the landlord administration, whereas village land transfer registers were registers of the village administration.

4 See for example: Státní oblastní archiv (SOA) Litoměřice, pobočka Děčín, Velkostatek (Vs) Frýdlant, Pozemková kniha panství Frýdlant 1582, Kart. č. 9, Kaufvertrag fol. 171r–172rr; ibid., Pozemková kniha panství Frýdlant 1595, Kart. č 12, Kaufverträge, fol. 171v–173r; fol. 274v–274r; fol. 280v–281r; fol. 297v–298r; ibid., Pozemková kniha panství Frýdlant 1618–1628, Kart. č. 17, fol. 380r–381r.

5 See for example: Státní okresní archiv (SOkA) Liberec, Fond konšelské knihy, Konšelská kniha pro Vysoký, fol. 90r–91v); ibid., fol. 119r–120v); ibid., Konšelská kniha pro Luh 1656–1734, nicht pag; see also Konšelská kniha pro Luh 1734–1783, Fol. 45v–46v.

6 See for example: SOkA Liberec, Fond Konšelské knihy, Konšelská kniha pro Luh 1656–1734, nicht pag. Similar contract from 1711, ibid.

7 See for example: SOA Litoměřice, pobočka Děčín, Vs Frýdlant, Pozemková kniha panství Frýdlant 1558–1560, Kart. č.1, Fol. 108r: compare SOA Litoměřice, pobočka Děčín, Vs Frýdlant, Pozemková kniha panství Frýdlant 1567–1569, Kart. č. 4, Fol. 4v–5v; ibid., Pozemková kniha panství Frýdlant 1595, Kart. č 12, Fol. 248v–248r.

8 See similar developments in Sweden: Ågren (2000, 11).

9 SOkA Liberec, Fond Konšelské knihy, Konšelská kniha pro Luh 1656–1734, Schuldeneintheilung und Erbsonderung aus dem Jahre 1699, nicht pag.

10 SOA Litoměřice, pobočka Děčín, Velkostatek Frýdlant, Pozemková kniha, Kart.č. 21, Fol. 267r–268v.

11 Ågren (2000, 12ff); Amy Louise Erickson showed that in Lancashire and Cheshire about 1700 ca. 27% of the last wills were written by women. This declined to 13% around 1800 (Erickson, 1999, 155f).

12 In the South of England, the widow´s third disappeared after 1500 (Erickson, 1999, 152f).

13 Widows annually recieved a large share than was set by the Common Law (Erickson, 1997, 19).

14 See Hardwick (1992, 136).

15 See Hughes (1978, 273, 277).

16 See for example: SOkA Liberec, Fond Konšelské knihy, Konšelská kniha pro Luh 1656–1734, nicht pag; ibid., Konšelská kniha pro Luh 1734–1784, nicht pag.

17 See ibid., Konšelská kniha pro Luh 1734–1784, nicht pag.

18 SOA Litoměřice, pobočka Děčín, Historická sbírka (HS) Clam-Gallasů, Kart. č. 315.

19 Štefanová (2004).

20 Mitterauer (1982, 22f) and Mitterauer (1977, 188ff); see also Taeger (1990, u.a. 38, 41).

21 Michael Mitterauer speaks about a generally high proportion of single women in towns compared to rural areas. According to him, they lived mostly under very bad living conditions (Mitterauer, 1993, 35).

22 SOA Litoměřice, pobočka Děčín, Vs Frýdlant, Pozemková kniha panství Frýdlant 1595, Kart. č. 12, fol. 274r–274v; ibid., Pozemková kniha panství Frýdlant 1607–1613, Kart. č. 14, fol. 29r–29v.

23 ‘Widower’ as a term is not used in the contemporary sources until the first half of the 18th century (see Pelling, 1999a, 42ff, 54). For the differentiation between man and women in the source see Gleixner (1994).

24 SOA Litoměřice, Matrika panství Frýdlant 37/1–3.