Widowhood options and strategies in preindustrial northern Europe

Moring, Beatrice

doi:10.1016/s1081-602x(01)00097-5

Cited by 27 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However his economic guardianship in situations involving purchases, sales and contracts was not abolished until 1920 in Sweden and 1929 in Finland (Huebner, 1918 pp.629−630,648;Pylkkänen, 1991 pp.84−86,93−96;Carlsson, 1970;Moring, 2002Moring, , 2003aMoring, , 2004.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The standard of living of widows: Inventories as an indicator of the economic situation of widows

Moring

2007

The History of the Family

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article examines the standard of living of widows in two rural areas, South West Finland and Central Sweden, in the eighteenth and nineteenth century and among first generation migrants to Stockholm between 1680 and 1750. The principal sources used are the inventories of a person's possessions that were taken after their death, supplemented in the case of the rural populations by retirement contracts (which were not used by urban populations in the Nordic countries). Wealth is measured in three ways: examination of the type and value of the property listed in the inventory, calculating what goods might be purchased with a given inheritance, and a comparison of the inventories of widows with those of married women and with men. A range of factors, it was discovered, determined how much property a widow might own at her death. These factors included her age and whether there were children entitled to a share of the family's property but also the impact of inheritance law which awarded widows a larger share of marital property in towns than in the countryside and included the house which in rural areas was considered to belong to the family and not to any one individual. Analysis of this evidence suggests that the widows of farmers were likely to be economically secure due to the provisions in their retirement contracts which provided them with housing, food and care until their death. The situation of the widows of the landless was considerably more precarious. Some might even have nothing to inherit from their husbands.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore the mothers could care for the land while the children progressed towards adulthood and marriage. When the older children were married the succession issue was decided and retirement became possible (Pylkkänen, 1990, p.369;Moring, 2002, 2003a, Kerkkonen, 1965, Lofgren, 1974.…”

Section: Economic Security In Widowhoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

The standard of living of widows: Inventories as an indicator of the economic situation of widows

Moring

2007

The History of the Family

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While the landholders had formalised the cooperation system in retirement contracts, the landless had practiced cohabitation with old mothers using less formal arrangements (Moring, 2002(Moring, , 2006. Moving into an urban environment meant loss of some of the kinship network but did not necessarily result in total loss of the ties.…”

Section: Co-residence and Cooperation With Kinmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The labouring class tended to be more mobile, work as inliving servants or sometimes live as lodgers. While kin collaboration was practiced when possible, this group was often in the need of assistance from the community in old age (Moring, 2002). The provisions for the poor in the countryside had not been extensive before the Reformation and for some time after this event the Church continued the earlier practice of licensed begging for local paupers and some small collections in church.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Widows, children and assistance from society in urban Northern Europe 1890–1910

Moring

2008

The History of the Family

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The increasing urbanisation and industrialisation of the late 19th century promoted migration of families and individuals into the growing towns. As a consequence the protective network of kinship and village was lost. In the process the access to household production was also severely decreased. After the death of a husband in a labourer's household the widow had to face a difficult situation. The aim of this paper is to assess the standard of living of poor widows in the Nordic countries. To estimate the proportion of intrafamilial contributions, the role of the wider kinship group and to calculate level of support from poor relief authorities and other possible sources.

show abstract

Norway’s Industrial Beginnings: New Life Challenges, Recurring Poverty, and the Path to Tukthuset, Oslo House of Corrections

Madden

Drew

2020

Bioarchaeology and Social Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Widowhood options and strategies in preindustrial northern Europe

Cited by 27 publications

References 8 publications

The standard of living of widows: Inventories as an indicator of the economic situation of widows

The standard of living of widows: Inventories as an indicator of the economic situation of widows

Widows, children and assistance from society in urban Northern Europe 1890–1910

Norway’s Industrial Beginnings: New Life Challenges, Recurring Poverty, and the Path to Tukthuset, Oslo House of Corrections

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About