Probate inventories in Sandomierz municipal registers from the 17th century

• Authors: Justyniarska-Chojak K.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

There are 16 Sandomierz municipal registers from the 17th century surviving until today, now kept in the State Archive and the Cathedral Archive in Sandomierz. Probate inventories and documents concerning inheritance distribution were entered into the registers between 1616 and 1694. In the first half of the 17th c. 11 inventories were recorded; four further entries come from the time of the Swedish invasion (1656-1660), and only two inventories were registered after 1660. One entry is not dated. Most inventories list the property of Sandomierz burghers, two concern noblemen, and one - a peasant, Mateusz Gasior from the nearby village of Wysiadlów. The examined inventories list first of all immovable property, such as houses and stalls, gardens and orchards, granges, maltings and breweries. Such items are found in 10 catalogues, undoubtedly those describing the belongings of the richest burghers. Six inventories mention the amount of money obtained from the sale of the late person's movable or immovable property. Sometimes the testators left some additional sums to be divided between the relatives; such legacies, usually ranging from 100 to 300 zloties, are mentioned in 11 inventories. Five documents register the testators' debts, sometimes exceeding the value of the inheritance. Only four inventories mention legacies left to Sandomierz churches. Only two signal the testators' concern for servants, who were to be paid outstanding wages, or rewarded with small cash or some clothing. The inventories contain long catalogues of movables. Nine of them start with descriptions of jewellery and silverware (silver spoons, belts, mugs, cups and jars). Other common categories are: popular tin tableware (e.g. bowls, platters, plates, jugs, flasks, wine jars, saltcellars), tin kitchenware (e.g. pots, kettles, mortars, basins, candlesticks) and copper and iron utensils. Only one inventory mentions three china jugs from Danzig. After jewellery and metalware, the inventories usually register garments, bedclothes and linen. The most popular articles of clothing were colourful skirts and caftans (three per inventory on the average) and overcoats, such as delia and zupan. The category of underwear is usually represented by merely several shirts or aprons; only four catalogues include more than 10 items of underwear. Bedclothes and linen figure in 11 inventories; an average set comprised three pillows at the most, one quilt, several sheets, three pillowcases and two quiltcases. Only one inventory mentions bedclothes meant specifically for servant. Six inventories list furniture: trunks of various size, cupboards, benches and tables, painted green or white. Four enumerate tapestries and carpets used for interior decoration. Several record books, paintings and weapons. Only four documents bring information on funeral preparations and expenses. Half of the inventories were written down as a result of bitter conflicts between the inheritors, arising most often between testators' spouses and grown-up children. Sometimes municipal officials were accused of mishandling the inventory-taking procedure, especially of appropriating some of the property. The file of inventories from Sandomierz has two important flaws: the number of documents is small and the entries are very untidy: they often lack an exact date, a valuation of the inheritance or an orderly specification of the late person's belongings.

Keywords

EN

HISTORY OF MATERIAL CULTURE; PROBATE 17TH C. INVENTORIES

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Kwartalnik Historii Kultury Materialnej
• Year: 2004
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 37-50
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Justyniarska-Chojak K.

• K. Justyniarska-Chojak, Instytut Historii, Akademia Swietokrzyska w Kielcach, ul. Zeromskiego 5, 25-369 Kielce, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

04PLAAAA0005140