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Famines: At the Interface of Nature and Society Read chapter Read first chapter

2018 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

9. Bread for the Poor: Poor Relief and the Mitigation of the Food Crises of the 1590s and the 1690s in Berkel, Holland

Author : Jessica Dijkman

Published in: Famines During the ʻLittle Ice Ageʼ (1300-1800)

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

This contribution discusses a historical example of what in the field of disaster studies is referred to as a community-based system for hazard mitigation: it examines the role of formal poor relief in the village of Berkel (Holland) during the food crises of the years 1595–1598 and 1698–1700. A detailed examination of the activities of the two main relief institutions in the village during these crises shows that the poor relief system in Berkel performed surprisingly well, despite its fragmented character: not only did it not break down, but in both periods under examination it contributed materially to the mitigation of the impact of the crisis. The main factor explaining this success was the solid financial basis of the larger of the two relief institutions, which not only allowed it to respond to raised demand with relative ease, but also to act as ‘relief provider of last resort’.

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previous chapter Famines in Late Medieval and Early Modern Italy: A Test for an Advanced Economy
next chapter Educationalizing Hunger. Dealing with the Famine of 1770/71 in Zurich
Footnotes
1
In the seventeenth century the average rye price in Amsterdam was 0.47 gr Ag/liter, while in Cologne it was 0.41, in Paris 0.44, and in Strasbourg 0.45 gr Ag/liter. The variation coefficient for Amsterdam rye prices was 34%; in Cologne it was 33%, in Paris 48%, and in Strasbourg 73%; in Antwerp it was 21%. For London only wheat prices are available: the variation coefficient for London wheat prices in the seventeenth century was 27%, the same as for Amsterdam wheat prices (Amsterdam: Posthumus 1964, I: 573–576; II: column 391; London: Allen; other towns: Allen and Unger).
 
2
A morgen is about 8500 m2 or 2.1 acres.
 
3
Stadsarchief Rotterdam, Archief Ambacht Berkel en Rodenrijs (hereafter: SR AABR) 1306-488. The accounts between 1578 and 1585 show low income levels.
 
4
Stadsarchief Rotterdam, Archief Hervormde Gemeente Berkel en Rodenrijs (hereafter: SR AHGBR) 1414-216, accounts over 1700, 1701, 1702.
 
5
SR AABR 1306-492, accounts over 1679 and 1681. Cf. 1305-494, account over 1655, for another transfer (purpose not indicated).
 
6
SR AABR 1306-519; SR AHGBR 1414-210, accounts over 1624/25 to 1629/30.
 
7
Derived from: Digitale Stamboom.
 
8
Stadsarchief Rotterdam, Archief van de Remonstrantse gemeente te Berkel en Rodenrijs 1304-17.
 
9
SR AABR 1306-496, account over 1694.
 
10
This probably happened in 1591; the account of this year is missing, but that a substantial investment was made in 1591 can be deduced from the fact that the account of 1590 closed with a surplus of 631 guilders while the account of 1592 started with a surplus of 84 guilders.
 
11
Strictly speaking school fees should have been included in the category ‘other relief expenses’, but for the 1590s this turned out to be complicated: in the accounts for this period school fees are often lumped together with the maintenance costs of the school building.
 
12
SR AHGBR 1414-755 (transcript at the website of the Rotterdam archive: http://​www.​stadsarchief.​rotterdam.​nl/​berkel-en-rodenrijs).
 
13
With one exception: the accounts of the diaconate over the years 1689/90 to 1691/92 do give this information (SR AHGBR 1414-215).
 
14
Based on joint expenditure on poor relief by the Holy Spirit and the diaconate of 670 guilders per year (sources see Graph 6) and the 28 households on relief recorded for 1680.
 
15
Based on 914 households (Van der Vlis 2001, 364) and an average expenditure on poor relief of 80% of 45,300 guilders (Van Nederveen Meerkerk and Teeuwen 2013, 95–97).
 
16
SR AHGBR 1414-216, accounts over 1700/01, closing paragraph.
 
17
SR AHGBR 1414-216, account over 1699/1700.
 
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Metadata
Title
Bread for the Poor: Poor Relief and the Mitigation of the Food Crises of the 1590s and the 1690s in Berkel, Holland
Author
Jessica Dijkman
Copyright Year
2018
Book
Famines During the ʻLittle Ice Ageʼ (1300-1800)

Print ISBN: 978-3-319-54341-3

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-54337-6

Copyright Year: 2018

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54337-6_9