Girlpower. The European marriage pattern (emp) and Labour markets in the North Sea region in the late medieval and early modern period

Abstract

In 1505 Janne Heyndericx, living in the Zeeland village of Kouwenkerke, 31 years of age, told a committee of inquiry into the malpractices of the local magistrates1 the following story: Eight years ago she promised to marry a young man, Adriaen Jacopsz., and he returned the promise. They slept together and continued to do so without ever officially marrying as was required by the law of the holy church, but it was postponed to more convenient times. She still lived in with her mother and stepfather, who refused to maintain her, so that she was forced to find employment elsewhere and went to earn a wage. When she came to work in Kouwenkerke she lived together with another young man, from whom she begot a child. Four or five years ago Adriaen tried to be released from his promise to marry her, although they still saw each other regularly and slept together. She still wanted to marry him, because although they had not been married for the church, they were indeed married for God. Moreover, it was also his fault that she had come so far (= got a child from another man), because he had kept her waiting for so long.