Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T18:37:13.788Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Guild or Union? A Case Study of Rural Dutch Weavers, 1682–1750*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2009

Joyce M. Mastboom
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This article discusses the defensive actions taken by a group of weavers in the rural eastern Netherlands in response to changing economic conditions; in particular, how they successfully re-established their weavers' guild to protect them against aggressive local merchants who were out to lower payments for woven cloth. A guild, by organizing many individuals into a group, could wield much more power than separate weavers on their own. But that was not all. Local weavers were aware that economic circumstances had changed, and that a new charter would have to be adapted so that it addressed the problems they faced. Hence, the charter they drafted provided for a guild that had the outward appearance of the old form of craft organization. However, in addition to the usual regulations it contains clauses that are more reminiscent of a trade union than a guild. The result was an organization that the weavers could use effectively to fend off their growing dependence on and subordination to merchants.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Review of Social History , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , April 1994 , pp. 57 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis 1994

References

1 DuPIessis, Robert and Howell, Martha C., “Leiden, Lille and the Early Modern Economy”, Past & Present, XCIV (1982), pp. 49–84CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

2 See Dekker, Rudolf, “Labour Conflicts and Working-Class Culture in Early Modern Holland”, International Review of Social History, XXXV (1990), pp. 377–420CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

3 See, for instance, Hickson, Charles R. and Thompson, Earl A., “A New Theory of Guilds and European Economic Development”, Explorations in Economic History XXVIII (1991)Google Scholar; Bo Gustafsson, “The Rise and Economic Behaviour of Medieval Craft Guilds”, in idem (ed.), Power and Economic Institutions. Reinterpretations in Economic History (Brookfield, VT, 1991); LucassenXS, Jan, “Het Welvaren van Leiden (1659–1662): de wording van een economische theorie over gilden en ondernemerschap”, in de Vries, Boudien et al. (eds), De Kracht der Zwakken. Studies overArbeid en Arbeidersbeweging in het Verleden (Amsterdam, 1992)Google Scholar. Maarten Prak, “‘Een Verzekerd Bestaan.’ Ambachtslieden, Winkeliers en hun Gilden in Den Bosch (ca. 1775)”, in De Vries et al., De Kracht der Zwakken. Recent contributions to the debate on continuity are: Boch, Rudolf, “Zunfttradition und frühe Gewerkschaftsbewegung”, in Wengenroth, Ulrich (ed.), Preküre Selbstündigkeit. Zur Standortbestimmung von Handwerk, Hausindustrie und Kleingewerbe im Industrialisierungsprozeβ (Stuttgart, 1989)Google Scholar; Dekker, “Labour Conflicts”; Lucassen, Jan, Jan, Jan Salie en diens kinderen. Vergelijkend onderzoek naar continuγteit en discontinuγteit in de ontwikkeling van arbeidsverhoudingen (Amsterdam, 1991)Google Scholar.

4 See Prak's summary of the debate in “‘Een Verzekerd Bestaan’”, pp. 51–54, 75–79.

5 Gemeente Archief (G.A.) Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, “Gilde-brief voor die van't Weversambagt tot Winterswijck”.

6 By “present day unions” I mean organizations of wage-laborers formed for the express purpose of negotiating a labor contract with their employer through collective bargaining.

7 Prak, “‘Een Verzekerd Bestaan’”, p. 77.

8 G.A. Borculo, Oud Archief, “Kopie van de op 29 Juli 1655 door graaf Otto van Limburg Styrum uitgegeven Gildebrief voor het linnenweversgilde te Borculo”.

9 Tolsma, H., “‘Reders’ en ‘wevers’ in Winterswijk”, Nieuwe Winterswijkse Courant, 15 04 1966Google Scholar; Boot, J. A. P. G. and Blonk, A., Van Smiet– tot Snelspoel (Hengelo, 1957), pp. 12–13Google Scholar; Bel, J. G. van, De Linnenhandel van Amsterdam in de XVIIIe Eeuw (Amsterdam, 1940), pp. 14–15, 20Google Scholar.

10 Bemmel, P. E. van, “De Ontwikkeling van de Industrie in den Achterhoek”, Koninklijk Nederlands Aardrijkskundig Genootschap, 2nd series, XLIV (1927), pp. 337–338Google Scholar.

11 Geurts, P. A. M. and Janssen, A. E. M., “1566–1609”, in Geschiedenis van Gelderland 1492–1795 (Zutphen, 1975), pp. 97–131Google Scholar; J. J. Poelhekke, “1609–1672”, in Geschiedenis van Gelderland, pp. 133–210. Note the manuscript on p. 160 which lists the various armies that marched through and stayed in the Achterhoek between 1622 and 1629.

12 G. A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde,“Gilde-brief”.

13 Tolsma, H., “Het onstaan van de textielindustrie te Winterswijk”, in Mozaγk van Winterswic (Winterswijk, 1980), p. 83Google Scholar.

14 Boot, J. A. P. G., “Fabrikeurs en textielzaken omstreeks 1750”, Textielhistorische Bijdragen V (1964), p. 18Google Scholar, ”Het linnenbedrijf in Twente omstreeks 1700”, Textielhistorische Bijdragen, VII (1966), pp. 22–23, 28, and ”De markt voot Twents-Achterhoekse weefcels in de tweede helft van de 18de eeuw”, Textielhistorische Bijdragen, XVI (1975), pp. 21–22.

15 See Vries, Jan de, The Economy of Europe in an Age of Crisis, 1600–1750 (Cambridge, 1976), ch. 3CrossRefGoogle Scholar. Gutmann, Myron P., Toward the Modern Economy: Early Industry in Europe 1500–1800 (New York, 1988), pp. 90–96Google Scholar. In some areas of Europe this movement was already well under way in the sixteenth century.

16 The Haarlem linen industry is a good example of this shift on the national level. See De Vries, The Economy of Europe, p. 97.

17 Pape, J. C., “Oude Bouwlandgronden in Nederland”, Boor en Spade, XVIII (1972), p. 113Google Scholar; Slicher van Bath, B. H., “Geschiedenis van de Nederzettingen in de Graafschap Zutfen”, Bijdragen en Mededelingen van de Vereeniging ‘Gelre’, XLVIII (1946)Google Scholar.

18 Mastboom, Joyce M., “The Role of Eastern Gelderland in Dutch Economic Development, 1650–1850” (Ph.D., Brandeis University, 1990), pp. 70–75Google Scholar.

19 van Bath, B. H. Slicher, Een Samenleving Onder Spanning. Geschiedenis van het Platteland in Overijssel (Assen, 1957; rep. Utrecht, 1977), p. 584Google Scholar; Roessingh, H. K., “Beroep en Bedrijf op de Veluwe in het Midden van de Achttiende Eeuw”, A. A. G. Bijdragen, XIII (1965), p. 204Google Scholar.

20 Thirty-two per cent of households in the Veluwe and Twente, and 39 per cent in the arable region of Salland had live-in servants. See van der Woude, A. M., “Demografische Ontwikkeling van de Noordelijke Nederlanden 1500–1800”, in Algemene Geschiedenis derNederlanden, V (Haarlem, 1980), p. 158Google Scholar.

21 Roessingh, H. K., “Landbouw in de Noordelijke Nederlanden 1650–1815”, in Algemene Geschiedenis der Nederlanden, VIII (Haarlem, 1979), p. 50Google Scholar. Van der Woude, “Demografische Ontwikkeling”, p. 158.

22 Van der Woude, “Demografische Ontwikkeling”, p. 161.

23 van Blom, D., “Boerenerfrecht (met name in Gelderland en Utrecht)”, De Economist LXIV (1915), pp. 849ffGoogle Scholar. E. W. Hofstee, De demografische ontwikkeling van Nederland in de eerste helft van de negentiende eeuw (n.p., 1978), p. 105. de Boer, D., “Achterhoek en Lijmers”, in Mulder, G. J. A. (ed.), Handboek der Geografie van Nederland V (Zwolle, 1955), p. 463Google Scholar. Van der Woude, “Demografische Ontwikkeling”, p. 165.

24 Faber, J. A. et al. , “Population Changes and Economic Developments in the Netherlands: A Historical Survey”, A.A.G. Bijdragen, XII (1965), pp. 74–76,94Google Scholar. Van der Woude, “Demografische Ontwikkeling”, pp. 130–132.

25 Keuning, H. J., Het Nederlandse Volk in zijn Woongebied (The Hague, 1965), pp. 281–282, 279Google Scholar.

26 Roessingh, “Landbouw”, p. 53.

27 van Bath, B. H. Slicher, De Agrarische Geschiedenis van West-Europa 500–1850 (Utrecht, 1960), pp. 230–231Google Scholar. Abel, W., Agrarian Fluctuations in Europe: From the Thirteenth to the Twentieth Centuries, trans. Ordish, Olive (New York, 1980), pp. 158–161Google Scholar.

28 Roessingh, “Landbouw”, pp. 54–55.

29 Much linen was exported to England and Spain, though that changed in the second half of the eighteenth century. For more information see Harte, N. B., “The Rise of Protection and the English Linen Trade, 1690–1790”, in Textile History and Economic History. Essays in Honour of Miss Julia de Lacy Mann (Manchester, 1973)Google Scholar, and Bel, De Linnenhandel van Amsterdam.

30 According to Jan de Vries: “To the extent that industrial by-employment utilized the dead time between the seasonal peaks of agricultural labor demand, its opportunity cost (the value of the time in available alternative employment) was very low indeed.” See The Economy of Europe, p. 85.

31 Wages and costs were lower by as much as 20 per cent. Rijksarchief in Gelderland, archief van Staten van Kwartier van Zutphen en hun Gedeputeerden, nr. 233b, “Requesten ingekomen bij Gedeputeerde Staten” 1592–1805, bl 1592–1756, “Request uit 1732 van coopluyden in Winterswijk”.

32 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, “Gildebrief”. All translations from Dutch are my own.

33 G.A. Borculo, Oud Archief, “Kopie van de op 29 Juli 1655 […]”.

34 “[…] for which brotherhood or Guild, afore-mentioned petitioners had prepared some articles for our approval […]”, G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, “Gildebrief”.

35 “[…] those of the weaving trade in the Village and parish Wenterswick […]”, ibid.

36 See also G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 31, “Stukken betreffende het verzet van de wevers buiten het dorp Winterswijk […]”, 1684–1686, “Brief van de heer Griff. Tollius”, 27 July 1684.

37 “That no work is to be done outside the guild, [subject to punishment of] confiscation of the yarn by the guild, and [payment of] six gold guilders to the officer […]”, G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, “Gildebrief”.

38 “[…] those who come from outside and are not citizens, first have to earn citizen status and may then earn guild membership […]”, G.A. Borculo, Oud Archief, “Kopie van de op 29 Juli 1655 […]”.

39 See G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 30, “Verzoek aan de Drost van Bredevoort door de Staten van Zutphen […]”, 28 April 1686; nr. 31, “Stukken betreffende het verzet van de wevers buiten het dorp Winterswijk […]”, 1684–1686; and Algemeen Rijksarchief, The Hague (A.R.A.), Nassause Domeinraad – Hingman nr. 5499,4. “Papieren raakende het Weversambagt onder Winterswijk […]”.

40 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 31, “Stukken betreffende het verzet […]”, 1684–1686, “Brief van de heer Griff. Tollius”, 27 July 1684.

41 ibid.

42 A. H. Wertheim-Gijse Weenink, “1672–1795”, in Geschiedenis van Gelderland 1492–1795, pp. 227–233; Nijhoff, Is. An., “Het Geldersche Regeringsreglement van 1675 en 1750”, Bijdragen voor Vaderlandsche Geschiedenis en Oudheidkunde, VII (1850), pp. 79–96Google Scholar; te Brake, Wayne Ph., “Provincial Histories and National Revolution in the Dutch Republic”, in Jacob, Margaret C. and Mijnhardt, Wijnand W. (eds), The Dutch Republic in the Eighteenth Century (Ithaca, 1992), pp. 80–82Google Scholar.

43 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 18, “Stukken betreffende het geschil tussen Aalbert and Jan Schutte en het weversgilde te Winterswijk […], Brief van Albert and Jan Schutte aan Benjamin Satink […]”, 16 December 1751. In general, it was not unusual for guild regulations to be enforced more strictly during periods of economic decline while ignored at other times. See Gustafsson, “The Rise and Economic of Medieval Craft Guilds”.

44 R.A.G., Archief van Staten van Kwartier van Zutphen en hun Gedeputeerden, nr. 233b, “Requesten ingekomen bij Gedeputeerde Staten”, 1592–1805, bI 1592–1756, “Request uit 1732 van coopluyden in Winterswijk”.

45 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 18, “Stukken betreffende het geschil tussen Aalbert en Jan Schutte en het weversgilde te Winterswijk […], Brief van Albert en Jan Schutte aan Benjamin Satink […]”, 16 December 1751. There are 20 stuivers to one guilder.

46 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 27, “Verzoek aan de Drost door de gardiaan en gildemeesters van het weversgilde […]”.

47 See Warden, A. J., The Linen Trade (London, 1864 and 1867; reprinted 1967)Google Scholar; Harte, “The Rise of Protection and the English Linen Trade” Durie, A. J., The Scottish Linen Industry in the Eighteenth Century (Edinburgh 1979)Google Scholar.

48 See Bel, Die Linenhandel van Amsterdam, pp. 59–63,123; de Vries, Johan, De Economische Achteruitgang der Republiek in de Achttiende Eeuw (Leiden, 1968), pp. 102–103Google Scholar.

49 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 18, “Memorie ofte instructie voor de toecomende overluyden van het weversgilde”, 12 August 1752.

50 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 17, “Stukken betreffende het geschil tussen Aalbert and Jan Schutte en het weversgilde te Winterswijk […], Brief van het Gilde aan de heer Derk Hoppenbrouwer […], 1743”.

51 Ibid.

52 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 18, “Memorie ofte instructie voor de toecomende overluyden van het weversgilde”, 12 August 1752.

53 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 18, “Stukken betreffende het geschil tussen Aalbert en Jan Schutte en het weversgilde te Winterswijk […]”, “Memorie ofte instructie voor de toecomende overluyden van het weversgilde”, 12 August 1752. See also “Brief van Albert en Jan Schutte aan Benjamin Satink […]”, 16 December 1751. From the documents it is not clear which level of payment the guild wanted to have restored. However, judging from the proposals made by the merchants in 1751 and 1752, which the weavers rejected (see Table 1), they meant wages paid prior to 1725.

54 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 29, “Publicatie van de substituut drost van Bredevoort […]”, 18 October 1751.

55 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 18, “Stukken betreffende het geschil tussen Aalbert en Jan Schutte en het weversgilde te Winterswijk […]”, “Memorie ofte instructie voor de toecomende overluyden van het weversgilde”, 12 August 1752, and “Notitie opgetekend door S. J. Hengel Junior, voogd en Bediende van 't Gilde”, 12 February 1752.

56 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 18, “Stukken betreffende het geschil tussen Aalbert en Jan Schutte en het weversgilde te Winterswijk […]”, “Memorie ofte instructie voor de toecomende overluyden van het weversgilde”, 12 August 1752.

57 G.A. Winterswijk, Archief Weversgilde, nr. 31, “Stukken betreffende het verzet […]”, 1684–1686, “Brief van de heer Griff. Tollius”, 27 July 1684.

58 Tessie P. Liu, “The Embattled Origins of the Putting-Out System: A Reassessment of the Proto-industrialization Hypothesis”, in Working Papers No. 1 issued by the Atlanta Seminar in the comparative History of Labor, Industry, Technology, and Society, 1992. Also compare the magistrates' action in Den Bosch in 1775. See Prak, “‘Een Verzekerd Bestaan’”, pp. 76–77.

59 See “The Moral Economy of the English Crowd in the Eighteenth Century”, Past & Present, L (1971), pp. 88ff, 94ff.