Women, family and family property in pre-industrial urban northern Europe

The author explores the property situation and activity of women in 18th-century Stockholm. While the focus is not exclusively on widows they figure more prominently than other female groups as a consequence of the better availability of data. An analysis of inventories, property transactions and tax records has revealed that the house was one of the most important assets for many social groups: the better the economic standing, the more valuable the house. While women were active in buying and selling houses, as well as men, inheritance was a more common way of accessing property for women. On the other hand they passed the property on to their children more often than men did. Houses were used both as a location for commercial activities and as a means to generate income through lodgers. Widows of men in craft and trade continued the business of their late husband, as evidenced by tax records and inventories. When engaging in business widows often collaborated with children and other family members. Although there are many examples of transmission of a craft to a son, the presence of adult and semi-adult daughters in widow-headed households was more prominent. Even though urban family property did not have the same legal safeguards as existed in the countryside it still promoted collaboration and protection for family members.