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Strategies for old age and agency of the elderly in towns of the Low Countries in the Renaissance

Zuijderduijn, Jaco LU and Overlaet, Kim LU (2021) In Continuity and Change 36(3). p.265-284
Abstract
Contrary to what is sometimes assumed, the elderly in the distant past could not always rely on voluntary care. Therefore, some of them had to develop strategies to secure assistance during old age. We focus on towns in the Low Countries, where family ties were weak, and ageing individuals likely had to plan for old age. We show how members of the middling layers of society could use wills and retirement contracts to ensure care provided by both kin and non-kin, and also to secure living standards during their final years. By recording such contracts, the elderly remained in control of their lives, despite their advancing years.
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
retirement contracts, wills, medieval history, early modern history
in
Continuity and Change
volume
36
issue
3
pages
20 pages
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85125884841
ISSN
1469-218X
DOI
10.1017/S0268416021000291
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
be89d2b8-da91-481b-b399-be5164c9d909
date added to LUP
2022-02-18 16:35:48
date last changed
2022-06-05 04:05:43
@article{be89d2b8-da91-481b-b399-be5164c9d909,
  abstract     = {{Contrary to what is sometimes assumed, the elderly in the distant past could not always rely on voluntary care. Therefore, some of them had to develop strategies to secure assistance during old age. We focus on towns in the Low Countries, where family ties were weak, and ageing individuals likely had to plan for old age. We show how members of the middling layers of society could use wills and retirement contracts to ensure care provided by both kin and non-kin, and also to secure living standards during their final years. By recording such contracts, the elderly remained in control of their lives, despite their advancing years.}},
  author       = {{Zuijderduijn, Jaco and Overlaet, Kim}},
  issn         = {{1469-218X}},
  keywords     = {{retirement contracts; wills; medieval history; early modern history}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{265--284}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Continuity and Change}},
  title        = {{Strategies for old age and agency of the elderly in towns of the Low Countries in the Renaissance}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0268416021000291}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0268416021000291}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}