Datasets - Basic database on Commons in the Netherlands

Commons_ID

Id within ‘Commons’ dataset.

Country

Country in which the common was situated. Only commons situated in the Netherlands have been structurally entered into the dataset. 

Province

Province in which the common was situated.

Location Common

Name of the town, village, buurschap, or area where the common was situated.

Name Common

Name of the common.

Location specific

Specific location of lands of the common, whenever possible time-specified. Contains regular references for Drenthe and sometimes for Gelderland.

Cadastral section

Cadastral section where lands can be found that used to belong to the common. Contains regular references for Drenthe and sometimes for Gelderland.

Type of Common

Common land management can be referred to as marken, meenten, buurschappen or maalschappen. If the common is known under several terms, this field contains multiple terms separated by a slash (/).

Type of natural resource

Natural resources found in the common. Field contains the following terms, which may be found in the glossary: oever, es, kom, groenland, heide, bos, weiland, brink, veen, ondergronden, dalgrond, wateren, veld, zand, koeweide, hooiland, uiterwaarden, meent, twijgwaard, broek, belt, akker, houthaag, wildernis, schaapsweide, turf, zodden.

Estimated surface

Estimated surface of the common in hectares, when possible with specified year between brackets (). Surfaces given in morgen mentioned in sources dating after 1806 (in 1806 the rijnlandsche morgen (0.85 hectares) became the standardized surface measurement for the Kingdom of The Netherlands) have been converted into hectares, with the original surface in morgen in between brackets. Older surface descriptions are in original form. Surfaces mentioned in sources dating from before 1806 are only entered with the surface measurements as mentioned within the source.

Estimated starting year

Oldest (archival) reference to common.

Beginning

Year of foundation of common.

Estimated end

Estimated year of dissolution of common. Most commons were dissolved after 1810, before that time the specific references to dissolution are rare.

End

Year of dissolution of common. Usually only known for dissolutions after 1810.

Erf-markerichter

This field indicates whether the highest administrative office of the marke – that of markerichter – was hereditary.

Chosen markenrichter

Indicates whether the highest administrative office of the marke – that of markerichter – was subject to election. Sometimes the office of markerichter was chosen, this could be for one year, several years or life depending on the mark.

Remarks on markerichters

Field contains additional information about the markerichter, for instance the number of markerichters, or to which gewaarde erf or family the office was bound.

Remarks on other administrators

Field contains what different kind of administrative offices where held in the common, and how many people held such an office.

Division of Lands

Field states whether dissolution of the common was carried out via a division of lands. Information has only been structurally supplied for Overijssel by Beekman (Engelen van der Veen, vol. 6.2, 1924). Therefore a fairly reliable overview is only available for Overijssel.

Sale of lands

Field states whether dissolution of the common was carried out via a sale of lands and a division of the proceeds. Information has only been structurally supplied for Overijssel by Beekman (Engelen van der Veen, vol. 6.2, 1924). Therefore a fairly reliable overview is only available for Overijssel.

By waardeel

If this field has been marked, it means that the amount of land or money a person was to receive after dissolution of the common was based on the amount of waardelen a member owned.

By user rights

If this field has been marked, it means that the amount of land or money a person was to receive after dissolution of the common was based on the access rights this person had on the common (for instance how many animals a member was allowed to keep on it).

By contribution

If this field has been marked, it means that the amount of land or money a person was to receive after dissolution of the common was based on the amount of money or time spent by a member for the upkeep of the common, or the amount a person paid every year to use the common.

By fields/meadows

If this field has been marked, it means that the amount of land or money a person was to receive after dissolution of the common was based on the hectares of land owned by a member, sometimes with subdivisions for the sort of land.

By land tax

If this field has been marked, it means that the amount of land or money a person was to receive after dissolution of the common was based on the amount paid by a member in land tax.

By ownership house

If this field has been marked, it means that the amount of land or money a person was to receive after dissolution of the common was based on the kind of house(s) a member owns.

By cows

If this field has been marked land or money a person was to receive after dissolution of the common was based on the number of cows owned by a member.

Part for ongewaarden

The arrangements for ongewaarden who had some user rights but not full access to the marke have only been sparsely given by Beekman (vol. 6, 1920-1925).

Short History of Common

This field contains a short summary of the history of the common.

General remarks

Remarks.

Also known as

This field contains alternate names for a common, found within the sources. The most frequently used name has been given in the field ‘Name of Common’ .