2025/11/01 by Jirsi Reinders, Mark Ponte, Gerhard de Kok · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Historical Economic and Social Studies #Historical Influence and Diplomacy #Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
paper · doi:10.5117/jvg2025.006.rein
openalex publication_date 2025/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/12/03 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Much remains to be discovered about the world of equipping and harbouring the crews of the Dutch West India Company (WIC), Dutch East India Company (VOC), and Admiralties, especially the role of women in the port of Amsterdam. Notarial deeds lend themselves perfectly to reconstruct this history. The nearly 8.000 examined deeds of notary Henrick Schaef show that women played a major role in these activities. About a third of the transports of gages by sailors were made in the name of a woman. In total, hundreds of women were involved. They provided shelter, food, clothing, and/or financial services to sailors and soldiers. The vast majority of female creditors appear only once or a few times, but so do male creditors. In contrast, a number of women are among the city’s most active hostesses, with Cathalina d’Accré as the most telling example during the period under study.