Edelen in het laatmiddeleeuwse graafschap Zeeland. Een analyse van hun politieke en sociaal-economische positie rond het jaar 1475

Abstract

Noblemen in the Late Medieval County of Zeeland. An Analysis of their Political and Socio-Economic Position around the Year 1475The late medieval period is often portrayed as a period of crisis or transition for the nobility. This contribution represents a first step towards testing this assumption empirically. The political power and feudal property of the noblemen in the county of Zeeland around the year 1475 are mapped for this purpose. The analysis shows that the noblemen had a strong grip on the county through their offices and the Estates of Zeeland and that their income came primarily from their feudal rights. The growing power of the prince and the towns did not affect the position of the noblemen fundamentally. The long-term development of the composition and power of the noble population can be established by constructing a number of such snapshots. A regional perspective on the history of the nobility also counterbalances the emphasis placed by some historians on the importance of state service for noblemen. This article is part of the special issue 'The history of the nobility in the Netherlands and Belgium'.

Noblemen in an urbanised society: Zeeland and its nobility in the late Middle Ages

“…There was an acceptance of mixed marriages such as these, as further illustrated by the matrimonial ties that frequently bound lesser noble townsmen (for example, the families of Van Wissenkerke, Van der Buttinge and Van Grijpskerke) and members of the urban elites, although this may not always have been a matter of choice. 88 The interaction between nobles and non-nobles in the towns of Zeeland did not result in an amalgamation of social groups through kin relations. As in late-medieval Bruges, nobles of different standing and origin maintained distinct familial networks.…”

“…Furthermore, the count appointed the Viscount of Zeeland, whose function was prestigious though mainly ceremonial, and who presided over the count's feudal court (grafelijke vierschaar) in his absence, assisted by a sheriff, a prosecutor and a number of vassals. 19 The receivers were the count's most important representatives and formed indispensable links between him and his subjects in Zeeland. 20 The receivers were recruited from both indigenous and foreign families, often belonging to the nobility of Zeeland.…”

“…He mostly resided in Zeeland after he fell into disfavour with Maximilian of Austria in 1482, and he purchased a house in Zierikzee shortly before his death. 67 The upper nobility did not settle permanently in the towns of Zeeland, but this was not uncommon in the Flemish cities, where, for instance, the lord of Gruuthuse lived in a fortified palace in Bruges. 68 The residence patterns of the other nobility were more diverse.…”

“…van Steensel occasions. 73 Middelburg was more attractive for noblemen than Zierikzee, both politically and economically, but noble political participation decreased drastically in both towns after 1525. Noblemen were rarely active in the small towns.…”

“…A new tax on beer, approved by the States of Zeeland in 1472, led to a riot in Zierikzee in which two ducal representatives -including a nobleman, Michiel van Heenvliet -were killed and thrown from a window of the town hall. 50 From the late fifteenth century onwards, however, the beden were sometimes split, one part to be paid by the countryside and the other by the towns. The burden placed on the towns reflected their financial strength, as they normally bore between half and two-thirds of the total sum.…”