Preface

Land revision materials constitute a major source of Estonian economic and settlement history in the eighteenth century. Altogether eight such revisions were carried out in North Estonia in 1725-1774. The electronic publication of the 1732 revision materials kept in the Estonian Historical Archives (EAA, fond no 3, inventory no 1, items 466-470) will help to advance further our understanding of several important aspects of Estonian agrarian history and hopefully find interested readers also outside Estonia. This source publication continues the source publication series of the Estonian Historical Archives devoted to the history of local peasantry.

The database includes three types of documents. Wackenbücher or inventories in two copies for each manor, one compiled by the manor holder (Gutswackenbuch) and the other by the revision commission (Kommissionswackenbuch) provide some information about the peasants’ economic situation (the number of manpower, livestock, ploughlands (Haken)) and feudal rent (labour dues and dues in money and kind every farm head was required to pay in return for a farmstead). Lists of aliens and run away serfs in manors, also in two copies (Gutsspezifikation der Fremden und Abwesenden and Kommissionsspezifikation der Fremden und Abwesenden) register the aliens who had changed domicile (quite often came from outside the today’s Estonian territory) and settled in the respective manor as well as the serfs who had fled from there. Inquisition protocols include data on manors (fields, hay lands, mills, forests, etc.).