Hide

Today when we think of hide we think of concealing something, or the hide of animal. In Bohemia, in past centuries, hide described something completely different. My prior blog post discussed how far back in time I have found the ancestors from whom my surname is derived, but more importantly their involvement the serf system of 18th and 19th century Bohemia. The Hovel (Havel, Hawel, Hawle) family has been traced to the Bohemian Village of Ratiborova Lhota. My third great grandfather, Frantisek, would marry Teresia Jiral from the nearby Village of Dolni Chrastany in 1796, and it is in Dolni Chrastany where he would remain until his death and where my second great grandfather, Josef would buy out his farm and then in 1868 decide to emigrate to the United States. This post will focus on the farms and land controlled by these peasant farmers. Cultures vary on descriptors for land and area of land, in rural Bohemia of the 18th and 19th century they used hide.  

First Military Survey (18th century) of Dolni Chrastany
Unter Groschum in German

A hide, a measure of area, had two different measures, one is equivalent to about 33 acres and the other to about 45 acres. The equivalent to 45 acres seems to be the one used in rural areas of Bohemia. Only a small percent of Bohemians lived in urban areas, and therefore the small rural villages were the mainstay of Bohemian life. One cannot call the rural serfs of Bohemia the economic engine since few markets existed for their products. They provided in-kind contributions to the lord and mainly fed themselves. Larger farmers also tended have more sons. A typical serf farmer had about 5 to 10 acres of land, so under a quarter hide.  These lord-dominated cultures also had different terms to not only describe the different farmers, but also day laborers, live-in laborers and their families (who probably were never paid, but given shelter, food, and other essentials) among others involved in the agricultural operation. 

Stable Cadastre (19th century)
showing Dolni Chrastany

To be considered a sedlak, the highest level of serf farmer in Bohemia, one had to have control of  at least a quarter hide of land.  Hence, a sedlak would need to have over 11 acres in "ownership".  The thing is, given parcel delineation, a sedlak, or any farmer, often had several parcels in varied locations around the village. Woodlots, steep hills and marshes, the prime farmland, the idea was, would be more equitably distributed by the long narrow parcels. While the serfs paid for the right to use the land as their own, that long-term lease described in the prior post, they were always at the behest of the lord. Their earthly lord could giveth could taketh away.  For example, if the lord felt the farm was being run down or not sufficiently productive the lord could claim back the rights given. 

Second Military Survey (19th century) of Dolni Chrastany
Unter Groschum in German

At the time of his death in 1802 Matheus Hawel, the father of Frantisek, had been living in the family home in Ratiborova Lhota.  His death record notes him as a Sedlak, which is the highest level of peasant serf farmer. Sedlaks were comparatively better off than the lower classes of peasant farmer. This does not mean he was the first Hawel to be a sedlak, but it is the first known reference I have been able to interpret. Therefore, we can conclude that he would have had a minimum of a quarter hide, or say at least eleven acres of property under his control.  

Hlavatce final Stable Cadastre map

The best method to determine land holdings is from the Stable Cadastre (1826-1843) maps produced by the Austro-Hungarian Empire for taxation purposes.  The purpose of this survey was to provide a more equitable taxation measure for the Empire based on land quality for agricultural production.  The Empire had high expenses due to the little General of France having tried to conquer the world, and the Austro-Hungarian Emperor realized the need to offset the war costs and other expenses through a more suitable and even method of taxation. The in-depth cadastre survey produced two types of maps. First was the Indication  Map, or really the map that contained the notes, and second, the final map.  The indication map provides land owner, house number and parcel number. The final map identifies parcels only by parcel number. About the same time as the stable cadastre was being completed there was also, in 1836-1852, the Second Military Survey, a much more accurate version than the earlier First Military Survey, which was done by saddle. What is interesting is that a table to the side of the second military survey provides notes which could be of importance to a military operation.  This table contains the number of houses, available stables, number of men and number of horses, for each village.  

Hlvatce, Bohemia.  Hometown of gg grandma Anna Jodl 
Indication Stable Cadastre showing parcel lines 
owners, and parcel numbers

The recording of these components made sense militarily, places to house soldiers, horses available to commandeer, men to assist in the effort, and stables to house the horses so vital to 19th century military operations. The first military survey did not produce such numbers for each village rather it was by a collection of villages. These facts show, to a amateur historian, the small nature of the villages near the mid-point of the 19th century, but also how generally poor the serfs must have been. The whole village of Ratiborova Lhota had 22 homes, 11 stables, ten men and only two horses for the entire village; so not even one horse for every ten homes.  Certainly, the only way to get around was to walk, limiting their ability to leave the village. Dolni Chrastany, where Frantisek and Josef lived at the time of the second military survey, must have had a higher level of wealth since they had seven horses for 20 homes, and also ten men. Hlavatce, Bohemia, a good ten miles from Dolni Chrastany, is where my second great grandmother, Anna Jodl (Judl) Hawel was born and raised.  This was a larger village, per the second military mapping, with 42 homes, 20 stables, 33 men, and 20 horses, so almost one horse per every two households. Sedlack farmers were the ones who could afford to own horses and livestock.  However, they also had an obligation to breed oxen or horses as part of the robota system. They also likely would have had assistance in farming from day laborers or even live-in laborers. 

Second Military Census information
Compiled by author

Also surprising, from the survey, is the few men recorded in each town. For example, of the 42 households in Hlavatce only 33 men are available.  I tend to believe it was not a recording of all men in the village, but perhaps men who met a certain definition of age and capability.  For example, military aged men. Men of military age would be a lesser amount than total men in the village.   

Franz Hawel ownership south of Dolni Chrastany
Stabile Cadaster Indication map

The stable cadastre survey shows that Frantisek Hawel (Franc Habl) owns a good number of parcels scattered in and about the environs of Dolni Chrastany. It would not have been easy to access all of the varied parcels of land under his control, as they were in all directions from the village. Showing the love of forests passed down to descendants, Frantisek owned two pieces of mixed (hardwood and coniferous) forest south of Dolni Chrastany, these two parcels were separated by another ownership. Rather than being a long narrow piece, these properties are generally square although landlocked, so access would be provided through another property. Although there probably existed trails through some of the wooded areas.  A few other smaller areas of mixed forest bear the house number, but with no associated name, so it is likely he also controlled these forest areas.

635 and 638 Mixed Forest Parcels owned by Franz Hawel

Frantisek had farm and pasture land in many locations around the village. Perhaps one of his widest parcels that was able to be farmed was northeast of the village, parcel 734. He also had a small wet meadow area west-southwest (parcel 500) of the village with one of his longer fields.  The wet meadow has a separate parcel number probably because it was taxed at a reduced rate from the tillable land. The wet meadow may have been able to be used as pasture in drier years, but it was a good distance from the house, and, as noted, is not counted as a pasture in the land survey. He did control a small pasture area behind the house which adjoined his garden. Just beyond the pasture was a small farm field he also owned. (Parcels 445-447) In addition, a parcel or so beyond his there existed, just north and east of the village, significant grazing land identified for use by the parish or community.  It is likely his animals grazed in this property not too distant from his home, particularly if his small pasture needed to lie fallow to allow for regeneration.  

Stable Cadastre showing Hawel land by house
Hawel house is at parcel #23
Garden-#447,Pasture-#446,field-#445, 
The tree in 447 indicates orchard

While Frantisek, and Josef would have had to travel to forest and most all fields, they did have a large garden behind their house. Their respective spouses and probably the young children were the ones who, by tradition, would do most of the work in the garden. The garden, parcel 447, stretches back to the meandering Babicky Potok (Grandmother Stream). Meandering streams are older streams, and the age of the stream is even suggested by its name. According to the map it appears the Hawel household also had a small orchard in the garden area. 

Franz Hawel owned property
Dolni Chrastany

The serf farm life of Frantisek Hawel in Dolni Chrastany was not likely much different from the farm life of his third great grandfather Jakub (died mid-1600's).  Frantisek is my 3rd great grandfather, yet there is no doubt my life has been significantly different from the life of Frantisek.  Even though Frantisek would have been considered a wealthy peasant, their farm life would be drastically different from the mechanized farm operations of today.  Yet somethings never change for many farmers--long hours and unstable markets. Today in the United States acres is the preferred measure of large land areas, with square feet for small areas. In 18th and 19th century Bohemia they used hide as a measure of area.  Just as in 19th century Bohemia, a hide was important for taxation, so too today with acreage. I hope you are enjoying the blog posts of family life in Bohemia. 

Present day Dolni Chrastany

Sources of Map Images: 

First Military: http://oldmaps.geolab.cz/map_region.pl?lang=en&map_root=1vm&map_region=ce          Second Military: http://oldmaps.geolab.cz/map_region.pl?lang=en&map_root=2vm&map_region=ce    Stable Cadastre: https://ags.cuzk.cz/archiv/