Figure 1
Original pay ledger record of Andries Jurriaen Scholts from ‘Luenenburg’ (Lüneburg in Germany), who signed up as a soldier on the ship ‘Diemermeer’ in 1744. Source: NL-HaNA, 1.04.02, inv. no. 6164, fo. 131. http://hdl.handle.net/10648/cef964ad-a553-5c97-39e3-9aa43b1c81c6 and http://hdl.handle.net/10648/354266c6-2546-7aea-6d27-7dad3cf2c7b5.
Table 1
Descriptive statistics of the enriched dataset. Note that the number of outward voyages is higher than the number of pay ledgers in the original VOC-soldijboeken dataset (3,020). Despite the absence of pay ledgers for certain outbound voyages, details about some crew members and their outbound voyages were retrieved from other sources.
| ASPECT | NUMBER | |
|---|---|---|
| Records | Total | 774,200 |
| Disambiguated | 547,132 | |
| Ambiguous | 227,068 | |
| Person names | Raw | 554,810 |
| Normalized | 493,653 | |
| Persons | 460,452 | |
| Place names | Raw | 152,315 |
| Normalized | 143,101 | |
| Ranks | 197 | |
| Outward voyages | 3,268 | |
Table 2
Wage sample statistics for top 43 parent ranks, organized by category. All wages are nominal and expressed in guilders per month. As in the Dutch Republic and other parts of the world, VOC wages remained stable throughout the entire eighteenth century (Allen et al., 2011), the period from which the bulk of the data originates. Consequently, we did not differentiate the data by time period in the table. Note that the SHIP and MILITARY categories have one or more sub-hierarchies. Note also that the OTHER category and certain less frequently occurring parent ranks from the five main categories (together representing 31,714 records or 4% of the total) were omitted from this table.
| CATEGORY | PARENT RANK | MEDIAN WAGE | AVERAGE WAGE | STANDARD DEVIATION | n WAGE SAMPLE | # RECORDS IN DATASET |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRADE | senior merchant | 135 | 115.09 | 41.01 | 44 | 146 |
| TRADE | merchant | 40 | 41.19 | 5.50 | 42 | 1,322 |
| TRADE | merchant’s assistant | 24 | 40.95 | 28.06 | 55 | 1,629 |
| SEA | captain | 72 | 73.36 | 11.85 | 315 | 3,134 |
| SEA | first mate | 48 | 47.92 | 2.06 | 294 | 3,239 |
| SEA | second mate | 32 | 32.18 | 2.78 | 234 | 3,726 |
| SEA | third mate | 26 | 26.05 | 0.70 | 202 | 5,074 |
| SEA | boatswain | 22 | 19.92 | 3.84 | 134 | 6,909 |
| SEA | junior boatswain | 14 | 14.01 | 0.44 | 67 | 5,801 |
| SEA | quartermaster | 14 | 13.98 | 0.65 | 60 | 10,845 |
| SEA | sailor | 11 | 10.56 | 1.35 | 540 | 274,455 |
| SEA | junior sailor | 7 | 6.68 | 1.16 | 244 | 96,036 |
| SHIP | ship carpenter | 48 | 45.37 | 4.19 | 144 | 2,412 |
| SHIP | junior ship carpenter | 28 | 28.20 | 7.93 | 451 | 16,488 |
| SHIP | senior sail maker | 20 | 20.46 | 2.55 | 48 | 2,683 |
| SHIP | sail maker | 16 | 16.67 | 2.94 | 27 | 814 |
| SHIP | junior sail maker | 14 | 13.75 | 1.83 | 32 | 2,902 |
| SHIP | weapons master | 22 | 21.92 | 0.52 | 74 | 3,228 |
| SHIP | junior weapons master | 14 | 14.09 | 1.53 | 75 | 7,074 |
| SHIP | master-at-arms | 13 | 12.57 | 0.50 | 35 | 2,800 |
| SHIP | cook | 20 | 20.07 | 0.86 | 92 | 3,263 |
| SHIP | junior cook | 14 | 14.07 | 0.47 | 41 | 3,098 |
| SHIP | water maker | 18 | 17.61 | 1.50 | 31 | 215 |
| SHIP | junior water maker | 12 | 12.00 | 0.00 | 9 | 111 |
| SHIP | steward | 20 | 19.50 | 1.71 | 60 | 3,235 |
| SHIP | junior steward | 14 | 11.61 | 2.86 | 49 | 3,177 |
| SHIP | senior cooper | 16 | 16.69 | 1.22 | 91 | 2,775 |
| SHIP | cooper | 14 | 14.51 | 2.09 | 55 | 827 |
| SHIP | junior cooper | 14 | 13.82 | 0.80 | 98 | 3,902 |
| MEDICAL | senior barber-surgeon | 36 | 36.74 | 2.51 | 113 | 3,173 |
| MEDICAL | barber-surgeon | 26 | 24.99 | 3.64 | 162 | 4,092 |
| MEDICAL | junior barber-surgeon | 14 | 14.15 | 1.64 | 104 | 2,768 |
| MILITARY | military captain | 80 | 81.56 | 17.31 | 9 | 120 |
| MILITARY | lieutenant | 50 | 47.58 | 8.47 | 38 | 193 |
| MILITARY | ensign | 40 | 40.00 | 0.00 | 11 | 91 |
| MILITARY | bombardier | 24 | 24.67 | 5.16 | 6 | 72 |
| MILITARY | sergeant | 20 | 20.00 | 0.00 | 61 | 3,124 |
| MILITARY | corporal | 14 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 46 | 6,227 |
| MILITARY | lance-corporal | 12 | 12.79 | 1.03 | 86 | 6,038 |
| MILITARY | soldier | 9 | 9.21 | 0.47 | 197 | 241,102 |
| MILITARY | junior soldier | 7 | 7.00 | 0.00 | 23 | 1,844 |
| MILITARY | weapon maker | 14 | 13.97 | 0.80 | 87 | 2,230 |
| MILITARY | junior weapon maker | 9 | 9.00 | 0.00 | 2 | 92 |
| Total | 4,588 | 742,486 |
Table 3
Statistics on the availability of sources per decade. The table excludes 3 pay ledgers and 1 regiment book that could not be linked to a DAS voyage.
| DECADE | # OUTWARD VOYAGES (DAS) | # PAY LEDGERS | # REQUEST BOOKS | # REGIMENT BOOKS | % OF VOYAGES FOR WHICH PAY LEDGER IS AVAILABLE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1600–1609 | 96 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 1610–1619 | 112 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 1620–1629 | 145 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 1630–1639 | 142 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4.9% |
| 1640–1649 | 181 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 5.5% |
| 1650–1659 | 205 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 1660–1669 | 241 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.7% |
| 1670–1679 | 225 | 5 | 29 | 0 | 2.2% |
| 1680–1689 | 204 | 88 | 49 | 0 | 43.1% |
| 1690–1699 | 233 | 108 | 46 | 0 | 46.4% |
| 1700–1709 | 272 | 255 | 2 | 0 | 93.8% |
| 1710–1719 | 318 | 307 | 2 | 0 | 96.5% |
| 1720–1729 | 377 | 360 | 6 | 0 | 95.5% |
| 1730–1739 | 381 | 373 | 2 | 0 | 97.9% |
| 1740–1749 | 314 | 307 | 1 | 0 | 97.8% |
| 1750–1759 | 292 | 287 | 1 | 0 | 98.3% |
| 1760–1769 | 295 | 294 | 0 | 0 | 99.7% |
| 1770–1779 | 293 | 292 | 0 | 0 | 99.7% |
| 1780–1789 | 290 | 218 | 3 | 43 | 75.2% |
| 1790–1794 | 133 | 102 | 1 | 42 | 76.7% |
| Total | 4787 | 3017 | 142 | 85 |
Figure 2
The distribution of the number of VOC employments per (disambiguated) individual, with the Y axis scaled normally on the left and logarithmically on the right.
Figure 3
Map showing the region categorization (left) and distribution of disambiguated records over the regions. We distinguish regions based on language, maritime orientation, and proximity to the Netherlands. They can broadly be defined as follows: A. The Dutch Republic and Dutch-speaking area of the Southern Netherlands; B. Low German-speaking area; C. Scandinavia; D. German interior lands; E. British Isles; F. France; G. Iberian Peninsula; H. Modern-day Italy and Corsica; I. Eastern and Southeastern Europe.
Table 4
Description of variables included in file voc_sources.csv.
| COLUMN NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| source_id | record id; each record describes a physical archival document that contains data on the crew of a particular voyage of a VOC ship |
| ship_name | name of ship for which the source document provides data on the crew of a particular voyage |
| chamber | VOC chamber that managed the ship voyage and its crew |
| remarks | general remarks on record (in Dutch) |
| archival_reference | reference to inventory number in VOC archives at NA |
| uid | unique record id in database of Dutch National Archives |
| source_type | specification of source type (pay ledger, request book or regiment book) |
| das_voyage_id | unique id of voyage, refers to file VOC_voyages.csv |
Table 5
Description of variables included in file voc_persons_contracts.csv.
| COLUMN NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| vocop_id | record id; each record describes a muster record of a VOC employee that was recorded in the pay ledger of a particular voyage of a VOC ship |
| place_of_origin | place of origin of employee |
| place_id | id of place of origin, refers to file VOC_places.csv |
| disambiguated_person | 1 if record belongs to a disambiguated person, else 0 |
| person_cluster_id | id for cluster of records belonging to a disambiguated person |
| person_cluster_row | ordinal rank of the voyage in a disambiguated person’s career (‘3’ would e.g. indicate the third contract within a cluster) |
| rank_corrected | 1 if the rank stated in the original data set has been altered (correction of wrong transcription; distinction ranks that changed after 1783), else 0 |
| rank_id | unique id of rank, refers to file voc_ranks.csv |
| debt_letter | 1 if employee signed a debt letter, else 0 |
| month_letter | 1 if employee signed a month letter, else 0 |
| date_begin_contract | start date of employment contract |
| date_end_contract | end date of contract; incomplete dates in original data set were supplemented with arrival dates of return ships from DAS and/or completed with ‘–01’ or ‘–01-01’ to facilitate calculations with the dates |
| could_muster_again | 1 if employee could muster again on a subsequent voyage, given the reason why the current employment contract ended, else 0 |
| location_end_contract | location where the employment contract ended; when an employee returned to the Netherlands and signed off, the name of the return ship is given |
| outward_voyage_id | DAS voyage id of outward voyage, refers to file voc_voyages.csv |
| changed_ship_at_cape | 1 if employee changed ship at the Cape of Good Hope, else 0 |
| changed_ship_at_cape_voyage_id | DAS voyage id of outward voyage that employee joined from the Cape of Good Hope, refers to file voc_voyages.csv |
| return_voyage_id | DAS voyage id of return voyage, refers to file voc_voyages.csv |
| remark | general remark on record (in Dutch) |
| source_id | id of source record from which muster record originates, refers to file voc_sources.csv |
| source_reference | reference to finding place of record in the paper VOC archives (inventory number and page number) |
| uid | unique record id in database of Dutch National Archives |
| scan_permalink | permalink to scan of physical muster record |
Table 6
Description of variables included in file voc_names.csv.
| COLUMN NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| vocop_id | muster record id from which name originates, refers to file voc_persons_contracts.csv |
| first_name_original | first name of employee |
| patronymic_original | patronymic of employee |
| family_name_prefix_original | family name prefix of employee |
| family_name_original | family name of employee |
| full_name_normalized | normalized full name of employee |
| first_name_normalized | normalized first name of employee |
| patronymic_normalized | normalized patronymic of employee |
| family_name_prefix_normalized | normalized family name prefix of employee |
| family_name_normalized | normalized family name of employee |
Table 7
Description of variables included in file voc_places.csv.
| COLUMN NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| place_id | record id; each record describes a place of origin mentioned in the VOC muster records |
| place_original | toponym attestation in original data set |
| place_normalized | normalized toponym attestation |
| place_standardized_id | unique id of standardized place, refers to file voc_places_standardized.csv; left blank if place has not been standardized |
| provenance | code specifying the provenance of the standardization |
Table 8
Description of variables included in file voc_places_standardized.csv.
| COLUMN NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| place_standardized_id | record id; each record describes a standardized place of origin of a VOC employee |
| place_standardized | standardized placename |
| country_code | ISO 3166-1 alpha 2 code of country in which standardized place is presently located |
| place_standardized_cc | concatenation of standardized placename and country code |
| authority_file_uri | GeoNames or Wikidata URI of standardized place (Wikidata used when GeoNames unavailable, e.g. for historical regions) |
| latitude | latitude of place of origin, as provided by authority file |
| longitude | longitude of place of origin, as provided by authority file |
| region | region in which standardized place is located (A: Dutch Republic and Dutch-speaking area of Southern Netherlands, B: Low German-speaking area, C: Scandinavia, D: German interior lands, E: British Isles, F: France, G: Iberian Peninsula, H: Italy and Corsica, I: Eastern and Southeastern Europe) |
Table 9
Description of variables included in file voc_ranks.csv.
| COLUMN NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| rank_id | record id; each record describes a rank on board of a VOC ship |
| rank | rank designation |
| parent_rank | parent rank, grouping together one or more similar ranks |
| category | rank categorization (trade, sea, ship, medical, military or other) |
| subcategory | further rank categorization, e.g. distinguishing between commissioned and non-commissioned officers |
| hisco | HISCO code for rank (see https://historyofwork.iisg.nl/) |
| hico_uri | URI for HISCO code |
| rank_nl | rank designation in Dutch |
| rank_description_nl | description of rank in Dutch |
| rank_description_eng | description of rank in English |
| median_wage | median wage of rank, calculated from wage sample |
Table 10
Description of variables included in file voc_voyages.csv.
| COLUMN NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| das_voyage_id | record id; each record describes a voyage of a VOC ship |
| outward_return | 1 if outward voyage; 0 if return voyage |
| ship_name | name of ship |
| ship_tonnage | tonnage of ship |
| chamber | VOC chamber that managed the voyage |
| departure_date | date of departure |
| departure_place | place of departure |
| arrival_date_cape | date of arrival at the stopover at Cape of Good Hope |
| departure_date_cape | date of departure from Cape of Good Hope |
| arrival_date | date of arrival at destination |
| arrival_place | destination place |
Table 11
Description of variables included in file voc_beneficiaries.csv.
| COLUMN NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| beneficiary_id | record id; each record describes the beneficiary of a month letter and their relation to the VOC employee who signed the letter |
| full_name | full name of beneficiary |
| first_name | first name of beneficiary |
| patronymic | patronymic of beneficiary |
| family_name_prefix | family name prefix of beneficiary |
| family_name | family name of beneficiary |
| place_of_origin | place of origin of beneficiary |
| relation | beneficiary’s relation to VOC employee |
| remark | remark on month letter and/or beneficiary relation; in case the beneficiary was an institution, this field often mentions the name of the institution |
| vocop_id | id of muster record to which beneficiary is related, refers to file VOC_persons_contracts.csv |
| uid | unique record id in database of Dutch National Archives |