Protoindustrialization and marriage ages in eastern Belgium.

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between nuptiality and industrial development in five parishes in eastern Belgium between the mid-seventeenth century and 1790. The first sections discuss the protoindustrialization hypothesis as established by Mendels and others and relate the industrial development of the Verviers region. The main sections of the article compare a series of mean marriage ages for women to various measures of economic conditions. The results show no significant relationship contradicting some parts of the hypothesis. Then the article attempts to replicate Mendelss analysis more closely by using annual changes in the number of marriages as a proxy for the crude marriage rate. While there were some relationships they were not as expected. The conclusions to the article call for reexamination of the protoindustrialization hypothesis because of the difficulty we have had replicating some parts of it. (SUMMARY IN FRE) (EXCERPT)