WIDOWS, WIDOWERS AND REMARRIAGE IN 19TH-CENTURY NETHERLANDS

This article examines the Dutch pattern of remarriage during the ninet eenth century, using data from the vital registration system (marriage s and deaths), and the population registers for the cities of Breda (S outh Netherlands) and Gouda (West Netherlands). A group of 6500 widows and widowers were followed from the moment they were widowed until th ey either remarried or died whilst widowed. Migrating widows and widow ers were also followed to their new destinations. Proportional hazards analysis shows that the principal factor which determined the probabi lity of remarriage was age at bereavement. The probability of remarria ge was much greater for men than for women, and for the childless than for widowed persons with children. If a widowed person with a child o r children wished to remarry, he or she was more likely to do so, if t he child was young. The situation of widowed persons who remarried was close to that of those who married for the first time; the partner ha d to be relatively young and childless. Neither occupation nor religio n significantly affected the chance of remarriage during the period st udied, but in Gouda the probabilities of remarriage were generally hig her than in Breda.