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Peasant work obligations

Here you can read the Blintene Manor’s land registers from 1807 and 1820, as well as an appendix to the land lease agreement from 1862, when land leases had already changed to money leases (the use of crown land had to be paid for in money, not in grain), but the following such transfers and obligations still remained. The audio books are interesting testimonies about the life of our forefathers in the times of the manor. The original spelling has been preserved.

In the period from 1795 to 1915, a significant part of Suitu district belonged to the crown – the Russian state property administration. Crown manors were Alšvanga (with Balande and Ozolmuiža half-manors), Gudenieki, Gräveri, Blintene, Jauna muiža, Basi, Adzes, Féliksberg and Stirnu muiža.

According to Heinrich Strode’s book “Lands and peasants of the Crown of Kurzeme”, the estates of the Kurzeme crown were divided as follows:

  1. Ordinary lances (cavalry and infantry)
  2. Chord ears
  3. Extraordinary hearings (testimonies).

In addition to the questions, there were also monetary payments. Since the increase in the cash income of manor farms lagged behind the growing monetary needs of the duke and later also the crown, most of the fees were converted into cash payments already in the 18th century. Until the annexation of Courland to Russia, the peasants were not subject to independent taxes to the duke, except for the once-demanded castle building money.

An average farm sent 3-4 workers to the ears every day. Klauši farmers spent up to ¾ of their working time on the manors. All servants, without exception, were in a service relationship with the owners of the estates based on free contracts, in which they were hired differently every year for their labor relations, completely free or receiving payment in the form of an allocated piece of land, free food grain or money.

Special hearing of that parish, year 1807 (f. 6999, Apr. 44, item 138)

  1. How many plots of land (one plot of land = 0.37 ha) must be cultivated by each owner in the winter and summer fields of the Manor, as shown in the parish book, one plot of land holds 15 cards in each cante, that’s a card of 7½ Riga cubits.
  2. It is done together to bring shit from the owners to the employees.
  3. In the meadows of the Manor, each owner who listens to the works must mow one hay bale from 48 cards in each cante, that card from 12½ feet every year, receive that hay and bring it to the Manor.
  4. The twist of the landlords in the parish book has already been calculated in the parish money.
  5. For those owners, no transfer of straw, cow ties or other such things in the Manor, because they are calculated in the parish book in the parish money.
  6. According to Jelgava’s high order, 31¾ axes of firewood, each axis of 7 feet in length, in height and in width, are brought to the Manor every year from those owners. Likewise, 2 axes of firewood must be brought to the Manor every year for each owner, and especially for all owners, a total of 1¾ axes of firewood must be brought to the Manor according to the said measure.
  7. According to the order of the same Jelgava, a total of 22½ axles of firewood, each axle of 7 feet in length, height and width, is produced from those employees with horses at the Manor’s entrance.
  8. Every owner must clean 25 to 30 carts in the manor’s rural ditches every year, that is a cart from 7½ Riga cubits.
  9. Those owners must take turns keeping one watchman at the feet of the Manor every night, who can be dismissed from the Manor early in the morning.
  10. Those employees with a horse are groomed early on Monday morning at the Manor’s works and dismissed from the Manor on Saturday evening at a good time.
  11. Of those employees with a horse, one must stay at the Manor every Sunday, which cannot be sent out for a couple of miles and can be released from the Manor on Sunday evening at a good time.
  12. During the cultivation period, during the week in which he is working with his horse, the owner must spend three nights in the manor with a horse.
  13. For the one dowry of forest oats that are given according to the parish book, each owner must pay as much annually in money to the Manor as the worthy Governor of Kurzeme has decided to pay annually for one dowry.
  14. Each owner must hand over to the manor every year the church lord’s crops and money, which is written in the parish books.
  15. According to Jelgava’s order, each worker with a horse must work four dowry places in each field of the Manor.
  16. Those wives of servants do not do any work for the Manor.
  17. The grain of the Manor, which grows on the plows of the farmers, is cut by the owner, received and brought in, and that which grows on the plows of the workers, must be harvested by the workers, received and delivered.
  18. Those owners must take the crops of the Manor to the cities.
  19. Those owners must transport, grind and transport their crops for the needs of the Manor.
  20. Those owners had to order the witnesses of the construction of a new building or a major renovation of the building, one by one, and bring all the necessary things to the Manor.
  21. Roads and bridges are made and repaired by the owners.
  22. Manor fences are made and repaired by the employees and all necessary things are brought to the Manor by the employees.
  23. The employees agree with the throwing of shit from the Manor’s shed during the winter.
  24. During the cleaning of the meadow of the Manor at a time when the owners have other important work to do, the entire district is driven for 8 to 12 days
  25. me
  26. Written in the Blinte of the Crown Manor on the 18th day, in the month of Siena, 1807.
  27. Hearing and Parish Book from the Crown Manor Blinte written on the 3rd day, in the month of Spring, 1820 (Fonds 6999, Apr. 44, Case 138)
  28. Parish special hearing
  29. How many dowry areas each owner must cultivate, sow and provide in the winter and summer fields of the manor every year can be seen in the parish book. Dowry place 15 cards, two dowry places 21 cards, 2 feet in 3 tullus, three dowry places 26 cards, four dowry places 30 cards, five dowry places 33 cards, 5 feet in 4 tullus in six dowry places 36 cards, 7 feet in 5 tulls on each wall there: each round of 7½ Riga cubits.
  30. Each owner must clean 25 to 30 carts in the manor fallow field ditches every year: each cart from 7½ Riga cubits.
  31. Taking shit with the owners and employees worked together top.
  32. Employees are allowed to throw out shit from the manor during the winter.
  33. Every owner in the meadows of the manor must cut one hay bale from 48 bales in each wall of 12½ feet each year, that hay must be received and delivered to the manor.
  34. According to Jelgava’s high order on the seventh day of the month of September in 1805, the owners were given a total of 31¾ axles of firewood for the manors, each axle of seven feet in length, height and width, to be delivered on presentation of the forest lord. Therefore, each owner must bring 2 axes of firewood and, in addition, all owners a total of 1¾ axes of firewood according to proven measures every year for the manor.
  35. According to the same high orders of Jelgava, a total of 22½ axles of firewood are brought from the manor employees with horses every year, each axle from 7 feet in length, height and width, on the presentation of the forest lord to the manor.
  36. The return of the owners has long been calculated in the parish book in the parish money.
  37. No transfer of straw, cow ties, or other such things in the manor to the owners, because they have already been accounted for in the parish’s money in the parish book.
  38. The owners, changing every night, must send one watchman to the manor on foot, who comes to the manor in the evening and is dismissed from the manor early in the morning.
  39. Employees with a horse are sent to work on the manor early on Monday morning and dismissed on Saturday evening in a good time.
  40. The owners send employees according to the old custom with two horses to the manor for work.
  41. One of the employees with a horse must stay at the manor every Sunday, which can be sent out for a couple of miles and can be released from the manor on Sunday evening at a good time.
  42. During the threshing season, every week when he is working with his horse, one threshing machine with a horse must be thrashed on the manor for three nights.
  43. Each owner must pay for the one dowry of forest oats that is given according to the parish book, as much money annually in the manor as the worthy Governor of Kurzeme has decreed to pay annually for one dowry of forest oats.
  44. Each owner must hand over the churchman’s crops and money as written in the parish book to the manor for the churchman of Alšvange every year.
  45. According to Jelgava’s high command, each employee must work four dowries with a horse in each field of the manor.
  46. The wives of the servants, even after the High Lord, and also after the orders of the Kameralhof, have no work and no work for that manor.
  47. The crops of the manor, which grow on the owners’ sheaves, are cut by the owners, received and imported, those which grow on the employees’ sheaves, must be harvested by the employees, received and brought in.
  48. The owners must take all the fruits of the manor to the city.
  49. Owners must bring, grind and transport their crops for the needs of the manor to the mill.
  50. The owners had to bring all the logs and other things needed for construction to the manor.
  51. Owners must send necessary witnesses to the manor in order to build new buildings and repair buildings: but even minor building repairs are done by the manor’s employees.
  52. All roads and bridges are built and patched together by the owners, and everything that is needed for the construction of roads and bridges is also brought from them.
  53. All manor fences are made and repaired by the employees themselves, and all necessary things are also brought by them.
  54. During the cleaning of the meadows of the manor, at a time when the owners have no other important work, the entire region is driven for eight to twelve days.
  55. When one house belonging to this manor goes down due to the sin of fire, then it is the duty of all the owners to bring all the things necessary for the construction as helpers to help with the construction.
  56. The owners were obliged to take away all the prisoners or prisoners in all orders of the Crown who were sent to this manor.
  57. Written in the Crown Manor Blinte on the 4th day of the month of Spring 1820.
  58. A complete transition from ear rent to money rent happened gradually, starting in the 1830s. However, it really started with the instruction of the Ministry of State Property of 1846 on the introduction of money rent in the Baltics. In 1853, out of 14,566 homesteads of private estates, 3,410 (23.4%) were transferred to cash rent, while in crown estates, 4,501 (61.4%) out of 7,325 homesteads were transferred.
  59. After the regulation of the Blintene crown manor in 1862
  60. ā (the so-called “times of surveyors”), new lease agreements were signed with land lessees, of which the lease agreement of the Bierand houses is preserved in the State Historical Archive (F.183, Apr.184, L.2014). According to the annex to this agreement, there was no further hearing or conveyance in respect of the manor. However, such hearings and transfers remained in relation to the parish, church, etc.
  61. Appendix
  62. at the Crown Blinten Bierend house lease contract (signed on April 23, 1862).
  63. On the fields of the houses, the maintenance of the land on 3 ares is done and the lessee may not do any other maintenance of the land on the leased plots of land without prior permission from the Administration.
  64. Permanent hearings and transmissions of the crown parish and parish must be heard and transmitted to those houses:
  65. a) To the Church Lord:
  66. 5¼ Guts of rye
  67. 5¼ Garnica barley
  68. 5¼ Garnica oats
  69. – chap. sudr. money
  70. b) For the organist
  71. – Bowel rye
  72. – Barley barley
  73. – Garnica oats
  74. Chapter 54 sudr. money
  75. c) To lead the pack horses and reins in turn for the rides of court lords for official purposes, for leading soldiers, etc.
  76. d) Highways and church roads, bridges, etc. to maintain in a proprietary manner.
  77. e) To send people in turn to escort arrestees, carry court books, for members of the Kurzeme Oberhof Court, etc.
  78. f) Give a card to soldiers.
  79. The hearing of the parish and parish of the Crown, which is probably imposed from the management of the lands of the Baltiska Crown through sharing, should be heard by those houses:
  80. a) To lower the raft and the firewood of the MP to be lowered from the upland Crown forests to Jelgava, haul it out and load it.
  81. b) Bring firewood for the deputy to the lords of the court and the supply houses (Stiftung).
  82. c) Send forest workers, one day for every 2 souls.
  83. d) To send witnesses to the improvement works according to the size of the leases for 2, 4, 8 and 12 days each year, as soon as the Crown land management so orders.
  84. e) Bring things that are necessary for such improvement works.
  85. f) To send and bring witnesses who are needed for the construction of churches and Widmju.
  86. How big are the permanent and time-imposed hearings of the Crown parish and parish, if they had not been expressed here before, they are after the delivery of the order of land management of the Crown of Kurzeme from 29ta Merz 1850, No. 2683 at the rent, which the lessee of the house must pay annually, and therefore the lessee at these hearings, at 61 rub. – chap. sudr. the applicable rent must be heard by his court from to 6/10.

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