Crimnal cases in court books of Polish towns as a source for studing the family life of the turn of the 18th century

Abstract

Court records are an invaluable source for studying interpersonal relations in Old Poland. They usually contain examples of legal tussles over property and pathological conflicts, some-times leading to criminal offences, even of recidivist nature. Offences within family are usu-ally categorized as ‘petty crime’, often ignored by judges and even by family members themselves. Such distorted relations between family members or neighbours had a negative impact on the stability of families, on the well-being and status of their members, and on their neighbours, who were, willy-nilly, involved as witnesses. The most frequent cases recorded in court books were thefts, appropriations, burglaries, robberies, assaults and libels, diffi cult property cases and sexual violence. Factors that induced crime included widespread poverty, which affected not only lowclasses or socially alienated groups but also pauperized nobility, weak family ties, a high percentage of people without families entering casual short-term relationships, envy, religious and cultural conflicts.