Orphaned children in Bohemian rural society in the first half of the nineteenth century

The legal protection of orphans has had a long tradition in the Czech lands but effective institutional care was lacking in rural areas as late as the nineteenth century. Orphaned children depended on their widowed parent or other relatives. Their financial position rested on the family estate and the likelihood of inheriting it. The present study focuses on the situation and living conditions of orphans in the area of Nový Rychnov in South Bohemia in 1785–1855. It includes an analysis of a database of 1,199 orphans, based on parish registers, land registers, marriage contracts, wills and written confessions.