Fatherhood in Eighteenth-Century Holland: the Van Der Muelen Brothers

Abstract

Until recently, fatherhood in the Early Modern period has been largely unknown terrain. Books of advice on the physical upbringing of children were addressed to mothers, implying that fathers were not involved in the process. However, iconog raphic evidence presented by Simon Schama suggests that fathers did indeed partici pate in bringing up their children. This research note uses personal documents-the correspondence of two brothers, Jan André (1703-60) and JosephElias (1707-81) Van der Muelen-to address the apparent discrepancy. Two themes, the births and sickness of their children, dominated the brothers' letters to each other, and they also wrote about breast feeding, weaning, and the problems of finding godparents for their children. As such, the correspondence provides an insight into fatherhood in the Early Modern period.