Groningen - Matrimonio tra van Westrene e Lydeckers. - 1646

The Dutch spouses of 1646: between private law and social rite
This marriage notarial act drawn up in Groningen in 1646 constitutes a direct testimony of the legal and social culture of the Netherlands in the 17th century. The conjoint presence of seven wax seals and twelve autograph signatures makes it a document of exceptional symbolic and material strength, in which the matrimonial bond is manifested as a public, shared, and solemnly authenticated act. Not only a legal instrument, but also a ceremonial object, the document reflects the central role of the notary in building civil trust and in the formalization of family and patrimonial relations.
Market value
Dutch 17th-century matrimonial notarial acts with intact seals and multiple signatures are today sought mainly by collectors of historical manuscripts, scholars of legal history, and archival institutions. Comparable large-format samples with a complete sigillographic apparatus generally fall within a market range of 1,000 to 2,000 euros, with higher prices for documents particularly well preserved or tied to locally prominent families.

Physical description and condition
Notarial manuscript on paper, dated 1646, relating to the marriage between Jacob van Westrene and Andrea Lydeckers. Large-format document (286 x 514 mm), with text laid out in extended form and space at the bottom reserved for signatures. Present are twelve autograph signatures and seven hanging wax seals, a visually striking element and of primary documentary importance. General condition good, with natural patina of time consistent with the dating. In ancient documents, with a multi-century history, there may be some imperfections not always noted in the description.

Full title and author
Notarial deed of marriage between Jacob van Westrene and Andrea Lydeckers.
Drafted by a notary practising in Groningen, 1646.

Context and Significance
In seventeenth-century Holland, marriage was not only a sacrament or a private agreement, but a true civil contract, often accompanied by patrimonial, dowry, and succession clauses. The notarial act therefore played a central role in protecting the interests of the families involved. The presence of numerous witnesses, evidenced by the twelve signatures, and of the four wax seals, probably belonging to witnesses, relatives, or guarantors, strengthens the document’s evidentiary value and underscores its public dimension. This type of act is today a privileged source for the study of social history, genealogy, and legal practices in the Netherlands of the modern era.

Biography of the Author
The notary who drew up the document is not named in the document as presented, but it falls within Groningen's solid seventeenth-century notarial tradition, characterized by rigorous legal training and by a pivotal role in the city's economic and family life.

Printing history and circulation
This is a unique handwritten document, prepared in an original copy for the contracting parties and intended for private or notarial preservation. There are no print runs or reprints; its survival to the present day makes it a rare and authentic witness to the documentary practice of the time.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN, for the normative and comparative context of European notarial acts of the seventeenth century.
P. Spufford, Power and Profit: The Merchant in Medieval Europe, chapters on the notarial tradition in the Netherlands.
J. H. Baker, An Introduction to English Legal History, comparative sections on the European notarial systems.