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New Netherland, New York Genealogy
Obsolete Occupations of the Netherlands
© Cor Snabel
Gravedigger (doodgraver)
The 17th century gravedigger did not only bury people, he
also sold graves. If people had money and did not
immediately need a grave, they contacted the church warden
and told him they were interested in buying a grave and
waited until a suitable grave within the church was
available. But if a relative died and he or she had to be
buried within a few days, you ended up at the gravedigger.
Normally he owned a few graves and took advantage of the
grieved family by charging them extravagant amounts of
money. Even Rembrandt was the victim of the gravedigger of
the Oude Kerk. When Saskia died he bought grave 29 for her
within the church in the Weitkopers chapel behind the
pulpit. Not being a sharp merchant, he was an easy victim
for gravedigger Zeger Fransz. Claeu. Saskia was buried on 19
June 1642 and Rembrandt did not even have any money left to
have her name engraved in the stone or to let the bells
ring.
This gravedigger was no exception; all his colleagues had
this profitable additional income. Graves were bought and
sold all the time and if the tombstone was decorated with a
copper goblet or a coat of arms, the gravedigger removed
those items before he sold the grave to somebody else.
According to the church regulations the owner was allowed to
do this as long as he did not ruin the tombstone. This is
why we hardly find any copper nameplates or metal ornaments
on the still existing tombstones, only the ones that were
attached too tight. One of the church wardens of the Old
Church wrote down all the malpractice of the gravediggers at
the end of the 17th century, but it still lasted years
before the regulations were changed and the wardens had any
control over the embezzlements of the gravediggers.
>Choose from the following ancient occupations
Baker |
Beachcomber |
Beguine |
Candlemaker |
Dumpman |
Executioner |
Fanmaker |
Fireman |
Gravedigger |
Innkeeper |
Laundrywoman |
Nightwatch |
Peddlar |
Porter |
Seat Caretaker |
Ship Shanghai |
Soapmaker |
Streetpaver |
Tolltaker |
Pharmacist
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