| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of the study. The fundamental question is what factors influenced the living
conditions of the 515 orphans left in the Versend estate between 1815 and 1848. To what extent
impacted the inherited wealth, the age of the orphaned child, the number of siblings, and the
role of guardianship and lordship shaping the fate of orphans.
Applied methods. The orphan census and orphan documents of the Versend estate formed the
basis of the research. With the help of data referring to their financial conditions, it was possible
to compare the types of heritage and the handling of it. On the one hand, we examined the
percentage distribution of all assets, and on the other hand, we performed calculations by filtering
out different groups. The conclusions drawn from the figures were confirmed by examining
individual examples. In the course of the research, in addition to our previous processing of the
orphans of the Pécsvárad public foundation estate, we also reviewed the works related to the
orphans in France.
Outcomes. Most of the orphans in Versend were very poor, and the loss of their parents made
their situation much worse financially. The little more affluent only had the opportunity to learn,
which mostly meant some kind of craftsmanship. Marriage also allowed orphans displaced from
the family farm to get land, so orphans were married relatively early. Early deaths were affected
by the scarcity of wealth, the number of siblings, the age of becoming an orphan. The fate of
the orphans was basically determined by their financial situation, but its further development
was influenced by the person of the guardian, their residence and circumstances, and even the
solicitude of the orphan’s guardian. | hu |
