Incorrectness of married life of residents of Sambir economy in the first half of the XVII century (on the strength of registrations in the castle book 1614-1632)

Registrations in the castle book of Sambir economy 1614-1632 contain items of information about some aspects of home and private life of its citizens. The analysis of these notes gives us the opportunity to speak about the place of family status in the minds of representatives of country folk in that time. Marriage was treated both as one of the key conditions of honesty of a person, ensuring his/her proper social status and as confirmation of readiness to live his/her own adult life. Troubles in family life were reflected in the notations in the castle book on the whole. Showing the breaches of standards of married life, such cases represent the samples of matrimonial relations. Conclusion of bilateral agreements before marriage preceded the formation of married couples. Failure to comply with these agreements led to conflicts. There were several ways of creating the new married couple: due to young people’s free will, under parents’ compulsion, by stealing the chosen person without permission or under the influence of public blame. The personal life of the members of the rural community was put under control this way. Life together without marriage was taken as breaking the rules of the system of moral ethical values in that period. The absence of family harmony and mutual understanding caused arguments between the married couples. Determination of such arguments fell within the jurisdiction of both the church and secular judicial institutions. Dissatisfaction with the relationships between matrimonial partners became the reasons of adultery, unwarranted leaving the families and even murders. Women’s faults often became the motives to be marriages on the verge of break-up or caused the official divorces. Adulterate relations proved due to practising inquisition and rumours about existence of these relations influenced the reputation of the residents of economy. That’s why saving one’s good name actively gave the beginning for judicial proceedings.