The silk weavers’ craft guild and the fluctuations of the labour market in pre-industrial Valencia (1479-1836)

Authors

  • Daniel Muñoz Navarro Universitat de València
  • Ricardo Franch Benavent Universitat de València

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33231/j.ihe.2020.07.001

Keywords:

Guilds, Labour, Silk, Valencia, N6, N33, N90, N93

Abstract

This article focuses on the analysis of the silk weavers’ craft guild (gremio de velluters) in Valencia throughout its existence, from its creation in 1479 until the abolition decree of these corporations in 1836. This guild controlled the main industrial activity of this city during the entire early modern period. The exceptional nature of the archival sources of this institution allows us to observe the fluctuations of its labour market, through the reconstruction of the evolution of the number of masters and the socio-professional analysis of the 9,439 candidates examined to access the master’s degree. Through this case study, the aim is to contribute to the debate of “the return of guild”, claiming the importance of contextualized analyses, in order to consider the role played by craft guilds during the Ancien Regime and its grade of flexibility and openness.

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Published

2021-09-28

How to Cite

Muñoz Navarro, D., & Franch Benavent, R. (2021). The silk weavers’ craft guild and the fluctuations of the labour market in pre-industrial Valencia (1479-1836). Investigaciones De Historia Económica, 17(4), 16–28. https://doi.org/10.33231/j.ihe.2020.07.001

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Section

ARTICLES