Database of those recorded as deceased in the Haarlem "bells and graves" register, 1412-1547

This database has been compiled from original manuscripts preserved in the Noord-Hollands Archief, Haarlem. Archive reference: Kerkvoogdij van de Nederlands Hervormde Gemeente te Haarlem, 1561, nos. 278–363 (old order KV 1472–14785).

These documents were known as the "klok en graf" registers (bells and graves), and part of the ordinary church financial accounts. It is one of the earliest and fullest serial (yearly) indicators of deaths for any city or town in the northern Netherlands. It includes both adult men and women quite systematically (i.e., little sign of structural under-recording of one sex), but only includes children sporadically.

In the database, there are a number of variables that have been recorded. These include:

1. The folio number of the original manuscript
2. The name of the deceased
3. The sex of the deceased
4. The profession of the deceased if mentioned
5. Whether the deceased was an adult or child
6. A link to another deceased person through a kinship tie
7. The status of the deceased - i.e., whether it was a recording of a burial, the church bells, or a last testament (and sometimes all 3 applied to the same person)
8. If the church bells were rung, the type of bells mentioned (there were 3 statuses: Salvator 30 stuivers; Bavo 20 stuivers; Maria 10 stuivers).
9. Information on the form of payment that was made to the church for the service of burial, bells, or testament
10. Whether the name has been struck through
11. Other standout contextual remarks