The Diaries of Theresa Mathilda Schilders
Life and Death in Eighteenth-Century Antwerp
By Kristof Selleslach, archivist at the Museum Plantin-Moretus
Theresa Mathilda Schilders recorded the important events in her life. She meticulously chronicled the births and deaths of those around her in her almanacs. As the wife of an almoner, she took care of the foundlings for a while. She also made notes about her family’s travels and the important events that took place in her hometown. The almanacs give us a privileged glimpse into the life of the Antwerp elite in the eighteenth century and, in particular, into the life of the Moretus-Schilders family.
Almanacs
To keep her diaries, Theresa Mathilda Schilders (1696–1729) used almanacs. These printed calendar books contain the astronomical events and religious festivities for the coming year. Theresa Mathilda’s almanacs were actually printed to be hung on the wall as posters. Her bookseller, however, cut out the months and pasted them into a handy notebook. For each opening, you will find the printed monthly calendar on the left. You could make notes on the blank page on the right. Theresa Mathilda used the free space to keep a diary of the important events in her life. Her almanacs from the period 1718–1723 have been preserved in the Plantin-Moretus Archives, and they were digitised especially for this blog post.
Birth
It goes without saying that Theresa Mathilda recorded the births of her own children. During this period, she gave birth to five children. Afterwards, she would have four more children. She also wrote down the births of relatives and acquaintances. Thanks to these records, we learn that she was pregnant at the same time as her sister-in-law. Anna Maria Moretus (1687–1724), the sister of her husband Joannes Jacobus gave birth to a daughter on 27 October 1719 at 11.30 pm. The next morning at 9.30, Theresa Mathilda gave birth to her son Joannes Petrus. It is very likely that the simultaneous pregnancy strengthened the bond between the sisters-in-law.
Only for her eldest son Franciscus Joannes (‘Suske’) did she also record at what age he went to school for the first time (5 years and 1 month) and wore trousers for the first time (5 years and 11 months). Apparently, Suske went to school without trousers in his first school year.
Breastfeeding
When do you stop breastfeeding? That would be a difficult decision for any mother. Theresa Mathilda meticulously noted down these dates in her almanacs. We know that she breastfed her eldest son for fifteen months. For the last month and a half, she breastfed two children at the same time, because by then Balthasar Jacobus had been born. She stopped breastfeeding her second son at six months and her third son, Joannes Petrus, at five and a half months. In contrast, she breastfed her fourth son, Paulus Jacobus, for fifteen and a half months, which was half a month longer than his eldest brother.
For breastfeeding, elite mothers of the period often called on a nurse. According to her almanacs, however, Theresa Mathilda only hired a nurse for her first and fourth sons. It is no coincidence that they were breastfed much longer than their brothers. She probably breastfed her second and third son herself.
Death
Besides births, Theresa Mathilda also wrote down the deaths of family members and acquaintances. Sometimes they also mentioned the cause of death. For instance, in September 1722, the then Lord of Hemiksem died as a result of falling down the stairs. This was not a disaster for her family, for her father, François Schilders II, would himself become Lord of Hemiksem a few years later. In 1722, Theresa Mathilda said her last goodbye to her mother, Maria Isabella Theresa de Vlieghere. On 16 October, the last sacraments were administered to her. She died only eleven days later at 8 pm. The bereaved honoured her with a Latin epitaph with a chronogram on each line. The red letters each represent the year 1722 in Roman numerals.
Foundlings
In August 1718, her husband Joannes Jacobus Moretus (1690–1757) took the oath as almoner. The almoners controlled the public institutions for the care of the poor, including the Maagdenhuis (the orphanage for poor orphaned girls). Theresa Mathilda actively helped her husband, and in the autumn of 1718, she took care of the newly found abandoned babies. She enjoyed the privilege of naming the foundlings. For the names, she sometimes found inspiration in the place where they were found. For instance, Augustinus Inganck (‘August Entrance’) was found at the entrance of St Augustine’s Church. Not all names were chosen in the most thoughtful way. She probably saddled Bertinus Geenderweerden (‘Bert Worthless’) with an inferiority complex.
Travelling
Twice a year, in early spring and early autumn, Theresa Mathilda often recorded ‘inden hof rijden’ in her almanac. The Dutch word ‘hof’ usually means garden, but in this case, she did not go riding in the garden. Most likely, she meant a stay in the family’s country estate (‘hof van plaisantie’) in Stabroek. The enormous Steenland castle grounds (also known as Ravenhof or Moretushof) came into the possession of the Moretus family through the stepmother of Anna Goos — her husband’s grandmother. The castle remained in the family until the middle of the twentieth century.
In May 1720, her husband and father sailed to England. The purpose of this trip was a combination of business and family visits. The Moretus and Schilders families were very wealthy and had invested part of their capital in the City. Her only brother, Paulus Franciscus, even lived as an expat in London during that period. Theresa Mathilda stayed at home with the children and sent letters to London. A year later, in August 1721, she was allowed to accompany her husband on their trip to Holland. Her brother did not return to Antwerp until September 1722 via Ostend.
Fire
In her almanacs, Theresa Mathilda also made notes of important events that took place in her hometown. On 18 July 1718, for example, lightning struck St. Charles Borromeo Church at 2 pm. The unfortunate Jesuit church burned to the ground according to Theresa Mathilda.
Dying in Childbirth
Births and deaths sometimes came together in a tragic way. Charlotte le Cat — a cousin by marriage of her husband — gave birth to a healthy son on 8 March 1720. Theresa Mathilda became the child’s proud godmother and her brother-in-law Balthasar Moretus IV the godfather. The mother did not do well at all. Three days after the birth, she was hurriedly administered the last sacraments. The next day, she died of complications due to childbirth. At the funeral, Joannes Jacobus Moretus prayed for her. The day after the mother’s death, the mourning godparents baptised their godchild Balthasar Joannes.
A few years later, Theresa Mathilda herself suffered the same tragic fate. On 3 June 1729, she died in childbirth eight days after giving birth to her ninth child, Catharina Maria. She just missed her thirty-third birthday.
