조선후기 漢城府 中部 長通坊 丁萬石契 소재 가옥의 매매와 그 특징

Abstract

In this article, the residences and houses that were located in the Hanseong-bu/漢城府 capital's Jungbu/中部 district, Jangtong-bang/長通坊 street's Jeongmanseok-gyae/丁萬石契 area are examined. And more specifically, the history of those houses, including all the transactions that had been conducted for more than 180 years since 1690(16th year of King Sukjong/肅宗's reign) through 1871(8th year of King Gojong/高宗's reign) with these residences, will be examined as well. All these transaction records reveal quite many things: The authentication process that prevailed at the time over the issue of personal ownership, types of documents that were created during the transaction process, changes in the residences' size and features that continuously happened whenever these residences were renovated from its original figures in later periods, notable changes in prices, and changes in methods used for transactions. Results of such analysis revealed certain aspects, as follow. First, according to the Jinsa(Jikjang) Lee House(李進士宅/李直長宅) document, even when one did not have a transaction document to prove one's own ownership over a particular object, one could ask the Hanseong-bu capital authorities to issue an 'Ibji' document, and be semi-granted of one's own ownership rights, which even permitted that person to conduct transaction of that same object. And even when an 'Ibji' had already been issued, a buyer of a house would additionally solicit an 'Iban' document from the authorities, to solidify its own rights. Second, we can see that the price of houses were on the rise, throughout a long period of time. In the 18th century, we can see that a house in the Jeongmanseok-gyae area was sold for 160 silver coins(Jeong-eunja/丁銀子) in 1720(46th year of King Sukjong's reign). Yet in 1764(40th year of King Yeongjo's reign) the same house was sold for 300 silver coins, and in 1783(7th year of King Jeongjo's reign) when three chambers were added to the original structure, the price rose to 350 silver coins. In other words, the price was more than doubled in a century. Same pattern can be observed in the 19th century as well. In that time period, the house's price rose from 900 coins to 2,600 coins, showing a 300% increase in price. During the course of the 18th and 19th centuries, the price rose to roughly 6 times of its original price, and more importantly, it rose steadily and constantly. Third, regardless of the price, the houses and residences located inside the Hanseong-bu capital were also being 'more than frequently' bought and sold. From 1720 through 1871, in 150 years, the transaction records show that an individual house went through generally 30 rounds of transactions, which means that in average, transaction of a particular house occurred roughly every 5 years. Yet there were also cases in which houses were transacted rather hastily, in even 3 or 4 months' period, particularly during King Jeongjo's reign. Fourth, around the 18th century, the methods of transacting houses were going through some changes as well. In the 18th century, silver coins were being mainly used as transaction methods for houses, yet coming into the 19th century, bronze coins apparently started to replace them. Although they were already in use and circulation since the 18th century, usage of them became more prominent during the 19th century, and they came to be frequently used in house transactions as well. Fifth, it should be noted that one's own personal status(inside the social hierarchy structure) were not so much disclosed in the transaction process of houses.