16세기 한 양반가 부인의 재산축적과 소유의식 -慶州孫氏家門 和順崔氏를 중심으로-

Abstract

This thesis studies on economic activities of a Yangban lady, Ms. Choi of Hwasoon gamun(和順崔氏婦人) who married into a Gyeongju Sonssi (慶州 孫氏) gamun, as example of asset accumulation in the 16th century by Yangban ladies and the characteristics of ownership in assets. Gyeongju Sonssi gamun’s assets increased by more than twice or even three times during the 16th century. Tracing sources of such increase in assets has revealed the fact that more than a half of such enlarged asset holdings were created or initiated by Ms. Choi. Her own property increased by the sale and purchase of farmlands using her own inheritance from her maiden home or gi-sang(記上;pay to the owner in farmland) of servants. An annual trend analysis of agreements for the sale and purchase of farmland to which the Gyeongju Sonssi clan is a party in the first half of the 16th century shows that the formerly irregular deals on farmland began to carry on steadily at the turn of the year of 1530. Such change is attributable to Ms. Choi’s strong initiatives for farmland trading when she returned to Gyeongju after Son Joong-don’s(孫仲暾) death in 1529. Ms. Choi went on increasing assets holdings by enlarging her own or family-owned farmland through Son Gwang-seo, a grandson of hers, her agent servants or directly by herself. It is interesting to note that Ms. Choi married her niece (from her parent’s side) and much-cherished goddaughter to her sworn-grandson(義孫) Son Gwang-seo(孫光曙). Such is closed related to property inheritance, as supported by the fact that Ms. Choi inherited substantially all of her property to Son Gwaong-seo three times during her life. Reverting property of a deceased woman with no children surviving to the family in which the decedent was born was an exceedingly sensitive issue in the 16th century. It was against such a backdrop that Ms. Choi, with no children of her own, named as heir to her estate her sworn-grandson Son Gwang-seo who was not related by blood. An analysis of inheritance documents has indicated that in her decision over inheritance, Ms. Choi took into account multiple factors, not simply limited to a Confucian sense of family tradition. That is, not only the Confucian sense of family tradition, but also blood relation, affection, trust on caring for her in her old age and memorial service, her sense of ownership of property, and so forth also played a role in Ms. Choi’s appointment of her successor. Such multiplicity is a characteristic of the 16th century that the established culture of bilateral kindred and an emerging culture of the Neo-Confucian ritual practice and exercise co-existed.