조선후기 양반가의 빈민구제와 그 사회적 성격: 해남윤씨 연동(蓮洞) 종가의 사례를 통하여

Abstract

Around the 16th century, there were many cases in which a noble family settled down in a certain area and lived in the same place for hundreds of years, exercising social influence on local residents. This paper set out to examine one such case in the head family of the Haenam Yun clan(海南尹氏), and investigate the content and nature of its poor relief for local residents. There are three well‒known touching stories about the benefits granted to local residents by the Haenam Yun family over three generations. In one of the stories, Yun Hyo‒jeong(尹孝貞) paid the debts of three local residents imprisoned for their unpaid Hwangok(還穀) debt and let them go free in the 16th century. In another, Yun Seon‒do(尹善道) relieved the local poor with a reclamation project in the 17th century. In the last story, Yun Du‒seo(尹斗緖) led relief efforts for the poor with a saltmaking project in the 18th century. The touching story of Yun Hyo‒jeong took place in the early 16th century. The story was used as a public cause for the village and allowed the Yun family to be exempted from mandatory labor in the 19th century. Massive numbers of local residents were mobilized in the reclamation project led by Yun Seon‒do. They voluntarily looked for bank reclamation projects to get paid with Yeokga and found ways to make a living. In the early 18th century, local residents collected salt at the salt pond provided by the Yun family. It is estimated that the Yun family and local residents enjoyed tax exemption benefits and shared salt profit. These cases of the Haenam Yun family suggest that in the latter part of Joseon, noble families and local residents in the community collaborated with each other and shared projects together in their relations of mutual benefits rather than one‒side offering benefits and one‒side receiving relief.