Estate Management of the Lesser Nobility in the Mid–18th Century – Money Flow in the Bályoki Hégen–Szénás family

Abstract

The dominion-historical aspects of the mid–18th century are not only significant from economic and historic points of view. Agriculture, the powerhouse of the Hungarian Kingdom, with its joint manufacturing industry, significantly determined the social status of the noble families of the era. The primary source of this paper is an urbarium (socage) containing an inventory, completed in 1778. On its basis it is easier to quantify the real impact of a not-so-well-known lesser noble family, the Bályoki Hégen–Szénás family. Data found in this document could show us on what scale, with how much income and by what methods they have led their estates. With the help of research published in the field, it is possible to calculate the expenses of the family approximately, making it easier to calculate their real profit and to determine the characteristics of their management strategies.