The Strong Widows of the North — Women and Economic Activity in Nineteenth Century Helsinki

The aim of this article is to analyze the presence of widows in trade and crafts in early- and mid-nineteenth century Helsinki, while the guilds were still operational, and around the time they were abolished. With the aid of tax records, municipal council minutes, and guild records widows engaged in economic activity have been located. The intention of this study is to demonstrate that widow headship and commercial engagement in this pre-industrial town was neither rare nor brief.