Попис православних свештеника Градишке регименте из 1760. године
Census of Orthodox Priests of Gradiška Regiment in 1760

Summary/Abstract: The census of households of Serbian Orthodox priests in the Gradiška regiment was carried out by regiment military authorities in 1760, during the Seven Years’ War. Their aim was to point to the increase in the number of privileged households in the territory of the regiment compared to the earlier census of 1756. Owing to the spiritual status of one of their members, these households enjoyed immunity and were exempted from tax and military duties. The census published here is one of the few which recorded all men living in Serbian priest households. As such, it helps us learn about the size and structure of these households. In addition to data about the number of family members, names, age and military status of male members, the census also contains data on arable surfaces owned by the households (ploughed fields, meadows and orchards). The census covered 41 priests from 19 Serbian settlements. A difference was made between the “old” (16) and “new“ (25) priests, depending on whether they were ordained before or after 1756. Referring to earlier bans on an increase in the number of Orthodox priests, the military authorities believed that male members of new priest households should be treated as conscripts, just as they were before some of their members were ordained priests. In contrast, the Bishop of Pakrac required that all members of priest families be considered privileged, regardless of whether their representatives were “old” or “new” priests, i.e. priests with or without parishes. The view of the church representatives had greater weight despite the disagreements. Based on the census, 176 persons in “new” priest households had to be exempted from the customary military service, while the privileged position of the “old” priests and their household members was already taken into account. The fact that these households, as a rule, had a greater number of members than the households of their parishioners played an important role in the conflict between the military authorities and the Orthodox clergy concerning military and tax duties of male members of priest families. A household of a Serbian Orthodox priest in the Gradiška regiment had 7.18 men on average, of whom 4.29 were adult men (above 16), while around a fifth of households covered by the census had between ten and 16 male members.

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