i
i
1
reached its lowest point, so only after recovering capital for several years it could
start paying dividends to its shareholders again in 1763.43
MCC's Profit and Loss and the Ledger Accounts
Moving from the balance to the ledger accounts (grootboekrekeningenthe struc
ture in the MCC books appears to be slightly different from the structure of the
balance, but not in arbitrary ways. The dates of the entries are on the left side
of the page, and a reference to a contra account (tegenrekening), which is being
debited or credited, is on the right side of the entry. Figure 3 provides a general
structure of the MCC ledger accounts.
When moving from the balance of 1752 to the ledger account three, we can
see the entry for the losses of 1752 as indicated by Reinders Folmer-van Prooijen,
25147:6:ii.44 The entry's description is: Aan Winst en Verlies, pro Anno 1752, Voor
schade dit Jaar (To Profit and Loss, per 1752, for the damages of this year). Some
of the ledger entries in this crucial part of the administration include expressive
phrases which are not seen elsewhere in the bookkeeping. For example, the entry
for the losses in the year 1750: Aan Winst en Verlies, pro Anno 1750, Voor schade
dit Jaar God beterd). 'God beterd' can be interpreted as an expression of hope for
better times after determining a loss. The opposite is also visible for a profit entry
in 1754 on the credit side: Winst en Verlies, pro Anno 1754. Voor dit jaar God Lov,
Geavanceerd, expressing gratitude for the profits being transferred to the profit
and loss ledger account.45 Although these phrases are scarce in the bookkeeping,
Koen van der Blij
179
Ledger account number
Yea, Name of the Ledger Account
debit
Year
Ledger account number
Name of the Ledger Account credit
Month
Day
Entry
Contra Account
3
1
1
s
3
Month
Day
Entry
Contra Account
Flemish pounds vlaamse pond)
s
3
Total amount
Total amount
Figure 3. Ledger (Grootboek) Account Structure.
43 Reinders Folmer-Van Prooijen, Van goederenhandel naar slavenhandel, 159.
44 Reinders Folmer-Van Prooijen, Van goederenhandel naar slavenhandel, 182.
45 ZA, MCC, 1720-1889, inv. nr. 1695. 1689-1709 Grootboek, 1720-1889. 21 delen, 1695. 'La G',
1749-1754 (NL-MdbZA_20_1695_0028).
