Most archival documents for commons are kept in provincial archives. Article 35 of the Markenwet from 1886 required that all archival funds from common land institutions be transferred to the provincial archives. Several other archival funds contain documents about commons as well, such as family, manor, and city archives due to interference with the common. Most of these archives can be found in provincial archives as well. While municipality archives were not usually included in the search, some documents may still be found there.
Details on the search method are provided beneath per province.
Groningen
The search in Groningen has been conducted in the provincial archive, Groninger Archieven. This archive has been completely digitized and has been searched with the following search terms (the asterisk(*) being used as a boolean character): Mark OR Marke* OR Marcke* OR Markgeno* OR Buurmark* OR Boermark* OR Buurmarck* OR Boermarck* OR Hofmark* OR Hofmarck* OR Meent OR Meente OR Meenthe OR Hamrik OR Hammrick OR Hammark OR Hammrik OR Hamrick OR Hamark OR Hemmerk OR Hemrik OR stadswei*, OR Stadsmeent OR Burgergemeente OR Stadsmars OR Stadslanden.
Drenthe
The search in Drenthe has been conducted in the provincial archive, Drents Archief. The following search terms have been used in various spellings: marke, marken, markegenoot, markegenoten, boermarke, and buurmarke.
Overijssel
Several archives in Overijssel have been searched for archival documents pertaining commons.
Historisch Centrum Overijssel (HCO) (Provincial archive of Overijssel): The main search was conducted at the HCO. In September 2009 not all inventories were digitized yet, but this will happen in time. The following search terms have been applied (the asterisk (*) being used as a boolean character): mark OR mark* OR meent OR meent*. The database contains references to inventories of archival funds that have not been digitized, these inventories can be found at the Historisch Centrum Overijssel, or may even have been digitized in the mean time. Not included in the search is Ter Kuile’s work on the Overijsselse Oorkonden, 1350-1450 (1963-9), which does contain some references to commons.
Stadsarchief en Atheneum Bibliotheek (SAB) Deventer (City archive and Atheneum Library):the archival funds available at the City archive in Deventer (SAB), have been searched. The inventories of the SAB have been fully digitized. The following search terms have been applied: mark OR mark* OR meent OR meent*. Several archival funds made by commons can be found here, these will be disclosed in due time, but are not accessible until then.
Twentse Oudheidkamer: the archival documents belonging to the Twentse Oudheidkamer are kept at the Twentse Welle in Enschede. The inventories of the Twentse Oudheidkamer have been fully digitized. The following search terms have been applied (the asterisk (*) being used as a boolean character): mark OR mark* OR meent OR meent*.
References for other archives concerning marken Overijssel: several archival documents in other archives are referred to in the main inventory for commons in Overijssel, namely Mensema (Inventaris van de archieven van de marken in de provincie Overijssel, 1300-1942). These references have been entered in the database, but have not been specified.
Utrecht
In Utrecht all digitized inventories available via the Utrechts archiefnet have been searched. Only the provincial archive of Utrecht and the regional archive in Amersfoort contain references (see below). Little archival documents have remained and only two complete archives of commons can be found in Utrecht. The search was unsuccesfull in the following archives: Regionaal Historisch Centrum Vecht en Venen, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Rijnstreek en Lopikerwaard, Gemeentearchief Nieuwegein, Gemeentearchief Vianen, Gemeentearchief Bunschoten, Gemeentearchief Soest, Gemeentearchief Zeist, Streekarchivariaat Kromme-Rijngebied – Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Gemeentearchief Veenendaal, Hoogheemraadschap Amstel, Gooi en Vecht.
Het Utrechts Archief: In the provincial archive of Utrecht, all inventories are digitized. The following search terms were used (the asterisk (*) being used as a boolean character): mark OR mark* OR meent OR meent* OR maal OR maal* OR malen OR malen*.
Archief Eemland: In the regional archive in Amersfoort, all inventories are digitized. The following search terms were used (the asterisk (*) being used as a boolean character): mark OR mark* OR meent OR meent* OR maal OR maal* OR malen OR malen*.