death records general question

[jkingb]

I don't know if there is a general answer to this, but i am curious if in the case of multiple marriages (i.e., the person was a widow or widower and remarried) only the name of the last spouse would appear on the death record. For instance, I have a death record where the husband's first name doesn't match my other records. Last name is correct. I realize this may be a mistake, but it can also suggest that the woman remarried a close relative (perhaps a brother), therefore, the name of the husband on her death record would reflect the husband at death, not the former husband (who I know had died much earlier). So I am wondering whether a death records would ever reveal anything about the number of marriages, or any information at all about a previous marriage - or only the most recent.

Thanks to anyone who may have advice.

[erudita74]

I don't know if there is a general answer to this, but i am curious if in the case of multiple marriages (i.e., the person was a widow or widower and remarried) only the name of the last spouse would appear on the death record. For instance, I have a death record where the husband's first name doesn't match my other records. Last name is correct. I realize this may be a mistake, but it can also suggest that the woman remarried a close relative (perhaps a brother), therefore, the name of the husband on her death record would reflect the husband at death, not the former husband (who I know had died much earlier). So I am wondering whether a death records would ever reveal anything about the number of marriages, or any information at all about a previous marriage - or only the most recent.

Thanks to anyone who may have advice.

Sometimes a death record will read that the person was a widower or widow in the first bed, or second bed, or third bed, meaning that there had had been previous marriages. Unfortunately records vary from town to town, and even within an individual town, so you sometimes only get the name of the last spouse in a death record. And yes, it was common for an individual who had been widowed to marry a sibling of a deceased spouse. A dispensation was actually needed to do so, as a kinship relationship had been established through the previous marriage.


Erudita

[jkingb]

Erudita,

Thank you so much for the reply!

[erudita74]

Erudita,

Thank you so much for the reply!

You're very welcome.
Erudita

[Italysearcher]

Birth records are your best bet to learn about multiple marriages. There are often notations in the margin. Depends on the time frame. Born before 1865 and married after might not have notations.

[jkingb]

Thank you Ann,

I appreciate the input. In this case, I have only a death record - I am researching a family in Torino and the earliest civil records available to me are circa 1866. The ancestress whose marital status is in question was likely born around 1790, and kids span 1712 - 1839. Even the kids' marriage records could be useful, but I haven't found anything so far. Most likely, all the marriages occurred prior to 1866. I do have one child's birth - 1812 (found online). That child was likely the first, and the father's given name only (same surname) is different than that of the husband on her death record. The name of the father on 4 of the kids' death records (I only found 4) matches the name on the 1812 birth. So my best guess is that this woman remarried her husband's brother (or other relative with the same surname) sometime after having kids, and of course, after the death of her husband. I would like to confirm this - make sure it isn't only a mistake in the death record. But I am not sure how. I did not see a 2nd marriage for her in the registers, but she most likely remarried prior to 1866..