Daily AncestorFormer widow
Former widow is the label in pension files for a soldier's widow who later remarried; her claim is often filed under her new surname.
On Revolutionary War pension envelopes a widow usually appears by first name only, but if she remarried, her new surname is added with the note Former Widow. Cross-reference cards point from that new name to the W file.
Some widows drew pensions based on more than one husband's service. NARA usually files those claims together under the surname of the most recent husband, and separate indexes cover remarried widows of the War of 1812 and later wars. If you cannot find a widow's claim, search under her later married names.
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Daily Ancestor. "Former widow." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/former-widow. Last checked 2026-10-03.