Daily AncestorWidow's pension
A widow's pension was paid to the widow of a soldier or veteran; her application had to prove the marriage and often gives her maiden name and children.
The Continental Congress first promised pensions to widows in 1780, and Revolutionary widows became eligible again as a class under an act of 1836. A widow's application may give her maiden name, the date and place of marriage, her residence, her husband's death date and the names of children under 16.
When no marriage record existed, the Civil War pension office accepted sworn statements that the couple had lived together and were known as husband and wife. Remarriage normally ended a widow's pension, and a remarried widow may be indexed under her new surname.
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Daily Ancestor. "Widow's pension." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/widows-pension. Last checked 2026-10-03.