Daily AncestorRelict
Relict means a widow or widower, the spouse left behind when the other died; "Mary, relict of John Smith" means John's widow.
Relict comes from a Latin word for left behind. In records and on gravestones it names the surviving husband or wife, most often a widow.
It does not mean the person was old or a relic. A gravestone reading relict of tells you the husband died first, which helps order the two deaths when one date is missing.
As seen in a recordGravestone inscription, 1800s
Sarah, relict of Capt. Wm. Bell, died Mar. 3, 1834, aged 71 yrs.
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Relict." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/relationships/relict. Last checked 2026-10-01.