Burial entry thoughts please

[scuda]

I can read the Pitman burial entry, but I'm not convinced I understand what it means. Your thoughts, please.

SarahPitman-Burial-1773-crop.jpg

scuda

[Somerset Sal]

I've had a squint, and to me it looks like
"May 17 Mary Ellis of Birmingham
June 2 Sarah late wife of Joseph Pitman
(June) 7 John Harris of the xxx of High"

It seems to be recording the burial on 2nd June of Sarah, the wife of Joseph Pitman. The word 'late' implies that she was his wife but isn't any longer. Do you know when Joseph died? Perhaps it meant that she was a widow at the time of her death.

[scuda]

June 2 Sarah late wife of Joseph Pitman

Thanks Sal, you've read the line I'm interested in just as I did, so I'm happy with that. Now, what do you think "late wife of" means in this context? It seems odd to me.

scuda

[Little Nell]

I'd read that as she is no longer his wife. Probably a quaint way of saying his widow.

[scuda]

Probably a quaint way of saying his widow

Yes, thanks Nell, that was one of my thoughts, but other entries in the same hand actually read "widow", so why is this one different?

scuda

[Somerset Sal]

Maybe Joseph and Sarah had separated? Do you know the date of his death?

[scuda]

Maybe Joseph and Sarah had separated?

Sal, that's what I was wondering. I haven't been able to pin down Joseph's death so far, as there are several with the same name. That's one reason I was trying to work out what I could read into the entry for Sarah, to narrow down the search for Joseph.

scuda

[Night Owl]

I thought it meant that she was his wife up to her death and then became his late wife - haven't explained that well :o - he was still alive at her death.

If he was dead it would probably have said widow of ...

[kylejustin]

i agree with night owl. 'late of' usually means that the husband is still alive.

[scuda]

'late of' usually means that the husband is still alive.

Yes, I agree in one way, but why not just write "wife of", which is more usual and appears in other places in that register. Every time I read it I think it means something different! Never mind. Thanks everyone for your help.

scuda

[Gwyn in Kent]

Although I too thought it says 'late', ...could it perhaps say Sarah Jane..?

[scuda]

could it perhaps say Sarah Jane..?

Thanks Gwyn, I certainly hadn't thought of that possibility. I've seen nothing else to suggest that she was Sarah Jane (although I don't have her marriage to Joseph so far), but I'll bear it in mind.

scuda