What is correct procedure when neither given name or maiden name of wife are known?

Question

What's the recommended procedure for a profile for a wife when she is simply known as the Widow Large, wife of William Large? Her given name is nowhere recorded nor is her maiden name. Anderson never found record of either name nor did earlier entries found in NEHGR.

The current wife profile appears to be a mix of info from several people or perhaps just entirely incorrect. Should that Rebecca Phippen be merged into one of the other known Rebecca Phippens and a new profile for wife of William Large created? Or an unattached Unknown Unknown profile used? She would technically be an Unknown Unknown and there are no offspring so should a profile even be created until we know at least one of her names?

Answer 1

Assuming the currently attached wife is incorrect and her name is unknown, I think creating a profile with First Name: Unknown, LNAB: Unknown, CLN: Large, would be the way to go. It appears that there are some records/facts related to her that could be included in her profile.

Answer 2

If William Large didn't already have a wife, I would be inclined not to create one for him if I didn't know her name.  (Am I the only one who dislikes creating more Unknowns?)  You can always include the facts about a spouse on the spouse's profile.

However, since he does have a wife, it seems to me that revising the existing profile makes more sense than creating a new one, and then having to find another (unrelated) profile to merge the discarded wife into.

Comments

In this instance I agree that the profile for Rebecca Phippen should probably be made into the new "Unknown (Unknown) Large" since she has no other relationships beyond her husband, and the limited sourcing on her profile suggests there's not a lot to show that Rebecca existed at all, outside of a person who might have died in Pennsylvania. Abandoning her to the winds doesn't seem appropriate. IMHO.

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Thanks Chase, Julie and Bobbie. Revised the profile for an Unknown (Large) Unknown but have to get on Trusted List to change the LNAB (in process).