Jacoba / Giacoma de Franceschi (fl. 1738–1743)

Wife of Pietro de Franceschi, and the woman whose name untangled a knot. 25 July 1738 she bears a daughter. «baptizavit unam infantulam natam 25 currentis a Petro de Franceschi, et Jacoba ejus legitima uxore ambobus ex hac Parochia, cui positum fuit nomen Anna Euphemia» — Anna Euphemia, baptised 27 July. Film 005497885, images 115–121. (doc.) And she stands at other people's fonts as «uxor Petri Defranceschi» — 16 February 1742 (image 130) and 29 June 1743 (image 134), both read at magnification. ⚠ Why she matters beyond her own household. On 7 September 1738 the register writes «Jacoba uxor Jacobi de Franceschi». Six weeks earlier she is Pietro's wife in a full parental entry. So either the parish held two Jacobas, or — far likelier — a clerk writing «Jacoba uxor Jacobi» was pulled by the echo of her own name. This archive counted her among «the three wives of Jacobo» for a day before the 1742 and 1743 godmother lines put her back where she belongs. One of the three was never his. See the method note. Born about 1715 — estimated from her daughter's baptism.