LNB issues with a married daughter?

Question

I am working on completing a merge, and I have a last name at birth issue.  The two LNBs are Hayes and Hays.  Now, Mary's father is listed as a Hayes on WikiTree, but he is listed as:

• Hayes - Gravestone (FindaGrave image), Ancestry index "U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865". "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013,
• Hays- 1850 United States Federal Census, U.S., Registers of Deaths of Volunteers, 1861-1865
• Haze -1860 United States Federal Census

Now, his daughter Mary Louisa, is found as:

• Haze -1860 United States Federal Census
• Hays- 1870 United States Federal Census, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

She is listed as her married name at:

• Dutton (Married Name) -1880 United States Federal Census, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, "Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001,"

So, since there are NO documents that I have found that refer to her as "Hayes" should this still be the LNB that I am merging into?  

 

Answer 1

My experience is that Census data is iffy when it comes to spelling and the best sources are grave markers (typically not going to mess up something cast in stone) and birth records, followed closely by marriage records and up there might be social security death records. I'd be more tempted to lean towards Hayes as LNAB with the possibility that she chose to use Hays at some point - but I do see where you are coming from - with a lack of evidence of the "E" in her records, it's tough to justify. But you do have that evidence with her father, so I'd give it a 50-50 shot either way.

Comments

I completely agree with your thoughts on census data.   My confusion really stems from the contradictions between her father's headstone (Hayes - which is based on military records, which are contradicted by other military records [indexs only]) and her headstone (Hays - name probably provided by her husband)