Is this a respected source? Hyde genealogy by Reuben Hyde Walworth

Question

I got down in the weeds today with a Louisiana family that are not Acadians! Out of my element here. There are duplicates and some mis-matches in the lines and not a lot of sourcing. I found this source for some of the people but wonder if its a reliable source. Does anyone know?

Title: Hyde genealogy; or, The descendants,in the female as well as in the male lines, from William Hyde, of Norwich  ...

by Walworth, Reuben Hyde, 1788-1867

Published 1864

https://archive.org/details/hydegenealogyord001walw

 

Comments

There were earlier men named William Hide from Norwich. 

William Hide

England Births and Christenings

Name	William Hide
Gender	Male
Christening Date	15 Oct 1637
Christening Place	Norwich, Norfolk, England
Father's Name	William Hide
Mother's Name	Mary

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England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

Indexing Project (Batch) Number	I07514-3
System Origin	England-EASy
GS Film number	1657290

Citing this Record

"England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NNDT-92F : 30 December 2014), William Hide, 15 Oct 1637; citing Norfolk, England, reference ; FHL microfilm 1,657,290.

You could check the ones in the book at familysearch.org  if you felt so inclined. The print in the book is too small to read as presented. 

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Thanks for the reply. I'm not interested in the Hyde's really. There are some references in the book to some other people. Is the cited book a respected reference that I could use do you think?

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I find it interesting that mid 19th century genealogies are often actually better than late 19th century genealogies. There must have been a royalty fever that took place during the Victorian age that was not present in the mid 1800s...

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Thanks everyone. Good to know about the Family Search resources.

Answer 1

I've used the Hyde genealogy as a source, but I wouldn't call it a respected source. Its author appears to have used original records as sources, but (like most 19th century genealogists), he didn't see a need to cite his sources. But he earns some "trust points" with me for not claiming aristocratic pedigrees (he even had the good taste to not attempt to connect his New England settlers with families in England) and for attempting to document the "female lines" in addition to people with the Hyde surname.

IMO, this book is useful as a basis for a first approximation of a profile or a lineage, but we should try to find the sources that the author didn't cite -- and revise his genealogy where appropriate.

Comments

Thanks Ellen, better news than I was expecting.

Answer 2

I view such books as useful vbut questionable. Unless sources of the information re provided, they can be useful in that they provide clues that make finding good sources easier to find, At least you would have n idea when and where the person of interest was born and/or died and may learn about their spouse aned children. I recall when the book like this about my family was being assembled. Mynmother was asked by phone to provide information bout our immediate family. The person taking down the information made at least 2 mistakes-a brother's birth place was wrong as was my mother's birth year. I met a cousin on-line and learned that he also had the book and his father's occupation and place of living was wrong. These books rely on the recollections of people providing information and also on the accuracy in transferring the information to the people writing the book.

Reuben Hyde Walworth, the son of Apphia Hyde and Benjamin Walworth is in the book and  is in my family tree and I have used this book but not as a primary source but only for background.