Should William Bills-24 be added to PGM?

Question

It looks like my 9th great grandfather William Bills should come under the PGM project. Born England, known to be in Barnstable, Massachusetts with Rev Lothrop by 1640 (possibly 1639).

This profile needs a lot of work/research. I think the wife is suspect as are date and place of birth. I made some research notes on the profile. All the sourcing except the Shotwell reference I added was already there from Ancestry sources without citations.

I have someone checking the Sturgis Library (housed in Rev. Lothrop's meeting house of 1644) archive when they are back from research at sea in a few weeks. Didn't appear Sturgis collection was digitized and searchable but I am unsure on that.

Answer 1

I don't see that he does. Reading the notes on the profile it appears his lineage and descendants are less than proven, much less that he arrived by 1640.

Comments

I will do additional research on this.

Is Shotwell discounted as a source? I don't know. Other information I have found in that source has proven accurate.

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I wouldn't count it as a reliable source. I looked at it and it appears to be a compilation of "my granddaddy said genealogy". It doesn't list any tangible sources, i.e. records you can verify by laying eyes on them (deeds, wills, civil records, church records, etc.).

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Thanks. Read a thread elsewhere that he is known to archivist at Sturgis as member of Rev Lothrop's flock but that's all it said (and as you noted little paper trail on him)...will have to wait until cousin can go there in person...and which part of Barnstable did he live in is a question.

Thomas thought to be his son and forward are documented (Thomas' bio needs a rewrite with inline citations but I am not PM) however Thomas' father as William when seen is generally couched in the term "probable." Have also seen some think him to be the person seen as Thomas Betts (documented by Scituate Historical Society in their Early Scituate Families) who moved to Barnstable 1639. Thomas Betts of Scituate is not in WikiTree (as far as I can ascertain).

Haven't yet found another candidate for father of Thomas Bills.

Thanks, again.