Advice before adding child of this pre-1700 Hayward profile?

Question

I can add a child to the profile of William Hayward. This is who I can add:

• William Hayward b 25 Mar 1693 Mendon, Massachusetts, Father's Name William Hayward, Mother Name Heaster. Spouse Elizabeth Gibbs, b 1695, to connect child Josiah Hayward, b 1729 Hayward-4024

Sources:

• Massachusetts, Compiled Marriages, 1633-1850 Family History Library, Salt Lake City, UT, Film # 0873783.

• Massachusetts, Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850

  NameWilliam HaywardDeath Age96Event TypeDeathBirth Dateabt 1694Death Date6 Feb 1790Death PlaceSturbridge, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

There is a son William, but with different dates and spouse.  Should I contact one of the pre-1700 projects or know about any style guidelines before proceeding? Thank you!

Answer 1

These are definitely two different men, the two different deaths are provable.  One has the wrong set of parents.

I suspect although more research is needed that it's the other profile with the wrong parents. The Mendon to Sturbridge move follows a typical pattern. Both birth and death dates for this gentleman are in the Mass vital records. Plus the birth date you list has these parents listed. I didn't find a birth record for the other William

Answer 2

Hello Robin, I would first make contact with the profile manager of the existing son, William, to compare notes, in case he is intended to be the same person you wish to add.  I haven't looked closely, but are the different dates for this existing child accurately sourced ?  Likewise the different spouse.

If you do intend to replace him, then it would be best to first message the Profile Managers concerned..

Answer 3

Looks like the William Hayward that married Lydia Manley was the son of William Hayward and Hannah Newcomb  (who later married William Thayer), at least according to Sprague’s Families of Braintree.  The locations fit better for sure.

[edited to correct confusion of Hayward and Thayer]

Comments

Whoops....my initial answer totally confused William Thayers and Haywards....please see above edited version.

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Thank you all for your help in scrutinizing this child conflict. I don't do pre-1700 much and this surname ever, so I'm not familiar with the best sources.  Just what I hoped for in advice.

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Thank you for catching the mistakes.  The Hayward lines can be very confusing. I added the Sprague reference to the correct parents of the other William Thayer.

I've found Sprague's work very reliable (although sometimes when he gets outside of Braintree, I have caught a few mistakes).

You need a subscription with NEHGS for the Sprague book, there is however a WorldConnect tree that has most of the material in it.

https://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=SHOW&db=spragueged