Were John Wiley Hatfield and Wiley Hatfield one in the same? [closed]

Question

I have been researching my ancestor, Wiley Hatfield (father of Jacob Dudley Hatfield), and find unsubstantiated "sources" that his full name was John Wiley Hatfield, but I'm unable to locate a birth certificate or any other original documentation that links the two together.  Does anyone have any original documentation showing that the two were one in the same?

Answer 1

It is very common for a child to be called familiarly by his middle name.  All my great aunts and uncles, grandfathers were.  I don't have specific confirmation of the two names above belonging to one individual, but if I were researching, I would research under both names and see if they are the same--they could be.

Benjamin Franklin Dodson, was generally known as Frank.  But you can find documents under B. F., Ben F., Frank B., and every other permutation you can think of.

Adding at least a few sources will help you assess this. See what the records tell you.  As the profile now stands, it is all mythology (history without sources = myth).

Added:  I added his son's death record which shows his full name.  Lots of other documents for him can be found at FamilySearch.org.

Comments

Thanks, Kathy.  I saw a document that listed John's wife as Elizabeth, but that's incorrect, which leads me to believe that John and Wiley were two different people.

I understand about the being called by their middle names; many of my relatives are the same way.  Thanks again. :)

Answer 2

Some people don't like this source but it is here in case anyone wants to see it.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/172585583/john-wiley-hatfield

Comments

Thanks, Doug, but those original documents don't have Wiley's name as John Wiley.