Saturday’s Dilemma ~ Sometimes All You Need Is A Little Advice

With the upcoming 400-year anniversary of the Mayflower arriving in Plymouth, Massachusetts I thought it would be a good idea to start writing blogs about my Pilgrim ancestors. I want to publish them as a series later in the year and I am striving for absolute accuracy, if possible. I am excited about this endeavor.

Here is my dilemma, one of my female ancestors has some controversy over her correct maiden name. To be honest, I have had both of her “proven” names listed on my tree at different times. I have done my own research and I have found credible evidence for both names. I have scoured through all of the Mayflower websites that I can find, as well as numerous books and publications. These have also been divided on her name.

Because of my uncertainty of the correct one, I have been verbally attacked and harassed about the name I have associated with this ancestor. No matter which last name I have on the tree, someone who believes the other name is correct gives me a hard time about it. I always try to respond nicely, explaining why I have this particular last name listed and confessing that I have gone back and forth with the 2 names. I know you can’t please everyone, but until I find definitive proof, I will not take a side in this issue.

So, I was thinking yesterday, after my latest confrontation, that I may add a “second” wife to my ancestor. In other words, add the same wife with the other last name. I had thought about just putting both names on the existing one, kind of like Smith/Jones but I know in doing this it will wreak havoc with any hints I may receive. I would add the documentation for the “second” wife so when it is viewed a person can understand why I have it this way.

Has any of you done this with an ancestor before? If so, how did it work out? Any other suggestions?

I am a professional genealogist, writer, photographer, wife, mother, and grandma. I have two books available on Amazon.com: Your Family History: Doing It Right the First Time and Planning Your Genealogy Research Trip. You can also connect with me via Facebook or Twitter.