Parentage William Todd (1569-1617) Yorkshire, England?

Question

WT shows William Todd of Pontefract as the Uncertain son of Reginald Todd. The profile states "It is thought probable that William Todd who married Isabel Rogerson was a son of Reginald Todd, freeman of York, 1605," based upon a 1920 book printed in America which offers no documentation for this probability (see page 17). I find nothing that might establish this relationship but wonder if I am overlooking something. At Family Search I find a death record of an infant William born to a Reginald but the record is too late (yet might be the source of the supposed connection?).

Comments

Here's a bit more about William Todd in Pontefract, from TNA: in 1609 William Todd of Pontefract, husbandman and Isabel his wife bought a burgage, toft and croft in Northgate, Pontefract, for £8.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/acb98595-8d9e-4353-ac00-acac07fb7040

Answer 1

The only source for a William Todd in Pontefract on Findmypast that I could see was for the burial of a William Todde on 8 May 1617 from the Bishop’s transcript of the burial register. However, looking at the image of the burial record, there is no other information confirming age, occupation or residence. I don’t have access to ancestry atm, but there is no matching marriage record on FMP. There does not appear to be any reliable or primary source for the relationship to Reginald Todd.

Best regards,

Maddy

Answer 2

I think the dates shown for Reginald the father would be far too early for someone who obtained freedom of the city in 1605. See research notes on Reginald Todd 1584-1640 who is the one who obtained his freedom that date. His trade is given as saddler, so he almost certainly obtained his freedom through completion of apprenticeship and would be about 21. He took on apprentices 1605,1611, 1615, 1619. He married 2 years after obtaining the freedom, and had at least 8 children after that. He did have a son William so is probably the source of the original.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Todd-172

Comments

Thank you for pointing out this other Reginald profile. It appears to me that William should be detached from the current 'father' and then copy your excellent research from Todd-172 into a new Research Notes section on William who would be left without parents. I see that much of the upstream of the current father profile is likely an Ancestry import absent substance.