Advice before editing this pre-1700 Stroud profile?

Question

I have information to contribute to the profile of William Stroud. This is what I can add:

• married 23 Jan 1714 in Somerton 
• Spouse Alice Yates b 1692 d 1729
• Children Yates b.15 Nov 1718 , Betty b. 5 Nov 1720 d. 9 Aug 1799, Mary b. 6 Feb 1723 , Ann b. 29 Apr 1727 

These are the sources I am using:

• * Family Tree - A Family History - compiled for the Descendants of Norman Joseph Ellison and Mollie Marian Garner by Elaine Hollins and acknowledge assistance from Nola Cooze and Marianne Scott for the Ellisons

Should I contact one of the pre-1700 projects or know about any style guidelines before proceeding? Thank you!

Comments

Hello Marc, 

It’s not ‘maybe’ you should use the primary sources, it’s you should. A family tree is not an acceptable source for a pre 1700 profile. 

As an aside, I think you may want to go back a bit (forwards in time) and take a good look at the sources used for the family tree you are using to add the Couzens family. 

And have a good study of the parish register for Bruton. I think you may not have to bother with this guy. (There are 33/34 years between the birth of the William born to George & Elizabeth Dickinson & the birth of his grandson’ William. Is this possible?)

 Also, the only birth in Bruton that corresponds to the ‘grandson’ has parents called John & Elizabeth*. It could be that William is the son of a William but I would look closely for evidence of this.

(*This same Elizabeth & one of her unmarried daughters is living in the next street to William in Westbury in the 1871 census. https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5906a708e9379091b1183553/elizabeth-couzens-1871-wiltshire-westbury-1798-?locale=en)

There is an earlier William in Bruton who married an Elizabeth Down, I wonder if this couple has ‘changed’ into the Somerton couple at some point over time? 

Edited for typo.

Answer 1

Hi Marc,

Why not use primary sources i.e. parish records/registers, on a quick check I found they’re marriage in the Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1531 - 1812, on 23 Jan 1714 at Somerton, Somerset, England.

I’m sure there are other parish records covering William and Alice together with their children and William’s LNAB may have been Strode.