Thanks very much for the response. I received two others off the list but none quite so . . um, er, pointed. J You wrote: "Wouldn't it be much better to say for example, I found this data at the LDS site - how reliable is it?" I guess it might have been "better" . had I gathered my information from the LDS site. While I enjoy the genealogy hobby, I have to sandwich my hobby time (like many folks) between many other "conflicting" responsibilities and, as a consequence, I don't often have well-organized notes. I apologize for not listing my references and for creating the circumstances that led you to your erroneous conclusion (that the info was from the LDS site). Below are a few sites (at least one of which mentions Ridlon) . that mention that William Soule married Hannah Brewster. I in no way endorse their conclusion or methods . simply found them while doing a google search . there were many more as well. Ancestry.com has some lines that also include the Soule/Brewster union. We are all well aware of the dual nature of interent information ... some is great and some is garbage. Of course, all of these folks (with the exception, perhaps, of Ridlon) could have gotten their information from the LDS site??? My question was not so much concerning the reliability of the LDS site (or any site) but rather attempted to address: 1) the certainty of anyone's knowledge of an event so long past, (which you answered: no one knows for certain unless your answer is "no one knows the identity but it certainly is not Hannah Brewster?) and mostly 2) the reason for the confusion. As a neophyte to the genealogy hobby, I thought that there may have been some long story about feuding genealogists disagreeing .. Something along the lines of why there is no Silver book on Howland (which I'd still like to know). Again I apologize that my question was framed so poorly that it elicited the soapbox's wrath. I'll be much more careful in the future. You wrote: "The fact that in this case, Mayflower research does not agree with the data found at the site, does not mean there is conflicting data, it means that like a great deal of the data found in the Ancestral Files, it is old, unproven and unreliable." Regarding the denotation of "conflict" (or "data") and whether conflict does not exist when one side of the "conflict" doesn't recognize any validity in the other's argument . well I'll leave that alone . it does sound a bit like the Middle East where much effort is spent on whether one side will "recognize" the rights of the other side to "exist" when they certainly are existing.. these distinctions are for greater minds than mine .. You wrote: "To say it is conflicting is actually misleading and leads people to think there is some question about the line -" If I could "lead people to think" ANYTHING I'd have made millions in marketing. J People think what they want to think. I'm a functionalist (a la Katz) with regard to persuasion. You wrote: ".when there hasn't been a question for years, if ever." I'm certain you mean something like "there hasn't been a 'legitimate' question for years, if ever" or something similar. It is obvious to me that some folks still are "questioning" whether Hannah Brewster was William Soule's wife. I apologize again for (seemingly) touching a nerve. Steve Ferriss in Storrs, Connecticut A few sites mentioned above: http://www.neteasy.com/pages/kawillden/dod/pafg137.htm http://www.vineyard.net/vineyard/history/allen/Web%20Cards/WC26/WC26_208.HTM http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~dasisson/richard/aqwg08.htm http://www.greencity.org/d0000/g0000022.html http://www.krittersnkids.com/gen/Soule/RR01/RR01_005.htm http://www.geocities.com/adashi7/jasonandy.html http://genealogyrogerson.com/html/d0009/g0000083.html ----- Original Message ----- From: Susan E. Roser To: MAYFLOWER-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Friday, July 19, 2002 12:15 PM Subject: [MFLR] William Soule's wife Hannah & Soapbox > There seems to be a large amount of conflicting information regarding Hannah, the wife of William Soule (bef. 1671 - 1723). > > Some have her listed as Hannah Brewster and refer to two other husbands of Hannah Brewster, to wit: John Thompson and Samuel Starr. > > Does anyone know who Hannah, the wife of William Soule was? Any idea why there seems to be so much confusion regarding her? ________________________ I'm not sure where you are getting your info from, but there is no conflicting data or confusion over Hannah ( ) Soule or Hannah (Brewster) Starr. The identity of the wife of William Soule is unknown and has been unknown as far back as the 1980 Soule MF 5 generation silver book. It remains unknown today in the Soule MFIP books. The Hannah Brewster who married Samuel Starr is the daughter of Jonathan2 Brewster (William1). She m. 2nd, James Morgan. (There was no John Thompson involved.) ____________________ Now for the soapbox: It would be of tremendous help to give the source when stating there is conflicting data so that those who read the data we submit can evaluate it's reliability. A check of the LDS site shows this is where the above data came from. The fact that in this case, Mayflower research does not agree with the data found at the site, does not mean there is conflicting data, it means that like a great deal of the data found in the Ancestral Files, it is old, unproven and unreliable. To say it is conflicting is actually misleading and leads people to think there is some question about the line - when there hasn't been a question for years, if ever. Wouldn't it be much better to say for example, I found this data at the LDS site - how reliable is it? Susan E. Roser www.rootsweb.com/~canms/canada.html ==== MAYFLOWER Mailing List ==== Check out the web page of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants at http://www.mayflower.org/