Eliza's last name was "Yarnall". Usually an unwed mother would give her son her last name. Eliza's father, John, had an uncle named William H. Maybe it was the basis for her son's name because John was close to his uncle.

Ruth's last name was "Webster". An unwed mother is not likely to use the last name of the father instead of her own.

Grant Yarnall's obituary said Norris L was William H's uncle. Mahlon and Eber were Norris' brothers.

William Howard Yarnall, a nearby neighbor of the Websters, was a distant cousin - not a brother of Norris L Yarnall.

In the summer of 1839 Eliza was 20 and Eber was about 28 when William H was conceived. Mahlon was about 35.

Ruth was about 20 and neighbor William Howard Yarnall was about 30 in 1839 when young William H was conceived. This theory was trying to justify the child's name selection before I learned H stood for Henry.

I wondered why John's sister, Agnes, would have taken in William H after John and Eliza died. John's wife, Phoebe, and Eliza's sisters were still living in 1843.

Young William H lived on the Webster farm with his unwed mother (if Ruth was his mother).

William's age in the September 11, 1850 census was listed incorrectly as 12 instead of 10. Eliza was not alive* to provide his age. Perhaps the Webster's did not know his true age.

William's age in the 1850 census was listed incorrectly as 12 instead of 10. Ruth was alive and it is unlikely a mother could not provide his correct age.