Ancestry Saturday: That W Isn't For Worthington

Don't call my third great grandfather Thomas Worthington Sanders anymore. 

I've updated my tree to show Thomas W. Sanders, but the "Cunningham Family Bible" reference to Winfrey T. Sanders has me better than 90% convinced that the W was for Winfrey, not Worthington.

I've written before about Group Think in Genealogy and advanced the thought further with With a Preponderance of Evidence.  Now, I hope this third column helps to remove the name "Worthington" from Thomas W. Sanders forever from my fellow researchers' family trees.

Ohio's sixth Governor with Southern Ohio roots named Thomas Worthington.  He's the one whose view from his Adena home served as the inspiration for the Ohio seal.  He, even, had Highland County, Ohio relatives so the name Worthington is prominent in the Sanders' families home area.

That doesn't mean Thomas W. Sanders is Thomas Worthington though.

I have yet to find a single primary or secondary record to document the W is for Worthington.  The bible record has Winfrey.  One Census has W.T.  His obit reads Thomas W. Sanders.  My Eastern Ohio cousin who did his research before the Internet, admitted he didn't know from where the name Worthington came.

For me, this all adds up to removal of the name Worthington from association with him.

Oh, and by the way, I now have a photo. My great grandfather, reportedly, was part of verifying this was him. Here is Thomas W. Sanders (1840-1899):

I give permission to anyone to use this photo for personal purposes as long as you agree to stop using the name Worthington as his middle name.  Agreed?