Thanks for your replies.
I was 'guesstimating' at a start of 1808, when Wm Goodwin would've been 18 so may have been marrying?
Then the earliest birth I found to a William & Mary Goodwin was in 1813, at Whittlesey, was on CFHS, (a daughter Sarah). A probable burial of her, at 3 weeks old also appears in 1813 at Whittlesey. This would fit in with rosie99's finding of a possible 1812 marriage taking place, although no spouse name is shown, a Mary Clayton married in the same year.
By counting up the births I found on CFHS, and subsequently additional names on the Census it adds up to possibly fifteen children being born to Wm & Mary. Between 1813 and 1840. In my naivity, I half took on board the 'hints' that Ancestry suggested, and other people's trees stated Wm Goodwin had married a Mary Austin.
I wondered if:-
(a) Wm Goodwin had married twice, both wives having the same christian name, Mary. (If so, I didn't want to mistakenly add any child to the wrong mother on my tree).
Or (b) Was Mary Austin, and Mary Clayton indeed, one and the same person?
The only other conclusion I can think is that the Mary Austin 'hints' are just red herrings.
It's such a pity that the transcription of Boyd's Marriage Index doesn't give the spouse's name. Still, it is a step forward to learn he married in 1812. And with a possibility just the once, to a Mary Clayton.
But thanks again for all of your input.
