What Was P. H. Hutson’s Full Name? 12 for '26 Week 3

Most documents that name my maternal 2x-great-grandfather, name him as P. H. Hutson. These include deeds and tax records in Comanche County, Texas, a marriage record in Hood County, Texas, and tombstones of infant children of P. H. and S. H. Hutson.[1]

Other variations on documents include:

• 1900 census gives his name as Peter H. Hutson and his wife as Sallie.[2]

•  A newspaper article about the new trustees of the Gustine public schools lists his and the other trustees’ names as initials.[3]

• Another article talks about “Uncle Pete” going fishing and catching a nine pounder, and on the same page a story that his daughter, Mrs. Johnson of Gomez visiting “Uncle Pete Hutson.”[4] A third article mentions “Uncle Pete” visiting his daughter, Mrs. B. W. Speed.[5]

• 1910 census lists him as Pet K Hutson.[6]

• His wife’s tombstone lists her as Sarah Hellena, wife of P. H. Hutson.[7]

• 1920 census lists him as Pete H. Hutson. He was living with his son-in-law, Luther Wyatt and daughter, Willie Mae Wyatt.[8]

• His tombstone lists his name as P. H. Hutson.[9] And his obituary names him both P. H. Hutson and “Uncle Pete.”[10]

It seems established that in official documents and newspaper articles, his initials were P. H., and possibly his first name was Pete or Peter. What about family trees?

Family Trees
There are 103 family trees on Ancestry for Peter Hayden Hutson, though in some of them he is named Paten Hawkin Hutson. Of course, many of these genealogists copied other trees, so I cannot assume they are independent.  

In the Wyatt/Ousley Family Tree, his middle name is listed as Hayden.[11] In the gallery, the genealogist uploaded the birth certificate for Luther Ewell Hutson, that names his father as Paten Hawkin Hutson. This is a delayed certificate, created in 1954 for a birth in 1896, and the informant was his older sister, Pearl Hutson White. So, we have another variation. However, this is fourteen years after their father’s death. Their memory of what his name was could be faulty, if all they ever knew him as was “Daddy” or “Dad.”

In another tree, he was listed as Peter Hawkin Hutson.[12] Besides the birth record for Luther, another record attached was Luther’s incoming transport list during WWI, that lists his father as Mr. H. P. Hutson, then with a handwritten correction of Mr. Peter H. Hutson.[13] With this tree, I match the owner as a 4th cousin or half 3rd cousin once removed.

On the FamilySearch Family Tree, he is listed as Peter Hayden Hutson.[14]

So, family trees do not agree. Some have him as Peter Hayden Hutson and some as Paten Hawkin Hutson. We cannot take a vote, as many of the tree owners have copied other trees. Trees are best used as hints and tools in DNA matching.

Genetic Study
Pete’s granddaughter, Polly Speed Wiggins, completed a genetic study of the family while attending Baylor University in Texas. She wrote his name as Payton H. Hutson and someone else wrote above the middle H. “Hayden.” The information she had about his origins was sketchy. She did not know his birthplace town and thought “probably Arkansas.”[15]

Polly Speed was born in 1920 and was ten years old when her grandfather died. They lived in the same community and she would have known him, but at that young age, perhaps not details of his early life. However, she might have asked her mother, Johnnie Coreta Hutson Speed, for some of the details. Coreta was born in 1895 and had known her parents lived in Comanche County all her life. Yet, if Polly took this class in the 1970s as the latest death date listed for relatives on the forms, her mother would have been dead, as she died in 1965.[16]

Documents of Children That Name Their Father
Willie M. Hutson Wyatt’s Social Security application and claims index lists her father as Peyton H. Hutson.[17] She would have been the informant. Her death certificate in 1968 lists her father as P. H. Hutson. The informant was her son, Clarence Wyatt, who was 28 years old when his grandfather died.[18]

His second child, Annie Pearl White’s 1974 death certificate states “Pete Hutson.”[19] Her son, Pete White, was the informant. He was only seven when his grandfather died, but he may have been named after his grandfather, so would remember his name.

Another daughter, Johnnie Coreta Speed’s 1965 death certificate gives his name as P. L. Hutson. Her informant was Mrs. James O. Wiggins, Jr., which was her daughter, Polly Wiggins.[20]

His daughter, Nell Hutson Johnston, died in 1919, and no death certificate has been found for her. His son, Luther E. Hutson, died in 1985, too late for the database with images.

Any Earlier Sources?
What is needed is a source closer to the time of his birth. There are no birth records for a child born in 1853 in Georgia. I have found a possible family for him in Cherokee County, Georgia in 1860, the first time he would be listed on a census.

Robert Hutson, age 39 and Amanda Hutson, age 32, were in a household with four children: Thos (13), Asberry (11), Peter (7), and Margaret (4). Next door is another Hutson family, headed by Peter Hutson, age 59, with Drady, 62, and Alice, age 15.[21]

If Peter was born in 1853, then he would be seven years old in 1860. Census records have been consistent with his birth in Georgia. It is unfortunate that Peter has not been found in 1870 nor 1880 census records.

Further Analysis in Chart Format

Name	Source	Information Type	Informant
Peter Hutson	1860 census	unknown	Robert? Amanda?
P.H. Hutson	Marriage	primary	self
P.H. Hutson	Deed	primary/clerks’ copy	self
P.H. Hutson	Tax	primary/clerk’s copy	self or tax collector
Peter H. Hutson	1900 census	unknown	self?
Pret K or H Hutson	1910 census	unknown	self?
Pete H Hutson	1920 census	unknown	self? SIL?
Uncle Pete	Newspaper articles	unknown	unknown
P.H. Hutson	Tombstones	unknown	unknown
Paten Hawken Hutson	Luther E Hutson birth	secondary	Coreta Hutson/dau
Peter Hayden Hutson	Ancestry/FS trees	Secondary	unknown
Payton Hayden Hutson	Polly Wiggin Genetic	Secondary	Coreta?
Peyton H Hutson	SS application	Secondary info	Willie M Wyatt
Pete Hutson	Annie Pearl White’s Death certificate	Secondary info	Son, Pete White
P. L. Hutson	Coreta Speed’s death certificate	Secondary info	Polly Wiggins

Conclusion
There is conflicting evidence. Was his first name Peter or Payton (or some variation of Paten or Peyton)? His children could not agree. The names after his death differ from his names during his lifetime. Genealogists afterwards have used documents I have highlighted above as a source for the name. The middle name could be Hayden or Hawkin. With Payton sounding a little like Hayden, maybe that is a source of the mix-up. Perhaps Pete is a nickname of Peyton.

For now, my conclusion is his name is Peter H. Hutson, because he was referred as Peter on several different records: 1860, 1900, and 1920 census records, and as Uncle Pete in several newspaper article. When I write his biography, I will refer to him as Peter.

#12for’26. This is another post of my 12 for ’26 project. This month is researching the Hutson and Selman family lines.

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[1] For a deed, see Comanche Co, Texas, deeds, v. 34, p. 72, J.E. Palmer to P. H. Hutson, 1892, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-YS6X-KWG : 3 Jan 2026); IGN 004492047, image 73 of 641. For a tax record, see Comanche Co, Texas, tax records, 1889, line 14, P.H. Houtson, imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3SL-H8NF : 4 Jan 2026);  IGN 008508449, image 1247 of 1805. For children’s tombstone, see Find a Grave, database with images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64910654/lillie-v-hutson : accessed 23 Jan 2026), memorial# 64910654, Lillie V. Hutson, Union Cemetery, Gustine TX, photo by Ken Jones.  

[2] 1900 U.S. census, Comanche, Texas, Justice Prec. No. 2, ED 29, sht 4A & B, p. 133 (stamped), 65/65, Peter H. Hutson.

[3] Dublin Progress, 17 May 1907, p. 2.

[4] “Gustine News,” The Pioneer Exponent, 3 Apr 1908, p. 2.

[5] “Gustine News,” The Pioneer Exponent, 14 Aug 1908, p. 1.

[6] 1910 U.S. census, Comanche, Texas, Justice Prec. 2, ED 5, family 357, Pret K Hutson.

[7] Photo of tombstone, Sarah Hellena Hutson, Union Cemetery, Gustine, Comanche Co, Texas, taken by Lisa Gorrell, 2 May 2024.

[8] 1920 U.S. census, Comanche Co, Texas, Gustine Prec. 2, ED 73, Sht 9B, 181/187, Luther Wyatt. He was listed as father-in-law, Pete H. Hutson, in the household.

[9] Photo of tombstone, P. H. Hutson, Union Cemetery, Comanche Co, Texas, photo taken by Lisa Gorrell, 2 May 2024.

[10] "P.H. Hutson Buried Friday," Comanche Chief, 17 October 1930, p 4.

[11] “Wyatt/Ousley Family Tree,” Peter Hayden Hutson, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/11469284/person/-339692387/facts : accessed 23 Jan 2026), created by Suzanne Wyatt Ousley.

[12] “Hutson Family Tree,” Paten Hawkin “Peter” Hutson, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/3797043/person/-1685376407/facts : accessed 23 Jan 2026), created by bhutsonii. I am a DNA match with him as either a 4th cousin or half 3rd cousin once removed.

[13] “U.S., Army Transport Service Arriving and Departing Passenger Lists, 1910-1939,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61174/images/46920_162028006074_0063-00093 : accessed 23 Jan 2026) > Incoming > Frederick > 30 Jan 1919-19 Jul 1919 > image 93 of 775, 492nd Aero Squadron,  line no. 56, Luther E. Hutson.

[14] “Peter Hayden Hutson,” LJIN_VXS, FamilySearch Family Tree (https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LJJN-VXS : accessed 23 Jan 2026),  

[15] I have copies of part of her study, sent to me by my mother’s cousin, Sandra Bay Hall, who had received it from Polly Wiggins. The family traits sheets say Baylor University. The date is unknown, but the latest death date listed is 1970.

[16] “Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903-1982,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2272 : accessed 23 Jan 2026) > Bexar > 1965 > Oct-Dec > image 357, no. 61497, Coreta Hutson Speed.

[17] “U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007,” indexed, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60901/records/606316985 : accessed 23 Jan 2026), Willie M. Wyatt application.

[18] “Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903-1982,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2272 : accessed 23 Jan 2026) > Erath > 1968 > Apr-Jun > image 27, no. 48668, Willie Mae Wyatt.

[19] “Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903-1982,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2272 : accessed 23 Jan 2026) > Polk > 1974 > Jan-Mar > image 2, no. 04924, Annie Pearl White.  

[20] “Texas, U.S., Death Certificates, 1903-1982,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2272 : accessed 23 Jan 2026) > Bexar > 1965 > Oct-Dec > image 357, no. 61497, Coreta Hutson Speed.

[21] 1860 U.S. census, Cherokee Co, Georgia, Salacoa district, p. 915b (stamped), dwelling 1840, fam. 1950, Robert Hutson.

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