page 16 of the 'Earliest Records of Machias, Maine (1767-1827) compiled by Beulah G. Jackman there is a
William Phinney born September 4, 1796 to Josiah & Sarah Phinney, parents proved by Memorail of the Centennial Anniversary of the Settlement of Machias, pg. 173, Vital Records Town of Machias Washington County Maine, pg 235

Mayflower gravestone record 17,358/4485, Buried in the Gardner cemetary lot in Court Street Cemetary in Machias.

As per family headstone Machias, Maine, Certified Gravestone 17,358/4485, birth date is listed as 1809, so there is a difference between what is on a newer gravestone and what is recorded in the Machias, Maine records. William's wife may not have had the money for a gravestone after he died. The gravestone may have been placed much later accounting for the difference in date.

In addition I have a copy of the "Proprietors Book" (lot owners) for the Court St. Cemetery and the Phinney name is not even listed... I went to the map of the cemetery to find its location and after I found it I also discovered that the name Phinney was listed under the name of Gardner - the lot owner.   Don't know how we can find anything that would tell us that the 1809 birth date is incorrect... except the William born in 1796 - son of Josiah and Sarah/Sally (Meserve) Phinney is the ONLY William born in the town of Machias during that time period....   In addition in the genealogy section of the "Memorial of the Centennial Anniversary of the Settlement of Machias" published in 1863 (we call the book the 1863 Book) It lists William as the son of Josiah and Sarah/Sally (Meserve) Phinney - and Josiah as the son of Nathaniel and Thankful (Tupper) Phinney.....
I do know that for the most part the 1863 has been regarded as 'good proof'

Just to see if I could find anything else I visited the Washington County Court House - Probate Office and did find that William Phinney died on 20 May 1842 - his widow Lucy T. Phinney was named executrix  and actually the accounting went on for a long time...  I only looked at the early entries... He died intestate... so their was a lot of accountings etc..

I also checked the original census books (bound volumes of the original enumerators pages - housed in the probate office)  ... find that in 1850 Lucy is head of household in Machiasport with several members of the Drew family... and in 1870 she is in the household of Henry (William Henry) and his wife Emma  ..Henry is listed as a merchant... I also have a map of Machias in 1881 showing where he lived on Centre Street.

As per family headstone, Certified Gravestone 17,358/4485 and  William L. Phinney journal

Mayflower gravestone record 17,358/4485, Buried in the Gardner cemetary lot in Court Street Cemetary in Machias and  William L. Phinney journal

Mayflower Society Descendants # 48632, state #7776, Oct. 11, 1983 and  William Lewis Phinney journal

d. from pneumonia, Mayflower Society Descendants # 48632, state #7776, Oct. 11, 1983 and Mayflower gravestone record 17,358/4485. Buried in the Gardner cemetary lot in Court Street Cemetary in Machias and  William L. Phinney journal