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JAMES BUTLER (say 1675–by 1736), son of James Butler and Mary Unknown
HANNAH WILSON (b. say 1691), daughter of Jeremiah Wilson
James Butler was born say 1675 (if he was the oldest child and born two years before his next recorded sibling). He died by 1736. He was killed when he was run over by his cart loaded with hay.2 He married first Lydia Snow. Lydia, the daughter of James Snow, was born on 7 November 1767 in Woburn.1 Lydia the wife of James Butler died 11 October 1723 in Lancaster.3 He married second Hannah Wilson on 19 Mar 1723/4 in Lancaster, John Houghton officiated.3
If Hannah's father named his daughters by age in his will, then Hannah was probably born about 1691. This would make her about 32 when she got married and about 38 when she had her last child.
Hannah's father Jeremiah Wilson left forty pounds to his daughter Hannah Butler in his will of 6 January 1742.4
Lydia's father James Snow—yeoman of Lancaster—left 30 shillings to his daughter Lydia Butler in his will of 8 January 1708/9.5
After the massacre James lived on the land east of Still River that his father had received from Rebecca Joslin, the widow of Thomas Joslin.6
In 1704 James was in a garrison in Lancaster commanded by Capt. Thomas Wilder and John Houghton, Sr.; also in the garrison was Jeremiah Wilson.6
James was an early member of the First Church of Lancaster on 25 July 1708.3
James settled in Bolton in 1718 on land that he bought from Benjamin Houghton.7 James Butler and his son-in-law James Fyfe lived near each other in Bolton, but on the formation of Berlin in 1784, James Fyfe's farm became part of Berlin.7
Judge Joseph Wilder made 17-1/2 barrels of cider for his neighbor James Butler in 1728 in Lancaster.6
Administration was granted on James's estate in 1736 in Lancaster.8 On 18 February 1736/7, the guardianship of the minor children of James Butler, late of Lancaster, was settled. The widow Hannah Butler was granted guardianship of her children: Miriam, age about 12, Patience, age about 11, John, age nine, and Asa, age seven. Nathaniel Butler was granted guardianship of [his younger brother] Isaac, age about 19, and Josiah Wheeler was granted guardianship of Nathan age about 15.4
Children of James Butler and Lydia Unknown (the order of the first five is uncertain):
i. James Butler was baptized on 10 October 1708 in Lancaster. He died on 21 August 1784 in Lancaster: "mortally wounded by a ram."3 He married Deborah Harris on 22 April 1737 in Lancaster.3 Deborah is probably the daughter of Ebenezer Harris, baptized on 20 March 1714/5.3
ii. Mary Butler was baptized on 10 October 1708 in Lancaster.3 She married Thomas Littlejohns of Lancaster on 26 January 1726/7 in Lancaster.3 He probably died by 14 December 1748, when her daughter Mary's death record refers to daughter Mary solely as the daughter of Mary Littlejohns.9
Thomas came from Scotland about 1718 and is said to have been killed in a battle at Louisbourg in 1748.10
Thomas and Mary lived in Lancaster and had several children there.3
Thomas Littlejohn was a private from Lancaster who served in Captain Joseph Blanchard's company from 30 August to 29 October 1725.11
iii. Eunice Butler was baptized on 10 October 1708 in Lancaster.3
iv. Martha Butler was baptized on 10 October 1708 in Lancaster.3 She married John Smith on 14 December 1719 in Lancaster.3
v. Hannah Butler was baptized on 10 October 1708 in Lancaster.3
vi. Nathaniel Butler was baptized on 21 December 1710 in Lancaster.3 He died by 18 June 1760. He married Experience Glazier on 22 November 1733 in Lancaster.3 Experience was probably the daughter of Joseph Glazier, baptized on 7 December 1712 in Lancaster.3
Experience, the wife of Nathan [!] was admitted to full communion in the church in Lancaster on 11 August 1734.3 Nathaniel was admitted on 30 July 1738.3
Experience requested that her son Isaiah administer his father's estate on 18 June 1760. Administration on the estate of Nathaniel Butler of Bolton was granted to Isaiah on 3 February 1761.4
vii. Thankful Butler was baptized on 8 February 1712/3 in Lancaster.10 She married Zachariah Glazier on 16 March 1738/9 in Lancaster.3 Zachariah was probably the son of Joseph Glazier, baptized on 14 April 1717 in Lancaster.3
viii. Simon Butler (possible son) might be the unknown son of James who was baptized on 5 June 1715 in Lancaster. He married Annah Fairbanks on 5 April 1738 in Lancaster.3
Simon and his wife owned the covenant in the church in Lancaster on 20 August 1738.3
He is referred to as the third son in the settlement of his father's estate.4
ix. Lydia Butler, the daughter of James and Lydia, owned the covenant and was baptized on 26 October 1740 in Lancaster.3
x. Isaac Butler was born about 1718. He married Sarah Harris on 26 September 1740 in Lancaster.3 Isaac's wife died on 14 February 1754 in Lancaster.3 Sarah might be the Sarah, daughter of Ebenezer Harris, who was baptized with her sister Deborah on 20 March 1714/5.3
He is referred to as the fourth son in the settlement of his father's estate.4
xi. Nathan Butler was baptized on 28 May 1721 in Butler.3
He is referred to as the fifth son in the settlement of his father's estate.4
Children of James Butler and Hannah Wilson:
xii. Miriam Butler was baptized on 20 March 1724/5 in Lancaster.3 She is said to have married Cyrus Houghton. Cyrus might be the son of Ebenezer (Robert) Houghton, baptized on 8 September 1723 in Lancaster.3,12 He died in 1786/7.12
Cyrus settled in Berlin.12
xiii. Patience Butler was born on 1 May 1726 in Lancaster. She died on 3 March 1816 in Berlin. She married James Fyfe.
xiv. John Butler was born on 24 January 1727/8 in Lancaster.3
xv. Asaph Butler was born on 17 March 1729/30 in Lancaster.3 He died in 1806 and is buried in the Hope Cemetery in Waterbury, Vermont.13 He married first Jane McAllister by an intention recorded 16 November 1751 in Westborough, Vermont.13 Jane, the daughter of John (Angus) and Margaret (Johnson) McAllister, was born on 1 August 1731 and died in 1770, "likely" in Windsor, Vermont.13 Asaph married second, as her second husband, Lydia (Tuttle) Allen about 1775. Lydia, the daughter of Amos (Samuel, Joseph, William) and Sarah (Mansfield) Tuttle, was born on 20 July 1741 in New Haven, died on 4 May 1787, and was buried in the Richards Graveyard in Weathersfield, Vermont.13 Lydia married first Benjamin Allen on 7 March 1764 in New Haven.13 Benjamin, the son of Nathan (Samuel, John) and Hannah (Todd) Allen, was born on 1 May 1736 in New Haven, drowned on 1 April 1774, and was buried in the Richards Graveyard.13
References:
1. Edward F. Johnson, Woburn Records of Births, Deaths, and Marriages from 1600 to 1900, 3 vols. (Woburn: Andrews Cutler & Co., 1890, 1890, 1891), vol. 1: 243.
2. "James Butler," webpage, We Relate (https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:James_Butler_%28155%29: accessed 26 April 2021), citing "James Butler of Lancaster, Mass.", in National Genealogical Society Quarterly (Washington, District of Columbia: National Genealogical Society), p. 165.
3. Henry S. Nourse, Birth, Marriage and Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs of Lancaster, Massachusetts, 1643–1850 (Clinton, MA: W. J. Coulter, Printer, 1890).
4. "Worcester County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1731–1881," database with images, AmericanAncestors, citing records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives, Jeremiah Wilson's will (case 66406), Nathaniel's will (case 9511), guardianships (cases 9472, 9496, 9509, 9512, 9488, 9510), settlement of James's estate (case 9490).
5. "Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648–1871," database with images, AmericanAncestor, citing records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org, case 20816.
6. Henry S. Nourse, Early Records of Lancaster, Massachusetts, 1643–1725 (Clinton: W. J. Coulter, 1884), 144 (garrison), 301 (cider), 332 (land from father).
7. James Fyfe, "James Fyfe of Berlin, Mass. and his Descendants," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 56, 1902, 167–172, specifically 167.
8. James Flint, comp., "Worcester County, Massachusetts, Probate Index, Vol. 1 & 2 A–Z, July 1731–1881," database, Ancestry (2000: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/5189).
9. New England Historic Genealogical Society, "Massachusetts, U.S., Town Marriage Records, 1620–1850," database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/4079) > Bolton > Births, Marriages, and Deaths, image 77.
10. Albert Wilmot Rook, The Butler Family (Chicago: Lakeside Press, 1901), 15–19.
11. "Colonial Soldiers and Officers in New England, 1620–1775," database with images, AmericanAncestors (2013) > Massachusestts Officers and Soldiers, 1723–1743, image 154.
12. William A. Houghton, History of the Town of Berlin, Worcester County, Mass: From 1784 to 1895 (Worcester: F.S. Blanchard & Co., 1895), 387.
13. Scott Andrew Bartley, "Early Vermont Settlers, 1700–1784," database with images, AmericanAncesters (2015: https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1565/i/48438/5/68950526) > Butler, Asaph (Windsor, Weathersfield, Waterbury)
Last revised: 20-Dec-2023