Richard Butler migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 1, p. 285) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm
There were two contemporary Richard Butlers in early Connecticut. This Richard lived in Hartford. The other Richard lived in Stratford, Connecticut. They both had daughters named Mary.
Richard was born by 1610 based on his estimated marriage His origins are unknown.[1]
He could possibly from Braintree, Essex due to his affiliation with Rev T. Hooker's congregation.[2]
NOTE: Most on-line family trees assign a Stephen Butler and various women, very often Sarah Ann Edwards as Richard's parents. There is no evidence of Richards' (or his brother Williams') parents. Siblings are known from William Butler's will, who either never married or arrived in New England as a widower, without children.[2]
Marriages
Married (1) To _______ _______ by about 1636, probably in the Connecticut Colony, died about 1640;[1]
Married (2) by 1640 at Hartford to Elizabeth _____[1] (Called Elizabeth Bigelow by Stiles and subsequently Torrey,[3][2] daughter of Randall and Jane Bigelow, b. about 1616 d. before September 11, 1691 at Hartford.)[4]
Migration
Anderson places Richard's migration in 1633, from parts unknown.[1][2]
There is no evidence that the ship "Hector" sailed in 1632 with Richard Butler, his older brother William and (possibly) his 1st wife, in 1632, as stated in Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania[5]
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Richard settled first at Cambridge where he was made a freeman on May 14, 1634.[6][7]
Hartford, Connecticut
Removed to Hartford with Rev. Thomas Hooker's congregation, he was given 16 acres in the land allocation in 1639-40.[8] An original proprietor of Hartford,[9][10] his house-lot was on the corner where the road from George Steele's to the South Meadow intersected the road from the Mill to the Country. He was a juror, 1643-4-7-8; townsman, 1649, 1654, 1658; one of the committee for the mill, 1661 ; grand juror, 1660, 1662; deputy, 1656-1660; one of the deacons of the 1st Church.[2]
Death
Died 6 August, 1684 at Hartford, Invt. ₤564-15-00. Taken 2 September, 1684, by Paul Peck sen., George Grave. Will dated 2 April, 1677.[9][2][1]
Will
”Know all men whom it may concern, that I Richard Butler, being in bodily health & of sound & perfect memory, doe make & ordain this my Last will & Testament in Form & maner as followeth: Imprim: I doe give to my son Thomas Butler my uper Lot in the Long meadow. 2nd I doe give to my son Samuell all my meadow Land in Weathersfeild meadow. 3, I doe give to Nathaniel my son my meadow Lot neer the Long meadow gate. 4, I doe give Joseph Butler My son all my Land in the South meadow. 5, I doe give to my son Daniel Butler my now dwelling house wth all appurtenances of building & ground about it, as also I doe give my son Daniel my Lot comonly called ten acres. 6, I doe give my three daughters, Mary Wright, Elizabeth Olmsted & Hanah Green, twenty shillings apeice, to be payd out of my moveable estate by my present wife Elizabeth, whom I appoynt my Executor to this my last Will. Allso it is my will that none of these children aforesayd doe possess or enjoy any of these Lands, or ought else mentioned, but with the consent, death, or change of their mother’s condition, that is, by marriage againe. But if my wife Elizabeth Butler should change her conditions & marry againe, then my will is that all my aforesd. sonns & daughters doe possess every one his Legacy & my wife only the Thirds; & for the rest of Cattell & household goods I give them all to my wife, provided as afoursayd she continue in widdowhood; but if she marry again, then to take the third of all, as of the house & Land so of Cattell & household Stuffe; & the rest equally to be divided among all my Children aforementioned; & though there may be divers Wills Extant that I have written with my own hand, yet this is my Last & shall stand written wth my owne hand. I appoint my two sons Thomas & Samuel Butler to be Overseers of this my Last will. My will also is that my daughter Mary Wright shall have one feather bed after her mother’s decease.
”RICHARD BUTLER.
”Witness: Samuel Wright,
”Samuel Butler.
”Court Record, Page 93—4 September, 1684: Will Proven.”[11][2]
Children
The order of birth is not entirely certain, it is generally accepted that the 2 eldest children are by his first wife, and the rest by Elizabeth Bigelow, his second wife.[4]
Thomas b. about 1637[1] at Hartford, d. August 29, 1688 at Hartford, m. 1658 at Hartford to Sarah Stone, 12 children.[12]
Mary b. about 1639, d.September 12, 1689 at Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, m. September 29, 1659 to Samuel Wright[13] The record of Samuel Wright's marriage gave no name of bride.[1]
Joseph b. about 1646[1], d. December 10, 1732 at Wethersfield, m. 1) by November 14, 1676 Mary Goodrich;[17] m. 2) after September 6, 1705 to Mary Bushnell, widow of William Miller. 8 children.[18]
↑ 1.001.011.021.031.041.051.061.071.081.091.101.111.12 The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995). p. 285 https://www.americanancestors.org/DB393/i/12107/285/235174280
↑ To become a freeman each person was legally required to be a respectable member of some Congregational church. This regulation was so modified by royal order in 1664 as to allow individuals to be made freemen who could obtain certificates of their being correct in doctrine and conduct from clergymen acquainted with them. Persons were made freemen by the General Court of the colony and also by the Quarterly Courts of the counties. None but freemen could hold office or vote.
↑ 9.09.1 Barbour, Lucius Barnes, 1982, Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut, Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland and Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc., Glastonbury, Connecticut pp.388
Connecticut, Find A Grave Index, 1636-2013 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc
American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc
U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc
U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
The Goodrich Family in America. A Genealogy of the Descendants of John and William Goodrich of Wethersfield, Conn., Richard Goodrich of Guilford, Conn., and William Goodridge of Watertown, Mass. Lafayette Wallace Case M.D., Author Role: Editor Publication: Fergus Printing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1889, Second Date, 1984, pg 34
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Thanks Eric. Checking Anderson's "Great Migration Begins," it says married by about 1636 _____ _____ who died about 1640." Nothing about marriage in England.
Based on the quote I've given you, please go ahead and update the profile. Thanks.
Many need to be aware of that there were TWO MARY BUTLERS. This Mary Butler who married Samuel Wright (shown here, is correct) and Mary Butler who married John Washburn (see Butler-4277) are not the same person. I just ran into this when someone posted her Mary Butler (Washburn) and Phoebe Butler as daughters of Richard Butler.
Butler-7678 and Butler-265 appear to represent the same person because: Same names, near dates of birth, same spouses, same children, and same years of death. Butler-7678 is a newly created duplicate, among many others i have come across in this family. Please merge. Thanks
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But please recheck, because it seems that Mary is already shown as child of first wife.
Based on the quote I've given you, please go ahead and update the profile. Thanks.
Cheryl PGM Co-Leader