James Butler, Sr.

James Butler settled in Nashaway, now Lancaster, MA, before 1659. He was assigned lot no. 39 in a division of meadow. On Feb 2, 1663/4 , town granted a half home lott, 10 acres of upland, 20 acres of intervaille and opther accomodation suitable to estate. Early town records show he owned 134 acres, mostly pineland southwest of Cold Spring...20 acres for house lt etc.

After several Indian masacres at Lancasrer in 1675 at the outbreak of King Phillip's War, James left Lancaster with his family and settled in Woburn, Massachusetts. By 1679, he moved to Billerica. In Billerica's earliest record book, his death is reported, "James Butler, Senr, Irishman, dyed 20.01.81 (Jan 20 1681)." He was survived by his widow Mary, executrix of his estate and by four or five children.

Mary married again in 1681/2 to John Hinds of Woburn by whom she had 7 more children.

In 1733, the oldest son, James, signed an agreement with his half siblings releasing them from further support of his mother. He took care of her. She was still living at 80 yrs of age.

Source of above: National Geneological Quarterly , Vol 64, Sep 1976, no 3

VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION: Was this James Butler, the son of Sir James Butler and Alice/Ellice of Wexford, Ireland?? (there is a record stating his yr of birth as 1620 and death as Feb 19, 1682 in Massachusetts) If yes, then these Butlers can follow their lineage back to James Butler b Oct 4, 1331 in Knocktopher Castle, Arklow, Wicklow Ireland. His mother was Eleanor de Bohun who was the daughter of Elizabeth Plantagenet (b. 1282 in Rhuddlan Castle, Wales, D. 1316) Elizabeth Plantagenet was the daughter of King Edward I( b 1239 d. 1307) and Eleanor of Castile (b. 1244 d.1290) Edward I was descended from Henry III and Eleanor of Aquitaine and William the Conqueror.

Can verify by going to: the Butler Society which has been to set up the Butler Archive in the South Tower of Kilkenny Castle. Archives are an invaluable resource in providing records of the chequered history of Ireland. Lord Dunboyne addresses this James Butler of Lancaster, MA in his book on Butlers called "Happy Families" in Contents:

# Q110. BJ1#7

James Butler (ca. 1650) of Lancaster, Massachussetts.

110. BJ1#8 James Butler (d. 1681) of Lancaster, Mass.

110. BJ2#1 James Butler (d.1681) of Lancaster, Mass.

110. BJ4#1 James Butler (d 1681) of Lancaster, Mass.

(dont know what text says...if it verifies or denies connection...need this book)

Some geneologies on ancestry.com list his dad as Robert Butler and others as James Butler.

OTHER INFO: ID: I570012656 Name: James BUTLER Given Name: James Surname: Butler Sex: M Birth: Abt 1651 in Ireland Death: 20 Mar 1680/1681 in Billerica,Middlesex,Ma Change Date: 12 Feb 2004 1 2 3 Note: As early as 1653, John Butler, a native of Waterford, and a descendant of the Butlers of Kilkenny, one of the most eminent of the Anglo-Norman families of Ireland, was in business as a merchant both at Saybrook and at New London, Conn. In Saybrook town records he is described as a n Irish gentleman. He was the founder of the settlements known as Butlertown and Waterford, a few miles west of New London. Members of the family are mentioned in New London records of the year 1680, and Thomas Butler is said to have been one of the leading men of the town in the early part of the eighteenth century. James Butler, a near relative of John, also came to Connecticut in the year 1653, but removed to Lancaster, Mass., where he received a grant of a "halfe home lott" in 1663, and his name appears in the tax lists of that town and also of Woburn and Billerica down to 1681. Although Billerica vital records contain an entry under date of March 20,1681, of the death of James Butler, Sr., Irishman, the local historian quotes from the town records: James Butler, Sen., Irishman, dyed 20, 01, 81. James is said to have been the largest landowner in what is now Worcester County. In a letter dated April 21, 1897, from one of his descendants, Henry A. May, in Journal of the American Irish Historical Society, Vol. 2, p. 19.7 His son, James, succeeded to this property and was mentioned in Lancastertown records in 1728.

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A long account of the Butler familys concludes thus: The Emerald Isle was undoubtedly the country from which their ancestors emigrated and Ireland is the nation with whom they enjoy nationality. We are told that James Butler came to the Colony when only four years old and knew nothingof his history, except that he came from a noble family in Ireland. He had a habit of enquiring of every emigrant from Ireland who came to the vicinity if they knew anything about the Butlers, and the frequency of his enquiries became a matter of much comment among the townspeople. Even on the day of his death (1681), hearing that an Irishman had just arrived in town, it is said he had the man summoned to his bedside and questioned him as to whether the Butlers were not one of the noble families of Ireland, and when the newcomer informed him that he knew the Butlers of Kilkenny and that they were of the Ormond family, James Butler "the planter" died in peace. His son, John, born July 22, 1677, was the father of ten children, all born at Woburn. In 1721, he removed to what is now Pelham, New Hampshire, where a monument was erected to his memory, and on the occasion of its dedication, in June, 1886, it is said that 1200 of his descendants were present. John, son of John Butler, was a Captain in the Indian War in1745, and David, son of John Butler Jr., was an officer in the Revolutionary army.

Father: Robert BUTLER

Marriage 1 UNKNOWN MARY b: Abt 1654 in of Massachusetts Children

James BUTLER b: Abt 1674 in Lancaster,Worcester,Massachusetts

Martha BUTLER b: Abt 1675

John BUTLER b: 22 Jul 1677 in Woburn,Middlesex,Ma

Marriage 2 Spouse Unknown Married: 1676 Children

Mary BUTLER b: 11 Jul 1679 in Billerica,Middlesex,Massachusetts

Eleanor BUTLER b: 13 Sep 1681 in Billerica,Middlesex,Massachusetts

Sources: Title: Pioneer Irish in New England CHAPTER VI Note: ABBR Pioneer Irish in New England CHAPTER VI

Source Media Type: Book Repository: Title: Critical Account of King Philips War , by Rev. George M. Bodge, p. 363,Boston, 1906 Note: ABBR Critical Account of King Philips War , by Rev. George M. Bodge, p. 363, Boston, 1906

Source Media Type: Book Repository: Title: Boston Town Records, Vol. 2, p. 160.6 Note: ABBR Boston Town Records, Vol. 2, p. 160.6

Source Media Type: Book Repository: