Elizabeth (Fletcher) Butterfield (1679 - 1715)

Born 6 Mar 1679 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Wife of Benjamin Butterfield — married 8 Oct 1701 in Woburn, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 24 Jul 1715 at age 36 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Randy Seaver [send private message] and Peter Wetherill [send private message]

Biography

Elizabeth Fletcher was born to Samuel Fletcher and Hannah (Wheeler) Fletcher (abt.1654-1697) (See Note 1) on either 6 Mar 1678^[1]or 6 Mar 1679^[2].

Note 1. The Biography of Samuel Fletcher (Fletcher- 381) lists his wife as Hannah Wheeler (he later married Sarah Bale and Elizabeth Proctor). His will, a fragment of which is presented in the Note in his profile, lists "Elizabeth Butterfield" as one of his children. It seems very likely that the Elizabeth Fletcher in this profile is the daughter of Samuel Fletcher and Hannah Wheeler, and that she married Benjamin Butterfield.

She married Benjamin Butterfield on October 8, 1701, in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. (See Note 2)^[3]

Note 2. Samuel fletcher of Chelmsford wrote a will on 18 March 1713.

The will was brought to the Middlesex Coiunty, Massachusetts probate court on 18 December 1723 by his widow, Elizabeth. The will was not allowed on 20 June 1726 (Middlesex County [MA] Probate Court Packet #7,920).

The will: mentions wife Elizabeth, children Samuel Fletcher, Mary Wheeler, Sarah Fletcher, Susanna Fletcher, Isaac Fletcher, Hannah Wright, Elizabeth Butterfield, Lydia Adams, and William Fletcher (executor), and the probate file refers to those present at the hearings: Jonathan Wheeler who had married Samuel's daughter Mary, Ebenezer Wright, Sira Butterfield, Sarah Fletcher, Pelatiah Adams, Joseph Chamberlain, Isaac Fletcher, William Fletcher, Samuel Fletcher, and the witnesses.

Note 3. Another summary of the will, reported at http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Samuel_Fletcher_(5)

Massachusetts. Probate Court (Middlesex County). Probate records, 1648-1924. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1964-1967), File 7920: Samuell Fletcher 1723.

Will of "Samuell fletcher Se'r of the town of Chelmsford ... yeoman", dated 18 Mar 1713, names wife Elisabeth; son Samuell fletcher [he paying the widow, sister Mary Wheeler, sister Sarah fletcher, sister Susana fletcher]; son Isaac fletcher [he paying the widow and his six sisters]; daughters hannah Wright, Elisabeth Buterfield, Lydia Adams already given their full proportion, given small legacies; son William fletcher [sole executor].

18 Dec 1723: Memorial of Elizabeth fletcher "that it is about two months since my husband Samuel fletcher Deceas'd".

7 Jun 1726: "Personally appeared Will'm Fletcher Sole Execut'r and Jon'a Wheeler who married Mary a daughter and Jon'a Barret and Joshua Fletcher two of the witnesses" ... heirs cited and will proved at subsequent session 20 Jun 1726.

7 Jun 1726: "The within written was read to Jon'a Wheeler (who married Mary a daughter of the within named dec'd) and to Jon'a Barret and Joshua Fletcher (two of the witnesses to the within mention'd will" ... "As also to Eben'r Wright [?undecipherable name, possibly Eliza?] Butterfield Sarah Fletcher Pelatiah Adams Joseph Chamberlain Isaac Fletcher - In presence of Sam'll Fletcher"

Research Note

There is significant doubt about whether the profile has the correct parents for Elizabeth Fletcher. Massachusetts' vital records show an Elizabeth born in Chelmsford to Samuel Fletcher on 6 Mar 1678 or 6 Mar 1679. (See Fletcher-412) Benjamin Butterfield married an Elizabeth Fletcher in 1701, in Woburn, so that Elizabeth - the daughter of Samuel - is the correct age and location.

In addition, there is a fragment of the will of the Samuel Fletcher who married[1]Hannah Wheeler that mentions his children, including "Elizabeth Butterfield". (See Note at Fletcher-381). While not conclusive, there is pretty good evidence that the ELizabeth Fletcher who married Benjamin Butterfield in not this one, but instead Fletcher-412, the daughter of Samuel and Hannah.

A 19th century Fletcher genealogy shows an Elizabeth born to Joshua Fletcher and Grissies (sic) Jewell, but she was born 10 Jun 1698, twenty years too late. See Fletcher, Edward: Fletcher Family History:The Descendants of Robert Fletcher of Concord, Mass, Rand, Avery & Co. 1881, p.29. However, Joshua and Grissies were married 4 May 1668. The Fletcher genealogy lists their first child as a Joshua, born "about 1679", but Chelmsford vital records show a birth date of 1677, so it is certainly possible they had an Elizabeth born in 1679.

The Chelmsford records show a "male" born to Joshuah (sic) and Grisill (sic) Fletcher on 23 Oct 1679, so if Elizabeth was their child, it is most likely she would have been born before January, 1679. As of 5/17, I have found no record of an Elizabeth Fletcher born to Joshua and Grisill before 1769.

The Fletcher Family History shows one Samuel Fletcher who could have been the father of the Elizabeth born in 1679. However it does not show an Elizabeth among his children, and neither does Find a Grave.

It appears there was more than one Fletcher family in Massachusetts at the time, so the Elizabeth of Samuel might well be outside the line of Robert Fletcher.

I will leave this profile as it is for now, but I would be cautious about relying on the proposed parents of Elizabeth Fletcher in this profile until her and their identities can be confirmed.

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-YL7Z : 13 July 2016), Elisabeth Flecher, 06 Mar 1678; citing Birth, Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 868,435.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29L-Y5WG : 13 July 2016), Elisabeth Fletcher, 06 Mar 1679; citing Birth, Chelmsford, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts; FHL microfilm 868,435.
3. ↑ Dodd, Jordan, Liahona Research, comp Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850