Elizabeth (Unknown) Butler (abt. 1616 - 1691)

Born about 1616 in England

Wife of Richard Butler — married about 1640 in Hartford, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 11 Sep 1691 at about age 75 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut

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Elizabeth (Unknown) Butler migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Name and Origins

Name: Elizabeth Unknown

The commonly found statement that she was Elizabeth Bigelow is not accepted.

In 1852, Hinman in his "Early Puritan Settlers of Connecticut" stated that the wife of Richard Butler was named Elizabeth Bigelow.^[1] This is a name and an identification which has been repeated many times including in recent sources. All subsequent sources apparently rely ultimately on the simple statement by Hinman as none provide any further evidence or discussion. Based solely on a common name, she is often said to be a sister or close relative of John Bigelow of Watertown. However, no actual supporting evidence has ever been found to support the statement that her LNAB is Bigelow, or that she had any relationship to John Bigelow. When Donald Lines Jacobus examined the problem and wrote on Richard Butler, he stated “We have found nothing to substantiate that she was a Bigelow.”^[2] Anderson in his biography of Richard Butler concurred and stated her name is Elizabeth ______.^[3] Wikitree is following the conclusions of Jacobus and Anderson unless some primary evidence can be found to show that Elizabeth’s LNAB was or even might possibly be Bigelow.

Birth

Born: About 1616 in England.

The date is an estimate based on her marriage in 1640 and her having children from 1641 to 1656. She is sometimes said to have been born in Wrentham, England, however, this is based on the incorrect belief that she was a sister of John Bigelow.

Marriage and Children

Married: Richard Butler about 1640. The date is an estimate based birth of her son Samuel who is said to have been born about 1641.

The order of birth is not entirely certain, it is generally accepted that the 2 eldest children are from Richard Butler's first marriage to Elizabeth (Unknown) and were raised by Elizabeth Bigelow.^[4]

Children of Richard Butler and his firrst unknown wife:

1. Thomas b. about 1637 at Hartford, d. August 29, 1688 at Hartford, m. 1658 at Hartford to Sarah Stone, 12 children.^[5]
2. Mary b. about 1639, d.September 12, 1689 at Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, m. September 29, 1659 to Samuel Wright^[6]

Children of Richard Butler and Elizabeth Unknown:

1. Deacon Samuel b. about 1641 at Hartford, d. December 31, 1692 at Wethersfield m. by 1665 to Elizabeth Olmsted^[7][8]
2. Nathaniel b. about 1642, d. Feb. 9, 1697 at Wethersfield, m. Sarah Green^[9]
3. Joseph b. about 1646 at Wethersfield, d. December 10, 1732 at Wethersfield, m. 1) by November 14, 1676 Mary Goodrich;^[10] m. 2) after September 6, 1705 to Mary Bushnell, widow of William Miller. 8 children.^[11]
4. Daniel b. about 1651 at Wethersfield, d. March 28, 1692, m. by 1680 to Mabel Olmstead^[12]
5. Elizabeth b. about 1654, m. about 1674 to Joseph Olmstead^[13]
6. Hannah b. about 1656, m. by April 2, 1677 to Samuel Green^[14]

Death

Died: 11 September 1691 in Wethersfield, Connecticut.^[15][16]

Will: No actual will exists, but a nuncupative will was accepted by the courts during the administration of her estate:

”Butler, Elizabeth. 11 September, 1691. Invt. £101-04-06. Taken by Samuel Butler & Daniel Butler.

”Court Record, Page 34—3d December, 1691: Adms. to Samuel & Daniel Butler. Dist. to her children: Nathaniel, Joseph, Daniel, Samuel Butler, Elizabeth Olmsted, Abigail Butler. Daniel Butler, though a Legatee, made Oath with Mary Butler to the Nuncupative Will of the Deed, that the Estate should be divided equally among her children, and it appearing by the Testimony of Mary Butler that Elizabeth Butler, deed, nere her death did declare that it was her minde that after her death her goods should be equally divided unto her live children, Nathaniel, Joseph, Daniel and Samuel Butler and Elizabeth Olmsted; and Daniel Butler, although he be a legatee, yet affirmed that he heard his Mother say & declare the same as is Testified by Mary Butler, which this Court accepts as the last Will of sayd Elizabeth Butler; onely whereas there is a debt of about Thirteen & fourteen pounds sayd to be due from Thomas Butler, Adms. to his Father’s Estate, and upon his own proper accot, which debt, this Court, with consent of Samuel Butler, Daniel Butler and Joseph Olmsted, doe remit to the sayd Thomas Butler & to his Brethren & Sisters, onely Thomas Butler to have a double portion of it.”^[17][18]

Sources

1. ↑ Hinman, Royal R. A Catalogue of the Names of the Early Puritan Settlers of the Colony of Connecticut; with the Time of their Arrival in the Country and Colony... (Hartford, 1852): page 454.
2. ↑ Jacobus, Donald Lines and Nathan Grier Parke. The Ancestry of Lorenzo Ackley & His Wife Emma Arabella Bosworth. (Woodstock, Vt: The Elm Tree Press, 1960): page 141.Ancestry.com Link
3. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, vol. 1: A - F, (Boston: NEHGS, 1995): page 287. AmericanAncestors.org Link.
4. ↑ #S4 Bainbridge-Green-Plumb-Butler Connections
5. ↑ #S8 New England Marriages Prior to 1700, pg.127
6. ↑ #S8 New England Marriages Prior to 1700, pg.843
7. ↑ #S8 New England Marriages Prior to 1700, pg.127, Torry erroneously reports spouse as Mary Olmstead
8. ↑ #S5 The Wife or Wives of Samuel Butler of Wethersfield CT
9. ↑ #S8 New England Marriages Prior to 1700, pg.127
10. ↑ #S8 New England Marriages Prior to 1700, pg.127
11. ↑ #S3 Joseph Butler Of Wethersfield And His Wives
12. ↑ #S8 New England Marriages Prior to 1700, pg.126
13. ↑ #S8 New England Marriages Prior to 1700, pg.545
14. ↑ #S4 Bainbridge-Green-Plumb-Butler Connections
15. ↑ #S6 A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records
16. ↑ #S7 Families of Ancient Wethersfield
17. ↑ #S6 A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records
18. ↑ #S7 Families of Ancient Wethersfield

#S1, 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

#S2 Bigelow, Patricia. 1986, The Bigelow Family Genealogy. Vol 1. The Bigelow Society, Flint, Michigan

#S3 Colett, Jr., Merideth B. 1936. Joseph Butler Of Wethersfield And His Wives, The American Genealogist Vol 13:216

#S4 Jacobus, Donald Lines, 1970 Bainbridge-Green-Plumb-Butler Connections The American Genealogist Vol 46:8

#S5 Joslyn, Roger D. 1984. The Wife or Wives of Samuel Butler of Wethersfield CT, The American Genealogist Vol 60:29

#S6, Manwaring, Charles William, 1904, A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records R. S. Peck & Co., Printers, Hartford, Connecticut

#S7 Stiles, Henry R. 1904 Families of Ancient Wethersfield pg, 170 Clearfield Publishing Inc., New York

#S8 Torry, Clarence A., 2004, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland

• 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