Life History
1838 |
Born in Virginia.2,3 |
about 1868 |
Married William H BUTLER in Arkansas County, Arkansas.4 |
17th Jan 1870 |
Birth of son William Morgan BUTLER in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.4,5,6,7,8,9,1,10,11 |
28th Oct 1872 |
Birth of son Ross Almyr BUTLER in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.12,13,5,14,15,4,11 |
Aug 1878 |
|
after 1880 |
Died in Arkansas County, Arkansas.4 Fever |
Other facts
|
Buried in Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Huckabay, Erath County, Texas.1 |
Notes
- India Smith married William H Butler when she was about 30 years old. There is no information about a previous marriage or children, but it is a late age to marry, especially in that era. In the 1870 census, the last child Morgan appears t be India's first child, the older two children being sons of Frances E Spain. The age of the second child Bernard indicates that Frances died sometime between 1862 and 1868. India's son, according to this census report, was born in January 1870.
1870 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 7 July, Prairie Township, PO St Charles, page 26, Hse/Fam #209
Butler, William G (sic) 36 M W Farmer $500 Real Estate $600 Personal b Alabama Cannot read or write [b abt 1834]
Butler, India 32 F W Keeping House b Virginia Cannot read or write [b abt 1838]
Butler, Bernard 10 M W b Mississippi Cannot read or write [b abt 1860]
Butler, Edward 8 M W b Mississippi [No report on literacy] [b abt 1862]
Butler, Morgan 6 mos M W b Mississippi b Jan 1870
Butler, Robert 26 F W b Tennessee Cannot read or write [b abt 1844]
In family memoires compiled by William Morgan Butler's children, India is erferred to as Lucetta. The child Lucy is said to be named LUcetta after her.
William H Butler and family are reported in the Arkansas County, Arkansas Census of 1880 as resident in Prairie Township, which is around the community of Ethel, south and a bit west of St Charles. The enumerator has reported birthplace of the children's mother as though India was the mother of all the children. But BB (Bernard) is the son of Frances Spain. Note that, from the birth state of the children, we can tell both children of Frances were born in Mississippi, as well as the first child of India.
This indicates that Frances died in (Panola County) Mississippi, and William married India there. I have not found the record of William's marriage to India. We see that after the birth of Morgan in Mississippi, and before the birth of Ross (R A) in 1872, William moved his family to Arkansas. Note that in 1870, Morgan is reported already with the family in Mississippi, and born in Mississippi. Yet in the 1880 census, he is reported (W M) as born in Arkansas!
India is reported in the 1880 census, with her four stepchildren, children of William H Butler and Frances Spain, and her daughter India Butler, who was born in 1874 or 1875.
1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 21 June, Prairie Township, District 2, page 27, Hse #183, Fam #194
W H Butler W M 46 Married Farmer AL NC VA
India Butler W F 41 Wife Married Housekeeping VA VA VA
B B Butler W M 20 Son Single On Farm MS AL VA
Ned Butler W M 18 Son Single On Farm MS AL VA
W M Butler W M 11 Son Single At School AR AL VA
R A Butler W M 8 Son Single At School AR AL VA
India Butler W F 5 Dau Single AR AL VA
L W Smith W M 28 Bro-in-Law Single On Farm MS VA VA
L W Smith is India's brother.
I have not seen death information for India Smith Butler, but we know she died before 1885, when William married his third wife Louisa J Spain in 1885. In the family notes, the only time frame for her death is after her daughter India married. I have no date for that event.
"The children grew up, learning how to farm and to make a living by growing cotton. Ross and George moved to Mississippi, and India married. Daddy [William Morgan] stayed home with William and Lucetta. Not long after this, Grandpa lost his Lucetta. She became ill with what was diagnosed as a lingering fever, and she never recovered. Daddy would sit by her bed day and night, giving her medicine and soothing her fevered brow."
-- William H Butler Family Notes, private paper courtesy of Jack Dodson, 30 August 2011
Sources
- 1. W H Butler Family Notes, by children of W M Butler, private paper
- 2. 1850 Federal Census, Panola County, Mississippi
- 24 October, District 13, p 686 (344), Hse/Fam #532
- 3. RootsWeb Trees
- 4. 1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
- 21 June, Prairie Township, District 2, page 27, Hse #183, Fam #194
- 5. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
- 6. 1870 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
- 7 July, Prairie Township, PO St Charles, page 26, Hse/Fam #209
- 7. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
- 16 June, Prairie Township, District 7, Page 11, Hse #192, Family #195
- 8. RootsWeb ID: I1448 -- William Morgan Butler
- 9. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
- 20 April, Prairie Township, District 13, Page 3A, Hse/Fam #35
- 10. 1930 Federal Census, Bolivar County, Mississippi
- 16 April, Beat 3, District 23, page 11B, Hse/Fam #315
- 11. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
- 12. Gravestone of Ross Almyr Butler, Oakridge Cemetery in Clarksdale, Coahoma County, Mississppi
- 13. RootsWeb ID: I201 -- William H Butler
- Name: Name: http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dlee-pobox&id=I201;;
- 14. 1920 Federal Census, Bolivar County, Mississippi
- 9 March, Alligator, District 11, page 2A, Hse #38, Fam #42
- 15. 1930 Federal Census, Bolivar County, Mississippi
- 3 April, Alligator, District 18, page 1B, Hse #19, Fam #20
- 16. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
- 15 June, Prairie Township (Ethel), District 13, Page 1A, Hse/Fam #1
- 17. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
- 1 June, DeWitt, District 1, Page 2A, House #24, Family #26
- 18. Gravestones of Mt Pleasant Cemetery