BENJAMIN BUTTERFIELD
Born: between 1600 - 1610 in Ovendon Parish, Halifax, Yorkshire, England
Died 2 March 1687/88 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, MA
married: ANNE JUNDON
26 October 1632 in Yorkshire, England.
She was born Bet. 1605 - 1616 in Yorkshire, Eng8, and died 19 May 1661 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, MA.
After Anne's death in 1661 Benjamin married HANNAH CHAWKLEY June 1663 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, MA. She was born ~ 1612 in England, and died 19 May 1677 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, MA.
Personal History:
Benjamin Butterfield from whom the American family chiefly derives issue was the son of Benjamin I, born abt 1600 Ovenden, York, England, and baptized at St. John The Baptist Church in Halifax, England. He married Ann Jundon of Moldon, England and they already had two small children when Benjamin and his family joined with Benjamin's young half-brother Samuel, and his older sister Susanna (aka Susan Wood), with her husband, the Reverend Matthew Mitchell and their children for the trip to America in 1635.
He was known to be in Charlestown in the Bay Colony in 1638, then, removing to Woburn, his name appears among the first town orders of Woburn and, in 1643, he was made a Freeman. (in early Colonial life a Freeman was one who was entitled to vote and was considered a "gentleman." To qualify, a man must not be indentured and must be a property owner and a member of the Church). In 1645 we find Benjamin's name on the Woburn tax list. In 1652 the inhabitants of Woburn petitioned for leave to explore the West side of the Concord River. The report was, "a very comfortable place to accomodate a company of God's people." In 1658, Benjamin headed a petition of twenty-nine names from Woburn and Concord for a tract of land six miles square, "to begin at the Merrimack River, as the neck of land six miles square, "to begin at the Merrimack River, at the neck of land next to the Concord River," to run southerly on the Concord River and westerly into the wild country. This spot was known to the indians as Naamkeek. The six mile tract was occupied in 1654 by Benjamin and his associates, including the family names of Learned, Chamberlin, Fletcher, Adams, Proctor, Hildreth, Blodgett and Parker.
In 1655 the town was incorporated under the name of Chelmsford, MA. The land adjoining was occupied by the Rev. John Eliot with a reservation for Christianized Indians called "Wamesit." The line between the Indians and the English was run "on the east side of Butterfield's highway" and marked by a ditch. On this highway Benjamin pitched his farm and built his house, somewhere within what is now Ward 4, Lowell, MA. Also in 1655, Benjamin was one of the signers of letters requesting the Minister of Wenham, MA, the Rev John Fiske, to come to Chelmsford, MA to start the Church at Chelmsford which is now Unitarian and known as the First Congregational Society. They gave the Rev. Fiske 30 acres of meadow and 30 acres of plowable land plus a house 20' x 38' with 3 fine rooms and brick or stone chimneys as well as 50 pounds the first year, and maintenance therafter. In 1656, Benjamin is named as one of the citizens of Chelmsford, MA to whom the Governor Dudley farm of 1500 acres in Billerica was conveyed.
On 1 Dec 1656, a minister in Chelmsford (probably Rev. Fiske) recorded the fact that he had baptized the following sons of Benjamin Butterfield that day: Benjamin III, age about 20 years; Jonathan, age about 15 years; Nathaniel, age about 11 1/2 years; Samuel, age about 8 years. In view of the birthdates recorded by the New England Historical and Genealogical Register for Joseph, Samuel & Nathaniel, it seems that the good minister was estimating the ages of the boys at from one to three years younger than they actually were. He also did not record a baptism for Benjamin's daughter, Mary. Therefore, as near as it can be discovered, it seems that Benjamin's and Ann's children were:
Benjamin (AKA Berabin), b Eng ~1633; d Chelmsford, MA 1 Feb 1663
Mary b Eng abt 1635, m 1653, Daniel Blodgett, Chelmsford, MA; d 5 Sept 1666
Jonathan b 1641; m Mary Dixon of Cambridge, MA; d 3 April 1673
Nathaniel b Woburn, MA 14 Feb 1642
Samuel b Woburn, MA 17 May 1647
Joseph b Woburn, MA 15 Aug 1649
Benjamin II's wife Ann (Jundon) Butterfield, d Chelmsford, 9 May 1661 (VR); he m.2 3 Jun 1663 (VR) Hannah, widow of Thomas Wittemore of Cambridge; Hannah d 19 Mar 1677, Chelmsford, MA (VR)
In 1666, Newfields, a tract of 241 acres of Intervale, across Stony Brook and extending up the Merrimack was granted to Chelmsford, MA. Of this, perhaps the best land in the growing town, Benjamin obtained 42 acres; the largest share of any one person. In 1686 the Indian reservation, "Wamesit" was purchased by the whites. The story of the imprisonment, neglect, starvation, and even selling into slavery of these Indians because the whites felt they could not be trusted during King Philip's War is a shameful one. The remnant of the "praying Indians", upon release, unable to trust the whites, moved north under the leadership of Wanalancit to join other "wild" tribes, and sold their land in "Wamesit." Three of Benjamin's sons were among the grantees. The surviving sons: Nathaniel, Samuel and Joseph. (Middlesex Deeds X19). This territory, which had been occupied by Wanalancit and his tribe as a cornfield and fishing station, is now occupied by the factories of Lowell, MA. The purchase included also 500 acres upon the north and east side of the Merrimack of "wilderness land", a general term for the unsettled country outside the incorporated limits. Nathaniel and Samuel Butterfield settled on the Wamesit lands, and Joseph in the wilderness between Tyng's Pond and the river.
Benjamin served the town of Chelmsford, MA as a Selectman or "Trustee" in the years 1656, 1657, 1660, and 1661. He died in Chelmsford, MA 2 March 1688.
Sources: History of Boston; Savage's Genealogical Dictionary; 400 Years Of Progress, G. A. Gordon, NEHGS Register, 44:33, Boston Transcript Files; Linares Chapter DAR and Records belonging to Charles Butterfield; Water, History Of Chelmsford; Vital Statistics of towns.
More About BENJAMIN BUTTERFIELD:
Personal History:
Benjamin Butterfield from whom the American family chiefly derives issue was the son of Benjamin I, born abt 1600 Ovenden, York, England, and baptized at St. John The Baptist Church in Halifax, England. He married Ann Jundon of Moldon, England and they already had two small children when Benjamin and his family joined with Benjamin's young half-brother Samuel, and his older sister Susanna (aka Susan Wood), with her husband, the Reverend Matthew Mitchell and their children for the trip to America in 1635.
He was known to be in Charlestown in the Bay Colony in 1638, then, removing to Woburn, his name appears among the first town orders of Woburn and, in 1643, he was made a Freeman. (in early Colonial life a Freeman was one who was entitled to vote and was considered a "gentleman." To qualify, a man must not be indentured and must be a property owner and a member of the Church). In 1645 we find Benjamin's name on the Woburn tax list. In 1652 the inhabitants of Woburn petitioned for leave to explore the West side of the Concord River. The report was, "a very comfortable place to accomodate a company of God's people." In 1658, Benjamin headed a petition of twenty-nine names from Woburn and Concord for a tract of land six miles square, "to begin at the Merrimack River, as the neck of land six miles square, "to begin at the Merrimack River, at the neck of land next to the Concord River," to run southerly on the Concord River and westerly into the wild country. This spot was known to the indians as Naamkeek. The six mile tract was occupied in 1654 by Benjamin and his associates, including the family names of Learned, Chamberlin, Fletcher, Adams, Proctor, Hildreth, Blodgett and Parker.
In 1655 the town was incorporated under the name of Chelmsford, MA. The land adjoining was occupied by the Rev. John Eliot with a reservation for Christianized Indians called "Wamesit." The line between the Indians and the English was run "on the east side of Butterfield's highway" and marked by a ditch. On this highway Benjamin pitched his farm and built his house, somewhere within what is now Ward 4, Lowell, MA. Also in 1655, Benjamin was one of the signers of letters requesting the Minister of Wenham, MA, the Rev John Fiske, to come to Chelmsford, MA to start the Church at Chelmsford which is now Unitarian and known as the First Congregational Society. They gave the Rev. Fiske 30 acres of meadow and 30 acres of plowable land plus a house 20' x 38' with 3 fine rooms and brick or stone chimneys as well as 50 pounds the first year, and maintenance therafter. In 1656, Benjamin is named as one of the citizens of Chelmsford, MA to whom the Governor Dudley farm of 1500 acres in Billerica was conveyed.
On 1 Dec 1656, a minister in Chelmsford (probably Rev. Fiske) recorded the fact that he had baptized the following sons of Benjamin Butterfield that day: Benjamin III, age about 20 years; Jonathan, age about 15 years; Nathaniel, age about 11 1/2 years; Samuel, age about 8 years. In view of the birthdates recorded by the New England Historical and Genealogical Register for Joseph, Samuel & Nathaniel, it seems that the good minister was estimating the ages of the boys at from one to three years younger than they actually were. He also did not record a baptism for Benjamin's daughter, Mary. Therefore, as near as it can be discovered, it seems that Benjamin's and Ann's children were:
Benjamin (AKA Berabin), b Eng ~1633; d Chelmsford, MA 1 Feb 1663
Mary b Eng abt 1635, m 1653, Daniel Blodgett, Chelmsford, MA; d 5 Sept 1666
Jonathan b 1641; m Mary Dixon of Cambridge, MA; d 3 April 1673
Nathaniel b Woburn, MA 14 Feb 1642
Samuel b Woburn, MA 17 May 1647
Joseph b Woburn, MA 15 Aug 1649
Benjamin II's wife Ann (Jundon) Butterfield, d Chelmsford, 9 May 1661 (VR); he m.2 3 Jun 1663 (VR) Hannah, widow of Thomas Wittemore of Cambridge; Hannah d 19 Mar 1677, Chelmsford, MA (VR)
In 1666, Newfields, a tract of 241 acres of Intervale, across Stony Brook and extending up the Merrimack was granted to Chelmsford, MA. Of this, perhaps the best land in the growing town, Benjamin obtained 42 acres; the largest share of any one person. In 1686 the Indian reservation, "Wamesit" was purchased by the whites. The story of the imprisonment, neglect, starvation, and even selling into slavery of these Indians because the whites felt they could not be trusted during King Philip's War is a shameful one. The remnant of the "praying Indians", upon release, unable to trust the whites, moved north under the leadership of Wanalancit to join other "wild" tribes, and sold their land in "Wamesit." Three of Benjamin's sons were among the grantees. The surviving sons: Nathaniel, Samuel and Joseph. (Middlesex Deeds X19). This territory, which had been occupied by Wanalancit and his tribe as a cornfield and fishing station, is now occupied by the factories of Lowell, MA. The purchase included also 500 acres upon the north and east side of the Merrimack of "wilderness land", a general term for the unsettled country outside the incorporated limits. Nathaniel and Samuel Butterfield settled on the Wamesit lands, and Joseph in the wilderness between Tyng's Pond and the river.
Benjamin served the town of Chelmsford, MA as a Selectman or "Trustee" in the years 1656, 1657, 1660, and 1661. He died in Chelmsford, MA 2 March 1688.
Sources: History of Boston; Savage's Genealogical Dictionary; 400 Years Of Progress, G. A. Gordon, NEHGS Register, 44:33, Boston Transcript Files; Linares Chapter DAR and Records belonging to Charles Butterfield; Water, History Of Chelmsford; Vital Statistics of towns.
More About BENJAMIN BUTTERFIELD:
Burial: Chelmsford, Middlesex Co, MA
Christening: St. John the Baptist Church, Halifax, Yorkshire, Eng
Immigration: ~ 1635, Eng to MA w/family on the "James"
Life/Times Event: 10 May 1643, Took Freeman's Oath/MA
Occupation: Husbandman (Farmer); Proprietor
Public Ofc/Service: Bet. 1656 - 1657, 1660-1661 Selectman/Chelmsford, Middlesex Co, MA
Religion: First Congregational Society
Residence: 1635, Charlestown; 1638 Woburn; 1653 Chelmsford, Middlesex Co, MA
Will: 8 May 1677, Will Date; 7 June 1688 Will Probated/Boston, Suffolk Co, MA
More About ANNE JUNDON:
Date born 2: Bet. 1605 - 1616, Devonshire, Eng
Parentage/Ancestry: Could she be a Jourdan/Jurdayne of Dorsetshire & Devonshire, Eng
Religion: First Congregational Society
Residence: Molten, Devonshire, Eng
Halifax, Yorkshire, England
"The James"
St. John the Baptist Church where Benjamin Butterfield was Christened
Inside the St. John the Baptist Church
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