James BUTLER

                   ENDL: 6 NOV 1879; 21 FEB 1952 

County Justice of the Peace. He and his wife were Methodists.
They were frontiersman and friend of Daniel Boone. Butler family has fire tongs
melted from Boone's pack saddle straps. Upon his father's death John not oldest son William became the legal agent for his mother.


More historical information included in notes.

1831: Letter written by James Butler to his siblings to inform them of his mother Phebe Childres Butler's death:State of KentuckySimpson CountyDear...Sister, (Brothers and Sisters?)....up my pen to write to you informing you that our aged mother....,world and gone to a world of peace. I now give you a true account of her sickness. She was taken poorly on Monday evening, January 19 and complained she had a bad cold and sat by the fire knitting and drank coffee. On Tuesday complained of a bad headaches, still complained poorly. On Wednesday and Thursday she got some bitter and sat up and knit a little but in the evening she got worse. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday she still kept poorly but very often sat up and drank some coffee for her constant drink. Monday about one o'clock in the afternoon while lying in bed she hollered for one of the children to bring her a ball of thread and (?) one to wind it on..... ...... shebegan to wind the ball of ..... ..... to get winding the ball but she did her best of my remembrance had not worked much lateShe wished to keep her things in order however. Sister Fanny Plummer came to see her and she started winding the ball. She then got up.... .... and sat up late til bedtime but we .... was not in hers enses though she knew us all and made motion with her hands as though she was knitting. At last she said it was too dark to knit and began to make motions with her hands to pick cotton. Sister Fanny put some cotton in her hands and she picked out two or three seeds. Sister Fanny lay with her that night and rested tolerably well though lightheaded. On Tuesday morning she appeared better and in her senses and drank some coffee and ate some milk and bread. About twelve o'clock Sister Fanny went home. After sundown mother got very restless sometimes in the bed and .... would be up appearing in great misery, would catch at the bedclothes and discover death was near. I sent for a neighbor. About one hour the night she appeared easy and.... still. I told her to put her trust in the Lord. She said hertrust was in the Lord and no one else. She appeared to be easy. Herbreath got shorter and shorter and about two o'clock and thirtyminutes after midnight she dyed without a struggle and eyes completelyclosed which was on a Wednesday the 26th of January 1831. She wasdecently buried about sundown on the same day she died aqt WilliamLowe's burying ground where I have four infant children buried also.Robert Guilfano and his wife is buried on the same ground. Thus ourmother had left us. Her age according to the best information wasabnout eighty-four years old. She walked nearly half bent with a caneand she was very childish but no trouble to .... little and noexpense. (She would always work in the winter not at night.) Pickcotton .... in summer sat on the bed and spin work she would (she hadplenty of folks) lived comfortable her last days. The best of all shewanted was plenty to eat and that she got....home was of SisterPlummers. She had been at my house for some time. I brought her tomy house four weeks before Christmas. She agreed to stay with me tilspring. My brother we must all try to believe her soul is at rest.Had a lovely daughter die the 6th of January. She was married to aman with the name Dictrone Allen. She has three children. She diedsinging, giving praises God his name. Her name was Salley. She wasmy third child. Her children are living with .....The familyconnection is well. We have had awfully hard winter. Corn scarce attimes. Brother Edmund and my dear self desire you would write to usfill up one sheet to us both. Mother's funeral is to be preached thelast Sunday in May by a Baptist Methodist preacher. I subscribemyself yourbrother, James ButlerMother had two beds and some .... .... canes and abundance of clothes,dresses, and a good many other articles. We all to Sister Plummer ass he had the .... care of her.Sent to William Butler, Iredell County, North Carolina HoustonvillePost Office-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -------------------------------------Some type of note was signed by James Butler and his brother Edmund totheir brother William in Iredell, North Carolina:October 25, 1805Know all me by these presants that we the assigners Edmond Butler andJames Butler doth bind ourselves our heirs and Assigns unto WilliamButler his heirs and Assignors in the full and just sum of fivehundred dollars to be paid unto him the said William Butler if thatthe said Pheeby Butler should ever interupt him the said WilliamButler son: Dicest (?) the land containing four hundred acres be thesame more or less as Witnesseth our hands and seals this 25th day ofOctober 1805.Signed in the Presants of Edmond Butler SealF. (?) CampbellHisL (Written L) Jas. Butler sealMarkSoloman (S) His Mark