Butley is a small village just over seven miles east of Woodbridge, and close to the east Suffolk coast. The partly thatched 12th century parish church is dedicated to St John the Baptist.
Church of St John the Baptist, Butley.
My connection with this village is through my SMITH line. This can be traced back to my 5x great grandparents Isaac Smith and Mary NEALE who were both born about 1758. I have not found their marriage, but they raised ten children in Butley between 1781 and 1803. Isaac was buried in the parish church at Butley on 18 April 1818. Mary was living in Butley in 1841 and can be found on the 1841 census living with the family of her grandson Charles SMYTH (son of her son Isaac). She was buried on the 14 December 1842 at Butley.
I know little about Isaac and Mary’s children other than finding their baptism, the difficulty being the common named Smith. Their children were –
Isaac (c.1781). Isaac is my 4x great grandfather.
Abraham (c.1783). Presumably died young, before 1790.
Mary (1 June 1786)
James (28 November 1787)
Abraham (28 May 1790)
Martha (c.1793)
Samuel (c.1796). Samuel was baptised at Butley on the 14 March 1796. He died only a few months old, and was buried on the 24 September of the same year.
Lucy (c.1797). Lucy married William LUCOCK on 4 July 1815 at Butley. The couple are on the 1841 and 1851 censuses living in Alderton, Suffolk. William may have died in 1855, and Lucy may have remarried that same year to a John Smith.
Elizabeth (c.1799)
John (c.1803)
Font in Butley church
Isaac, my 4x great grandfather, was married to an Elizabeth. The most likely marriage is one in 1802 to an Elizabeth SHENNINGTON in Bucklesham, Suffolk. The couple raised a family of nine children, all born and baptised in Butley. They were –
John (c.1806). John married an Ann (I think Ann BIRCH in 1833). The couple are on the 1841-1871 censuses in Capel St Andrew, the village next to Butley. John is an agricultural labourer.
Charles (c.1809). After his baptism, the next record I have for Charles is the birth of his son Charles on the 10 May 1819, recorded as “Charles, base son of Charles SMITH and Jemima ALDRIDGE”. Charles marries Emma ALDRIDGE on the 26 May 1833 at Wantisden, Suffolk. I am not sure if Jemima is the same as Emma or whether they are different people, though they may be sisters as a Jemima Aldridge married a John HOWARD at Butley in 1826. Charles is my 4x great uncle, but Emma is also independently my 4x great aunt as she is sister to my 3x great grandmother Dorcas who married Charles’ brother George. Charles and Emma raised seven children in Butley and appear together on the 1841 – 1861 censuses. Charles died in 1869 and Emma in 1871, both are buried at Butley.
Mary Ann (c.1812). I know nothing further about Mary Ann.
Eliza (c.1814). Eliza married John BUTCHER on 30 March 1835 at Butley. The couple are on the 1841 census in Tunstall with their daughter Sarah SMITH who was born the year before they married. They are in Tunstall on the 1851 and 1871 censuses. She died in 1875 and is buried at St Michael’s Church, Tunstall.
Caroline (c.1816). Caroline married Edward BANTOFT who was also born in Butley. They married on the 9 January 1841. They are on the 1841 to 1871 censuses in the village of Chillesford, close to Butley. Caroline died in 1879 and Edward in 1880.
George (c.1818). George is my 3x great grandfather.
Sarah Ann (c.1820). Sarah is with her parents on the 1841 census, along with her daughter Ann who was born. Sarah’s second child Eliza was born in 1842. In 1844 Sarah married William WOOLNOUGH of Snape. In 1851 Sarah and William are living in Tunstall with Ann and Eliza and their first three Woolnough children. By 1861 the family are in Blaxhall, the next village along. William died in 1884. Sarah Ann in 1910.
Emma (c.1822). Emma died about six months old, was buried at Butley in 1823.
Harriet Letty (c.1824). Letty is with her family on the 1841 census, but I don’t know what happened to her after that.
Isaac and Elizabeth are on the 1841 census in Butley. Their surname is recorded as SMYTH, and Isaac is an agricultural labourer. With them is their daughter Sarah and her one year old daughter Ann. Also, their daughter Letty. Elizabeth probably died in 1844. On the 1851 and 1861 censuses Isaac is living with his son Charles and his family at Butley. Isaac died in March 1867, and is buried at Butley.
© 2019 Mark Etheridge
Family History of Mark Etheridge 