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The very oldest Button ancestors
we can trace via Ancestry.com extend into Welsh landed gentry,
specifically associated with Worlton Manor, Llwyneliddon,
Glamorganshire, Wales. The
American Button descendants, down to
Mary (1750-1826),
wife of Abraham Jackson, Jr., include
Matthias (1607-72), Peter
(1660-1726) and
Joseph (1702-1750).
The Button line in America, however, left
whatever claim it may have had of gentrification behind, traveling
to the New World in the person of Matthias
Button (1607-72), who is said to have arrived in Salem,
Massachusetts, in 1628, only eight years after the founding of
Plymouth Colony. In this, of course, he beat even the
early-arriving Henry Jackson, by seven years.
In case you might wonder the locations of
Plymouth (home of my Pilgrim ancestor) and Salem with relation to each other:
Nowadays a couple hours drive; in the early 17th
century a trip of days overland, with a major river crossing (the
Charles River in Boston). The settlements were, for all
practical purposes, isolated from each other.
A couple of web resources tell about Matthias:
The American line of the
Button family history seems to focus around a young man
named Matthias Button. Matthias came over on one of the
early immigrant ships (The Abigail) from England when he was
around 20 years old. In this day of hours to cross the
Atlantic, the early ships that crossed the Atlantic in the
1600’s, could take months of sailing. If there were storms
or calm periods, the crossing could take significantly
longer. ....
The pilgrims had landed at Plymouth in 1620. This puts
Matthias arriving only 8 years after them. Arriving in
Salem, Mass with Governor John Endicott’s party, we pickup
little snips about Matthias from the few paper records of
that day.
Matthias outlived 3 of his 4 wives. It can be assumed that
he was a strong man as the records of the ocean trip record
many of the party becoming sick and “weak of limb”. Matthias
Button being one of the few that after arriving in the new
land, was able to man a cannon to frighten off a large
number of Indians bent on destroying the new colonists.
... [H]e crossed paths with John Godfrey. John Godfrey’s
name pops up often in court cases during this time period.
Seems John took great delight in making claims that he had
occult powers. In 1665 a case comes before the court
connecting John Godfrey and Matthias Button.
Matthias was called as a witness in a lawsuit against John
and his possible use of witchcraft. The written document of
the court case say that Matthias was one of those that
testified against John. “…for not having the fear of God
before his eyes, did or consulted with a familiar spirit and
being instigated by the divil have done much hurt and
mischief by several acts of witchcraft to the bodyes and
goods of several persons”
The trial further stated that Godfrey passed through locked
doors, appearing in two places at the same instant, etc.
[Remember, this was Salem, for which claims of witchcraft
became notorious.]
If the timeline is correct sometime after the case ended
with John being found “suspiciously guilty” but not “legally
guilty” and released with a verbal warning to discontinue
his blasphemous way of life. John visited Matthias’s home.
Matthias had built a home just outside of Haverhill, Mass.
It’s then recorded that his home burned seemly under some
suspicious nature shortly after the visit of John Godfrey.
Thus it was back to court with Button of Haverhill vs. John
Godfrey where Matthias won a judgment for 238 pounds and 2
shillings, against John Godfrey for the loss of his home
(Essex County Court Records). Sadly Matthias also lost his
third wife, Ann Teagle Button [my 6th great grandmother],
during this time, of some probable result of the house fire.
It’s not surprising that over the next few years there
develops some hostilities between Matthias Button and John
Godfrey. I rather think that John was not on Matthias’s
Christmas Card list!
Matthias remarries again and while owning many acres of land
in and around the Haverhill, Mass area, was never considered
wealthy. During this time land was cheap and was purchased
from the original landowners, the Indians! Each purchase of
land was documented as purchased from the Indian who owned
it. Though the price for the land was often trinkets and
other materials, it still was recorded as a land transfer.
Matthias lived to be 68 years old, died Aug 13, 1672 in
Haverhill, Ma. He had 9 sons and daughters with 5 still
living when he died.
And so we have the beginnings of the Button Family in the
Americas.
Matthias Button Sr. the
immigrant came to America with Governor John Endicott,
landing at Salem, Mass. September 6, 1628. (Savage's Gen.
Dict.)
He was a son of Thomas Button of Harrold, Bedford Co.,
England. He was baptized there October 11, 1607. (Parish
Records of Harrold). He died at Haverhill, Mass. August 13,
1672. (Haverhill Town Records). He married (1st Lettyce;
(2nd) about 1639, Joanne, widow of John Thornton; (3rd)
about 1849 Ann Teagle and (4th) June 9, 1663 Elizabeth,
daughter of John and Ann Wheeler of Newbury, Mass.; she was
born at Salsbury, England and died at Haverhill, Mass. July
16, 1690.
John Wheeler and wife came from Salsbury, Eng. in 1634, in
the ship Mary and John, embarking from Southampton, and
settled in Newbury, Mass. In his will made March 28, 1668,
proved October 11, 1670 he mentions his daughter, Elizabeth
Button, to whom he bequeathed œ4.
Some early writer recorded Matthias as a Dutchman. This is
evidently an error; the man does not indicate a Holland
nativity, and the foregoing records show his baptism in
England, and probable English birth. He may have gone to
Holland just previous to coming to America, and possibly
married his wife Lettyce there; we do not find any record of
his first marriage. He must have been about 20 when he
landed in America. His stay in Salem was brief; he soon
removed to Boston, where he is found among the earliest
settlers. He identified himself with the First Church of
England sometime previous to 1633, and there at least two of
his children were baptized. He removed thence to Ipswich,
where he was a commoner in 1641 and thence in 1646 to
Haverhill, where he died. (Haverhill Town Records,
Genealogical Register Vol. 6 page 246)
Rev. Cobbett says Mr. Button died at Haverhill in 1672 at a
great age. (Savage's Genealogical Dictionary)
According to our records, if he was baptized in infancy, as
was customary, he was about 65 years of age when he died. He
doubtless appeared much older, due to sickness, anxiety, and
hardships endured.
After a voyage of months in one of the frail vessels of that
day across a practically untracked and uncharted ocean, he
passed through the trials, hardships, privations, and
dangers of pioneer life in early New England. Wild beasts,
and far more dangerous wild and savage men who roamed the
wilderness night and day, made it necessary for the settlers
to be constantly on their guard against the dangers; even on
the Sabbath when attending church, they were constantly in
danger of the deadly tomahawk and scalping knife, expecting
at any moment to hear one of the hideous warwhoops of the
bloodthirsty savages. Besides which Mr. Button had a long
siege of sickness in his family, and lost children, and his
first three wives died, the last from fright and exposure
while sick in bed, due to the burning of their dwelling by
an implacable and unrelenting personal enemy who caused him
no end of trouble for several years. Probably the chief
cause of the enmity of this man, John Godfrey by name, was
due to the fact that Mr. Button, with Edward Yeomans and
others, were witnesses against him when he was arrested on
complaint of Job Tyler and John Remington on suspicion of
Witchcraft and tried in court at Boston in March, 1665.
(Essex County Court Records)
Mr. Button evidently
inherited the spirit of adventure as history tells us that
those who came with Governor John Endicott were gentlemen
and their families who came to better their impaired
fortunes, and enjoy the peace of religious liberty.
Mr. Button was a very young man when he landed on this
continent, and it is not known whether he brought his wife
Lettyce with him or not. As no record of their marriage has
been found, it is presumed that she came with him.
In 1650 Mr. Button's estate was assessed at œ60. This does
not show him to have been wealthy, nor yet poor. Land
property those days was not valued very high, and very few
of the early settlers of New England were considered rich.
Even the Vanderbilts and Goulds of early New York were men
of moderate property.
Mr. Button had several grants of land in and near Haverhill,
as shown by the public records. He had many hindrances in
his acquisition of property; he had a prolonged siege of
sickness himself, besides the here-in-before mentioned
sickness and death of children, and the sickness of his
third wife and her death following the burning of his
dwelling by John Godfrey and the litigation that followed.
From court records we learn that a thatched house belonging
to Matthias Buttin in 1671, and situated near the present
home of Thomas West, one mile north east of the village of
Haverhill was burned; this is of interest in showing the
style of roof that was used on some of the houses in those
days.
The following are among transfers of real estate recorded:
Matthias Button of Haverhill, and his wife Teagell, for œ60
deed to John Hazeltine of Rowley, six acres planting land,
bounded north on highway, west with a runlet, south butting
towards the great river, east on land of Stephen Kent. Also
three acres upland; bounded west on John Byers, east on
highway running up to land of Robert Ayres, the north side
to said Ayers marked tree, thence to land of John Ayers over
the swamp.
Peter
Button (1660-1726) was one of Matthias's sons by Ann Teagle.
The following is
recorded in the old colonial laws of Massachusetts in the
State House at Boston and is the form of oath which was
required of a young man in those days: "I, PETER BUTTON,
being by God's providence an inhabitant within the
jurisdiction of his commonwealth, do freely and sincerely
acknowledge myself to be subject to the government thereof,
and therefore do swear by the great and dreadful name of the
one living God, that I will be true and faithful to the
same, and will accordingly yield assistance and support with
my person and estate as in equity I am bound; and will also
truly endeavor to maintain and preserve all the liberties
and privileges thereof, submitting to the wholesome laws
made and established by the same; and further I will not
plot or practice evil against it nor consent to any that
shall do so; but will truly discover and reveal the same to
lawful authority here established for the speedy preventing
thereof, So help me God in the Lord Jesus Christ. -- March
28, 1677, Haverhill, Mass. (Signed) PETER BUTTON [I.e.,
he was 17 when taking the oath.]
In 1675, experiencing
increasing encroachment and pressure by the expanding
colonists, the Wampanoag, Anawon, Tuspaquin, Nipmuc, and
Pocumtuc indian tribes joined together under the leadership
of King Phillip, chief of the Wampanoags.
In September, the towns of Deerfield and Hadley, MA were
attacked forcing the colonist to abandon their homes and
fort-up in Deerfield.
Facing a winter without food, 80 soldiers under Captain
Thomas Lothrop, including Daniel Button, were dispatched
with 18 teamsters driving oxcarts to gather the abandoned
wheat crops near Hadley. All went well until the return
journey, when on September 18, 1675 the expedition spotted
some grapes along the trail just South of Deerfield. The men
apparently took few precautions and were confident that
their numbers belied attack. Many of the men laid down their
rifles and began to pick the grapes.
Then the expedition was ambushed by 700 Pocumtuc indians. It
has become apparent that Phillip with his Wampanoags and the
Nipmuck bands under Sagamore Same, Mantaup, One-eyed John,
Matoonas, Panquahow, and other minor sanchems had crossed
Connecticut to lay in wait for the Hadley delivery. A
virtual slaughter ensued. It is said the water of the nearby
stream turned red with blood, hence, "Bloody Brook." Only
seven or eight escaped. Captain Lothrop was also killed.
Another English force under Captain Mosely with 60 Mogegan
warriors arrived too late and found only seven survivors.
Outnumbered about ten to one, Mosely fought the "swarming
legions" for some four to five hours, gaining little ground.
Exhausted and encumbered by his wounded, Mosely was
preparing to make his retreat when Major Treat with one
hundred Connecticut men and 50 Mohicans arrived. The combat
was soon ended, and the united force marched back to
Pocomptuck (Deerfield) for night, carrying their wounded
and leaving the dead where they lay.
The next day, Sunday, Mosely and Treat returned to the
grisly scene of carnage and buried the dead "in one dreadful
grave." Mather said, "In this black and fatal day. . . six
and twenty children made orphans, all in one little
plantation."
We have no narrative materials
for Joseph Button, nor for
Mary Button, daughter of Joseph and
Abigail Rhodes. Mary of course was Abraham Jackson, Jr.'s
wife, so the remainder of the Button narrative merges with that of
the Jacksons.
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