Butler Family History: Last Name Origin & Meaning

Willie Barton commented on Mar 08, 2003

After John Butler moved to Winston County, Alabama he wanted a nice family home with lots of fruit trees, mostly apple. There was a root cellar, the opening for it being in the back bedroom floor, where they kept their vegetables. John always said an appropriate blessing at every meal. You could tell if he was real tired or sick because he would shorten the blessing to a simple 'Lord, bless us in supper. Amen'. It was customary in those days to have a lot of church company. Since John raised his own tobacco he made his own twists to chew. Once after church 2 or 3 of the men were sitting around the fireplace and John passed around a twist for the men to cut them a chew. One preacher remarked, "Is this our pay for preaching?" whereupon John retorted, "Poor preaching today". Once when the Butlers had invited company for dinner and the meal was over, John had a plate piled high with backbones and potato peelings. His visitor had nothing left on his plate. The visitor said, 'You could always tell a workman by his chips' (Referring to that pile of bones on John's plate). John retorted, ' And you can tell a dog by how he licks his plate'. There was an old lady by the name of Beasley that attended Old Enon Church with the Butlers. She always carried a little down purse (they were called satchels in those days). When the spirit lifted her during church service she would say to her husband, 'Oh, Mr. Beasley, hold my satchel while I shout'. That expression became a by-word to use when anyone in the Butler family was real happy. John wanted everything fixed up and nice looking. He was jolly, full of fun and friendly. They kept an 'oven' in the fireplace filled with baked sweet potatoes. If people were passing by, John would yell to them to stop awhile and 'come in and get you a tater'. They would stop and visit and eat potatoes by the fire. John was a staunch Primitive Baptist and spent his last days preparing for a 'three days' meeting at Old Enon Church. He died in Sept 1909.

Carol Bradley Nicholas

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Carol Bradley Nicholas commented on Apr 26, 2012

Bridget Butler was born on the 25th February 1884 in Kilkenny Ireland. Daughter of Martin Butler and mother Bridget. She was Christened ast St.Canices Church in Kilkenny. Godparents were Michael Manning and Johanna Butler. On the 28th July 1909 she gave birth to Joseph Butler her son, his name was later changed to Bradley when she married the father, Joseph Bradley on the 12th November 1912. They had eight children Joseph, John (died age 9 months), Richard Henry, John Christopher, Thomas Stephen, Bridget Mary, Robert Victor (Bobby) and Elizabeth Mary. Bridget travelled from Kilkenny to Llanelly in South Wales UK with her three sons, Joseph, Richard, John Christopher. She died on the 19th January 1972 and is buried in Llanelly with her husband Samuel Joseph.

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