Jenkins-Terry-Gregory-Green Oklahoma & McSwain-Dumond Ark:Information about John Benjamin Butler

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John Benjamin Butler (b. 27 May 1829, d. 07 Jun 1887)

John Benjamin Butler (son of Thomas F Butler and Mary Elizabeth Ingram)^{523, 524, 525} was born 27 May 1829 in Giles County, Tennessee^{526, 527, 528, 529, 530}, and died 07 Jun 1887 in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas⁵³¹. He married Malissa Edward Davidson on 16 Dec 1963 in Arkansas County, Arkansas⁵³², daughter of Milus Davidson and Ann Sophronia Carpenter.

Notes for John Benjamin Butler:
In 1870 John Benjamin Butler (Jr) is in Prairie Township, in or near St. Charles.

7 July, Prairie Township, Arkansas, Arkansas, PO St Charles, page 24, Hse/Fam #195
Butler, John B 41 M W Farmer Tenn
Butler, Melissa 22 F W Kps Hse Ala
Butler, Mary S 5 F W Ark
Butler, Elenora 2 F W Ark

In this census living next door (Hse/Fam #196) to John Benjamin and family is a black family also named Butler, head of household Haley 32, born in Virginia, with wife Matilda 38, born in Mississippi, and their 7 children, all born in Mississippi.

I note that in the slave census of 1850, there were numerous black slaves listed under the name of John Benjamin's father, Thomas F, in Panola County, Mississippi. Note that Matilda Butler and all her children were born in Mississippi.

Both children of John and Malissa were born in Arkansas, and the last child of Haley and Matilda was also. The first child of John and Malissa was named Mary Suffronia, or Suffrone. The last child of Haley and Matilda was named Suffronia. Mary Suffronia is 5 and Suffronia is 9 months, with birth month being reported in the census as September 1869.

These factors seem to indicate that this is a family that moved with John Benjamin and family from the Butler home place in Panola County, Mississippi, to Prairie Township of Arkansas County. This would be a free family at the supposed time of the move to Arkansas. Many free families continued their association with their former slave owners after the war and emancipation. This appears to be one case of that.

1880 Arkansas County, Arkansas, census has the family of John Benjamin Butler (Sr) with some variations of names or initials. But all entries match names we have.

Benj. BUTLER Self M Male W 52 TN Farmer SC VA
M. E. BUTLER Wife M Female W 34 AL Housekeeping TN MS
Mollie BUTLER Dau S Female W 14 AR At School TN AL
[Mary Suffrone]
Nora BUTLER Dau S Female W 12 AR At School TN AL
[Elnora/Elinora]
Benj. BUTLER Son S Male W 10 AR At School TN AL
George BUTLER Son S Male W 7 AR At School TN AL
Melus [Milus] BUTLER Son S Male W 4 AR TN AL
Mat [Mathew O] BUTLER Son S Male W 5M AR TN AL

More About John Benjamin Butler:
Burial: Jun 1887, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.⁵³³
Died 2: 17 Jun 1887, Date reported by David Lee.⁵³⁴
Residence: 1870, Prairie Township, Arkansas, Arkansas.⁵³⁵

More About John Benjamin Butler and Malissa Edward Davidson:
Marriage 1: 16 Dec 1963, Arkansas County, Arkansas.⁵³⁶
Marriage 2: 16 Dec 1863, Giles County, Tennessee.⁵³⁷

Children of John Benjamin Butler and Malissa Edward Davidson are:

Mary Suffrone Butler, b. 05 Sep 1865, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas^{538, 539}, d. date unknown.
Elinora D Butler, b. Jan 1868, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas^{540, 541}, d. date unknown.
+John Benjamin Butler, b. 20 Jul 1870, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas^{542, 543, 544, 545}, d. 23 Feb 1936, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas⁵⁴⁶.
George Washington Butler, b. 09 Nov 1872, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas⁵⁴⁷, d. date unknown.
Thomas Ethelbert Butler, b. 02 Mar 1875, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas⁵⁴⁷, d. date unknown.
Milus Marion Butler, b. 27 Sep 1877, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas⁵⁴⁷, d. date unknown.
+Matthew O Butler, b. Dec 1879, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas^{547, 548}, d. 1963, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas⁵⁴⁹.
Annie D Butler, b. 22 Apr 1882, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas⁵⁵⁰, d. date unknown.
+Malissa Edward Davidson Butler, b. 13 May 1886, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas^{550, 551, 552}, d. 16 Sep 1969, Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas^{553, 554}.