Thomas Butler

by


Thomas Butler was a British army officer on duty on the New York frontier at least during the 1740s and 50s. He appears to have had some connection to Albany.

This Thomas Butler may have been a native of Connecticut and thus would have been born in 1716.

Captain Butler was an associate and correspondant of William Johnson and frequently referenced in his papers.

In October 1744, he was named in the will filed by the physician at Oswego. He was identified as the son of Lieutenant Walter Butler and the brother of Walter. The sons were left clothing and a hat then in possession of Hendrick Coster [ son of Albany resident Anthony Coster ] of Albany.

The Christopher Yates Papers at Syracuse University hold a journal kept by Captain Thomas Butler from April and May 1756 that describes his trip to Oswego.

This individual's sister, Mary, became the second wife of Albany jurist Johannes Vanderheyden at a ceremony in the Dutch church in Schenectady in 1758.

Butler became ill and, by early 1759, was unable to attend to his military obligations. Johnson expressed concern over his declining health on a number of occasions.

In September 1759, Thomas Butler filed a will stating that he was of Albany. Only siblings and their children [probably meaning no direct heirs] were named in the will. All three witnesses were Albany residents. The will passed probate on September 25.


biography in-progress


notes

the people of colonial Albany Sources: The life of Thomas Butler has not been assigned a CAP biography number. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources. This compelling individual probably was not much of an Albany resident so our treatment of him must be curtailed.




first posted: 5/10/10