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Whitwell senior apparently had natural sons

Whitwell Butler, of Waterville House, Co.Kerry

Marriage of Whitwell Butler and Belinda Yielding, 29 Oct 1775.
Rathkeale parish records, P.0764.01 at RCB. Courtesy of the Director of the National Archives of Ireland.
See larger and full size.

Whitwell Butler,
born 1736,
of Waterville, Co.Kerry.
Descendant of Edward I.
See thepeerage.com.
See entry in tree by Belinda Williams.
See entry in tree by Kevin Bunting.

He was an officer in the British Army. He was a Lieutenant in the 86th Regiment of Foot (the one in existence in 1758-1763).
James Butler in 1932 says he has the Commission dated 27 Oct 1760.
Whitwell served with the 86th Regiment in Senegal, W Africa. (Britain had captured Senegal from France in 1758. The 86th Regiment served in Senegal in 1758-1763.)
86th Regiment disbanded 1763.
Whitwell is said to have been at one time an officer in the Royal Navy. This could be confusion with his son. Or maybe he transferred to the Navy after his regiment was disbanded. It seems he may have stayed in Senegal for a time after 1763, or at least kept property there.
There are papers about payment of rent on his house in Senegal, "let for use of Chief Justice", dates 1766-1774. His house was probably in the capital Saint-Louis.
He returned to Ireland.
He is listed as of Iveragh Peninsula, Co.Kerry, at mar 1775.

He mar 29 Oct 1775 [her age 17, him age 39] to Belinda Yielding [bapt 15 Apr 1758].
"Belinda" became a name in the Butler family.
He built Waterville House, Iveragh Peninsula, Co.Kerry. Probably built around time of his marriage 1775.
He apparently inherited the Waterville land from his father, and built a house.
He was appointed a Revenue officer in Co.Kerry.
James Butler in 1932 says he has the Commission as "Coast Surveyor and Watcher" for Tralee district, dated 18 Dec 1778.
Around 1780 he built Belville House, near Portmagee, Iveragh Peninsula, Co.Kerry.
Belville was a useful base to catch smugglers and revenue evaders in the Valentia Island area. It was a dangerous job.
He was a Captain in the "Kerry Legion" regiment of the Kerry Volunteers. See him listed in Munster Volunteer Registry, 1782, p.48.

Attacked by a mob, 1782:
In his work for the Revenue, Whitwell was attacked by a mob in 1782. See the story on pp.304-313 of [O'Connell, vol.1, 1892].
On 5 Sept 1782 he and his men raided a smuggling operation of Maurice O'Connell ("Hunting Cap"), the uncle of Daniel O'Connell.
The smuggling was apparently off the S coast of the Iveragh Peninsula. Butler set off back to Waterville, passing through Caherdaniel and over the mountain. The locals at Caherdaniel were angry at the operation being broken up and the goods seized. A mob assembled and went round the mountain and intercepted Butler and his men. They were attacked by the crowd and Butler nearly killed.
Afterwards, Butler accused "Hunting Cap" and his O'Connell relatives of being behind the violence. But it seems the mob acted on its own, since they profited from the smuggling too. (Though note the 1892 account is written by a relative of O'Connell.) The charges against the O'Connells were thrown out.

He is party to [Deed, 1785] with his brother-in-law Rowland Blennerhassett. He is described as of Waterville.
He is party to [Deed, 1790] with his brother-in-law Rowland Blennerhassett. He is described as of Waterville.
He is described as Whitwell Butler of Belville, Co.Kerry, in [Deed, 1795].
He is party to [Deed, 1795] with his brother-in-law William Yielding.
Whitwell alone is party to Bill of 26 Sept 1799, clearly about some Yielding inheritance, probably after death of Belinda's mother. Other parties include Belinda's sisters and their husbands. This suggests Belinda died before 1799.

Whitwell dies, 1808:
Apparently he was receiving a pension as at 1808.
Listed at death as Captain of the revenue cutter, the Winder.
He died Aug 1808, at Waterville, age 72 yrs.
See notice in Limerick Gazette, 23 Aug 1808.
Whitwell and Belinda had issue:

James Butler,
elder son, born 1780.
Lived Waterville House, Co.Kerry.
Whitwell Butler,
younger son, born post-1780.
Lived Belville House, Co.Kerry.

A bill dated 22 Jan 1777 in the Irish Court of Chancery Records. From here.

Plaintiffs are Whitwell and Belinda, and Belinda's sisters Ann and Mary.
Defendants are Belinda's brothers Richard, Francis, George, William and Bowes Yielding, and her sister's husband Rowland Blennerhassett.

Whitwell Butler and his men are attacked by a mob in Sept 1782.
His wife Belinda Yielding comes to find him badly beaten but alive.
From p.305 of [O'Connell, vol.1, 1892].

Whitwell Butler senior listed at Waterville in [Deed, 1785].

A bill dated 26 Sept 1799 in the Irish Court of Chancery Records. From here.
Involves Belinda Yielding's siblings. It must be about some Yielding inheritance. Probably after death of Belinda's mother Millicent (her will dated 4 Feb 1798).
Whitwell appears, and Belinda's sisters, but not Belinda. She may have died.

Plaintiff is "Richard Yielding". Perhaps this is Richard Yielding of Cloghers, 1st cousin of Belinda and her siblings.
Defendants include Whitwell Butler and his wife Belinda's siblings Ann, Mary, Francis, George and Richard Yielding.
One defendant is "Theobald Butler". He is unidentified. Could he be a brother of Whitwell not previously known? Could he be a legitimate son of Whitwell not previously known? Whitwell was meant to have a natural son Theobald but he was it seems born much later.

Whitwell senior apparently had natural sons

Whitwell Butler senior, late in life, just before he died, apparently had natural sons by Ann Casey:
1. Pierce Butler,
  born 1803 [by age at death].
  He was a general merchant, Caherciveen, Co.Kerry.
  In 1848 after his brother died he got his job as District Registrar (under the Marriage Act) for the Union of Caherciveen.
  See item in Kerry Evening Post, 12 July 1848.
  He married in middle age to Ellen Webb.
  Listed at death as general merchant, Caherciveen.
  Pierce dies, Dec 1873:
  He died at Caherciveen, 24 Dec [admin] or 25 Dec [death cert] 1873, age 70.
  See death cert from here.
  See admin granted 19 July 1875 to widow Ellen. From here.
  Pierce and Ellen had issue:
  1. Thomas O'Brien Butler, born 1861.
    Noted Irish composer.
    He was born "Thomas Whitwell-Butler".
    Since he knew (correctly) that old Whitwell Butler descends from O'Brien, Earl of Thomond, he added "O'Brien" to his name.
    He died in the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915.
2. Theobald Butler,
  born maybe c.1805.
  See two letters from Theobald Butler, Portmagee, to Dublin Castle in Sept and Nov 1824:
  - He seeks a post in the water guard service or the revenue department or the police.
  - He says his father died when he was young. He says he is "a younger son of a gentleman of a very respectable family, who was deprived of his father at a very early period."
  - Says his father was "Captain of a Revenue Cruiser for many years, and likewise held the situation of Portsurveyor". The father has to be Whitwell senior.
  - He says his mother has no money. Says that he "in consequence of the death of his father was left totally dependent on a mother who is now scarcely able to support him." He is clearly a natural child, not Belinda's child.
  Theobald became District Registrar (under the Marriage Act) for the Union of Caherciveen.
  He died 1848. His brother then got his job.
  See item in Kerry Evening Post, 12 July 1848.
```
  
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This Pierce and Theobald might sound like confusion with the later Pierce and Theobald (born 1823 and 1830) the natural sons of Whitwell the younger.
Except the later Theobald Butler cannot be writing letters in 1824.
It seems clear that there are two sets of natural children of the same names, all natural sons of a Whitwell Butler.
The 1824 letters prove Theobald must be natural child of Whitwell senior.

Item in Kerry Evening Post, 12 July 1848. See full size.

Extract from tree of Butler of Waterville.
See larger.
From Kevin Dyke, who said in 2020 that this tree was prepared by "the late Lord Dunboyne".
This has a Pierce and Theobald as sons of Whitwell senior.

Thomas Butler of Belville

The Thomas Butler family inherited Belville House.
So they always knew they were related to Butler of Waterville.
We can now prove that they descend from Whitwell Butler and his wife Belinda Yielding.

I call it as proved that Thomas Butler of Belville descends from the marriage of Whitwell Butler and Belinda Yielding.

First, the initial evidence:

Thomas Butler [born 1810 or 1813] inherited Belville House. He must be a close relation of Whitwell Butler senior [born 1736, married 1775] who built it.
Let us spell this out. Thomas Butler is not just some local Butler with a vague tradition of relation to Butler of the big house. Thomas Butler actually inherited the big house that Whitwell Butler lived in. He inherited Belville House along with old Butler pictures and papers and books and furniture. It is clear he is a very close relation.
His line used the name "Belinda". This is evidence that they descend from the marriage of Whitwell Butler senior and Belinda Yielding.

Then DNA proves it:

There are very strong DNA matches (57 cM and 54 cM and 42 cM and 35 cM and 24 cM and 23 cM and lesser matches) between descendants of Thomas Butler of Belville and a descendant of Whitwell Butler and Belinda Yielding.
There is a strong DNA match (20 cM) between a descendant of Thomas Butler of Belville and a descendant of a sibling of Belinda Yielding. This shows the Thomas Butler branch does not descend from an affair of Whitwell Butler. It descends from the marriage of Whitwell Butler and Belinda Yielding.
Butler of Belville has multiple DNA matches to people in the Cashel family. The Cashel family are related to Belinda Yielding. They either descend from: (1) her 1st cousin (the Arthur theory) or: (2) her sister and her 1st cousin (the 1st Baronet theory).
The fact there are Cashel matches at all is evidence that both theories are true - that Thomas Butler descends from Belinda Yielding, and the Cashels descend from Belinda Yielding's sister or 1st cousin or both.

So who is Thomas Butler?

Whitwell senior apparently had natural sons, but this is not the origin of Thomas Butler. He descends from Whitwell and his wife Belinda. Thomas [born 1810 or 1813] cannot really be a child of Belinda [bapt 1758]. He must be a grandchild of hers.
Natural son of Whitwell junior?
- Kevin Bunting has Thomas Butler as natural son of Whitwell Butler the younger, of Belville, by Ellen Connell.
  This would make some sense, since Thomas inherited Belville, but one would need to see the evidence.
  One problem is the age of Ellen Connell. Whitwell Butler the younger had two natural sons by Ellen Connell, but they are much younger than Thomas.
- Thomas could be a natural son of Whitwell junior by another woman.
Natural son of James?
- Belinda Williams has both Thomas and Tobias (below) as natural sons of James Butler of Waterville, by Mary Ellen Casey, his cook, before he married Agnes Day in 1817. This would make a lot of sense, but one would need to see the evidence.
- Thomas used the name "Arabella" for a daughter. Now "Arabella" is a name in the family of James Butler of Waterville, where it comes through his wife Agnes Day. But Thomas [born 1810 or 1813] cannot be a child of Agnes Day [born 1798-1801, married 1817]. Thomas could be a son of James, but must have a different mother.
- Consider again how Thomas inherited Belville. Whitwell junior of Belville died in 1849, leaving his brother James as his heir. It is unclear when Thomas moved into Belville, but it seems it was James who set him up there, not Whitwell. So the most likely theory is that Thomas is a natural son of James from before his marriage. Note that James was age 37 at marriage. Plenty of time to have a natural child beforehand. Also, in old age he only had one living legitimate son, who inherited Waterville. If he had a natural son too, it would make sense that he left Waterville to the heir and left Belville to the natural son.
- Belville had Day family pictures in it. This suggests Thomas having a link to James rather than his brother. Even if Thomas did not actually descend from Day, his link to James meant he ended up with some Day material.
- Conclusion: Most likely theory is Thomas is a natural son of James Butler of Waterville from before his marriage.

Somehow a descendant of Whitwell Butler senior and his wife Belinda Yielding is:

Thomas Butler,
born 1810 [burial record] or 1813 [death cert],
of Belville House, Co.Kerry.
Ancestor of Butler of Belville.

57 cM match between (Thomas Butler family): Vincent Butler and (Whitwell Butler and Belinda Yielding family): Jennifer Butler.
There are many more strong DNA matches between these two Butler families.

20 cM match between (Thomas Butler family): Billy Butler and (other Yielding family): Catherine Cole.
This is a Yielding line completely independent of Butler or Cashel.

Tobias Butler

The Tobias Butler family always thought they were related to Butler of Waterville.
We can now prove that they descend from Whitwell Butler and his wife Belinda Yielding.

I call it as proved that Tobias Butler descends from the marriage of Whitwell Butler and Belinda Yielding.

First, the initial evidence:

Tobias is listed as of Waterville at mar 1832. (Could be the village not the house.)
This line used the name "Belinda". This is evidence that they descend from the marriage of Whitwell Butler senior and Belinda Yielding.

Then DNA proves it:

There are good (34 cM and 10 cM) DNA matches between descendants of Tobias Butler and a descendant of Whitwell Butler and Belinda Yielding.
There are DNA matches between the Tobias Butler family and descendants of a sibling of Belinda Yielding. This shows the Tobias Butler branch does not descend from an affair of Whitwell Butler. It descends from the marriage of Whitwell Butler and Belinda Yielding.
There are DNA matches between the Tobias Butler family and the Thomas Butler of Belville family above.
The Tobias Butler family has multiple DNA matches to people in the Cashel family. The Cashel family are related to Belinda Yielding. They either descend from: (1) her 1st cousin (the Arthur theory) or: (2) her sister and her 1st cousin (the 1st Baronet theory).
Conclusion: The Tobias Butler family descends from the marriage of Whitwell Butler and Belinda Yielding. All the theories are true - that Tobias Butler descends from Belinda Yielding, Thomas Butler descends from Belinda Yielding, and the Cashels descend from Belinda Yielding's sister or 1st cousin or both.

So who is Tobias Butler?

Whitwell senior apparently had natural sons, but this is not the origin of Tobias Butler. He descends from Whitwell and his wife Belinda. Tobias [born 1807] cannot be a child of Belinda [bapt 1758]. He must be a grandchild of hers.
Natural son of James?
- Belinda Williams has Tobias and Thomas as natural sons of James Butler of Waterville, by Mary Ellen Casey, his cook, before he married Agnes Day in 1817. This would make a lot of sense, but one would need to see the evidence.
- Tobias used the name "Arabella" for a daughter. Now "Arabella" is a name in the family of James Butler of Waterville, where it comes through his wife Agnes Day. But Tobias [born 1807] cannot be a child of Agnes Day [born 1798-1801, married 1817]. Tobias could be a son of James, but must have a different mother.
- "Arabella" could actually have a different origin for this branch. The name came through Day from Godfrey. But Tobias himself married a Catherine Godfrey. Could this be the source of "Arabella"?

Somehow a descendant of Whitwell Butler senior and his wife Belinda Yielding is:

Tobias Butler,
born 1807.
"Tobias" in all records. "Theobald" in dau's death record.
Married as a Protestant in 1832. Children were Catholic.

34 cM DNA match between (Tobias Butler family): Belinda Maxwell and (Whitwell Butler and Belinda Yielding family): Jennifer Butler.

Modest DNA match between (Tobias Butler family): Kevin Dyke and (other Yielding family): Brenda Bayly.
This is a Yielding line completely independent of Butler or Cashel.

References

BUTLER of Waterville on p.93 of [Burkes Irish, 1912]
Letters from Theobald Butler, Portmagee, to Dublin Castle, 1824, looking for a position. [CSORP].
- 1824/1583. Letter of 27 Sept 1824. See cover and p.1 and p.2. See illegible note on it by office.
  This says he made a petition on 23 Aug 1824. This does not seem to survive.
- 1824/1653. Letter of 15 Nov 1824. See cover and petition. See another sheet p.1 and p.2.
  This is basically identical to the previous petition.
The last colonel of the Irish Brigade, Mary A. O'Connell, 1892.
- See vol.1 and vol.2. See index.
- She is Mary Anne Bianconi, widow of Morgan John O'Connell. He was nephew of Daniel O'Connell and grand-nephew of "Hunting Cap".
Waterville and Belville in [O'Hea O'Keeffe, 2013, p.271].
Waterville House and Belville House, Jane O'Keeffe, "The Old Kerry Journal", Volume 5, Winter 2018.
Butler of Co.Kerry. Notes by Maggie O'Shea. See p.1 and p.2.

Sources yet to be consulted

BUTLER of Waterville in [Burkes Irish, 1958]. See p.130 (and copy) and p.131 (and copy).
Papers at [NA.UK] about rent on the house of Whitwell Butler in Senegal, Africa, 1766-1774.
This is definitely our Whitwell Butler senior here. At this point, there is only one Whitwell Butler (named after his mother). But later there are a number of Whitwell Butlers in the Co.Meath and Co.Kerry lines.
"The Butlers of Waterville", Russell McMorran, Kerry Magazine. Date after 2010. Maybe around 2014.

Landed Estates Database
- Butler of Waterville
The Butler Arms Hotel, Waterville.