This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: jerry5547 Surnames: Butler Crawford Duke Handley Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.arkansas.counties.clay/3199.3.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: James Madison Butler (1846 - 1907)died near St. Francis in Clay County. My Butler family research is on line at www.30504.com. Here is what I have complied on James Madison Butler. James M. Butler was born in 1846 in Alabama as the fourth child of James M. Butler and Sarah Crawford. He moved to Winston Co. MS a short time later (around 1847) along with the James M. Butler family. Jimmy's Mother died after his brother, William was born in 1852. In 1857, Jimmy moved with his father and step-mother Amanda Bishop to Walker Co. AL to live on a land patent purchased by his father. In 1861, Jimmy moved with the family to northern Alabama. About 1867, Jimmy married Sarah Elizabeth Handley in Alabama. Around 1870, they moved to Tennessee and were living in Madison Co. TN by 1880. They continued the family journey to Arkansas and were living in Clay Co. AR by 1900. There seems to have been some contact between the Arkansas and Tennessee branches of the Butler family during this time. Family tradition is that Jimmy had a brother Billy who was a Methodist minister in Tennessee. Jimmy and Sarah had eight children. The oldest, Noah Athleen was born in Scotts Hill, TN. Moses was born in Alabama with the other seven being born in Tennessee. Their children were Noah Athleen, Moses, Austin, James Asbury, Marion, Crawford C., John W., Alabama. All survived to adulthood except for John W. and Alabama. Jimmy and Sarah both died near St. Francis before 1907 and are buried in the Gravel Hill Cemetery in Clay Co. AR. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.

Since the Butler's were living in Chalk Bluff Township in 1900, other cemeteries to consider are definitely Hitt and Hall. Each year there is a weekend picnic in St Francis for raising funds to maintain the Gravel Hill Cemetery and Hall Cemetery. I've been to the Hall Cemetery and it's probably 1-2 miles from Gravel Hill. I know the Hitt Cemetery is north of Piggott but not sure as to its location in reference to Hall and/or Gravel Hill. I also noticed that John W Butler was shown on the 1900 census as being 22 or 23 years of age, so he did live to adulthood. Another researcher has posted her information on the family and shows Sarah Elizabeth Butler's maiden name as Duke - being the daughter of William J Duke and Delila A E. According to this researcher, 4 of the Duke sibings married Butler siblings who were the children of James M Butler Sr and Sarah Crawford. I don't know if Sarah Crawford Butler was any relation to the Crawford families who moved from Alabama to Dunklin Co MO settling in the Campbell area during the 1870's. Since the Crawford's were there just across the St Francis River from St Francis, Clay, AR, it's possible that the Butler's had received word about the area and that's how they moved to Clay Co AR. Debbi Geer ____________________________________________________________________________________ Get your own web address. Have a HUGE year through Yahoo! Small Business. http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/domains/?p=BESTDEAL