596327

[phelps.FTW]

[2812.ftw]

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 4, Ed. 1, Tree #2812, Date of Import: Nov 11, 1998]

Benjamin III Butterfield [2], Benjamin II [1]

Benjamin III's wife Ann (Jundon) Butterfield, died in Chelmsford on May 19, 1661 (VR) and on June 3, 1663 (VR) he married again, to Hanna, the widow of Thomas Wittlemore of Cambridge, MA. Hannah died March 19, 1677 in Chelmsford, MA (VR).

In 1666, Newfields, a tract of 241 acres of Intervale, across Stony Brook and extending up the Marrimack was granted to Chelmsford, MA. Of this, perhaps the best land in the growing town, Benjamin obtained 42 acres; the largest share of any one person.

In 1686, the Indian reservation, "Wamesit" was purchased by the whites. The story of the imprisonment, neglect, starvation, and even selling into slavery of these peaceful Indians because the whites felt they could not be trusted during King Philip's War is a shameful one. The remnant of the "praying Indians", upon release, unable to trust the whites, moved north under the leadership of Wanalancit to join other "wild" tribes, and sold their land in "Wamesit." This is another story -- at any rate, three of Benjamin's sons were among the grantees. These were the surviving sons: Nathaniel, Samual, and Joseph. (Mdx. Deeds X19).

This territory, which had been occupied by Wanalancit and his tribe as a cornfield and fishing station, is now occupied by the factories of Lowell, MA. The purchase included also 500 acres upon the north and east side of the Merrimack of "wilderness land", a general term for the unsettled country outside the incorporated limits. Nathaniel and Samuel Butterfield settled on the Wamesit lands, and Joseph in the wilderness between Tyng's Pond and the river.

Benjamin III served the town of Chelmsford, MA as a Selectman or "Trustee" in the years 1656, 1657, 1660, and 1661.

Benjamin Butterfield III died in Chelmsford, MA March 2, 1687-88

Reference: History of Boston; Savage's Gen. Dictionary; Book: "400 Years
Of Progress" G. A. Gordon In N. E. H. & G. R. 44:33, Boston
Transcript Files; Linares Chapter D. A. R. and Records
belonging to Charles Butterfield.

Reference for Benjamin -- largely Water's History Of Chelmsford; G. A.
Gordon In N. E. H. & G. R. 44:33. and Elizabeth C. S. Brown
and the Linares Chapter DAR sent via Claude W. Butterfield,
D. C. Also Vital Statistics of towns.