Thomas Butler of Camberwell

London merchant, agent for Nevis, son of Capt. Thomas Butler of Nevis (d. c. 1688), father of Rev. Duke Butler and grandfather of Rev. William Butler. In his will he referred to both his 'estate' [singular but possibly collective] and 'plantations' on Nevis without naming it or them: based on his son and grandson's holdings, he probably owned Grove, and possibly New River.

1. Will of Thomas Butler gentleman of Camberwell [made in 1739 with a codicil of the same year] proved 04/06/1744. Under the will he left annuities of £60 p.a. to his wife Mary and £50 p.a. to his eldest son Thomas, explaining that Thomas the son had already had his portion and had been taken into partnership by his father. He left £1000 in trust for each of his unmarried daughters (if any), and an annuity of £60 p.a. if they remained unmarried; £500 to be divided among the children of his daughter Bethia wife of Rev. William Vaughan and £500 similarly to be divided among the children of his daughter Sarah wife of Rev. William Holford, with a contingent annuity of £30 p.a. to each the daughters to be paid if they were left widowed and meanly provided for. Thomas Butler left his unnamed plantation on Nevis with the enslaved people to his three younger sons John, James and Duke. In his codicil he proved £10 for mourning to his daughter Henrietta and son-in-law William Clark (their only appearance in the will); a fourth daughter shown by Oliver, Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Pym the son and heir of Thomas Pym of Nevis, does not appear in the will at all, but only in a codicil in which she and her husband were left £10 each for mourning: her own will has been traced under Elizabeth Dasent formerly Pym (q.v.).

Vere Langford Oliver, History of Antigua Vol. I p.93, which gives a death-date of 1744.

1. PROB 11/733/399.