Family:Joseph Butterfield and Elizabeth Bancroft (1)

Allen, John Kermott. "Thomas Bancroft of Dedham and Reading, Mass., and Some of His Descendants", NEHGR, Vol. 95 (1941), p. 59, shows: Children of Col. Ebenezer Bancroft [#27] and Hannah Fletcher: 1) Elizabeth m. (int.) Dunstable 23 Oct 1784 Joseph Butterfield, b. Dunstable 18 Aug 1754, d. Milford, ME, 15 May 1847. If the birth date is correct, this would be Person:Joseph Butterfield (13). This is the most recent source, but at the same time, its focus is on the Bancroft side of things.

In a note acknowledging corrections to his Butterfields of Middlesex, NEHGR, Vol. 44 (1890), p. 401, George Gordon says it was Joseph Butterfield, s/o Reuben [from Tyngsboro VR, born 8 Jan 1759] who married Elizabeth Bancroft and d. Milford 15 May 1847. This, unfortunately, is not a very reliable source.

Source:Maine Historical Magazine (Porter, Joseph W), Vol. 9, p. 134, says "Joseph Butterfield, a first settler in Milford, Me., was born in Tyngsborough, Mass., Mar. 2, 1764. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Col. Ebenezer Bancroft, 1785. He moved to Milford, 1802, and is said to have built the first frame house in town. He died May 15 1847. He had no children. An adopted son John Butterfield, had a numerous family." Since the birth given actually belongs to Elizabeth Bancroft, we can only assume he meant the son of Reuben who was born in Tyngsborough, but such an error hardly recommends this source. That doesn't prevent this birth date from being applied to Joseph Butterfield of Milford in many other sources.

The fact that the intention is registered in Dunstable probably reflects Elizabeth's residence there, and probably nothing can be inferred from that, though if this was the son of Reuben marrying her, one would expect a similar intention registered in Tyngsborough. The date of death probably favors the son of Reuben, as it would require a less extreme age at death, 88 versus 93, but the age at death is unknown. No grave record is found, and none of the reports of his death include an age at death. This is too bad, because an authoritative age at death would probably resolve all this confusion caused by these conflicting, unreliable, secondary sources.

1. ↑ Dunstable, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Dunstable, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, 1913)
   p. 111.

   BUTTERFIELD, Joseph, jr., and Elisabeth Bancraft, int. Oct. 23, 1784.