Talk:Sir Reginald Butler, 1st Baronet

Birthplace

I have been researching the Butler's, as they are in my wife's genealogical line, and the birthplace of RRF Butler is consistenly shown in census records as Edford (sometimes mispelled Ettford) near Shepton Mallet in Somerset. The family did live in Poulshot and Rowde, both near Devizes, but there is no evidence to indicate that he was born there. If the (inaccessible) Times obituary says this then it must be in error.

1871 - 4 yo - Vobster, Mells, Somerset 1881 - 14 yo Farmers son, Poulshot 1891 - 24 yo Managing Director Milk Factory, Poulshot 1901 - 34 yo Managing Director Dairy, Rowde 1911 - 44 yo Managing Director, Devizes

https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=75&query=%2Bgivenname%3A%22robert%20reginald%22~%20%2Bsurname%3Abutler~%20%2Bbirth_year%3A1860-1870~%20%2Brecord_country%3AEngland

"England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2X9G-9J3 : 1 October 2014), Robert R F Butler, 1866; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.

Tedmarynicz (talk) 09:10, 30 September 2017 (UTC)

I have since found a newspaper article from the Western Daily Press of 23rd Novmber 1933 that confirms his place of birth as Edford, so have edited the main article accordingly. As the article is held by the British Newspapers Archive behind a paywall I paste the text contents I have transcribed here:

Sir Reginald Butler.

We are indebted to a correspondent "C. T. B." — for an appreciation of the late Sir Reginald Butler. Sir Reginald was not a Wiltshire man but a man of Somerset. "His father, the late Mr Fred Butler, was son of Mr Butler, of Charlton Farm, Kilmersdon, and his mother a daughter of the late Mr Robert Swanton, of Butch Farm, Kilmersdon, a small farm at Eaford, Holcombe, and it was here 67 years ago that Sir Reginald was born. His parents removed from Eaford to a much larger holding at Upper Vobster, near Frome, and from there a few years later to a large Wiltshire farm, Poulston Lodge near Devizes. Sir Reginald's father was not only an up-to-date farmer, but carried on extensive business as a cheese factor, but died young, and his widow, with the assistance her sons, carried on the farm for many years."

His "Little Grey Home."

"Sir Reginald," our correspondent adds, "was a man of wonderful genius and ability and made the most of his opportunities. No doubt the low price of milk in those far away days and the great demand for it in the large centres of industry gave him the cue which started him on the road that eventually led to him being head of one of the largest businesses of the kind in the country, probably in the world, for the United Dairies not only controls 700 to 800 dairy shops in London but numerous factories and creameries in various parts of the country. Yet, Sir Reginald at the height of his success never forgot the old home farm at Eaford, and not long ago the present tenant, Mr James, had a surprise visit from him. Sir Reginald told Mr James that as it was his birthday he thought he would like to spend it at his "Little grey home, in tho West."

And, it seems, the newspaper managed to mis-transcribe the correspondent's written "Edford, Holcombe" into the non-existant "Eaford, Holcombe".

Edford, in the parish of Holcombe, is half-way between Radstock and Shepton Mallet, not far from Stratton-on-the-Fosse in Somerset.

Tedmarynicz (talk) 12:06, 10 October 2020 (UTC)