BUTLER OF RAWCLIFFE HALL.
The name of Butler, or as it was formerly written Botiler, belonged to an office in existence in earlier times, and was first assumed by Theobald Walter, who married Maud, the sister of Thomas à Becket, on being appointed Butler of Ireland.
Theobald Walter-Botiler gave to his relative Richard Pincerna, or Botiler, as the family was afterwards called, the whole of Out Rawcliffe and one carucate of land in Staynole. This gentleman was the founder of that branch of the Butlers which was established at Rawcliffe Hall for so many generations. Sir Richard Botiler, of Rawcliffe, married Alicia, in 1281, the daughter of William de Carleton, and thus obtained the manor of Inskip. He had issue—William, Henry, Richard, Edmund, and Galfrid. Richard Botiler, the third son, who had some possessions in Marton, left at his death one son, also named Richard, who was living in 1323, and became the progenitor of the Butlers of Kirkland. William, the eldest son, espoused Johanna de Sifewast, a widow, by whom he had Nicholas de Botiler, who was alive in 1322, and had issue by his wife Olivia, one son, William Botiler, living in 1390. William Botiler had three children—John, Richard, and Eleanor. John Botiler was created a knight, and in 1393-4-5 was High Sheriff of the county of Lancaster. Sir John Botiler left at his death, in 1404, three sons and one daughter, the offspring of his marriage with Isabella, his second wife, who was the widow of Sir John Butler, of Bewsey. Nicholas, the eldest son, was also twice married, and had issue by his first wife, Margeria, the daughter of Sir Richard Kirkeby,—John and Isabella Botiler. John Botiler espoused, in 1448, Elizabeth, the daughter of William Botiler, of Warrington, and had issue—Nicholas and Elizabeth Botiler. Nicholas Botiler married Alice, the daughter of Sir Thomas Radcliffe, knt., and was succeeded by his eldest son John Botiler, who subsequently espoused Elizabeth, the daughter and heiress of Sir John Lawrence, knt., and had issue—William, James, Richard, and Robert Botiler. James Botiler, the second son, inherited the estates, most probably owing to the death of William, his elder brother, and married Elizabeth, the daughter of Sir Thomas Molyneux, knt., of Larbrick Hall. James Botiler, or Butler, was living in 1500, but died shortly afterwards, leaving two sons and two daughters—John, Nicholas, Isabella, and Elizabeth. John, the elder son, had issue four daughters, whilst Nicholas, the second son, had issue by his first wife, the daughter of Richard Bold, of Bold, two sons, Richard and Henry, and by his second wife, Isabel, the daughter and co-heiress of John Clayton, of Clayton, one daughter, who died in 1606. Richard Butler married Agnes, the daughter of Sir Richard Houghton, knt., but having no offspring, the estates of Rawcliffe passed to William Butler, the eldest son of his younger brother, Henry Butler, somewhere about 1627. William Butler espoused Elizabeth, the daughter of Cuthbert Clifton, of Westby, by whom he had one son, Henry, who was thrice married, and had numerous offspring. Richard, the eldest son of Henry Butler by his first wife, Dorothy, the daughter of Henry Stanley, of Bickerstaffe, died before his father, but left several sons, one of whom, also named Richard, succeeded to the Rawcliffe property, and was thirty-two years of age in 1664; another, Nicholas, was a colonel in the time of Charles I.; and another, John, was a citizen of London. Richard Butler espoused Katherine, the daughter of Thomas Carus, of Halton, by whom he had a large family, the eldest of which, Henry, was six years of age in 1664. Henry Butler, of Rawcliffe, espoused as his first wife, Katherine, the granddaughter, and subsequently heiress, of Sir John Girlington, knt., of Thurland Castle, and had issue—Richard, Christopher, Philip, Mary, and Katherine. Henry Butler, and Richard, his eldest son, took part with the Pretender in the rebellion of 1715, and for this piece of disaffection their estates were confiscated by the crown, and afterwards sold. Henry Butler made his escape over to France, but Richard was seized, tried, and condemned to death. He died in prison, however, in 1716, before the time appointed for his sentence to be carried out, leaving an only child, Catherine, by his wife, Mary, the daughter of Henry Curwen, of Workington, who married Edward Markham, of Ollarton, in the county of Nottingham, and died a minor without issue. Henry Butler lived in the Isle of Man for several years, and espoused Elizabeth Butler, of Kirkland, his third wife, but had no further issue.