William BUTCHER was born March 2, 1840 
in the town of Trevethin, County Monmouthshire, Wales. 
He was presumably illegitimate, and it has yet to be determined exactly 
who his parents were. 
He was raised by his grandparents Benjamin 
and Sarah WALDEN Butcher. Benjamin was born c.1787 and 
Sarah was born c.1794. They were married on December 6, 
1814. Sarah gave birth to the following known children: 
Mary 1815, Ann 1820, Sarah 1823, John 1825, Martha born c.1827, Benjamin 1830, 
Rebecca born c.1834, Elizabeth, 1836, Rebecca born 1839. 
All but Mary appear to have been baptized at Varteg Hill 
Wesleyan Chapel, or the Wesleyan Chapel of the Varteg Ironworks.

The family settled in Garndiffaith, a 
hamlet in Trevethin, which at the time was a district of 
Blaenavon. Trevethin is now a large town in its own 
right.

Benjamin, a miner, died at the age of 
58 on June 28, 1845. He was buried at St. Peter's, as were 
most of his immediate family except son Benjamin who would 
later die at age 57 in 1887 in the workhouse. He would be 
buried at St. Cadoc's.

In 1860, 
Benjamin's grandson, William, married 
Johanna POWELL the daughter of Joseph Powell born c. 
1816 and Jane JONES Powell born c. 1820. Johanna herself 
was born May 25, 1840 at Garndiffaith and had known 
siblings Elizabeth, Benjamin, and Jane by 1851. William and 
Johanna were married at the Wesleyan Chapel and had the 
following children in Wales: Mary Ann c.1861, Elizabeth c. 
1863, Benjamin Jan.23, 1865,Sarah Jane c. 1867, and Edith 
c. 1868. The family emigrated to the US in the late 1860's 
arriving in New York. They settled on Welsh Hill in  
Plymouth Twp., Pennsylvania and had additional children 
William, George, and Rachel.

William worked as a miner and 
eventually bought the property at 477-479 State Street on 
Welsh Hill, becoming a landlord as well.

About 1895, 
William and Johanna's son 
Benjamin married Margaret 
BUTLER born April 13, 1877 in 
Plymouth to Irish born William and Bridget FINLEY/FINNELLY Butler. 
Bridget in turn, was the daughter of Edward and Margaret 
MCCORMACK Finley/Finnelly.Margaret Butler was an Irish Catholic 
and 
family stories say that this created a rift between 
Benjamin and his Methodist family.

Margaret's parents, William and 
Bridget Butler owned and operated the Butler House saloon 
in the Poke Hollow section of Plymouth Twp. near the D&H #5 
colliery. In addition to Margaret they had two surviving 
children: James c.1882 and Martin c.1878.  
William died on Jan. 9, 1888 at the age of 45 of Bright's 
disease, a kidney disorder. He had buried his mother, 
Johanna, that same year when she died in May at the age of 
72. Johanna had resided with William's brother James in 
Plymouth. Bridget continued to operate the saloon for a 
time after William's death, but was forced to close, 
according to family lore, due to complaints of the miner's 
wives that their husbands were spending too much time and 
money at the saloon. Bridget died on July 3, 1936 of 
gangrene of the leg, a complication of diabetes.

Benjamin and Margaret Butcher settled 
on Vine Street in Plymouth to raise their family: Margaret 
b.1896, Loretta b.1898, William c.1900, Eugene b. May 9, 1902, 
Joseph c. 1912, and Ruth 1914. Benjamin worked as a miner and machinist 
for the Hudson Coal Co., and later, when asthma forced his 
retirement from the mines, he became custodian of the 
Vine Street School. Margaret was a nurse and midwife who 
was active in FDR's election campaign and loved to play 
bingo.

Benjamin's father William died Sept. 29, 
1900. His will states "all that I possess in the world I 
hearby bequeath to her whom I most love in it, my dear wife 
Johanna." Johanna died on March 12, 1924.

Benjamin Butcher died on Jan. 23, 
1932, his 67th birthday after being taken ill at the 
funeral of his brother, George, earlier in the day. 
Margaret died on May 16, 1963.

On June 18, 1927, Eugene Joseph 
Butcher married Genevieve Marcella NORTON b. Sept. 7, 1904, 
the daughter of Dennis and Jane 
PATTON Norton.Their 
family consisted of Regina(Jean) b. 1929, Robert b. 1931, 
Joseph b. 1933, Thomas b.1935 d.1936, and Barbara 
b.1939.Although Eugene had left school at an early age to 
become a breaker boy and help support his family, he 
secured a job with UGI Corp., moving up in the company 
until his retirement as office manager in 1967. Genevieve 
worked as a clerk prior to her marriage, then became a stay 
at home wife and mother. It was 65 years before "death did 
them part".When Eugene died on June 8, 1992, the light went 
out of Genevieve's eyes, never to return.On Oct. 29, 1997 
her broken heart was finally healed when she and Eugene 
were finally reunited.

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