Tracing the journey of formerly enslaved individuals across America during the tumultuous years of the Civil War is a daunting task. Because many were illiterate, personal documents are often scarce, making it difficult to reconstruct their lives. Understanding their unique stories requires a combination of educated guesswork, primary documents, and extensive secondary research. Ancestry.com serves as a valuable resource, offering a vast collection of records, including birth and death certificates, enlistment papers, and other official documents. Depending on the depth of available records, it can help piece together a rough timeline of an individual’s life. However, enslaved people were not included in the census, as they were not recognized as citizens. It is only after the Civil War, with the abolition of slavery, that newly emancipated individuals began appearing in official records. John and Charlotte Butcher exemplify both the successes and challenges of using Ancestry.com to uncover the lives of those who were minimally documented. Their story highlights the complexities of historical research and the importance of persistence in uncovering the past.

The False Positive 

A rudimentary time line of John Butcher Life with red outlines and exclamation marks outlining the false positive.

The timeline presented to the view on Ancestry.com. Red indicates false positive. (Screen Capture, of Ancestry.com timeline)

Finding an individual on Ancestry often begins with a simple timeline of events accompanied by corresponding records. After your search Ancestry directs you to a separate page where all the relevant documents are plainly laid out. When researching the Butchers, I knew he had lived in Carlisle, and so I narrowed my search and found John Butcher. However, when I looked at the documents Ancestry displayed, apparently John Butcher lived in Suffolk, England before Carlisle.[1] This could not have been the case, but this particular false positive managed to sneak past the perimeters of my search. Evidently, two John Butchers were born in the 1830s and both married women named Charlotte, and the documents Ancestry had for John J’s English counterpart just so happened to plug the holes in his story. This particular false positive demonstrates the necessity of caution and thorough examination. While I knew the specific context of the Butchers that made this false positive entirely unconvincing, this might not always be the case. Successful researchers should take care to confirm every document displayed to them from Ancestry as often things can slip through the cracks.

Tracing Backwards

John and Charlotte Butcher’s journey across America is well documented. Since the Butchers had a recorded residency in Carlisle, locating the family was relatively straightforward. By searching for John Butcher in the Ancestry database with Carlisle, Pennsylvania, as a filter, I was able to eliminate most false positives. The Butchers were residents in Carlisle until at least the 1960s, with the death of Alice B. Butcher, after which their properties were sold by their remaining family members.[2] John Butcher died in 1919 after appearing on three censuses the 1880, 1900, and 1910, respectively.[3] His wife, Charlotte Butcher, died in 1941 after appearing in three more censuses than her husband.[4]

A grave with John Charlotte Susan, Richardson, Agnes John G. Butcher.

The grave lists 1835 as John J Butchers birthday (Image from Findagrave.com)

However, like any source, census records are not infallible. For instance, John Butcher’s birth date varies across multiple documents in Ancestry. In the 1880 census, he was listed as 43 years old, which would place his birth year at 1837. Similarly, in the 1910 census, he was recorded as 73, again suggesting a birth year of 1837. However, the 1900 census does not provide an age for John Butcher—only that he had been married to Charlotte for 39 years, dating their marriage to 1861. Looking at his death certificate from 1919, John’s birth year is recorded as 1831, and he is listed as 87 years old at the time of his death. Yet, his tombstone states that he was born in 1835. Which date is correct? The census records also reveal that John and his wife could not read or write, and at the time, census data was collected by representatives going door to door. Could each consecutive census have been inaccurate? What about his death certificate—who recorded that information, and who provided it? And why does his gravestone list 1835, a birth year that does not appear in any of the census records?[5] The story becomes clearer when John and Charlottes history as slaves is investigated.

Joseph M Barton

In a previous journal assignment, I set out to explore the wayside marker at the site of the former Butcher family residences, now a tot lot. Through this exploration, I uncovered their story—tracing their journey from enslavement in Virginia to their settlement in Cumberland County via secondary sources. During my research for that journal assignment, I discovered a series of sources from the Gardner Digital Library. In particular, the article “John J. and Charlotte Roy Butcher” became central to my effort to trace the Butchers’ history.[6] Initially, I used the information to summarize their lives. However, upon reexamining it for a more in-depth analysis of their experiences and historical context, I found myself interpreting much of the article in a new light. Interestingly, the article has John Butcher born in 1932 which is consistent with the death certificate. Nonetheless, the principal interest this article has for my Ancestry search was the similar research the Gardner Digital Library performed. They used the Ancestry records plus records from the Cumberland County Historical Society to push past the boundaries of Ancestry.com alone. For instance, they had access to John and Charlotte’s obituaries in The Evening Sentinel, sources that required a trip to the Cumberland County Historical Society Archives. I did not make this trip during my research for this project, instead choosing to focus on the sources I had access too on Ancestry. Most importantly the Gardner Digital Library uncovered an account in The Evening Sentinel describing an encounter John had with Joseph Barton, his former slave owner.[7]

Born in 1835 in Virginia, Joseph Marx Barton lived in Frederick County, where a Slave Schedule from 1860 records him as the owner of three enslaved individuals: a 28-year-old male, a 29-year-old male, and a 19-year-old female. While their names were not listed, the Gardner Library’s article suggests that the 28-year-old male and the 19-year-old female were most likely John and Charlotte Butcher.[8] I credit much of this discussion to the Gardner Library’s research. Their article serves as a strong example of how to piece together a story with limited documentation, as they continue to explore the Butchers’ lives within the broader context of enslaved individuals following the Union army’s occupation of Frederick County in 1863. Through secondary source research on slave refugees, they also trace the Butchers’ subsequent journey to Cumberland County.[9]

A list of slave owning genders and ages of their slaves.

A list of slave owning genders and ages of their slaves. John and Charlotte Butcher aged 28 and 19 respectively. (1860 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules)


Takeaway’s 

Through Ancestry.com and the support of a secondary source, I was able to solidify my understanding of the Butcher family timeline. However, like all research topics, Ancestry.com left me with more questions than I had initially. Moreover, the Gardner Library provided little information on Joseph Barton or the interactions between John and his former master. This is the central question that has captured my attention. It must have been a profound experience to encounter someone who had once claimed ownership over you. How did this meeting between former master and former enslaved reflect race relations after the Civil War? How does this one experience relate to others like it? The answers to this question cannot be found on Ancestry. If there is one key takeaway from this journal entry, it is that while Ancestry is an excellent starting point, it is ultimately limited. Tracing the Butcher family’s journey from slavery to freedom in Carlisle will require far more research beyond census and death records.

 

 

[1] “John Butcher in the 1861 England Census,” Lowestoft, Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861, Public Record Office, The National Archives of the UK, London, England. [ANCESTRY.COM]

[2] “Alice B Butcher in the Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1971,” series 11.90, Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, RG 11, Pennsylvania Historical and Medical Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. [ANCESTRY.COM]; Gardner Digital Library, “The Butcher Family Children and Legacy,” (Gardner Digital Library: Cumberland Historical Society, 2014). [GDL]

[3] “John Butcher in the 1880 United States Federal Census,” Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Tenth Census of the United States, 1880, Record of the Bureau of the Census, RG 29, National Archives, Washington, DC. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “John Butcher in the 1900 United States Federal Census,” Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Twelfth Census of the United States,  1900, United States of America, Bureau of the Census, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “John Butcher in the 1910 United States Federal Census,” Carlisle, Cumberland Pennsylvania, Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910, Record of the Bureau of the Census, RG 29, National Archives, Washington, DC. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “John J Butcher in the Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1971,” series 11.90, Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, RG 11, Pennsylvania Historical and Medical Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. [ANCESTRY.COM]

[4] “Charlotte Butcher in the 1880 United States Federal Census,” Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Tenth Census of the United States, 1880, Record of the Bureau of the Census, RG 29, National Archives, Washington, DC. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “Charlotte Butcher in the 1900 United States Federal Census,” Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Twelfth Census of the United States,  1900, United States of America, Bureau of the Census, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “Charlotte Butcher in the 1910 United States Federal Census,” Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910, Record of the Bureau of the Census, RG 29, National Archives, Washington, DC. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “Charlotte Butcher in the 1920 United States Federal Census,” Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920, Record of the Bureau of the Census, RG 29, National Archives, Washington, DC. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “Charlotte Butcher in the 1930 United States Federal Census,” Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Fifteenth Census of the United States,  1930, United States of America, Bureau of the Census, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.[ANCESTRY.COM]; “Charlotte Butcher in the 1940 United States Federal Census,” Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Sixteenth Census of the United States,  1940, United States of America, Bureau of the Census, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “Charlotte Roy Butcher,” Union Cemetery, Cumberland County, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. [FINDAGRAVE]

[5] “John Butcher in the 1880 United States Federal Census,” Record of the Bureau of the Census. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “John Butcher in the 1900 United States Federal Census,” Bureau of the Census. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “John Butcher in the 1910 United States Federal Census,” Record of the Bureau of the Census. [ANCESTRY.COM];  “John J Butcher in the Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates,” Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “John J Butcher,” Union Cemetery, Cumberland County, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. [FINDAGRAVE]

[6] Gardner Digital Library, “John J. and Charlotte Roy Butcher,” (Gardner Digital Library: Cumberland Historical Society, 2014). [GDL]

[7] Gardner Digital Library, “John J. and Charlotte Roy Butcher.” [GDL]

[8] “Joseph M Barton in the 1860 United States Federal Census,” Population Schedule Frederick County, Virginia, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. [ANCESTRY.COM]; “1860 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules,” District 8, Frederick, Virginia, Eighth Census of the United States, 1860, Bureau of the Census, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. [ANCESTRY.COM]

[9] Gardner Digital Library, “John J. and Charlotte Roy Butcher.” [GDL]