The DYS Numbers in red have shown a faster mutation rate than the average, and therefore these markers are very helpful at splitting lineages into subsets, or branches, within a family tree. DYS 19 is also known as DYS 394. A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) test, which is used to confirm the haplogroup, has been performed on the haplogroups written in bold, red print in the right hand column. It is necessary to do an SNP commonly called "snip" test for only one individual within a family group in order to determine the haplogroup for everyone in the group.

THE BUTTRAM FAMILY
Copyright January 2006, Revised 2009, 2010, 2011, 2023
Mary Fern Souder

The Buttram family is a very loving and embracing extended family whose outreach was even further expanded with the 1984 founding of "Buttram Kith & Kin," by Rev. Gus and Becky Buttram of Haleyville, AL. More recently, the Association is headed by A. Conway Burttram, Jr., of Moody, AL. In 1998, the Buttram Family Association published "Buttram: The Descendants of William Buttram, I, and Margaret of Rowan County, North Carolina," which was compiled by Charles V. and Barbara (Brown) Waid of Puyallup, WA. I was a collaborator in this effort.

It is believed that William Buttram was born about 1735. No document has been found which proves the names of his parents, but it is thought that he may be the son of an elder William Butteram (born ca. 1706) who, when he was eight years old and with the consent of his father, John Butteram, bonded himself to Daniel Scott, the younger, in 1714 in Baltimore County, MD. This occurred one month after the death of John Butteram's wife, Elizabeth Westbury. John Butteram remarried Jane Mayer that same year, and was in Cecil County, MD, by 1727. William Butteram remained with the Scott family in Baltimore County, MD and moved with them to Pittsylvania County, VA by 1743.

The exact date that William and Margaret Buttram of this study arrived in Rowan County, NC, is not known, but records document him as being there by at least 1761. A deed from Lord Granville to Joseph Tate on Jacobs Creek on the Daniel River "including Butrums's Camp," was written 17 December 1761.

In 1783, William Buttram purchased 200 acres of land "including his own improvement", on Rich Fork of Abbott's Creek of Rowan County. Tax, deed, and public service records for William Buttram continued in Rowan County until 1791 when he and Margaret sold their last remaining 195 1/2 acres to John Hiatt.

By 1793, William and much of his family had moved just across the county line to Iredell County, NC. Deed book B, pages 47-49, shows that Peter Keeton sold 140 acres to John Lund. This land adjoined the domiciles of, among others, "William Buttram, Sr." William began using "Sr." after his name about this time, because his presumed son, William Buttram, Jr., born 1759, was beginning to enter into land transactions. These two men are also referred to as William Buttram, I, and William Buttram, II, by their descendents.

After the family left Rowan County, the Buttram surname evolved into several variant spellings, primarily Butram, Buttrum, Burttram, Burtram, and Bertram.

There is not a paper trail connecting William Buttram, I, to any of the young men assumed to be his sons who lived nearby in Rowan County, NC, although because of their names, William Buttram, I (or Sr.), is presumed to be the father of William Buttram, II (or Jr.) There are records in Rowan County for nine males and two females who carry the Buttram name. All of these young individuals were of the appropriate ages to have been children of William and Margaret Buttram, and I, in collaboration with other Buttram researchers, had accepted all of them as his children. These eleven individuals are:

Elizabeth Boutteram, b.c. 1757, md. William Perli in 1776

*William Buttram, II, b. 15 July 1759, md. Sarah Patterson in 1780

Margaret Buttram, b.c. 1760, md. Joseph Minges in 1779

*Nicholas L. Buttram, b.c. 1763, md. Betsy

John Buttram, b. 1 January 1765, md. Jane Stevenson or Stinson

Andrew Buttram, b. June 1768, md. Tobias Keeton in 1798

James Buttram, b.c. 1772, md. Unknown

*Cornelius Buttram, b.c. 1773, md. Nancy Woodruff

Jacob Buttram, b.c. 1775, md. Julia Ann Keeton

*Levi Buttram, b. 4 November 1777, md. Eliza Bedwell or Kedwell in 1800

Seddy Buttram, b. ca. 1779, no further information

*Surprising DNA results of descendents of those men with asterisks beside their names show that some of the assumptions regarding the paternity of Buttram males in Rowan County are in error. DNA evidence shows that there were three groups of Buttram men in North Carolina at the same time, who had unrelated Y-chromosome signatures. These three lineages are headed William Buttram II and Cornelius Buttram in Group 1, Levi Buttram in Group 2, and Nicholas L. Buttram in Group 3. By October 2010, Ancestry.com had 35 posts that contain these erroneous lineages.

Although Buttram men in Groups 1 and 2 closely interacted with each other, as shown by documents in Wayne County, KY, we must acknowledge that there has been some manner of misattribution of paternity. Ancestral information shown in the above charts for the three Buttram groups show the earliest known ancestor as William Buttram, I, but this cannot be correct. Information presented below in the "Analysis" sections of this report will suggest what is more likely the correct pedigree for each group.

Group 1:

Participant 20904 has a very solid paper trail from Cornelius Buttram, born ca. 1773, and his wife, Nancy Woodruff. This pedigree descends through son Jacob, born ca. 1804, and grandson Jacob Lafayette, born ca. 1840.

Participants 24317 and Independent Participant: I received an automatic notice from FamilyTreeDNA that two persons who tested independently matched Cornelius Buttram's descendent. I communicated with these participants and both have given permission to post their results. One of the participants gave me his kit number (24317); the other did not.

The first participant had a very robust paper trail from William Buttram, II, born 15 July 1759, and this participant was steeped in family history. He knew that the spelling of his surname had evolved from Buttram to Butram to Bertram. He was a proven descendent of Dr. Joel Fox Bertram, born 1848. The other participant, although he carries a different surname, had a family legend that he also descended from Dr. Joel Fox Bertram as the result of a liaison between Dr. Bertram and his unmarried nurse. This man had arranged Y-chromosome testing in order to compare his results with the proven descendent of Joel Fox Bertram. Since both men were lineal male descendents, this served as a quasi paternity test in order to confirm or disprove his family's legend. The DNA test results validated the family legend that the son of Dr. Bertram’s nurse carried the Y-chromosome signature of Dr. Joel Fox Bertram.

Further, a comparison of the 37-marker results of the descendent of Cornelius Buttram, to the descendents of William Buttram, II, (through Dr. Joel Fox Bertram) shows that the Y-chromosome results of the three participants are a match. It is apparent that one mutation has occurred between Dr. Joel Fox Bertram and the birth of Participant 24317, while no mutation has occurred between Dr. Joel Fox Buttram and the birth of the Independent Participant.

William Buttram II (aka William Butram, Jr.) was a Revolutionary War patriot who received a pension. His pension application states that he returned to Rowan County upon his discharge from the army, but moved to Iredell County, NC, after his house burned down. (The household of his elderly father and mother, which included an adult couple with several infants and children, as well as separate households of Jacob Buttram and Nicholas Buttram were enumerated in Iredell County in 1800). The pension application of William, II, further stated that he resided in Lee County, VA, for about ten years before following his sons to Wayne County, KY in about 1815. He moved to White County, TN, with his daughter unmarried daughter, Katy Buttram, before 1850 and died there.

William Buttram, II, had a son, William Buttram, III, born 17 Jun 1783. Since William Buttram, II, did not migrate to Wayne County, KY, until about 1815, it seems likely that William Buttram, III, was the person who, along with Levi Butram, witnessed the 1809 marriage of James Spradlin and Betsy Mounce in Wayne County, KY. See a reference to this marriage listed under Group 2 below.

Analysis: There were five transmission events between William Buttram, I, and Participant 20904, and six transmission events between William Buttram, I, and both Participant # 24317 and the Independent Participant. The DNA test results of Group 1 prove that Cornelius Buttram and William Buttram, II, shared a common ancestor.

Group 2:

Generation 1: WallalceGroup 2: Generation 1: Early Miser-Buttram researchers had assumed that Rev. John Buttram, born 1 June 1803 in Rowan County, NC, was the son of Levi Buttram and wife Eliza Kidwell, because this couple had married on 4 November 1800 in Rowan County, NC, and were the right ages to be the parents of Rev. John Buttram who was born in Rowan County. This pedigree was disseminated (and accepted) for decades. As a child, Rev. John Buttram went from Rowan County, TN, to Virginia and then Kentucky in the company of his various extended Buttram relatives, before going (without known relatives) to Bledsoe County, TN, where he married Phebe (5/2) Miser in 1821. However, the very surprising Y-chromosome test result of a straight-line male descendant of Rev. John and Phebe (5/2) Miser Buttram revealed that he was not carrying the Buttram Y-chromosome, but matched the Boulware Y-chromosome! In order to confirm this irregularity, descendants two more sons of Rev. John Buttram were tested. The three men who represented the Y-chromosome of Rev. John Buttram were descendants of his sons, Elijah Henegar (6/6) Buttram, Michael Farmer (6/7) Buttram, and William Dotry (6/9) Buttram. All three matched the Boulware Y-chromosome. Levi Buttram is another man who was assumed to have been the son of William Buttram, I, and his wife Margaret. Levi married Eliza Bedwell (or Kedwell) in 1800 in Rowan County, NC. Family legend reported by Phoebe Buttram Pitts (1886-1983), a granddaughter of Rev. John Buttram (1800-1841) was that Rev. John was the son of Levi Buttram.

Although Levi Buttram’s travels correspond to those of William Buttram, II, and other assumed sons of William Buttram, I, Levi has never been found on a deed record, census, or tax list. Following are the only records that have been found for him:

4 November 1800, Rowan County, NC. Levi Buttram and Eliza Bedwell (or Kedwell) were married. John Canada was the bondsman, and John Brim was the witness. (Although an early published transcription of Rowan County marriages listed Eliza's name as Bedwell, the current transcription placed online by their historical society has her name transcribed as KEDWELL. A photocopy of the original bond looks more like Kedwell than Bedwell, but is not definitive. Either surname is possible because there were both Bedwell and Kidwell families in Rowan County: By 1772 the Bedwell families included Robert, Elijah and Caleb who had come from Kent County, DE, after the death of their father, James Bedwell in 1771. The Kidwell families in Rowan County, included John, Jonathan and Elijah. Jonathan was taxed and also served as a guard at the Salisbury Gaol in 1778, John was taxed in Salisbury District in 1782, and Elijah married Hannah Buter ca. 1782. These Kidwell men came from Charles County, MD. Additional discussion can be seen here: Kedwell and Bedwell Families.

At least two Buttrams married Kidwells. The first of these was William Buttram, born ca. 1775, alleged son of Nicholas L. and Betsy Buttram, who married Rachel Kidwell on 6 May 1802 in Wilkes County, NC, with the bondsman being Nicodemus Buttram. More about this family will presented under Group 3.

The second Buttram-Kidwell marriage was between Cornelius Buttram, son of William Buttram, II, and Catherine Kidwell, who married 25 October 1811 in Wayne County, KY; she is believed to have been the mother of Silas Kidwell, and possibly a widow. It is further believed that after the death of Cornelius Buttram she married John A. Marsh, and they are the couple living next to William Buttram, II, on the 1850 census in White County, TN.

4 April 1803, Rowan County, NC. Levi Buttram witnessed the will of Joseph Cunningham, along with George Thompson and Allen James. Joseph Cunningham died 10 April 1803, at age 33, leaving wife Mary, and children William, Joseph, and Ann. Executors were his wife and Robert Moore. In addition to his wife and children, he made bequests to Sarah Grady and Hugh Maily / Naily when they came of age. Joseph Cunningham also appointed his brother, Robert Cunningham and his uncle Hugh Cunningham as executors of his deceased father's estate. (Cunningham researchers claim that Mary was the first cousin of her husband, Joseph Cunningham, and the daughter of Hugh Cunningham).

9 November 1809, Wayne County, KY. Levi Butram paid the bond for the marriage of Rachel Butram and John Mounce, Sr. "Wayne County, KY Marriages and Vital Records, Volume 2," Joyce Baldwin Bork, p. 140. (Can this Rachel Buttram be the same person as Rachel Kidwell who married William Buttram, on 6 May 1802 in Wilkes County, NC? If William was the same person who went to Barren County, KY, then they were divorced because William married Clerecy Lane in Barren County in 1809. Some researchers believe they are not the same person).

12 November 1809, Wayne County, KY. Levi Butram and William Butram served as Surety and Witnesses for the marriage of James Spradlin and Betsy Mounce (daughter of John Mounce, Sr., listed immediately above). The marriage was "Proved by the oath of Levi Butram." Marriage Book 13, p. 252. (On the 1820 census in Wayne County, KY, James Spradlin lived next door to John Mounts, Sr. John Mounts, Sr. and wife were both over age 45, so Rachel Butram was not a young bride).

26 December 1811, Wayne County, KY. Levi Butram witnessed the marriage of Jesse Yearls and Betsy Smith. The father of Betsy Smith was Levi Smith. "Wayne County, KY Marriages and Vital Records, Volume 2," Joyce Baldwin Bork, p. 205. (This couple has not been subsequently located).

1830, May Court at Monticello, Wayne Co., KY, Court Order Book B (June 1824 - December 1830), Page 306: "ordered that John Young be appointed Overseer of the Road from the Sign Post near the Mouth of Ming’s Branch to George Bruton’s & that the following Hands be allotted to said Precinct, to wit: Martin Green,   William Percy,   Aaron Dearing,   Joseph Owens, John Marsh, Edward Young, Silas Kidwell, Levi Butram, all of whom will attend and Assist said Overseer in keeping said Road in Repair when Required &c." (Note from Anna Bertram: If this was the Levi Butram born in November 1777 he was now 52 years old. I have never run into another Levi Butram).

Generation 2: Rev. John Buttram married a widow, Mrs. Phoebe Miser Brown in 1821 in Bledsoe County, TN. The Misers kept scrupulous records and their early historians have provided the date of birth for Levi Buttram as 4 November 1777 in Rowan County, NC, and claimed that he was the father of Rev. John Buttram. (No documentary evidence has been found which proves this relationship).

Rev. John Buttram was a prominent circuit-riding Methodist minister in Tennessee, and his obituary was published in the Southern Christian Advocate in Nashville, TN, in 1841. Unfortunately, the obituary does not list the names of his parents, but it does state that he was born June 1, 1803 in Rowan County, NC, and went at an early age to Virginia, and then Kentucky and on to Bledsoe County, TN, then Rhea County, TN (which is the same route to Kentucky taken by William Buttram II and Jacob Buttram, and several Buttram grandchildren moved on to Rhea and Meigs County, TN.

The complete obituary of Rev. John Buttram is reprinted here in its entirety in order to provide clues to his ancestry:

"FOR THE ADVOCATE"

"Died, on the 24th of May, 1841, at his residence, in Meigs county, Tennessee, Rev John Butram. He was born in Rowan County, N. Carolina, June 1, 1802; emigrated to Virginia, thence to Kentucky, and thence to Bledsoe county, Tennessee, where, in 1821, he was married to Phe Brown, (originally Phebe Mizer)."

"About the year 1823, he professed religion, and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church; and on the 5th of October, 1830, was licensed to exhort, by A. Murphre, on Sequachy circuit. He removed to Rhea county, (now Miegs,) Feb. 15, 1831; and on the 25th of July, 1836, was licenced to preach by the quarterly conference for Sweetwater circuit, Holston conference; and, as a preacher, was generally respected."

"He had, for some years previous to his death, manifested symptoms of chronic disease of the brain; in 1840 his symptoms began to excite alarm, and medical aid was sought; but nothing effected more than an abatement of the most urgent symptoms. In the forepart of March last, he was confined to his bed about twelve days, but recovered a little, and, business calling, he went a journey of two hundred and fifty miles; from which he returned April 25, seriously afflicted. Now evident symptoms of a morbid growth, which protruded from the right lateral ventrical of the brain, manifested themselves. Able medical aid was procured; but, from the irremedable nature of his disease, nothing could be effected than a palliative of the symptoms, a protraction of life for a short period, and of his mental faculties, which he retained till a short time before his death."

"Some weeks previous to his death, it was found that the protruding mass of the brain had effected an opening through the bones of the craneum, and the membranes of the brain were protruding considerable. Yet, notwithstanding the awfully morbid state of his earthly tabernacle, his soul was sound in faith, and full of the love of God. He would frequently, in the time of his confinement, exhort his attendants to prepare to leave this poor world. He would frequently advise his wife to lead his children to heaven. Once, after a short slumber, he said to her, "I see two circles." She said, "You say you see two circles: how do they look?" "I will tell you; the outside circle looks like Providence all round about here; and the inside circle is flowing with the love of God; if I only can reach the inside circle, all will be well; which I think I shall do shortly.""

"He frequently requested his daughter Mary to sing "I hope to die rejoicing, with glory in my soul," &c. Once, after giving some religious advice to his wife and children, and referring to some passages of scripture, he said "I hope to die rejoicing." At another time, speaking in the language of a poet, he said, "O, sing hallelujah! Give God the glory! I'm going to join the army by and by.""

"I frequently visited him, in the time of his affliction, and every time heard him say something relative to his trust in God, and his prospects of a happy immortality. He told me that, whilst on his journey above named, he prayed to the Lord to spare and bless him, that he might reach his family once more, and die at home; which he thanked the Lord he had done. Just before I took my last farewell of him, fearing his mind was too far gone to know me, I asked him if he knew me; and, after having the light shine upon my face, he threw his arm around my neck, and said, "Yes, brother Moore, I know you." And shortly after, I took my leave of him for the last time in this life."

"James Moore"

Published in the "Southwestern Christian Advocate," Nashville, 11 September 1841, p. 12. Reprinted in the "Buttram Kith & Kin," Volume 11, No. 4, Winter 1995, pp. 4-5.

Rev. John had been a large landowner, and sold 480 acres in Meigs County in 1836 and 1837. His death in 1841 at age 38 and Phebe's death in 1844 at age 44 left eight orphans, with the youngest four being Elijah Heneger Buttram (10), Michael Farmer Buttram (8), Francis A. Buttram (7), and William Dotry Buttram (4).

Probate and guardianship papers for the children were filed in Meigs County, TN. The Meigs County Court found that the executor of Phebe's remaining estate had fraudulently traded it and the persons who owed money to the estate had moved away or were insolvent. The older siblings cared for the four youngest Buttram children, but by 1848 all but one of the older siblings had died. Their only surviving sister, Phebe Buttram Roister took them into her home.

In 1851 the four youngest sons, at age 19, 17, 15, and 11, joined a wagon train to go live with their mother’s younger brother, George Washington Miser, in Benton County, AR. On this trip they formed a lasting relationship with Mary Nubal Nicels (Nickels), affectionately called "Granny Nickels." Her birth and death dates (1782-1866) were written in the George Miser Bible. (In 1850 John, 63, and Mary Nickles (65) lived in Meigs County, TN, where he was a miller. In 1840 they lived next to Michael Miser, brother of George Washington Miser and Phebe Miser Buttram. Since Mary Nubal Nickles was not related on the Miser side, it seems likely that she may have been connected to the Swaffords. George Washington Miser was married to Polly Swafford and his brother Michael Miser married Betsy Swafford.

Elijah Henegar Buttram became a well-respected Methodist minister in Benton County, AR, and was the founder of the Methodist Buttram’s Chapel and Cemetery in Benton County. He and his brother, Michael Farmer Buttram, married sisters who were also their first cousins, the brides being daughters of their maternal Uncle George Washington Miser.

Generation 3:

Participants 18682 and 27362: Participant 18682 descends from Rev. Elijah Henegar Buttram. After the Y-chromosome signature of his descendent did not match the participants in Group 1, a descendent of Michael Farmer Buttram, represented by Participant 27362, was tested. These men were a match on the 37-marker test. (The two-step difference on DYS 464c is treated as a single mutation).

Analysis: There were six transmission events between William Buttram I and Participant 18682 and seven transmission events between William Buttram I and Participant 27362. The DNA test results of Group 2 prove that Rev. Elijah Henegar Buttram and Michael Farmer Buttram shared a common ancestor, and their results are consistent with their solid paper trail to their father, Rev. John Buttram, born 1803 in Rowan County, NC.

One can see that on the 37-marker test there is a difference of 15 mutations between the participants in Groups 1 and 2. This large number of differences between the two groups precludes any possibility that these men shared a common paternal ancestor within recent genealogical time. Since the descendent of Cornelius Buttram matches the descendents of William Buttram, II, (and William Buttram, II, probably has the greater claim of being the son of William Buttram I), this suggests that Cornelius and William II were probably the descendents of William Buttram, I, and wife Margaret.

This leads to the conclusion that the descendents of Rev. John Buttram have a misattributed paternity in their ancestry that occurred with either the birth of Levi Buttram (1777) or the birth of Rev. John Buttram (1803). Because Levi Buttram was closely associated with the Buttrams of Wayne County, KY, and because Levi’s surname was Buttram, we must assume that he was somehow connected to William Buttram, I, and wife Margaret. Given that the surname carried in Group 2 is Buttram, DNA evidence supports the supposition that this misattributed paternity occurred within a 26-year time span (either 1777 or 1803). Since the early Misers claimed that Levi was the father of Rev. John Buttram, this gives some weight to the idea that Rev. John was indeed the son of Levi, and it was Levi who was not the son of William and Margaret Buttram. However, one wonders, with the extensive obituary that was written for Rev. John Buttram, why the names of his parents were omitted. Perhaps it was because his parents were not known in the community where he lived and died.

It is possible that Levi Buttram may have been the son of a Buttram daughter, or that Rev. John Buttram may have been the son of a Buttram granddaughter. William and Margaret did have daughters old enough to be the mother of Levi Buttram, born 1777, and granddaughters old enough to be the mother of Rev. John Buttram, born 1803. Rachel Butram who married John Mounts, Sr., in 1809, and for whom Levi posted bond, may have been old enough to be Levi's mother. Or perhaps Levi (or Rev. John) was simply an adopted child.

In early 2010 an automatic notification was received from FamilyTreeDNA of two 37-marker DNA matches between the Buttram participants in Group 2 and two Boler men. The Boler surname was immediately investigated, and two Boler families were quickly spotted living in Rowan County, NC, during the time that Levi Buttram and Rev. John Buttram were born. These were Stark Boler and his brother William Boler who were in Rowan County, NC, before 1776. Either could have fathered Levi Buttram, born 1777, and they, or one of their sons, could have fathered Rev. John Buttram, born 1803.

Stark and William Boler descend from James Boulware, born before 1641 in London, England, who married Margory Gray. James Boulware immigrated to Essex County, VA. Their son, John Boulware, born ca. 1682, married Elizabeth, and they were the parents of Stark Boller, born ca. 1735 and William Boller, born after 1735 in Essex County, who came to Rowan County by 1776. There are several records for the two men in Rowan County. The spelling of this surname includes not only Boulware, but Boleware, Bowlware, Bowler, Boller, and Boler. After learning about the possible Buttram-Boulware relationship, it was noticed that Stark Boulware and his son, Thomas (written as Bolevar) were neighbors of Caleb Bedwell on the 1790 census in Rowan County. (Caleb Bedwell is the only man on the 1800 census in Rowan County, NC, who had a daughter in the age bracket to have been Eliza Bedwell who married Levi Buttram on 4 November 1800, if indeed she was a Bedwell rather than a Kidwell).

The two Boler men who match the Buttrams trace their lineage to James Boulware, born before 1732 in Essex County, VA. They undoubtedly also descend from James Boulware born 1641 who immigrated to Essex County, VA, but there are so many men named James Boulware who lived in the same area at the same time that they have not yet proven with certainty how James born 1732 descends from James born 1641. The two Boler participants of this study have collaborated and determined that they are fourth cousins, with their most recent common ancestor being Wesley Boler, born 1797 in Edgefield District, SC, husband of Eliza Walton. Neither participant had ancestors who passed through Rowan County, NC, and neither lineage included Stark or William Boler/Boulware. A website constructed by Carol Shrader and devoted to the Boulware family may be seen at: Boulware Family.

Results for the two Boler participants are shown on the above chart. When the composite results of the two Bolers and the two Buttrams are compared, each has had only one mutation on the 37-marker test. Results for a Boling man who matched the Buttrams (with two mutations on the 25-marker Y-chromosome test) are also presented for your examination. When his results were upgraded to 37 markers, he had far too many mutations to any longer be considered a member of the Buttram or Boler families.

After the 37-marker match was discovered between Group 2 of the Buttrams and the two Boler DNA participants, further testing was done. Both of the Boler participants and one of the Buttram participants upgraded to the 67-marker Y-chromosome test. These three participants had no further mutations on markers 37 to 67! The results of these latter markers are not shown on the above chart due to extremely poor readability that would result if the results were expanded to include 30 additional markers.

In September 2010 an automatic notice was received concerning a Y-chromosome match of the two Buttram men to a man using the Boulware spelling. The Buttrams were two mutations from the Boulware on the 37-marker test. The one Buttram who upgraded to the 67-marker test was a total of four mutations from the Boulware participant. This distance is still well within the range of relatedness in recent genealogical time. The precise markers on which the Boulware and Buttram participants differed have not been shared, and the pedigree of the Boulware has not been received.

The Buttram participant has had one other 67-marker match, with three mutations, and this man carries the Fisher surname. He has not provided his DNA results or a pedigree.

In conclusion, the descendents of Rev. John Buttram, born 1803, do not match the descendents of William Buttram, II, and Cornelius Buttram in Group 1, nor the descendent of William Butrum, born 1775, in Group 3, and these three groups do not share a common paternal ancestor. Based on DNA testing and the location of Boler men in Rowan County, it appears likely that the Buttram men in Group 2 descend from a Boler/Boulware paternal ancestor.

Group 3:

Participant 111700: Researchers in this family believe that their proven ancestor, William Butrum, born 1775 in South Carolina, later of Barren County, KY, was the same man who married Rachel Kidwell on 6 May 1802 in Wilkes County, NC. William had a contemporary named John Butrum, born ca. 1774 in North Carolina, also of Barren County, and they are presumed to have been brothers.

It appears that William Butrum's first wife died leaving a son, Ota Butrum, born ca. 1806, and William married second Clerecy "Clara" Lane on 19 October 1909 in Barren County, KY. John Butram had previously married Nancy Hamilton on 5 July 1804 in Barren County.

At first glance it seemed possible that Nicodemus Butrum, bondsman for the marriage of William Butrum and Rachel Kidwell, could be the same person as Nicholas L. Buttram, born ca. 1763, son of William Buttram, I, and wife Margaret. Upon closer examination, however, it was obvious that this is not possible if the date of birth for Nicholas L. Buttram was ca. 1763 and William Butram was born ca. 1775.

Despite the irreconcilable ages between William Butrum and Nicholas L. Buttram, shortly before the 1998 publication of "The Descendents of William Buttram I & Margaret of Rowan County, NC," a decision was made by descendents of William Butrum and John Butrum of Barren County, KY, to affix William and John as sons of Nicholas L. Buttram. Although the researchers knew this was not accurate, the placement was done after much discussion, in order for the descendents of these men of Barren County to be in the Buttram book, and so that decades of research concerning William and John Butrum would be available to future generations.

William Butram and his family moved to Monroe County, KY, by 1820. In 1830 he was enumerated next to Thomas Lane and Ota Butrum was enumerated next to Joseph Stephens. He and Clara were the parents of six known children: John, Pleasant, Rachel, David A., James L., and Clarissa Butram. They remained in Monroe County through 1850, where he and Clara were enumerated with three adult children, Rachel, David and Clarissa, and two grandchildren, James and Rachel Butram. William and Clara have not been located after 1850, and it is presumed that they died before 1860 in Monroe County, KY. John Butrum left Barren County and by 1850 was enumerated with his second wife, Sarah, and children in Conway County, AR.

Generation 2: Pleasant Butram was born September 1812 in Barren County, KY, and married Lucinda "Lucy" Driver ca. 1832 in Monroe County, KY. He and Lucy moved from Monroe County, KY and were in Smith County, TN, by 1840, and Macon County, TN, by 1850, where his occupation was "Stiller."

Family records indicate that Lucy died of tuberculosis in March of 1859, and Pleasant married second Mrs. Harriet (nee Cage) Bradley. In 1860 they were enumerated in Smith County, TN, where he was a farmer with real estate valued at $960 and personal property valued at $600. In addition to his children with Lucy, also in the home were Harriet's three Bradley children and their infant daughter, Mary.

Pleasant and Lucy were the parents of nine children: James David, William Thomas, Lucy, Rachel A., Jacob B., Benjamin Allen "Berry," Pleasant Henry, John Jackson, and Bishop A. Butram. He and Harriet were the parents of three children: Mary Jane, Henry Elbridge, and Nathaniel Everett Butrum.

Pleasant died on 13 February 1885. According to his descendents, he donated the land for the Underwood Cemetery in Lafayette, Macon County, TN, and he was the first person to be buried there. A large fire had to be built to get the ground warm enough to dig his grave.

Generation 3: William Thomas Butrum was born ca. 1836 in Macon County, TN, and died 1 June 1861 in Macon County. He married Esther L. Stinson in December 1855 in Smith County, TN, and they were the parents of three children: James Robert, Camille Jane, and William Smith Buttrum. Camille moved to Evansville, Vanderburgh County, IN, with her children and died there in 1911.

Analysis: Using the pedigree in the Buttram book, there are eight transmission events between Participant 111700 and William Buttram I. Using the documented paper trail, there are six transmission events between the Participant 111700 and William Butrum, born 1775 of Barren County, KY.

On the 37-marker test, Participant 111700 is listed as matching a Stephens on 35/37 markers, a Stephens and a Wooten on 34/37 markers, and a Lewis, Knight and a Stephens on the 33/37 markers.

The participant in Group 3 is 12 mutations from the men in Group 1, and 12 mutations from the men in Group 2, on the 37-marker Y-chromosome test. This genetic distance precludes any possibility of a shared paternal ancestor with either group within recent genealogical time.

I am deeply indebted to the following cousins: the late Rev. Melvin Coffelt, Joe Pitts, Helen Pitts Arnn, Dorothy Turner, Jack Burtram, Rev. Gus and Becky Buttram, Conway Burttram, Chuck and Barbara Waid, Gary Buttram, Fern Buttram Meltabarger, Tom Buttram, Anna Bertram, Dorsey Buttram, Delores McNaughton, Susan Harper, and John Buttram.

Last Updated on 4/16/2023
By Wallace W. Souder