Illegitimate child - Charles Lennox Butler

[whiteout7]

Yes, I think you are right. We can rule that one out.

[lizdb]

Might be useful to get a copy of Charles' Will.

Probate index entry -
The will with a codicil of the Hon Charles Lennox Butler late of 5 Belgrave Square Middlesex who died 5 March 1885 at the Hotel Mont Fleuri Cannes in  France was proved at the Principal Registry by Edward Arthur Butler of Morley Bishop Stortford in the county of Hertford a retired colonel in Her Majestys army the son and the Hon Robert Saint John Fitzwalter Butler of Rutland Lodge Rutland Gardens in the county of Middlesex one of the Masters of the Supreme Court of Juricature the nephew, the executors.
Effects £33260 - 13s - 4d

[mcfrankel]

Hi Liz I was hoping to avoid the cost of purchasing the will. It would be good if I could preview it to see if it was any help but will have to wait until I can afford to do this.

[RevHead]

I'm new to RootsChat and this is my first post - so please forgive me if I'm some how not following the correct protocol 

I'm very curious about this thread and notice there's been no update for two years.

It would appear Robert Hastings Smith is my wife's Great Great Grandfather.

I'm wondering if anyone has verified yet if RHS's father was indeed Charles Lennox Butler (and if so who possibly the mother was).

From what I can gather so father in this post (and from elsewhere):
1. RHS has Charles Lennox Butler listed as the father on RHS's death certificate in 1901 (with a notation adjacent to the entry saying "correct")
2. RHS names his oldest son Charles Lennox Smith (and his youngest daughter Charlotte Butler Smith)
3. RHS has at least one (and possibly multiple) trips back to England during his lifetime, and
4. RHS apparently has a "pension" given to him through Meads Solicitors that ends in 1885 the time of Charles Lennox Butler's death (I haven't seen proof of this - just read about it on this thread)

All of these links do point to the veracity of Charles Lennox Butler being Robert Hasting Smith's father

Towards the end of this thread it states that possibly the best way to confirm/deny the link is to purchase a copy of Charles Lennox Butler's will but that would be expensive. I'm new to this ancestry thing so maybe someone could tell me how I go about purchasing a copy of the will (and approximately how much it would cost).

Thanks in advance for any direction you could give me.

[mcfrankel]

Hi, that was my post and Robert is my great great grandfather.  I have been investigating  Robert for a long time but I haven’t got much further.  There are many articles on Robert on Trove.  Robert died in an Asylum for the poor so I am not sure if Charles Butler had left any provision for Robert in his will. You can obtain a copy of the will from the British archives I think. I would love to  know how your wife is related to Robert?  There are a few children of Roberts that I haven’t been able to track as my grandmother had no idea what happen to her aunts.

[rosie99]

Towards the end of this thread it states that possibly the best way to confirm/deny the link is to purchase a copy of Charles Lennox Butler's will but that would be expensive. I'm new to this ancestry thing so maybe someone could tell me how I go about purchasing a copy of the will (and approximately how much it would cost).

Welcome to rootschat 

The will is available from the Probate Office.  You can order it online, it will cost £10
https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

[RevHead]

Hi mcfrankel - my wife is related through Lydia Blanche Smith (1876 - 1964), one of Robert's 9-10 kids. My mother-in-law has some fascinating stories about her grandmother Lydia.

I came across a fascinating 2-page summary on ancestry.com.au of some of the events in RHS's life. Did you write that? I'm wondering if it's worth getting a copy of the will of Charles Lennox Butler (thanks for the link Rosie99) - have you not explored this option yet?

[mcfrankel]

I would love to hear any stories  or any information about Lydia.  I have found her marriage details etc from the pioneer register but what happened to Lydia after her father put Lydia and her sisters in the Benevolent Society I haven’t been able to work out. The records show they were fostered out but a search of the archives found no further records.  The summary of Roberts life was written by another Ancestry User, John.  His user name is fhaglib.  He is related through the Clark/Kelly family.  We were trying to track down what happened to Mary, Lydia’s mother so he wrote the summary.  If you have information on the death details of Mary Ann Clark/Smith/Moss that would be great. I have been searching for years. Do you have a tree on Ancestry?  I have since found some details of Roberts time in New Zealand.  I haven’t purchased the will as I was hoping DNA might lead somewhere and I was hoping the make the wills digital and free.....

[Dundee]

Presumedly you have Robert's 1869 marriage cert.  What information does he give about his age, place of birth and parents' names?

Debra