Newsletter No 28– September 2018

Houses of Parliament. Photo by Kenneth Scowen, Piktin Pictorials Ltd London International Rally Butler Society members from America, Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ire- land, Malta, New Zealand, and the UK, gathered in London from 5th - 8th July for the Interna- tional Butler Rally.

Thursday Evening Reception The Rally began with a Reception at the Houses of Parliament. As there were so many of us, we were split in to two groups and had to enter through two separate entrances. The security procedures, involving the checking of our handbags, etc, and body screening took a while, as did the registration process, but it gave people a chance to introduce them- selves to their neighbours in the queue, and the noise of many conversations soon rose.

While the other group toured the building, my group went first to the River Room for drinks and the book launch. The River Room is on the second floor, overlooking the Thames River, as the name suggests. It is an attractive room with reproduction Gothic style panelling and leadlight windows. After we had had time for a drink or two, Turtle Bunbury spoke about the book which has been written by John Kirwan called “The Chief Butlers of Ireland and the House of Ormond”. John has spent

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London International Rally (cont) many hours researching the lives of every Chief Butler starting with Theobald, who was the 1st and died in 1205, down to the 31st, Charles Butler, who died in 1997. Turtle gave an interesting summary of some of the most notable of these men, and then officially “launched” the book with much acclaim from the group. (Note: Copies of this book have been ordered from Ire- land and will be available soon.)

A tour of the building then followed, and we were taken through corridors, lobbies, and rooms which are not normally open to the public. The existing Houses of Parliament were built between 1840 and 1870, to re- place older buildings which were destroyed in a fire in River Room photos by Ruth Reeves 1834. But the new building was designed in the Gothic (or medieval) Revival style, as at that time, that style was thought to look suitably imposing for official build- ings. The rooms we passed through were therefore quite ornate, with lots of timber panelling and murals containing symbolic figures and details on the walls, decorative chandeliers and light fittings, and some inter- esting portraits. There were also a number of statues and busts of previous Prime Ministers and notable Members of Parliament. Unfortunately we were unable to enter the House of Lords (in Australia we call it the Upper House), but we did visit the House of Commons, (in Australia, the Lower House), where our guide de- scribed various Parliamentary procedures.

The tour finished in Westminster Hall, which is the old- est surviving part of the parliamentary complex. The Hall was built in 1394 and was used for the very first meetings of parliamentary members, presided over by The Central Lobby, leading to both Chambers. the King. Some of the earliest Chief Butlers of Ireland, and their kin, would have attended meetings here, before the two Chambers (House of Lords, and House of Com- mons) were built at a later date.

The Hall is famous for its timber hammer-beam roof, which is the largest medieval timber roof in Northern Eu- rope. It spans about 22 metres, or 66 feet, without any columns, and was an engineering marvel in its day. The Hall has recently had some restoration work done to it. The whole complex of buildings which make up the Hous- es of Parliament is currently undergoing extensive resto- ration work, because the stonework has deteriorated over the years. Several parts are completely covered by scaf- folding, and are “under wraps”. It is estimated that the work will take about 20 years to complete. Westminster Hall Southern Cross Region No 28—September 2018

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London International Rally (cont)

Friday Trip to Hever Castle It was a challenge to get up at 5:00am to get ready and travel across London to London Bridge Station, where we were to board our coaches at 7:15am for the drive to Hever Castle in Kent. But 82 people managed to be at the pick-up point on time, which just shows how stoic us Butlers can be! Unfortunately the coaches were late arriving as they had been held up by a traffic accident, but once we were underway, the trip went smoothly.

On our arrival at Hever Castle we fortified our- selves with morning tea in the cafe, before divid- ing up in to smaller groups to tour the Castle.

Hever Castle was built in the 13th Century. It had several owners, but became the home of the Bo- leyn family from 1462 to 1539. Anne Boleyn spent a lot of her childhood here. After Anne was be- headed, the Castle reverted to the Crown and subsequently became the property of a number of families. In the 1920s it was purchased by a Hever Castle is surrounded by a moat. The “Tudor wealthy American, William Waldorf Astor, and ex- Village“ is guest accommodation built in the 1920s. tensively renovated inside. William Waldorf Astor went to a lot of trouble and great expense to re- produce Tudor style interiors, buying panelling, carvings, tapestries, etc, from old buildings which were being demolished. Other items were care- fully made in a replica Tudor style, so it is possible to obtain a reasonable idea of what some of the interiors looked like when Anne lived there.

After our tour, we were free to wander around the lovely landscaped grounds, which include a fa- mous rose garden, a water maze and a yew hedge maze. The day was hot and sunny, and the The entrance courtyard. shade from the many mature trees was welcome. Then we boarded our coaches to drive to the nearby Hever Golf Club for a delicious light lunch. It was easy to relax and chat, and time passed pleasantly. All too soon we needed to board the coaches for our drive back to London. Unfortu- nately traffic was heavy when we entered London again, and it took a while for us to make it back to London Bridge, but the beauty of being on a coach is that someone else concentrates on ne- gotiating the traffic, while we just sit back and en- joy the conversation!

The Long Gallery, with wax models of Anne Boleyn as a child, and her grandmother.

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London International Rally (cont)

Saturday Tower of London Visit As members of the Butler Rally, we were able to walk past the long queues at the entrance to the Tower of London, and use the Middle Gate En- trance, which is usually for staff only. (It helps to have the right connections at places like this!)

Roger Butler from NSW did a stalwart job holding up our sign and directing arrivals. Once inside we could Tower Bridge from the Tower of London. explore the battlements and various buildings in the precinct. The display material and information boards in all the locations are very interesting and informa- tive. A short play was performed in one of the court- yards, about the last days of Anne Boleyn, when she was accused of adultery and brought to the Tower to be beheaded. The dialogue was well written, and the players were very talented, playing fiddles and sing- ing as well as acting.

A buffet lunch was served in the Royal Fusilier's Tower. The Royal Fusiliers is an infantry regiment which was formed in 1685 from Guards at the Tower of London, and has had its headquarters in the Tow- er ever since. Their Museum contains an interesting collection of regalia and memorabilia.

Sir Richard Butler, worldwide President of The But- ler Society, gave a brief talk about the years he lived in the Tower of London precinct as a young man, when his father held the position of Governor of the Tower. Several families, as well as that of the current Governor, still continue to live in the precinct, includ- ing that of the Chaplain, the Surgeon and the Raven Keeper. Sir Richard, and his parents and siblings, lived in one of the medieval houses in the main The Fusilier’s Tower quadrangle, called the Queen's House, which is re- puted to have been built for Anne Boleyn.

There is a ceremony each evening when the Yeo- men of the Guard lock up all the gates, make the Tower precinct secure, and hand the keys over to the Governor. Any of the residents who wish to go out at night need to inform the Guard, and there is a pass- word they need to give to get back in. Sir Richard remembered there were some occasions as a young man, when he had trouble recalling the password and the correct entry procedures, after arriving back from a convivial evening out! Lord Rathdonnell, who Medieval housing still in use in the Tower. was seated not far from Sir Richard, was apparently The Queen’s House is in the corner. a companion of Sir Richard's on some of these noc- turnal occasions, but, with an exchange of reminiscent grins, it was decided not to give us any more details! Southern Cross Region No 28—September 2018

-5- London International Rally (cont) After lunch the Triennial General Meeting took place. Reports were given by James Butler the Chairman, Mark Reade the Treasurer, and John Kirwan the Secretary. David Butler, the Editor for the Butler Jour- nal, referred to three editions of the Journal which have been issued in quick succession in the past few years, but indicated that he is now in need of material for the next edition, as his in-tray is empty. Reports were given by representatives of the Southern Cross Region, Argentina, Germany and France. Unfortu- nately Craig Foster, for the USA, and David John Sir Richard speaking at the General Meeting. Butler from Spain, were unable to attend.

Saturday Formal Dinner The formal dinner was held in the Merchant Taylors' Hall in the appropriately named Threadneedle Street. The Merchant Taylors' Guild dates back to medieval times and is one of the oldest Livery Companies of the City of London still in existence. Their first build- ing on the site was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and then the replacement suffered extensive damage in the Blitz during WWII. The cur- rent building looks quite restrained from the street, but the rooms inside are more grand, with timber panelling, stained glass windows, and ornate light fittings. We had pre-dinner drinks in a lovely land- scaped internal courtyard and then moved in to the main hall.

Before the delicious three course meal was served, we listened to Alison Weir read her latest work, “The Grandmother's Tale”. Alison is a noted author, and has written many books and several plays about vari- ous Tudor personalities, including Anne Boleyn. In “The Grandmother's Tale”, she imagines the thoughts and feelings of Lady Margaret Boleyn (nee Butler), grandmother of Anne, during the events which followed Anne's execution. Henry VIII stripped the Boleyn family of their titles and much of their property, following what was deemed to be Anne's “treason”. Other members of the family besides Anne were executed. Lady Margaret, by all reports, was a shrewd and intelligent woman, and she managed to survive all the upheaval (no mean feat in those days as a woman), and live on for many more years in reasonable comfort.

Sunday Temple Church and Garden Party The day began with a church service in the Temple Church, parts of which date back to the late 12th Century. The Church was originally part of a large precinct which formed the Lon- don headquarters of the Knights Templar, and extended from Fleet Street to the Thames River. It is noted for its all male choir, and the service included some lovely singing. Southern Cross Region No 28—September 2018

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London International Rally (cont)

The oldest part of the building is the Round, a circu- lar, domed, room built to represent the Holy Sepul- chre in Jerusalem, and which contains several stone effigies. After the service, the Master of the Temple (this title dates back to the time of the Knights Tem- plar and is similar to Rector), gave a talk on the his- tory of the Church. The stone effigies were originally on tombs in the Church, but have been relocated over time, and the exact locations of the original graves are not now known.

Three of the effigies represent William Marshall, 1st Earl of Pembroke, (died 1219), and his sons William (died 1231), and Gilbert (died 1241). William Mar- shall held Kilkenny Castle for a number of years, be- fore the Butlers lived there.

After the talk, we walked to the nearby Temple Gar- den for a buffet lunch in a large marquee. Our visit coincided with the annual Temple Garden Party, and there was a small band playing, a Punch and Judy Show, Bouncing Castle and other play equipment for children.

It was a little difficult after lunch to find a quiet corner to hear a talk by Ben Murtagh. Ben is an archaeolo- gist who has been researching Kilkenny Castle for many years. He was originally employed for 6 months by the Irish Office of Public Works to investi- gate and report on the history of the Castle, when that Office took over responsibility for the Castle, after it had been bequeathed to the Town of Kilken- ny by the Ormonde Butlers in 1967. At that stage it was not realised that the existing Georgian buildings covered other layers of history. Ten years later, Ben was still discovering new information!

The earliest history of the site so far discovered, is linked to Richard Fitzgilbert de Clere 1125 – 1176,

(known as Strongbow), who was granted land in Ire- land as a reward for fighting various battles on be- half of the King of England. He built some form of fortification on the site at Kilkenny, possibly mainly of timber. He died without a male heir, but named his daughter Isabel as his heiress. However, in the ab- sence of a male heir, the Crown of England took control of Kilkenny and his other estates. William Marshall, 1st Earl of Pembroke, whose effigy we had seen earlier in the Temple Church, married Isabel, who then asked him to recover her inheritance. It took a number of years, but eventually Kilkenny was given back to Isabel, and William then started the Southern Cross Region No 28—September 2018

-7- London International Rally (cont) building of a stone castle on the site.

This was just a brief summary of only part of the his- tory of Kilkenny Castle that Ben has uncovered. Hopefully it will not be long before he publishes his book on what is a fascinating subject to Butler Socie- ty members.

Sadly the Rally was then at an end, and we all dis- persed, saying goodbye to new and old friends, with the fervent wish that we would all meet up again at the next Rally, which will be in Kilkenny in 2021. Abigail Butler

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Additions to the Archive *Barbara Butler has sent us a copy of an article she wrote for the “Australiana Society Journal”, about Laurence Butler who came as a convict to NSW in 1802. Laurence Butler was arrested after the 1798 Irish Rebellion, stood trial in Wexford, Ireland, and was sentenced to transportation for life. Because of his carpentry and cabinet-making skills, he was given government work imme- diately on his arrival in Sydney, and he subsequently became one of Australia’s most talented early colonial cabinet makers. David Kelly, an expert on colonial furniture, also contributed information.

This booklet includes details of Laurence's trial, his voyage to Australia, and then how he became settled in the Colony and built up a business. It also in- cludes a lot of background information about the 1798 Rebellion, and will be of value to oth- er members who are researching an ancestor who was involved in that Rebellion.

*Barbara Atkin has donated her copy of this book about the

Boer War, with an emphasis on the Australian men who enlisted from Swan Hill and that District. The book includes articles from the Swan Hill Guardian, which were written using official bulletins and also information obtained from letters sent to local family members. The part Australians played in this War is not very well known, and the information provided in this book is fascinating.

Percy Vivian Butler, Barbara’s father, went to South Africa for this War, as did his five brothers! Their sister, Edith Butler, also served. She was on her way to England when her ship called at Cape Town, and she became aware that her services as a nurse were badly needed in the military hospital. She cancelled the rest of her trip and stayed in South Africa, eventually marrying a soldier.

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-8- Society Meeting — 26 August 2018

The meeting was held in Hoppers Crossing, at the home of Colin, Jill, and Jessie Squires. Jessie celebrated her 102nd birthday this year, and is therefore our most senior member! It was lovely to see her again, and we thank Colin and Jill for making us welcome in their home.

In summary, the main items covered were: 1.0 Southern Cross Gathering 2019 Roy Butler, our State Rep for Qld, is finalising details with help Jessie—102 years old & still from Robin Percy and Abigail. The dates and location have involved in the Society! been set. (See page 10.) Final details, with costs, will be is- sued in the December Newsletter.

2.0 Report on London Rally A detailed report on the International Rally held in London in July was given. (See previous pages.)

3.0 Book on Chief Butlers of Ireland This was launched at the London Rally, and is a very detailed and well-presented work. Copies will be available shortly. Some “younger” members. 4.0 Additions to the Archive Barbara Butler has donated a copy of a lengthy article she wrote about Laurence Butler for “Australiana” the Journal of The Australiana Society. Barbara Atkin has donated a copy of a book called “”Volunteers to Veterans” about Australians in the Boer War. (See previous page for details.) These are both valuable additions to our Archive.

5.0 History of the Southern Cross Region Abigail has been researching the early records for the South- ern Cross Region, and preparing a history of its formation and subsequent activities. It appears that we shall be celebrating our 50th Anniversary in 2022! Tony brought his grandfather’s fob As always, a full copy of the Minutes of any of our meetings watch. The photo he is pointing to is can be provided on request. his grandfather wearing the watch.

Next Society Meeting – Sunday 25 November 2018 LOCATION: 17 Bindowan Drive, Hoppers Crossing, VIC 3029

PROGRAM: 12:00-2:00pm: Lunch, view display, general discussion. Bring your own lunch. Coffee, tea will Yes, the cakes and goodies are a be provided. 2:00-3:30pm: Society meeting. standard part of Society meetings! 3:30-4:30pm: Afternoon tea. More sharing notes and discussion

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HILARY MARKS 1931—2018 Hilary has been an active and supportive member of the Southern Cross Region for 30 years, and it is with sadness that we record her recent death. Hilary's grandmother, Adelaide Emily Augusta Butler, was descended from James and Elizabeth Butler, who settled at Newstead, near Castlemaine, Victoria, in the 1840s. James and Elizabeth, and subsequent generations of their family, made significant contribu- tions to the development of Newstead and the local community.

Hilary (nee Lowe) was born and educated in Mel- bourne. Her parents had a 10 acre property located in Croydon, which was then a rural ar- ea on the outskirts of Melbourne. After her marriage to Les Marks in 1954, the couple moved to East Gippsland, but later returned to Croydon with their first two children. In 1966 Hilary started the Bayswater Primary School lunch business, which she ran for six years, preparing all the school lunches by herself at home, and then transporting them to the school each day. She was a very good cook, favouring vegetarian and other healthy meals. From the school lunch business, Hilary went on to become the cook for a health food res- taurant in Prahran. Travel was a problem, and she subsequently took on the job of sales assistant in a health food shop, closer to home, in Heathmont.

In 1980 Hilary and Les moved back to the country, to a 350 acre property near Orbost. To supplement the family income, Hilary opened and operated a store and restaurant in Or- bost, building up a business which became famous in the district, both for its food and also for the warmth and generosity of the Proprietor. On returning once again to Melbourne in 1987, Hilary worked as a clerk for her brother Les Lowe, at Lowline Industries, before final- ly retiring, and devoting more time to her growing interest in family history.

Hilary had always been interested in the Butler Society, and from 1988 she was able to take an active part in meetings and events. Her enthusiasm for the subject of genealogy was contagious, and she happily shared the results of her researches at Society meetings. While focussed on her particular Butler family, she also provided many informative and in- teresting details which she had uncovered, about such topics as social conditions in Eng- land in the 1800s, and the lifestyle of our early pioneers. Hilary was ably assisted by her daughter, Lynne, in this work.

We have copies of many of Hilary's papers and documents in our Archive, and these will now form an enduring legacy of a lovely lady. Every time we read and refer to them, we shall remember Hilary, a much-loved member and a good friend. Details of Hilary’s life story provided by Lynne Thomson

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-10- 2019 Southern Cross Gathering The dates and the base location for our next Southern Cross Gathering are as follows. The final details for each event, with costs, will be provided in our December Newsletter. We would love to see you there, so start planning your trip!

Dates: Friday 30th August – Monday 2nd September 2019 Location: The Brisbane International Hotel Cnr Sandgate & Zillmere Roads, Boondall, Queensland.

Discount rates for accommodation at this hotel are available for people attending the Gath- ering. Quote the Promo Code “Butler19”. The hotel complex covers several acres and of- fers a range of accommodation options, including motel rooms, self-catering apartments, and two-bedroom cottages.

If you are travelling by caravan, the Colonial Village, is only a few streets away at 351 Beams Road, Taigum, and has caravan sites, and also budget motel accommodation.

At this Gathering the focus will be on Butler families and individuals who contributed to the early history and development of the State of Queensland.

DRAFT PROGRAM Friday 30th August – Registration & Reception– at the Hotel This will be a great opportunity to meet other members, compare family histories, and view items from the Butler Society Archive. There will be a talk about the pioneering family of William Field Butler.

Saturday 31st August – Day Trip to Kilcoy– leaving from the Hotel We shall travel by coach to the town of Kilcoy. Morning tea will be served at the RSL Hall, followed by a talk about the items in the RSL Museum which relate to Butlers. We shall view a clock tower which was erected in memory of William Field Butler, and also visit the Valour Walk, which pays tribute to several Butlers who were awarded the highest honours for their exploits in WWI. After lunch we shall tour the historic Butler homestead, and then visit St Mary's Anglican Church, which contains windows and furniture items commemorat- ing various Butlers. Afternoon tea will be served before our return to Brisbane.

Sunday 1st September – History Forum & Meeting– at the Hotel There will be a presentation about a Butler family who were the first white settlers on Mag- netic Island, and a forum on genealogy subjects. A short meeting of The Butler Society will be held in the afternoon, followed by a talk about another Queensland Butler family. Morn- ing and afternoon tea and a light lunch will be served. A dinner will be provided in the evening, with lots of good conversation and laughter.

Monday 2nd September – Day Trip– leaving from the Hotel The coach will travel to Newstead House, where we shall learn more about Butlers involved with the early history of Queensland. Morning tea and lunch will be served.

Contacts President: Abigail Butler, 8 Victoria Ridge, Upper Ferntree Gully, VIC 3156, Australia. Secretary: Karyn Bugeja, [email protected]. Webmaster: Bruce Butler, [email protected]. Our Website: www.butlersocietysoutherncrossregion.com.au.

Southern Cross Region No 28—September 2018