Rushden Research Group: R O Butcher & Family

Robert Octavius Butcher & Family

Robert Octavius Butcher and his wife Eliza were both born at Wellingborough. In 1861 Robert was listed as a grocer in Melville’s directory, in the census as a grocer, coal merchant and proprietor of brick and tile kilns, employing 4 men, and they had been living in Rushden for at least four years. The shop was at 22 High Street South, and in 1900 was run by Fanny Butcher, widow of his son Robert Charles.

Two large volumes of Brown's Bible

22 High Street South - later Simpson's

The end pages of the bibles have the following entries:

	Born	Died		Born	Died
Robert Octavius Butcher	Feb 28^th 1825	Oct 2st 1897	Eliza Butcher	Oct 17^th 1828
John Henry	Jan 12^th 1854		Ellen Octavia	Nov 12^th 1866
Mary Elizabeth	Mar10^th 1855		Arthur Alfred	Dec 11^th 1867
Eliza Kate	Aug 24^th 1856		George Ernest	May 13^th 1869
Annie Constance	Oct 21^st 1858
Robert Charles	Jan 29^th 1862	April 9^th 1900
William Herbert	Jan 29^th1863
	Jan 29^th 1864

	Born	Died		Born	Died
Robert Charles Butcher	Jan 29^th 1862	April 9^th 1900	Fanny Butcher	May 18^th 1869	July 2^nd 1940
Grace Ellen	Apr 4^th 1888		Robert Charles	Dec 28^th 1899	July 15^th 1946
Dorothy Annie	July 26^th 1889	Jan 17^th 1909
Lester Robert	Aug 30^th 1891	Dec 1^st 1919
William Henry	Sept 17^th 1894	May 1^st 1914
George Ernest	Jan 22^nd 1897	Sept 8^th 1898

John Butcher	Dec 17^th 1789	Married 14^th Nov 1809	Jan 1875
Mary Butcher	Oct 4^th 1783	Married 14^th Nov 1809	Sept. ---

Robert Octavius Butcher was a successful candidate in the first election for the School Board in 1877, standing on behalf of the church.