Charles Butler – Rural Diary Archive

Coverage Dates: 1833 to 1837

County: Newcastle District (becomes Northumberland)

Township: Hamilton (Near Cobourg)

Gender: Male

Year of Birth: 1785

Year of Death: 1848

Ethnicity: English

Religion: Church of England

Occupation: Farmer

Relationships:

Wife: Sarah Elkington
Sons: William, Charles, John, Frederick
Daughters: Sarah, Maria, Eliza, Emma

Archive: Archives of Ontario

Posted on Rural Diary Archive: No

Age During Diary: 48-52

Coverage: 5 years

Biography:

Charles begins his diary upon deciding to leave his job as clerk to the Thames Tunnel Company in Surry County, England and migrate to Canada. He describes his family’s voyage to Montreal and his purchase of farmland near Cobourg. Diaries often serve as account books and Charles’ entries concerning “Vale Farm” focus less on the activities of his wife and several children and more on paying hired labour to clear the land, the number of bushels harvested, and the prices and quantities of farm-related purchases.