The Woodley-Francis Connection
Woodley is known to have been a family name in Stratton, Cornwall, England in 1630. Prior to 1630, Woodleys were from Woodleigh, Devon. My Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather Richard Woodley was born in Stratton circa 1678 and on 8 August 1706 married Grace Kinsman, baptized 21 April 1685. They had many children, one of whom was my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather Robert Woodley, baptized 29 June 1728. Robert married Elizabeth Heale in 1767 and this union produced Great, Great, Great Grandfather James Woodley, baptized 20 September 1767. James married Mary Bonfill (or Banfill) on 30 June 1794. They had a number of children: John, baptized 18 February, 1798; Elizabeth, baptized 17 May, 1801; James, baptized 1 February 1807, buried 13 February, 1808; James, baptized 2 April 1809; Thomas, baptized 14 June, 1812.
Great, Great, Great Grandfather James married Ann Brimacombe, born circa 1808, at Launcells Church, Cornwall on 30 June 1832. They had 12 children: Elizabeth, born 24 December 1832 in Pancrasweek, Devon; John, born 10 March 1834 in Cornwall. They emigrated from Devon to Darlington Township, Ontario in 1835, where the other ten children were born. James and Ann were my Great, Great grandparents. Children born in Canada were: Mary Ann, born 22 February 1836; Joanna, born 29 August 1837; James, born 10 December 1839; William, born 13 April 1842; Richard, born 4 January 1844; Charlotte, born 20 November 1845; Eliza, born 29 August 1847; Thomas, born 24 September 1850; Samuel, born 4 January 1855; and Henry. James and Ann bought their first home farm Lot 8, Con. 8, Darlington Twp. in 1851. They owned quite a lot of land and saw all of their sons settled, each on his own farm. William, my Great Grandfather, married Charlotte Regina Francis on 5 November 1866.
The Francis family connection:
The Francis family came from Bradworthy, Devon, England. The surname Francis as we know it originated from the old French, “Franceis”, meaning “a Frank”, and later used to denote a Frenchman. The earliest record of a Francis in England is in 1135 in Oxfordshire, spelled “Franceis”. Robert le Franceis is recorded in Devonshire in 1169.
The Francis family came predominantly from the English, Devonshire village of Bradworth located in Northwest Devon, 8 miles north of the old market town of Holsworthy and about 7 miles from the sea. Pascho Francis was born circa 1620 in Holsworthy and married Martha. They had three children: John, born 12 June 1664; Josiah, born 1668; and Martha, born 1672. Pascho Francis was my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather.
John Francis, my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather, married Elizabeth and they had a son John. John Francis, the second, my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather married Elizabeth Petherick on 14 June 1714 at Marhamchurch, Cornwall. They produced William Francis on 28 July 1728.
Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather William Francis married Mary Evans (or Evins) on 16 April 1750. They had seven children but Henry, baptized 17 July 1763 is most important for our line. Great, Great, Great Grandfather Henry married Elizabeth Wood of Bradworthy on 3 June 1785 at Pancrasweek, Devon. They had ten children. Henry, my Great, Great Grandfather, was baptized 12 March, 1790. He married Sarah (Sally) Stacey on 1 June 1824. They emigrated to Brooklin, Ontario in 1833 and both are buried at Groveside Cemetery, Brooklin. Henry was a miller and they had eight children. My Great Grandmother Charlotte Regina Francis was baptized 30 March 1842 and at the age of 24 married William Woodley.
William and Charlotte produced seven children: Henry, born 5 September 1867; James, born 18 August 1870; Ida May, born 10 January 1872; Charlotte, born 26 April 1879; and Eva Gracie, born 15 March 1884.
My Grandmother, Ida May married William G. Butteris on 27 September 1887, at the age of 15. On 13 October 1887 Ida May gave birth to my mother Eva May at Blackstock, Darlington Twp. Charles Franklin Butteris was born 2 May 1889 and on 19 May Ida May (Woodley) Butteris died.
Great Grandmother Charlotte Regina Woodley had taken Eva May to care for while Charles was born, and after Ida May’s death went to see now he was being tended. Conditions were deplorable, so Great Grandmother Woodley scooped Charles up in her arms, announced, “I shall raise this child.” She raised both Eva May and Charles.
William Butteris disappeared for a number of years, and after a second marriage and some business success, came to claim Eva May and Charles, then 13 and 11 years of age. According to family lore, mother (Eva May) said, pointing to Great Grandfather William and Great Grandmother Charlotte Regina: “That’s my Pa and that’s my Ma and you are neither.” Both Eva May and Charles Franklin took the Woodley name, and were raised as such.
Route to Bethesda Cemetery
Take Hwy. 7A East through Port Perry to Durham Region Road #57. Pass by Blackstock and continue South on #57 about 7 miles to Concession Road 8. Turn left to Haydon; through Haydon, and past a large man-made pond on your right. Almost opposite this pond is a Century Farm and sawmill operated by James Woodley, grandson of the original owner Charles W. Woodley.
Continue East past a crossroad to a second crossroad, turn right, continue south past line 7, and for another mile. Bethesda Cemetery is now on your right. (Southeast corner of the intersection.) There is a red brick winter holding house on the property.
The grave of my Grandmother Butteris (née Woodley) and Great Grandmother Woodley (née Francis) and Great Grandfather Woodley are here. Ida May Butteris died after the birth of her second child at the age of 17 years and 2 months. My mother Eva May, took the Woodley name and was raised by Great Grandmother Woodley, as was Uncle Charles Woodley.
There are several Woodley graves, as well as those of families with which they intermarried.
It is an old cemetery, with gravestones dating back to 1838. It is well cared for; and has recently been extended to the south. An improvement has been made to the well, with electric power supplying water when the lever is lifted.
We then drove back to the Haydon Rd. and viewed the homestead which had been owned by Great Grandfather William Woodley and Great Grandmother Charlotte Regina Woodley. The original red brick house still is occupied.
We then drove into Blackstock, where Muriel pointed out the house where Eva May Woodley was raised by Great Grandmother Woodley. They also had seven children of their own.