As to the branch of the many Rochdale Butterworth families one belonged to Charles Butterworth of Town Meadows, 1784-1868, and his grandsons, Holland, Dr. Rupert, Herbert, Osmund, Wilfred, Charles, Alan C.S.I., and Commander Henry,R.N., as can be seen in the fifth generation prior to Charles, his direct ancestor was "John Butterworth de Turnough",traceble as Turnough, "a house of some pretensions", to at least as far back as 1539, when it was occupied by a substantial yeoman, John Butterworth.

I am disposed to the belief that the Butterworth's of Turnough and of Belfield are closely allied, perhaps by common descent, or by an offshoot from an early branch of the house of Belfield prior to 1539 settling at Turnough. The following information from Commander Henry Butterworth.R.N., is therefore of special interest:

About 1889, the Commander met at Liverpool a certain Major Butterworth who had traced the Butterworth pedigree a very long way back. The major was satisfied that he and the Commander both came from the same stock, and that the Butterworths of Belfield also belonged to the same. The Major said that the Commander`s grandfather, or his great-grandfather [,i.e.,Charles Butterworth of Town Meadows,1784-1798, of Rochdale,] - used to visit two Miss Butterworth's, living at a house called "Oakenrod",in Rochdale,- which is at present [writes the Commander,13 Feb.,1926], "occupied by some cousins of mine" and that he, the Major`s, grandfather or great-grandfather always called them his cousins and that they were the last direct descendants of the Butterworths of Belfield.

Commander Henry Butterworth "also understands that among a lot of papers left by one of his ancestors were many accounts for repairs, etc., to Belfield." The Major further indicated that he was preparing papers for the Heralds` college, in support of his claim to the use of the Belfield arms.

Unfortunately, a week or ten days after this interview, Major Butterworth died, after a brief attack of influenza. These prefatory remarks may prove of interest when the reader comes to consider the records of the Belfield and Turnough branches of the Butterworths ; and the pedigrees of "Butterworth of Lower Crownest, and Gartsyde of Oakenrod Hall, Spotland,Rochdale", given by Henry Fishwick, in his Hist. of Rochdale, ed.1889, should be carefully studied.

The first Lord of Butterworth upon record is: REGINALD DE BOTERWORTH, [or Reginald de Butterworth] who built the original mansion called Butterworth Hall in the reign of Stephen [1135-1154], or of Henry II [1154-1189.] W. Robertson, in "Old and New Rochdale, and its People", being Vol.III., Part X I. of "Rochdale, Past and Present", states that there were Butterworths, of Butterworth Hall, in the 13th year of King Stephen, 1148.

ROBERT de BUTTERWORTH succeeded him in 1166; and the name of GILBERT de BUTTERWORTH occurs in 1203. Baines, "ibid"., i, 205, adds that Butterworth Hall was occupied by the family of that name from the reign of Stephen to 2 Edward I., 1274, when Geofrey de Butterworth, having sold the old Hall to the Byrons, removed to Belfield Hall, on the banks of the Beile, which previously to that time was the seat of the local faminy [of Belfield], who removed to Cleggs Wood, where they remained till the middle of the 17th century. Geofrey de Butterworth was followed by four successive Geofreys, when Richard de Butterworth married Allison, daughter of Adam de Buckley:

These prefatory remarks may prove of interest when the reader comes to consider the records of the Belfield and Turnough branches of the Butterworths ; and the pedigrees of "Butterworth of Lower Crownest, and Gartsyde of Oakenrod Hall, Spotland,Rochdale", given by Henry Fishwick, in his Hist. of Rochdale, ed.1889, should be carefully studied.