BUTTON, Sir THOMAS (d. April 1634), admiral and explorer;
he was the fourth son of Miles Button, sheriff of Glamorgan in 1565, 1571, 1589, and Margaret, daughter of Edward Lewis of Van (see article Lewis of Van). The Buttons had become possessed of Worleton, in the parish of S. Lythans, Glam., an alienated manor of the see of Llandaff. Their house at first was probably on the Dog Hill moated grange site, just across the Nant Golych, from the parish of S. Lythans and in the parish of S. Nicholas; later, the residence was probably on the site of the present house called Duffryn, situated nearby. The date of Thomas Button's birth is not known. He went to sea about 1589. In 1612-13 he commanded an expedition dispatched to inquire into the fate of Henry Hudson and to search for a north-west passage to Asia. Button explored a great part of Hudson Bay. He was knighted on his return by James I. For the rest of his long naval career he served as ‘Admiral of the King's ships on the coast of Ireland.’ Sir Thomas m. Mary, daughter of Sir Walter Rice of Dynevor, Carms., and had three sons and a daughter. He made his home at Cardiff. Miles, his eldest son, m. Barbara, the daughter and heiress of Rhys Meurug (‘Merrick’) (q.v.) of Cottrell, Glam., and his daughter Elizabeth m. Col. John Poyer (q.v.). The places of his death and burial are not known. [See further Trans. Cymm. 1948, 35].
Bibliography:
- G. T. Clark, Glamorgan Worthies (Dowlais, 1883);
- J. S. Corbett, Glamorgan … (Cardiff, 1925);
- D. R. Paterson, ‘Button Gwinnett and his Family Associations with Glamorgan,’ in Trans. Cardiff Nat. Soc., lxvi, 69-80;
- Edgar Jones, ‘Dog Hill, Duffryn.’ in Arch. Camb., 1933, 398-9.
Author:
Ifor Ball Powell, Barry
