Research Notes:

• Henry (Harry) Boteler, or Butler, was Recorder of Coventry in the reign of Edward 4, succeeding to this position in 1456, in the room of Thomas Littleton. ¹

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• Henry Butler, recorder of Coventry from 1455 until his death in 1490. He was long J.P. for Warwickshire and on many commissions, and often M.P. for Coventry. He acted as lawyer for John, Duke of Suffolk, in 1468. ²

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• Henry Butler, recorder from 1455 to 1490, sat in the Parliaments of 1460-1, 1467-8, 1470-1, 1472-5, and 1478 and possibly those of 1461-2 and 1463-5. His two known colleagues were the merchant Richard Braytoft, who had four times been mayor and sat in 1460-1 and 1467-8, and the draper John Wildegryse, mayor in 1460 and M.P. in 1472-5 and 1478. ³

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• On 12 Oct 1461 Henry Boteler was on a commission with Richard, earl of Warwick, Edmund Browegreyne, mayor of Coventry, and others, to enquire into certain treasons, insurrections, felonies, trespasses and other offences with the said city and liberty. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1 Edw. IV, p. 66)

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• On 20 Nov 1465, Henry Botiller was on a commission to enquire into all treasons, felonies, trespasses and other crimes committed in the county of Warwick by Richard Thurske of Billesley, co. Warwick, chaplain. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 5 Edw. IV, p. 450)

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• 12 Sep 1474, Judgment in arbitration, Coventry

Letters of Robert Atterton, late mayor of the city of Coventry, Henry Boteler, recorder of the same city, William Stafford, Master of the Trinity Guild, and eleven other dignitaries of the city, testifying as to the terms of the award made by George Burneby, John Hathewyk, Thomas Cotes, and Robert Otur’, arbitrators in a dispute between the mayor and commonalty of Coventry, party of the first part, and William Briscowe, party of the second part; concerning a piece of land beside the new gate of Coventry, between the skinners’ butts and the water of Sherbourne and common of pasture... ⁴

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• On 14 Jul 1477, Henry Boteler was on a commission to enquire what lands Thomas Burdet, esquire, attainted of high treason, held on 20 April, 14 Edward IV [1474], in the counties of Warwick and Worcester and what they are worth... (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 17 Edw. IV, p. 50)

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• 14 Feb 1478, Westminster

Appointment of Thomas Vaughan, knight, treasurer of the king's chamber and chamberlain of the king's son the prince, John Say, knight, under treasurer of England, John Elryngton, knight, treasurer of the household, and Henry Boteler, recorder of Coventry, to examine the accounts of John Hewyke, one of the auditors of a parcel of the lands of George, late duke of Clarence, and Peter Beaupe, one of the clerks of the green cloth, to whom the king ordered the said John to deliver the books and accounts... (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 17 Edw. IV, p. 64)

• On 16 March and 20 April, 1478, Henry Boteler was on commissions to enquire what castles, honours, manors, lands, rents, advowsons, hereditaments and possessions George, late duke of Clarence, attainted of treason, held in the counties of Warwick and Leicester. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 18 Edw. IV, pp. 109, 111)

Henry Boteler was a J.P. for co. Warwick every year from 1478 to 1484.

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• On 27 Apr 1483 Henry Boteler was on a commission to assess certain subsidies granted to the late king by the commons of the realm in the last Parliament at Westminster from aliens, with the exception of nations and merchants of Spain and Brittany who dwell in the county of Warwick. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw. V, p. 354)
• On 1 Aug 1483 Henry Boteler was on a commission in the county of Warwick to assess certain subsidies and appoint collectors of the same so that the sums shall be answered for at Michaelmas. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1 Ric. III, p. 394)
• On 14 Sep 1483 Henry Boteler was on a commission to deliver the gaol of Coventre of John Bryan of Coventre, 'chaundeler,' prisoner there. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1 Ric. III, p. 466).
• On 10 Dec 1483 Henry Boteler was on a commission to enquire what persons in the counties of Warwick and Leicester have committed treasons, insurrections and rebellions, and of what castles, lordships, manors, lands, rents, goods or possessions they were seised or possessed at the time of their forfeiture and what these are worth... (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1 Ric. III, p. 393).

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• On 1 May 1484, Henry Botiller was listed on a commission of array for Warwickshire. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 1 Ric. III, p. 401)
• On 8 Dec 1484, Henry Botiller was listed on a commission of array for Warwickshire. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 2 Ric. III, p. 489)

When Harry Boteler, the recorder, fell into disgrace in 1484 by magnifying his office at the mayor's expense, the council thought it a due punishment that he should yield his place to the master of the Trinity guild, who thenceforth went by the mayor's side in all municipal processions, an order afterwards rescinded probably to gratify one of Boteler's successors; the mayor from that time walked alone, the master and recorder together. ¹

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• On 25 May 1485 Henry Botiller and Robert Woudley, mayor of Coventry, were on a commission of oyer and terminer within the city of Coventry touching counterfeiting, sweatings and falsifications of coin and money and other offences. (Calendar of Patent Rolls, 2 Ric. III, p. 544)

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Note that there was a Henry Botiller, French immigrant, living in Alcester, co. Warwick, after 27 Jul 1441. ⁵