According to advertisements placed by George James’s grandson William John Butler and great-granddaughter Jane Butler, the Butler business was established in 1795/1798 which suggests that George James (born c. 1799) was not the first of the Butler family in the music trade in Dublin (Staszynski). However, Algernon Rose (Talks with Bandsmen, London 1894, cited in Waterhouse) states that George James succeeded the business of 'a Mr Dollard, maker of flute, Kent-bugle, serpent and bass-horn' in 1826 and an advertisement placed by his son George Patrick Butler in 1878 (Irish Times) state that the business was established in Dublin in 1826, which aligns with Rose’s timeline.

Traded under “Butler’s Musical Instruments”.

The Evening Freeman advertisement of 15 January 1869 states that Butler's 'Manufactory' was in Haymarket London and the 'Branch Establishment' was at 11 Essex Quay, Dublin.

His sons James Bernard John Edward Butler, George Patrick Butler, and Thomas Aloysius Butler worked with him in Dublin as musical instrument makers and on his death in 1870, he was likely succeeded in business in Dublin by George Patrick (Staszynski).

[Addresses differ according to sources: the Dublin Directories give the Sackville Street and Mary Street addresses as above. The Irish Times, Evening Freeman and Waterhouse give the Ellis Quay address. An advertisement in The Army and Navy Gazette from 24 November 1866 (in the possession of Staszynski) gives the earliest known date for Ellis Quay.]