James Family Archives

 

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Children of David James (circa 1660-1739) and Margaret Mortimer of Llandegley and Glascwm parishes, Radnorshire, Wales:

 

1.   Mary James:  born in Wales prior to October 1682; married circa 1705 to John David/Davies, son of Ellis David; accompanied her mother and father from Wales in 1682 to Pennsylvania; nominated as executrix over her father’s estate in 1702; known children include:  Elizabeth Davies, David Davies, Jane Davies and Susannah Davies.

 

2.   Thomas James:  born circa 1690 in Chester County, Pennsylvania; first married in 1738 to Mary Jones (1716-1745), daughter of Griffith and Catherine John of Tredyffrin, Pennsylvania; second marriage in 1749 to Sarah Henderson, daughter of Alexander Henderson; baptized in 1733 at the Great Valley Baptist Church and given lands by his father David and step-mother Jane in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County in the vicinity of Mount Joy; died in January 1753 in testate; custody of his surviving children determined by the Philadelphia Orphan Court; known children through Mary Jones include:  Enoch James, Leah James and Elias James; known children through Sarah Henderson include:  Daniel James and Jonathan James.

 

3.   Rebecca James:  born circa 1705 in Pennsylvania; married circa 1730 in Pennsylvania to John Miles, son of Richard Miles and Sarah Evans; known children include:  Rebecca Miles, Catherine Miles, Jane Miles, Sarah Miles, Enos Miles, James Miles, John Miles and Hannah Miles.

 

4.   Sarah James:  born February 13, 1710/11 in Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania; married February 18, 1736/37 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania to John Thomas (1713-1790), Baptist minister, son of William Thomas and Ann Griffith; died April 2 or 5, 1805 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; buried at Hilltown Baptist Churchyard, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; known children include:  Anna Thomas, Rebecca Thomas, Leah Thomas and Sarah Thomas.

 

5.   Isaac James:  born in Pennsylvania.  Isaac is known to have at least one son:  David James.

 

6.   Evan James:  born circa 1715 in Radnor Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania; married June 8, 1739 to Margaret Jones (-1790), daughter of Griffith and Rachel John of Tredyffrin, Pennsylvania; baptized in 1733 at the Great Valley Baptist Church; inherited James family homestead in Radnor from his father David and donated a portion thereof for the construction of the Radnor United Methodist Church; died circa 1794; known children include:  Rebecca James, Griffith James, Samuel James, Hannah James and Rachel James.

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Notes:

 

David James arrived in Pennsylvania on October 28, 1682 aboard the sailing ship Bristol Factor, captained by Roger Drew and chartered by Sir William Penn.  David traveled on the certificate of passage issued to Evan Oliver with his wife Margaret Mortimer and daughter Mary.  He settled approximately 100 acres of land in Radnor Township.  He also purchased another 100 acres of “head land” which his daughter Mary sold to Stephan ab Evan in 1702.  In 1718 David James increased his land holdings in Radnor Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania to 253 acres through the purchase of an additional 153 acres from David Meredith who also possessed a prior claim dating back to 1704 to the lands settled by David in 1682.

 

 

Sources:

 

Last Will and Testament of David James (1739) Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Will Book F, Page 117.

 

Last Will and Testament of Jane James (January 19, 1750/1) Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Will Book J, Page 348.

 

Autobiography of Reverend Isaac James, M.D. (1869) Transcribed by Reverend Joseph F. DiPaolo, February 2006.

 

Early History of the James Family as Recorded by Isabella Batchelder James (1810-1901), wife of Dr. Thomas Potts James (1803-1882) in her seminal work “Memorial of Thomas Potts, Junior Who Settled in Pennsylvania With An Historic-Genealogical Account of His Descendants To The Eight Generation,” Privately Printed in Cambridge 1874; Page 251, Fourth Generation, No. 59, Henrietta Potts.

 

“Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania” by Thomas Allen Glen; originally published in Oxford, England 1911-1913.

 

“Welsh Settlement of Pennsylvania” by Charles Browning; published in Philadelphia, 1912.

 

Marriage Record of Mary James from List from Haverford Records (now Radnor MM):  “John Davies of Gwynedd and Mary James of Radnor, 4, 5 mo., 1705 at Radnor MH. Witnesses, Col 4 under bride and groom: David Meredith, Stephen Evans, John Evans, Richard Moore, John Moore, David Jones, Mary Meredith.” [JQ], Historical Collections Relating to Gwynedd, by Howard M. Jenkins, Second Edition, 1897, Chapter 12. Early Monthly Meeting Records of Marriages:  Other Lists of Marriages and Deaths.

 

Revised June 21, 2014