James Family Archives

 

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Certificate of Removal of David & Margaret James from

Radnorshire Men’s (Quaker) Meeting (July 20, 1683)

Volume 1, Page 308 of the Records of the Haverford Monthly Meeting of Friends

John M. George, Recorder

 

This is the official record of the James family’s arrival in North America. It confirms when the James family arrived, where they came from and the family's membership in the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) at the time of their arrival. It also shows the James family was considered to be a family of good moral character in the community from where they came, that is, the parishes of Llandegeley and Glascwm in Radnorshire, Wales.

 

Knowledge of this record’s existence was first documented on page 392 of Isabella Batchelder James’ book, “Memorial of Thomas Potts, Junior, Who Settled in Pennsylvania; with an Historic-Genealogical Account of his Descendants To the Eighth Generation” published privately in Cambridge in 1874.  Isabella Batchelder James (1810-1901) was a member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the wife of Dr. Thomas Potts James (1803-1882), the great, great grandson of David James (circa 1660-1739) and Margaret Jane Mortimer and among the last generation to be born on the land settled by David and Margaret in 1682.

 

In October 2019 a scanned image of Page 308 of the Records of the Haverford Monthly Meeting of Friends was located by contributing researcher Ken Coppage. A transcription and copy of that image follows below.

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RADNORSHIRE att our Men’s Meeting ye 20th day of the 5th month anno Domini 1683.

Whereas we understand yt our dear friend David James, and his wife Margaret, with his daughter Mary who have for several years past inhabited amongst us both in ye parish of Llandegley and glascum both in ye county of Radnor, having now arrived in ye 8th mon. 1682 into ye province of Pennsylvania, seeing he doth require a certificate from us his friends & former acquaintance we doe therefore certifie unto all whom it may concern that he hath been a man walking harmless and of good behaviour, loving to friends & having good report amongst his neighbours & soe left a good savour behind with us – And his dear wife Margaret hath owned the same truth these several years & hath walked orderly and in love among friends, & we do further certifie that our friend D. James did not transport himself & family into ye place aforesaid for any debt or debts to any person or persons, neither for any wrongful act or deed by him his wife or child done or committed against any person or persons whatsoever & to this testimony we put our names as followeth:-

 

OWEN HUMPHREY               DAVID MEREDITH                                   EDWARD JARMIN

JOHN JARMIN                        JOHN LLOYD                                              REES AP REES

DANIEL LEWIS                       EDWARD MOORE                                    ROGER HUGHES

NATHAN WOODLIFF           RICHARD COOK                                        JOHN ROBERTS

DAVID GRIFFITH                   JOHN WATSON