Children of David James (1805-1873) of Radnor Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
and Amanda Worthington (1809-1885) of Somerton, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania:
1. Anna Rebecca James: born August 6, 1834 in Byberry (later incorporated in the
23rd Ward of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); married November 21, 1861 in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania to Dr. John-Wesley Thompson (1832-1863); died 1900; buried at Laurel
Hill Cemetery, Section X Lot 287,289, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
known children include: Landreth W. Thompson, M.D.
2. Bushrod Washington James: born August 25, 1836 in Byberry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
never married; died January 6,1903 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; buried at West
Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; no issue. See
Biography of Bushrod Washington James.
3. Mary Ellen James: born September 15, 1838 in Byberry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
died April 5, 1842 (aged 3).
4. William Henry James: born August 17, 1841 in Byberry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
married September 19, 1867 to Sarah Eleanor Levake (1846-1938); died September 13,
1893 (aged 52); buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Section X Lot 287, 289, Philadelphia,
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; known children include: William Edwin James,
Anna Gertrude James and David Bushrod James, M.D.
5. John Edwin James: born January 18, 1844 in Somerton, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
first marriage December 2, 1869 to Maria L. Eveland (1846-1871); second marriage
in 1875 to Eleanor R. Sinn; died February 16, 1910 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia
County, Pennsylvania; buried at Mount Vernon Cemetery, Philadelphia, Philadelphia
County, Pennsylvania; known children through Eleanor R. Sinn include: Eleanor A.
James, John Edwin James, Jr., M.D., and Florence W. James.
6. Henrietta Maria James: born April 15, 1846 in Byberry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
married January 27, 1870 to James Wilson Moore (1844-1874); died February 6, 1917
(aged 70); buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Plot “Rockland” 238, Bala Cynwyd,
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; known children include: Laura Amanda Moore.
7. Melinda James: born March 14, 1852 in Byberry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
died March 19, 1852 in Byberry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (aged 5 days).
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
David James (1805-1873) was the son of Isaac James (1777-1874) of Radnor Township,
Chester County, Pennsylvania and Henrietta Potts (1780-).
Dr. Bushrod Washington James (1836-1903) was an American surgeon, homeopathist, writer,
and philanthropist. His father was Dr. David James, one of the pioneers of homeopathy
in Philadelphia. He received his degree of M.D. from the Homeopathic Medical College
of Philadelphia in 1856. He helped thousands of poor children and adults, treating
many of them without being paid for his services. Bushrod served as a volunteer surgeon
during the Civil War at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862 and the Battle of
Gettysburg in July 1863. After the Civil War, he crusaded for women's suffrage and
wrote a book on the topic. He also wrote extensively on medicine and travel. He served
as the secretary of the Homeopathic Medical Society of Pennsylvania and later as
its president. He bequeathed $55,000 as well as several properties in Philadelphia
and Island Beach, New Jersey to establish the Washington James Eye and Ear Institute,
a free hospital for the treatment of diseases of the eyes, throat, and lungs. He
also provided three houses, books, jewels, relics, and a $40,000 endowment to establish
a library for children and the elderly, that eventually became the Bushrod branch
of the Free Library of Philadelphia. He donated land to the city of Oakland, California
for the establishment of Bushrod Park, and several plots of land to the city of Coronado,
California for the establishment of the Bushrod Washington James Institute. See,
“Biographical Cyclopaedia of Homeopathic Physicians and Surgeons”, published 1873
by Galaxy Publishing Co., page 44.
William Henry James (1841-1893) studied law in Philadelphia and was a successful
counselor-at-law in Franklin, Venango County, Western Pennsylvania where he was admitted
to practice law in 1865 and eventually became District Attorney for that county.
See, “History of Venago County, Pennsylvania - It’s Past and Present”, published
1890 by Brown, Runk & Co., page 188.
Dr. John Edwin James (1844-1910) was a Professor of Gynecology in Hahnemann Medical
College and a partner in his father’s medical practice in Philadelphia. He began
his medical education in the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia in 1864 and
received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1866. He received
his education in homeopathy at Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia from which
institution he received an honorary degree in 1886. In 1877 he was elected adjunct
professor of surgery, including all departments in 1889. In 1895, at his own request
he was transferred from the chair of surgery to that of gynecology, which he held
to the day of his death. Dr. James was an active member of the American Institute
of Homeopathy and of numerous local medical societies. He was a consistent and able
supporter of the principles of homeopathy and for more than thirty years gave freely
of his time and ability to further the interests of the Hahnemann Medical College
and Hospital. In spite of his active work as a teacher and physician, Dr. James
found time to devote himself largely to charitable and religious movements. On February
16, 1910, Dr. James died from a paralytic stroke. He was honored at the time of
his death by his friends and colleagues. See, “Obituary of Dr. John Edwin James”,
published July, 1911, in The Hahnemannian Monthly, Transactions of the State Medical
Society, Volume 46, page 540. See also, “Biography of John Edwin James (1844-1910)”,
in History of Homoeopathy Biographies presented by Sylvain Cazalet (2003).
Of the grandchildren listed above: Landreth W. Thompson was born November 5, 1862;
William Edwin James was born July 28, 1868 but died of drowning April 11, 1873; Anna
Gertrude James was born November 9, 1871; and, Laura Amanda Moore was born January
21, 1873.
Sources:
“Memorial of Thomas Potts, Junior Who Settled in Pennsylvania: with an historic-genealogical
account of his descendants to the eighth generation”, by Mrs. Thomas Potts James,
1874, pages 317, 318 and 345.
“Autobiography of Reverend Isaac James, M.D.”, 1869, Transcribed by Reverend Joseph
F. Di Paolo, February 2006.
Obituary of David James (1805-1873) as reported in the Philadelphia “Evening Bulletin”
June 9, 1873.
Obituary of John E. James, M.D. published in the “Christian Republic,” Volume 4,
No. 11, page 3 (Nov. 1910).
Obituary of Bushrod Washington James (1836-1903) as reported in the British Monthly
Homoeopathic Review, March 2, 1903, Volume 47, pages 189-191. (Identifies surviving
family as of 1903 as sister Henrietta Moore; nephews Landreth W. Thompson, M.D.;
John E. James, Jr., M.D., and David Bushrod James, M.D.)
Anna Rebecca James Thompson (1834-1900), Find A Grave Memorial, ID No. 59106663,
by Dan Silva, added September 23, 2010.
Bushrod Washington James (1836-1903), Id., ID No. 64980169, by Paul S., added January
31, 2011.
William Henry James (1841-1893), Id., ID No. 151515590, by Mary Phalan, added August
31, 2015.
Sarah Ella Lavoke James (1846-1938), Id., ID No. 151515865, by Mary Phalan, added
August 31, 2015.
Dr. John Edwin James (1844-1910), Id., ID No. 201677109, by Glenn Ellis, added July
30, 2019.
Maria L. Eveland James (1846-1871), Id., ID No. 201670189, by Glenn Ellis, added
July 30, 2019.
Henrietta Maria “James” Moore (1846-1917), Id., ID No. 91398599, by Graves, added
June 5, 2012.
James Wilson Moore (1844-1874), Id., ID No. 91398618, by Graves, added June 5, 2012.
Photos:
Dr. Bushrod Washington James (1836-1903)
Dr. John Edwin James (1844-1910)
Updated: March 29, 2021
