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James Family Archives

 

•  Researching the Past

•  Education for the Present

•  Preservation for the Future

 

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In May of 1689 David Meredith would sell a portion of the three hundred and fifty acres previously “cut” from Radnor Township in May of 1687 to satisfy a promise by William Penn to Stephan Ab Evan who has been residing on the land just south of David James since 1684. Through this transaction Stephan Ab Evan was able to partially settle his legal claim to the land. Nevertheless, Stephan Ab Evan was still residing on at least a portion of the land that had been originally laid out for David James.

In 1690, the following year, David James’ wife Margaret gave birth to their first child born in the colony, Thomas James. There were now four in David’s family including his wife, daughter Mary who was about 15 years old and Thomas. So despite the uncertainty of his situation David James’ family persevered and began to grow.

By 1691 David James had had about all he could stand from the “established” Quaker leadership in Radnor. In this year David James, Samuel Miles and Richard Miles were among those Quakers who joined with George Keith and departed from the main body of Friends over the issue of “visible sacraments” in what became known as the “Keithian Schism.” For the rest of the decade the James and the Miles would not associate themselves with the main body of Quakers living in the Welsh Tract. The following year, in 1692, news arrived from England that William Penn has been “deprived” of his province and had been placed in debtor’s prison as a result of the English Revolution of 1688. Penn would not officially reacquire his barony again until 1694.

By 1693 David’s daughter Mary had come of age. She was approximately eighteen years old and David, lacking a son who had reached maturity, appointed his daughter to be his executrix and placed her in charge of settling the family’s lingering property issues. In this year, Mary sold her father’s interest in lot No. 11 in Philadelphia City to David Powell. In November 1695 Mary would sell her father’s interest in lot No. 15 in Philadelphia to David Powell as well. These lots were later consolidated with the remaining lots on the city block and purchased by the State of Pennsylvania for the location of the state capitol or “State House Yard” as it is referred to today.

By 1696, David James had taken the proceeds from the sale of his properties in Philadelphia and was now considering investment in the Ohio Valley. In this year, David James, his brother-in-law Samuel Miles and good friend William Davis went off to explore the frontier lands in the Susquehanna Valley and found themselves fending off indigenous Iroquois invaders from that region. In the Spring of that year approximately 450 persons from Pennsylvania and the Lower Counties pledged to pay William Penn in the neighborhood of 4000 pounds for land on the Susquehanna. Penn’s proposal was particularly popular with the residents of Chester County including David who lived closest to the projected site. Among those residents of Radnor Township that pledged financial resources to the development were David’s brother-in-law Samuel Miles, David’s good friend William Davis and David James himself. Samuel pledged 6 pounds while William and David both pledged 5 pounds each. As reported on page 672 of the “Papers of William Penn, Volume Three 1685-1700” the enthusiasm of these adventurers was dampened in June 1696 when Iroquois Indians from the Ohio Valley raided the Susquehanna region.

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