James Family Archives
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David and Margaret were married on November 27, 1680 in Radnorshire, Wales. David was the son of Thomas James and Mary ferch Thomas of Glascwm, Wales. Margaret was the daughter of Edward Mortimer (1631-1704) of Fyfield, Wiltshire, England and Catherine Houston of Yatesbury, also in Wiltshire. [2] Both were followers of George Fox and members of the Religious Society of Friends. David and Margaret were nonconformist protestant Christians, loathed by English authorities following the Restoration of King Charles, II in 1680, as well as the official Church of England. They were affixed with the pejorative moniker, “Quakers,” because of the silent and trembling nature of their unlawful worship of God. [3] Religious persecution at the hands of the English was nothing new to the Welsh, and David’s family was no exception. [4]
Having come from the parishes of Llandegley and Glascwm where David’s father and uncle had previously operated a successful water-powered gristmill, “Melin Bussnant”, built by his grandfather James David, the whole James family found common ground with the teachings of George Fox, founder of the Religious Society of Friends. For this allegiance, the family paid dearly, with David’s uncle and namesake, David James, being locked up in prison for his unwillingness to swear allegiance to the Church of England and failing to regularly attend the local parish Church. Despite being members of the local gentry, the family was forced to sell its gristmill as well as much of their land holdings due to the persecution and punitive taxation that was levied against them.
David, seeking to escape the persecution his family had faced, sought out a maritime career early in his life. However, by 1681 word was spreading fast through the counties of central Wales that a benevolent benefactor by the name of William Penn was seeking coadventurers to help him settle lands in the newly formed colony of Pennsylvania. Land, large quantities of land, was being offered at bargain basement prices. No doubt, David saw an opportunity, to not only escape the harassment that had been inflicted upon his family, but the opportunity to rebuild and grow the land holdings of the family as well. The opportunity was just too good to pass up.
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2 See, Biographic information from James/Claunch Family Bible, obtained from Jeffrey Negus of Blue Springs, Missouri, handed down to him by his mother Violet Nadine (Julian) Negus (1929-2013), who received it from her mother Hazel Juanita (Claunch) Julian (1894-1968), who received it from her father George Washington Claunch (1867-1929), who received it from his mother Mary Susan James (1836-1905) of Bedford County, Virginia who married John J. Claunch (1836-1877) in Johnson County, Missouri.
3 See, Certificate of Removal of David and Margaret James from Radnorshire Men’s Meeting, dated July 20, 1683, recorded in Records of the Haverford Monthly Meeting of Friends, John M. George, Recorder, Vol. 1, p. 308, “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.”
4 See, A Collection of the Sufferings of the People Called Quakers, Vol. 1, by Joseph Besse, published in London by Luke Hinde (1753), p. 750, referencing the religious persecution of David James’ uncle and namesake, “About the month called January of this year [1663]… [here follows the names of several men]… David James… was committed to prison in Radnorshire, until they should take the Oath of Allegiance, which yet had not been tendered them before their commitment.”