James Clemson

Male 1654 - 1718  (~ 63 years)


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  • Name James Clemson 
    Christening 10 Aug 1654  Tettenhall, Staffordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Death 1718 
    Notes 
    • James Clemson 1654-1718, compiled and written by Paulette Haynes August, 1985.

      Records for James Clemson in America are limited although his origin in England was apparently at Tettanhall, Staffordshire Parish, England. His christening was recorded there on 10 Aug 1654 and he was the son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Green) Clemson who married 27 September 1652. James Clemson's first marriage to Katherine Wright, of Dudley, was recorded 22 Nov 1682 and the christening at Tettenhall for several of their children followed. James and Katherine Clemson also appear in the register of Dudley parish in 1697/98. Hannah "Clempson" daughter of "James Clempson" was christened 3 Aug 1692. The parish church of Tettenhall is St. Michael & All Angels and the registers begin in the year 1602 (see note).

      The first record in America for James Clemson is a 13 Oct 1699 deed to him, a blacksmith, for 4 acres and 2 lots near the town of Chichester, on the Delaware River, now called Marcus Hook. By 1702, he moved several miles inland to a one hundred thirty-five acres farmstead property at Booth's Corners, and in 1710 purchased a three hundred acres tract on the Bethel-Concord township line in Chester County, Pennsylvania from the heirs of William Cloud. On 18 May 1716 he acquired a patent of 600/636 acres in Salisbury Twp, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Five hundred acres of this was a grant to him and the other one hundred was sold to him by William Lewis. An additional 36 acres was a road allowance.

      On 1 Jun 1716 James Clemson made a trust deed to his daughter Mary Guest (wife of Henry Guest), of the 300 acres farm in Concord Twp. with the conditional grantee Sophia Clemson, a daughter, of five pounds, if Sarah "now the wife of James", to be cared for by Mary and her husband Henry through illness as long as she lived, did not live 5 years. It is evident by this trust deed that in 1716 James Clemson was married to a woman named Sarah. James Clemson wrote his will 12 July 1718 in Philadelphia and at this time he was married to the widow Joan Coates. The will was probated in Philadelphia, August 1718. It is often stated that James Clemson was buried in the Quaker Cemetery in Philadelphia but that apparently cannot be verified.
      James Clemson bequeathed to his three sons (John, James & Thomas) 536 of the 636 acres in Lancaster County on which he had obtained a patent in 1716. He bequeathed to his daughter Sophia 39 pounds in bonds after the death of his wife Joan who had the life interest on the bonds. His eldest daughter, Mary, was not mentioned in his will because he had given his 300 acre Concord Twp. property to her and her husband Henry by a trust deed dated 1 June 1716. Hannah and her sister Rebecca were not mentioned in the will having been given 50 acres each of the patent land, in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This gift was made between June 1716, when he acquired the patent and July 1718, when he wrote his will. The heirs of James Clemson agreed to the division of the 636 acres, in quit claim deeds dated 26 Mar 1731 (the second day of 1731). At this time, Hannah Clemson was married to Joseph Haynes, a yeoman "of the province of West Jersey". On 6 October 1731, Hannah Haynes declared she signed the deed of her own free will, and her fifty acres of property was sold by Joseph and Hannah Haynes "of West New Jersey" to her brother, John Clemson in 1733. On the 15th of May 1742 Joseph Haynes acknowledged having received the sum of ten pounds for the land and being "fully satisfied".

      Children of James Clemson (who lived to adulthood ; several were of the Quaker faith):
      1. Mary Clemson christened 8 Mar 1685 Tettenhall, Staffordshire Parish, England married Henry Guest
      2. Hannah Clemson christened 3 Aug 1692 Tettenhall, Straffordshire Parish, England married Joseph Haynes. The Clemson family history contains no further record of Hannah and Joseph Haynes. Burial places and death dates for them have not yet been found, and their children, if any are not known.
      3. John Clemson born ca 1701 Pennsylvania married (1) Mary Elliott and (2) Elizabeth Way
      4. James Clemson (2nd son) born Pennsylvania married Mary Halliday.
      5. Rebecca Clemson married Dennis Onan
      6. Sophia Clemson born 1705 Pennsylvania married William Sawyer of Derry Twp. Lancaster Co. PA
      7. Thomas Clemson (3rd son) born before 1710 Pennsylvania married Elizabeth Strode
      * The parish register of the parish church of St Michael & All Angels commences in 1602. The original registers for the period 1602-1968 (Bapts), 1602-1948 (Mar) & 1602-1946 (Bur), and Banns for the period 1754-1799 are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office. Bishops Transcripts, 1687-1859 (with gaps 1692-96, 1699-1715, 1717-1800, & 1837) are deposited at Lichfield Record Office. A transcript of the St Michael & All Angels registers for the periods (part 1) 1602-1744, and (part 2) 1745-1839 (Mar) was published in 1930 and 1967 by the Staffordshire Parish Register Society and has been reprinted by the Birmingham & Midland SGH.
    Person ID I5128  OurNorthernRoots | Andrew's Ancestor
    Last Modified 30 Dec 2016 

    Children 
    +1. Hannah Clemson,   c. 3 Aug 1692, Tettenhall, Staffordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location
    Family ID F10086  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

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