I would be interested in finding out more about John Herbert James (b Dec 11th 1876) who was one 10 sons born to Joseph Jones (b 1848)and Emma Morse (b 1852) at the family home in Coleford.The family worshipped at Whitecroft Wesleyan Methodist Church which opened in 1824 and John Herbert was baptised in the chapel.His father Joseph James was the oldest living member and local preacher by the centenary of the chapel in 1924.

John Herbert James became a Saddler and Harness maker and lived at 'Springfield' in Yorkley. His saddlery business was situated in Newerne Street,opposite the Bridge Hotel in Lydney (1905-1912).On 14th April 1906,John Herbert James married my Great Aunt ,Minnie Lewis (b 1st March 1881) in Heath Town Wesley Chapel in Wolverhampton .They had 2 children born in Yorkley,Lydney -Olive James (b1908) and Percy Lewis James who died at 2 years of age.

The family emigrated to Saskatchawen in Canada in 1912. They wanted to sail on a new ship called the 'Titanic' but fortunately it was full and had to sail on the next ship !!! How do I find records on ship sailings to Canada in 1912? I have recently visited Minnie's daughter Irene born in 1924 in Canada and now lives in Kelowna in British Columbia in Canada.

Keith McGraw

When Mr. James emigrated to Canada in 1912. Mr. Newnham bought his business consisting of harness-making and repairs.

Newspaper Clipping - William Newnham Part 1 & 2
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/clippings/index3.html

Photo - William Newnham Saddlers Lydney
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/lydney/index3.html

Canadian Passenger List Records
http://www.theshipslist.com/Research/canadarecords.htm

David
Thank you for the 2 references to the next owner of the saddlery in Lydney,after John Herbert James sold it to emigrate to Canada in 1912.I will pass this information on to my Great Aunt in Canada.She has a similar photograph of the Saddlery in Lydney at her home in Kelowna

Keith McGraw

David
Thank you for the link to Canadian Passenger Lists.I will let you know if I find any further information in 1912

Keith McGraw

http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/fod_guide/

1901
Frederick B James abt 1871 Whitecwft, Gloucestershire, England Head Wrexham Regis Denbighshire
<Architect>
Annie C James abt 1872 Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England Wife Wrexham Regis Denbighshire
Constance A James abt 1895 Lydney, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Wrexham Regis Denbighshire
Frederick T James abt 1897 Wrexham, Denbighshire, Wales Son Wrexham Regis Denbighshire
Irene C E James abt 1894 Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England Daughter Wrexham Regis Denbighshire
John H James abt 1877 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Brother Wrexham Regis Denbighshire
<Saddler>

1891 Spring Cottage Yorkley
Joseph James abt 1845 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Head Newland Gloucestershire
Emma James abt 1852 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Wife Newland Gloucestershire
John H James abt 1877 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
Chas W James abt 1880 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
Henry J James abt 1883 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
Hubert W James abt 1885 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
Howard O James abt 1890 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
Joseph P James abt 1886 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
Percival W James abt 1889 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire

1881 Yorkley
Joseph James abt 1849 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Head Newland Gloucestershire
<Haulier and Methodist Prweacher>
Emma James abt 1852 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Wife Newland Gloucestershire
Amy E. James abt 1876 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Newland Gloucestershire
Charles W. James abt 1880 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
Frank T. James abt 1873 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
Fredrick B. James abt 1874 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
John H. James abt 1877 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire

1871 Whitecroft
Joseph James abt 1849 Newland, Gloucestershire, England Head Newland Gloucestershire
<Haulier>

1861 Whitecroft
John James abt 1817 Whitcroft, Gloucestershire, England Head Newland Gloucestershire
<Haulier>
Elizabeth James abt 1822 Yorkley, Gloucestershire, England Wife Newland Gloucestershire
Benjamin James abt 1844 Whitecroft, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
Joseph James abt 1849 Whitecroft, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire
Thomas James abt 1857 Whitecroft, Gloucestershire, England Son Newland Gloucestershire

1851 Parkhill
John James abt 1816 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Head West Dean Gloucestershire
<Coal Haulier and farmer>
Amey James abt 1819 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife West Dean Gloucestershire
Benjiman James abt 1844 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son West Dean Gloucestershire
Esther James abt 1846 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter West Dean Gloucestershire
Joseph James abt 1849 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son West Dean Gloucestershire
Matilda James abt 1842 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter West Dean Gloucestershire
William James abt 1840 West Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son West Dean Gloucestershire

1841 Whitecroft
John James abt 1815 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire Collier
Amey James abt 1821 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Willm James abt 1839 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire

Hi Slowhands
Spot on ! Many thanks for your excellent research.Yes this is the correct family I was looking for,especially John Herbert James on the 1881 Yorkley Census born 11th December 1876 ( father Joseph James Methodist Preacher probably at Whitecroft Wesleyan Methodist & mother Emma James nee Morse).John Herbert James owned the Saddlery in Lydney until he emigrated to Canada in 1912.

I am still looking for Whitecroft Wesleyan Methodist BMD records?

Also I am not clear in which parishes Yorkley,Whitecroft & Parkhill are situated?

Many thanks

Keith McGraw

Yorkley, Whitecroft & Parkhill

These areas are all within a few miles of each other, the parish boundaries will also have moved/created over time as the Forest became settled...

Church(es) to consider - Bream - St James, (and Parkend- St Paul)and going back much further Newland. and then the other dimension are the non-conformist chapels etc !

Possible ???

1841 Whitecroft
John James abt 1786 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Catherine James abt 1781 Dean Forest Gloucestershire
Catherine James abt 1826 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire
James Prined [?] abt 1829 Gloucestershire, England Dean Forest Gloucestershire

---------
JOHN JAMES
----------------------------------------------------
Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 11 JUN 1815 Saint James, Bream, Gloucester, England

Death:
Burial:
--------------------------------------------------
Parents:
Father: JOHN JAMES
Mother: CATHARINE
----------------------------------------------------------------
Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record.
The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.
------------------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
C036491 1813 - 1875 0856956 Film 6911915 Film
Sheet: 00

Hi Slowhands
Once again thank you for your speedy reponse on parishes.

I think that Yorkley,Whitecroft and Parkhill probably all in the Newlands parrish for Census returns?

No I dont think that this John James is the right one.My John James was born in 1820 and married Amy Preest

Keith McGraw

The Parish and census district often get confused (!), and both boundaries moved over time, some times they coincide but often not :-(

... Possible Father/parents for John 1816 ish / married Amey P 1819 ish

and associated PREEST / JAMES thread -

http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=2796#p2805

KEITH
I HAVE THE FOLLOWING IN MY TREE
AMEY PREEST BAP 11TH JUNE 1815 BREAM ST JAMES`S
PARENTS SAMUEL AND ANNE PREEST

JOHN JAMES BAP 7TH FEBUARY 1813 BREAM ST JAMES`S
DIED 22ND JULY 1870 LIVING AT BREAM CROSS

AMEY AND JOHN MARRIED 2ND NOVEMBER 1838 AT NEWLAND

JOHNS FATHER WAS JOHN JAMES BAP 17TH APRIL 1785 AT BREAM ST JAMES`S
DIED 27TH MARCH 1853 AT MILL HILL BREAM

JOHNS MOTHER WAS ELIZABETH PRAY BORN 12TH SEPTEMBER 1793 AWRE/BLAKENEY
BAP 22ND SEPTEMBER 1793 AT AWRE/BLAKENEY
DIED 11TH NOVEMBER 1853
THERE IS A CONNECTION WITH JOHNS SISTER MARTHA AT http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=3506

THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER CANDIDATE AMEY PREEST BAP 8TH NOVEMBER 1818 AT BREAM ST JAMES`S PARENTS JOSEPH AND AMEY PREEST PLEASE TELL ME IF I HAVE THE RIGHT ONE IF YOU KNOW
TERRY JAMES

Hi Terry
Thank you for your information about Amy Preest.

I am almost sure that my Amy Preest was the latter of the two you sent to me.She was the daughter of Joseph Preest and grandmother of John Herbert James the Saddler in Lydney between 1905 to 1912.

Mrs Joseph Preest laid the foundation stone of the first Wesleyan Methodist Church in the Forest of Dean at Whitecroft in 1824.Prior to that they had to walk 8 to 10 miles on Sundays to a chapel near Redbrook on the Welsh border.The family think that my Preests originally came from South Wales but I dont know where?

John Herbert James her grandson born 1876 was probably baptised at Whitecroft Wesletan Chapel.Her son Joseph James born 1848 was a local preacher at the chapel in 1868 to 1871.

I hope this helps.

Regards

Keith McGraw

Hi Slowhands
Thanks for extra information on John and Amy's parents.I will check this out and come back to you.

Also thank you for the Bream links on the Preest side of the family.Once again I will need time to assimulate all this useful information and see if if fits into any of my research.

Regards

Keith McGraw

KEITH
HAVE YOU ANY INFO ON JOHN JAMES BORN ABOUT 1815 PARENTS I`M BEGINING TO THINK I MAY HAVE THE WRONG JOHN JAMES
THANKS TERRY

Terry
Thank you for your email dated 27th July 8.46pm.

Yes you seem to have found the correct marriage on 5th September 1871 of Joseph James b 20th May 1848 aged 23 and SUSANNAH Morse born 27 February 1852 aged 19.Orginally I thought her christian name was EMMA Morse , which is probably in error.

My orginal source was from a recent visit to Canada to meet the daughter of John Herbert James and Minnie James (nee Lewis).She had a detailed JAMES family history compiled by Rev Henry Isaac James who was one of the 10 sons of Joseph James.

The James and Morse family story from Canada seems to point to a strong committment to membership of the Whitecroft WESLEYAN Methodist Chapel.Joseph James was a local preacher at this church in 1868 and was the Oldest Living Member in 1924. Isaac Morse was a Life Long Member and Guild Worker at the chapel.Therefore I was surprised that John and Susannah married at St Pauls ,Parkend and not at Whitecroft chapel?

Just to confirm again that this Joseph James's father was a John James born in 1820 who married Amy Preest. Amy's parents were Mr and Mrs JOSEPH Preest. Mrs Joseph Preest laid the foundation stone for the 1st Wesleyan chapel in the Forest of Dean in 1824

I hope this helps

Keith McGraw

Hi Terry
Thanks for your correction and confirmation that Joseph James married EMMA Morse and not Susanna as first thought on 5th September 1871 at Parkend.

With regards to email form Joyce,I was interested to find out that AMY Preest was born in 1818 and married John James on 2nd November 1838 at Newland.Also that Amey James was buried on 17th December 1853 aged only 35.

This is new information for my James family history and I will relay this information back to my orginal source in Canada,thank you Joyce and Terry.

I still think that it is important to remember that both all 3 families were all strong Wesleyan Methodists with links to Whitecroft Wesleyan Methodist Chapel.Originally they might have originated in South Wales just over the border from the Forest of Dean? Amy's mother Mrs Joseph Preest laid the foundation stone of the newly built chapel in 1824.Joseph James was a local preacher at the chapel in 1868 and Emma's father Isaac Morse was a life long member of the chapel until he died in 1913.Therefore I am interested to find out as to whether they were baptised and married as Wesleyan Methodists or as Church of England.Also I would be interested in finding out where they all might be buried?Eventually most of this Joseph James family went to live in Whitecroft /Yorkley between 1861 and 1912.

Thank Joyce for the information about Amy's name being spelt EAMEY as a witness at the wedding of John Bennett and Ellen/Ellenor in Newland in 1841.Also that Ellen was a sister of John James and was christened on 11th June 1815 at Saint James Bream. I also noted that John and Ellen's mother's christian name was Catherine again this was new news to me,thank you.

Regards

Keith McGraw