HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



63 



nary i, 1771, a few months after his 

 father's death. VV'hen quite a youth he 

 went with his brother-in-law, Abel 

 Thomas, to Maryland, and a few years 

 later to Virginia, near the Natural 

 Bridge, where he engaged in the trans- 

 portation of produce down the James 

 river. The boats were built at Lexing- 

 ton, and on reaching tidewater were 

 sold as well as the cargo, and a new one 

 built for the next trip. He returned to 

 Bucks county in 1803 to marry Cath- 

 arine Owen, daughter of Griffith Owen, 

 Esq., of Hilltown, intending to return 

 with her to Virginia. He was, how- 

 ever, persuaded to remain in Bucks 

 county, and in 1804 he opened a store 

 at what is now Hagersville, on the Beth- 

 lehem road, above Dublin, which he 

 conducted a few years when he opened a 

 store at Lewis' Tavern, in Hilltown. A 

 few years later he purchased the store 

 property at Leidytown and remained 

 there one year, when he purchased the 

 tavern and store known as Lewis', at 

 what is now Hilltown postoffice and re- 

 mained there until his death, June 11, 

 1838. His wife died August 12, 1810. and 

 he married (second) Gainor Mathias, a 

 widow. His children were: Caroline, 

 born September 2, 1804, died Septem- 

 ber 5, 1888, married Colonel Isaiah 

 James, before mentioned; Mary, born 

 March 6, 1806. died young. Owen, born 

 1807. died young. John Owen James, the 

 great Philadelphia merchant, born 

 March 8, 1809, died June 26. 1883. Cathar- 

 ine Owen, who married Abel H. James, 

 •was born in Hilltown township, Bucks 

 county, June 17, 1781. She was the eld- 

 est daughter of Griffith Owen, Esq., and 

 his wife Jane Hughes. 



Griffith Owen, the grandfather of the 

 ■Griffith mentioned above, was a native 

 of Wales and came to America in 1721, 

 settling in Hilltown. He was received 

 into Montgomery Baptist church, and on 

 June 30, 1731, married Margaret, daugh- 

 ter of Thomas Morgan, who it is said 

 accompanied him from Wales to Bucks 

 county. Griffith Owen, Sr.. was one of 

 the most prominent men of Hilltown. He 

 was captain of the Hilltown company of 

 Associators in 1747-8, raised for the de- 

 fence of the frontiers and was a member 

 -of colonial assembly from 1749 to 1760. 

 He died October 18. 1764. He had three 

 sons, Owen, Ebenezer and Levi; and 

 •one daughter, Rachel Erwin. His eld- 

 est son, Owen Owen, married Cathar- 

 ine Jones about T756, and had eigJit chil- 

 dren: Abel, Elizabeth, Griffith, Edward. 

 Owen. Margaret. Sarah and Mary. Grif- 

 fith, the second son. was born Febru- 

 ary 0. 1758. He was one of the trustees 

 of Hilltown Baptist church, and a very 

 prominent man in the community. He 

 was commissioned a justice of the peace 

 in t8oi. and served in that office until 

 prevented by the infirmities of age from 

 ■discharging its duties. He died Feb- 



ruary 5, 1840. His wife, Jane, was the 

 daughter of Christopher Hughes, of 

 Bedminster and was born September i, 

 1759. died January 9, 1841. 



Isaiah James was a very prominent 

 man in local and county affairs, a mem- 

 ber of New Britain Church, he always 

 took an active part in all its affairs and 

 was a consistent member thereof. After 

 his marriage he lived for a number of 

 years in Hilltown township. In 1849 he 

 purchased the New Britain farm, now 

 owned by the estate of his son, Eugene, 

 and made his home thereon for several 

 years, conveying it to Eugene in 1870. 

 Like all the family he was an ardent 

 Democrat in politics and always took an 

 active part in his party's councils. He 

 was a member of the Assembly, 1834- 

 1838, and Prothonotary of Bucks county 

 1848-1851, The children of Isaiah and 

 Caroline James were Abel H., born 

 April 16, 1825, died September 20, 1850. 

 He was a man of more than ordinary 

 culture and fine ability. He served as 

 Deputy Prothonotary during his fath- 

 er's incumbency of that office up to the 

 time of his death. Isabella, born August 

 9, 1828, married Dr. Thomas P. Kep- 

 hard; she is now residing in Doyles- 

 town with her daughter Florence. Eu- 

 gene, born March 31, 1831, died August 

 22, 1896, married Martha J., daughter of 

 Abiah J. and Miranda (James) Riale. 

 Isaiah James, the father, was for many 

 years a Colonel of militia, and was al- 

 most universally known as Col. James. 



Abiah James, eldest son of Isaac and 

 Sarah (Thomas) James, born in 1745, 

 died December i, 1834. He accepted the 

 222 acre farm of his father, under pro- 

 ceedings in partition in 1789, but soon 

 after' conveyed a portion thereof to his 

 brothers. He married September 22, 

 1773, Rachel Williams, and had six chil- 

 dren, viz: I. Margaret, married Joshua 

 Riale and had. Abiah J., who married 

 Miranda, daughter of Joseph and Mar- 

 tha (Mann) James; Rachel who married 

 Joseph Evana; Elizabeth, who married 

 Josiah Lunn, Ann, and Sarah who mar- 

 ried David Stephens. 2. Col. Nathan 

 James, a soldier in the U. S. army who 

 served through the war of 1812. 3. Eliza- 

 beth who married William Hines, and 

 had children. Nathan. Dr. A. J., deceased, 

 late of Doylestown, Elizabeth and Emily. 

 4. Abiah, married Pamela Jones. 5. 

 Martha, died unmarried, and Benjamin 

 W., who married Elizabeth Black, daugh- 

 ter of Elias and Cynthia (James) Black. 



Abel James, second son of Isaac and 

 Sarah (Thomas) James, born 1749, died 

 1798. married Elizabeth Barton, and had 

 four children. Barton, who removed to 

 Baltimore. Maryland. James, who re- 

 moved to Ohio. John, who died unmar- 

 ried and Cynthia, who married Elias 

 Black, the latter being the parents of 

 Elizabeth, who married Benjamin W. 

 James. Benjamin W. and Elizabeth 



