James Paxson, Jr.

James and William Paxson (Brothers), came to America in the ship Amity, and arrived on the 3rd of August 1682. Arrived with the first group of quakers to arrive in the new founded colony of Pennsylvania.

Paxson Family History-http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/Paxson5Gen...

detailed family background

• " Bycot House in the parish of Stowe is said to have been the ancestral home for many generations"

simple tree from freepages:

"Only Proved English Generation before Emigration

James Paxton, and Jane CLERK were married 16 August 1640 in Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire. He was buried at St. Mary's church in Marsh Gibbon 18 April 1662. Jane was buried there as a widow 15 August 1670. That is the only proved information we have about them; it is taken from the Marsh Gibbon parish register. There is no mention of their parents, and James and Jane left no wills.

James and Jane (Clerk) Paxton had seven children recorded in the register of St. Mary's Church in Marsh Gibbon, plus one son who was not recorded there.[4]

1. Ellen, bapt. 27 Apr. 1641 in St. Mary's Church, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire.
2. Alice, bapt. Oct. 1644.
3. Henry, bapt. 11 Jan. 1646/7; emigrated to Penna. in 1682.
4. William. bapt. 21 Dec. 1648; emigrated to Penna. in 1682.
5. James, emigrated to Penna. in 1682. His name was not included in the parish register.
6. Thomas, bapt. 15 June 1651; emigrated but died at sea in the beginning of Sept. 1682; unmarried.
7. Jane, bapt. 14 Mar. 1652/3.
8. Anne, bur. 14 Feb. 1655/6.

source: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~paxson/PaxsonEng....

Children of James Paxson by his first wife, all born in Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire:

1. James, bapt. 3 Oct. 1666; bur. 8 Nov. 1666.
2. James, bapt. 20 or 26 Apr. 1668; bur. 27 May 1673.
3. Henry, bapt. 14 Jan. 1669/70; died young.

none lived to maturity

Children of James and his second wife Jane (Gurden) Paxson

1. Sarah, b. 23 Oct. and bapt. 29 Oct. 1671 in Marsh Gibbon; emigrated to Pennsylvania with her parents on the Amity in 1682; m(1) John BURLING or Borley or Bunting ca. Aug. 1692 out of unity with Friends. When asked why, Sarah answered that "her father would not have unity with her marriage." She m(2) James KIRKMAN. No issue from either marriage.
2. Henry, bapt. 25 May 1673; bur. 27 May 1673 in Marsh Gibbon.
3. William, twin of Henry, bapt. 25 May 1673; bur. 27 May 1673.
4. William, b. 25 Dec. 1675; bapt. 27 Jan. 1675/6 in Marsh Gibbon; d. July 1719 in Newcastle Co. [Del.]; m. 20 Feb. 1695/6 Abigail POWNALL.
5. Henry, bapt. 22 or 27 Apr. 1678; bur. 7 Feb. 1681/2 in St. Mary's graveyard, Marsh Gibbon.
6. Henry. b. 20 Sept. 1683 in Middletown, Bucks County; d. 1756; m(1) April 1707 Ann PLUMLEY; m(2) 7 Feb. 1739/40 Mary (BUDD) SHINN.
7. James, b. 10 Apr. 1687; d. 16 Sept. (or July?) 1687 in Middletown.

   ---

Born in Central England, James attached to Army of Cromwell. He was the Paxton who officiated at the execution of King Charles.

Afterwards, James fled to Ireland and settled in Ballymoney in County Antrim, Ireland.

• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees by SmartCopy: Dec 23 2014, 13:21:16 UTC

from source

3. James1 Paxson, son of JamesA and Jane (Clerk) Paxson, was presumably born in Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire, but his birth is not recorded in the St. Mary's parish register. His place in the family, however, is proved by his brother Henry's will which makes bequests to various children of James, referring to them as "nephew". Court testimony in 1689 held that James was "about 40 yrs" old which would place his birth ca. 1649.[39] Stewart Baldwin prefers a date of 1643 because it is in the largest gap among his parents' recorded baptisms, and because if he were born in 1649 he would only have been 17 years old at the birth of his first known child.[39a] In 1643 the Civil War was raging in England and parish registers were not always kept in good order as ministers were rotated in and out depending on local and national political preferences. James died 29 Seventh Month [September] 1722. James was married first to a woman who, with their three young children, had all died by 1673. James married secondly, Jane GURDEN on 6 October 1670 in St. Mary's church in Marsh Gibbon. She died 7 Second Month [April] 1710 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.[40]

James received 100 acres of the block of 500 granted to him, his brother William, and three other parties in 1682. Like his brothers William and Henry, James purchased additional land as he became able to do so.[41] In 1691 he owned land butting on the Neshaminy where the King's Highway crossed over "Paxson's Bridge".[42]

As a member of Middletown Monthly Meeting, James took his part on committees. Like his brother William, James signed with his mark the 1687 Meeting testimony against selling rum to the Indians. In 1690 he was assigned with William and others to oversee the construction of a stable and to collect funds that were subscribed to pay for it.[43] But James, too, became involved in the Keithian schism, and dropped out of Middletown Meeting from 1692 until about 1698. As historians Allen and Richard Thomas summarized, George Keith:

accused two ministers of teaching that the inward Christ alone was sufficient for salvation; he charged that the discipline was lax; that Friends had departed from their testimony and practice against war; he wished changes made in various ways; and openly in a meeting accused Friends of meeting together "to cloak heresies and deceit".

There is no doubt that some of his charges were true as to individuals and that there was some truth in others, but the way in which they were preferred, and their wholesale character, was, to say the least, altogether out of order, while in others his charges were without foundation.[44]

One unfortunate result was the backlash against Keith enabled Friends to ignore for virtually a whole generation the important things he had to say against slave-holding and the potential conflict of interest between office holding and Friends' peace testimony.

James submitted the following statement to Middletown Meeting, which was accepted:

To friends of ye monthly meeting at neshamina ye 4th of ye 5th month 1698: Friends after ye salutation of my love, these are to acquaint you that after some Deliberate consideration I find myselfe involved into some exercise of mind by reason of my undue & inconsiderate leaving of this meeting & society of friends which formerly I was in, which thing I ought not to have done, & therefore I am sorry it so fell out with me, & I do condemne ye same as an act unwisely done, & therefore out of ye guidance of ye spirit of truth, & I desire ye God may pass it by & forgive ye same as I hope he will inasmuch as he hath been pleased to give me a sight & sence of ye will of ye same, & I desire that all ffriends may take warning hereby that they do not easily move aside to forsake ye way of truth nor ye society of those that walke therein & I desire that this may clear truth & satisfie friends for which end it is given forth by me. James Paxson[45]

His offense was less a matter of wrong belief than it was of having left Friends. When he publicly acknowledged and condemned this behavior, he was reconciled with the Meeting. He was then able to request a certificate of removal to Falls Monthly Meeting.[46] There he served on a marriage clearness committee in 1699, and used his conciliatory skills several times to help resolve occasional differences between members.[47]

While living in Falls on May 2, 1705 James sold 25 acres of land to Edward LUESS for £5.05.0. Both men were identified as Yeomen, and James, being illiterate, signed with his mark.[47a]

James served many times as a grand and petit juror, including (with his brother William) on the first Grand Jury in Bucks County, held 10 June 1685. James also served occasionally as highway overseer, arbitrator, and constable. From time to time neighbors asked him to witness wills.[48] James himself left no will; this suggests that he died suddenly or had disposed of his property earlier.

http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/bucks/bios/battle1887/buckingham.txt

  THE PAXSON FAMILY

  James Paxson, Henry Paxson the elder, and William Paxson were brothers, and came to

  Pennsylvania in 1682 in the ship "Samuel" of London, England.  Henry came from the parish

  of Stowe, Oxfordshire.  He was a member of the Society of Friends, and brought a

  certificate from Biddleston, in the county of Bucks.  He called him home "Bycot House,"

  which is believed to be the ancestral home for many generations.  Judge Paxson, of

  Pennsylvania, in visiting England recently, made a visit there, and found a Henry Paxson

  yet occupying the premises.  James Paxson and his brother William came from the parish of

  Marsh Gibbon, which is in the vicinity of Stowe.  They were also Friends, and brought

  certificates from Coleshill meeting.  They spelled the name Paxton then, and those of

  their kindred that remain there still adhere to it.  At what period they changed it in

  this country does not clearly appear.  A few, however, those living in Catawissa, this

  state, spell it with a "t".  On a map of Newtown, published in 1703, Henry Paxon, yet

  another style, is marked as a property holder there.  The wife of Henry, the elder, died

  at sea on the voyage over, as also her son Henry, who died the day before his mother. 

  One or more of the three brothers settled in Middletown, but the next generation spread

  their outstretched arms over most of southern Bucks county.

  James Paxson, from whom are descended most of the name in Solebury and Buckingham, was

  married in England, and his wife died in 1710.  James died in 1722, leaving children: 

  Sarah, William, Henry, and James.

  William Paxson, second child of James, was born in1675, and in 1696 married Abigail

  Pownell.  He died in 1719, leaving children:  James, Thomas, Reuben, Esther, Abigail,

  Mary, and Anna.  Henry Paxson, another son of James, was born in 1683, and married Ann

  Plumly in 1706.  He bought 250 acres of land in Solebury, and settled there.  He was in

  the assembly in 1705-7, and somewhat prominent in public affairs.  He died in 1728,

  leaving twelve children, and their descendants fairly swarm over the hills and valleys of

  Solebury, and are likely to do so for an indefinite period.

When James Paxson was born on August 16, 1640, in Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire, England, his father, James, was 24 and his mother, Mary, was 22. He married Jane Gurden on October 6, 1670, in his hometown. They had one child during their marriage. He died on September 29, 1722, in Bucks, Pennsylvania, having lived a long life of 82 years.

Arrived from England on "The Amity", one of William Penn's ships, August 8, 1682, with wife Jane and two children, Sarah and William.