1. John and Margaret James of Oxfordshire

And so, conventionally, it begins: as far back as we can go, at the top of the tree. John James married Margaret Loveridge in Stoke Lyne, nr Bicester, Oxfordshire on 16 June 1825. Both surnames are probably derived from personal names, with Loveridge coming down from Leofric. Each of them left their mark on the register, implying that they were unable to write their names. John was a widower.

Stoke Lyne church (credit)

I've driven through this parish many times, as it is close to the border with Northamptonshire, and includes the M40 / A43 junction I use on the drive from Swindon to Wellingborough. Apparently, in 584 a Saxon army led by King Ceawlin of Wessex defeated an army of Britons here at the cost of his son's life.

Tackley, nr Kidlington (map), ten miles to the West of Stoke Lyne, was farmed as a single open field until it was enclosed in the C16-C17. And it was here that a John James (son of farm labourer Joseph James) had his son William James baptised in 1826.

Tackley church (credit)

This John died in 1851 having evaded the 1841 census, and William's baptism is not recorded. But it's a satisfactory guess that this is the same John. Reader beware! Margaret died in 1868.

 

[Update: on the second pass, in Oct 2022, closer study of the available records has reduced my confidence that I have the correct John James. I'm now leaning towards John James and Margaret Fox of Brize Norton, suggesting a 15-mile move before William was born - it's close to Clanfield,]

If this surmise is correct, then the children were:

• 33.1.1 - William James (c. 1825)
• 33.1.2 - Sarah James (1830) [??]
  
• 33.1.3 - Henry James (1833) [??]

Chapter 33 has more on these individuals.

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