James Agnew, son of James Agnew, was born about 1711 in either Scotland or Northern Ireland. He is believed to have immigrated to Pennsylvania with his father about 1717.
Marriages & Children
Note: Birth dates of children, including name of mother, are found on page from Bible of James Agnew included in Our Pioneer Ancestors.[1]
James Agnew was married twice, first to Margaret Unknown (possibly Ochiltree) in 1732 in Lancaster County (later York), Pennsylvania. Margaret died about 1735. Known children include:[2]
John b 4 Mar 1732/33, d 28 Sep 1808
Janet b 22 Aug 1735, m Hugh Scott [brother of James' second wife, Rebecca Scott]
James married second Rebecca Scott, second daughter of Abraham Scott, in 1737 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Known children include:[2]
Samuel b 29 Jan 1738/39, m Miss Seawright, d 2 May 1819
Martha b 9 Sep 1740, m Samuel Patterson, d 10 Sep 1772
James b 1 May 1742, m Jul 1768 Mary Ramsay, d 10 Apr 1825
David b 17 Jul 1743, m Mary Erwin, d 17 Jan 1797
Margaret b 27 Aug 1745, m James Patterson, d 16 Apr 1794
Rebecca b 13 May 1747, m John McLanahan
Sarah b 15 May 1749, m Archibald Douglas
Abraham, b 23 Dec 1750, d 11 Mar 1753
Ann b 3 Oct 1753, m Rev. John Smith, d 26 Aug 1805
Miscellaneous Records
James Agnew and older brother Samuel Agnew included among the first settlers in the Manor of Maske, May 1741[3]
"James Agnew was commissioner, with Robert McPherson,[4] to define the bounds of Masque Manor, land set apart for the use of William Penn, Proprietor, 500 acres whereof were afterwards granted to Captain James Agnew. James Agnew was Company Commander of the first rank in 1753, and Captain of York County Associators in 1756. (William Henry Egle, M.D., Editor Penna Archives, 2nd Series, Vol. 1, p. 445)."[2]
1769-1770, Pennsylvania, U.S. Oyer and Terminer Court Papers. List of Jurors includes James Agnew. [5]
Death & Legacy
James Agnew wrote his will on 24 September 1770 in "Township of Hamilton-Bann, County of York, and Province of Pennsylvania;" he died on 2 October 1770 at age 59. His will was entered for probate on 31 October 1770, Hamiltonban Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania. Will Book "C," P. 4. Full transcript of will included in Book of the Agnews by M.V. Agnew. This is an abstract:[6]
wife Rebekah, 1/3 of my personal estate, her bed & furniture, sorrel mare, two negroes, Jack and Phoebe, sufficient maintenance during her lifetime
son John Agnew, plantation on which he now lives
son Samuel Agnew, "one hundred pounds of Pennsylvania currency, to be paid to him three years after my decease."
son James Agnew, plantation where he now lives, silver watch
son David Agnew, plantation where he now lives, 3 horses named Buck, Prince and Dick, cooper's tools, silver buttons. David is to pay certain sums to his siblings:
to Samuel Agnew, 100 pounds mentioned above
one year after payment to Samuel, then to daughter Rebekah Agnew, £66.6.8
one year after payment to Rebekah, then to daughter Sarah Agnew, £66.6.8
one year after payment to Sarah, then to daughter Anne Agnew, £66.6.8
all personal estate together with lands not mentioned above to be sold and divided between six daughters: Jean (Agnew) Scott, Martha (Agnew) Patterson, Margaret (Agnew) Patterson, Rebekah Agnew, Sarah Agnew, Anne Agnew
Clothing divided among four sons: John Agnew, Samuel Agnew, James Agnew, David Agnew; except silver buckles to daughter Sarah Agnew, silver clasps to son John Agnew, silver knee-buckles to son Samuel Agnew; butter and cheese now made to daughters Rebekah, Sarah, and Anne
one bed with its furniture to each of children still living at home: David, Rebekah, Sarah and Anne
Executors: sons John Agnew and David Agnew
Signed: James Agnew
Witnesses Henry Cotton, Samuel McCullough. James Maxwell
Son Abraham Agnew died in 1753 so is not named.
James is buried in Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Cemetery, now located in Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania.[7]
↑ 2.02.12.2 Riggs, Emma King Hynes and Henry Earle Riggs. Our Pioneer Ancestors; being a record of available information as to the Hynes, Chenault, Dunn, McKee, Anderson, Taylor, Finley, Letcher and Houston families in the direct line of ancestry of Samuel B. Hynes and Ellen M. Anderson Hynes. Volume 2, Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Brothers, Inc. lithoprinters, 1941. Especially Chapter 9, "The American Familes of Agnew, Scott and Ramsay." Pages 108-117
↑ Linn, John Blair and William Henry Egle. Record of Pennsylvania marriages prior to 1810. List of Officers of the Colonies on the Delaware and the Province of Pennsylvania, 1614-1776. Harrisburg: C.M. Busch, state printer of Pennsylvania, 1895. Page 799
↑ Pennsylvania, U.S., Oyer and Terminer Court Papers, 1757-1787 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
Original data:Courts of Oyer and Terminer. Series 126. Supreme Court, Record Group 33. Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Ancestry Sharing Image, List of Jurors 1769-1770
↑ Agnew, M. V. Book of the Agnews: James Agnew of Pennsylvania, U.S.A., his race, ancestry, & descendants. Phildelphia, Pa.: Caldwell, c 1926. Pages 469-470.
↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5802850/james-agnew: accessed 16 February 2023), memorial page for James Agnew III (31 Jul 1711–2 Oct 1770), Find a Grave Memorial ID 5802850, citing Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Cemetery, Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Kit and Morgan Benson (contributor 46483611).
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with James by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA.
However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line.
It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with James:
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