Rev. Robert Salle James (July 17, 1818 – August 18, 1850) was an American Baptist minister and one of the founders of
William Jewell College
William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and endowed with $10,000 by William Jewell. It was associated with the Missouri Baptist Conventi ...
in 1849 in
Liberty, Missouri. He was the father of the outlaws
Frank
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Curr ...
and
Jesse James.
Biography
Robert Salle James was born near Big Whippoorwill Creek at
Lickskillet, Logan County, Kentucky. He was the son of John M. James (1775-1827) and Mary "Polly" James (née Poor, 1790–1827). His grandfather, William James (1754-1805), came to
Goochland County, Virginia
Goochland County is a county located in the Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its southern border is formed by the James River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,727. Its county seat is Goochland.
Goochland County is includ ...
, from
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
in the late 18th century. Through his mother Robert was also a descendant of
Jamestowne Society
Jamestowne Society is an organization founded in 1936 by George Craghead Gregory for descendants of stockholders in the Virginia Company of London and the descendants of those who owned land or who had domiciles in Jamestown or on Jamestown Isl ...
qualifying ancestor Dr. John Woodson. Woodson, an Oxford-educated surgeon, arrived at
Jamestown, Virginia in April 1619 from
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
in the service of
Colony of Virginia Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
George Yeardley
Sir George Yeardley (1587 – November 13, 1627) was a planter and colonial governor of the colony of Virginia. He was also among the first slaveowners in Colonial America. A survivor of the Virginia Company of London's ill-fated Third Supply M ...
. Robert's maternal grandfather Robert Poor served as a
Cornet (military rank)
Cornet was originally the lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, the modern equivalent being a second lieutenant. The rank was abolished by the 1871 Cardwell Reforms, which replaced it with sub-lieutenant. Although ob ...
in the Revolutionary War.
Robert married
Zerelda Cole on December 28, 1841. His children were
Alexander Franklin, Robert,
Jesse
Jesse may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jesse (biblical figure), father of David in the Bible.
* Jesse (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Jesse (surname), a list of people
Music
* ''Jesse'' ( ...
and
Susan Lavenia. He attended
Georgetown College
Georgetown College is a private Christian college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains.
The college offers 38 undergraduate degrees and a Master of Arts in educat ...
in
Georgetown, Kentucky
Georgetown is a home rule-class city in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 37,086 at the 2020 census. It is the 6th-largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the seat of its county. It was original ...
, graduating in 1843 with honors and a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
. The family soon relocated to
Clay County, Missouri
Clay County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 253,335, making it the fifth-most populous county in Missouri. Its county seat is Libe ...
, where Zerelda's mother and stepfather were living, but Robert commuted back to Kentucky and eventually received a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
from Georgetown. He was considered a gifted student and a skilled orator.
James was a noted
revivalist. He was among the founders of
William Jewell College
William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and endowed with $10,000 by William Jewell. It was associated with the Missouri Baptist Conventi ...
in 1849. In April 1850, James left his family for
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
to visit his brother Drury Woodson James, who had already relocated to the state.
[http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/04/03/3004509_the-founders-of-paso-robles.html?rh=1 ] He also planned to prospect for gold and preach to the crowds of goldminers during the
California gold rush. Shortly after arriving in California in August 1850, he contracted
cholera and died on August 18, 1850, in the Hangtown Gold Camp, later known as
Placerville. He was buried there in an unmarked grave. Probate records show that at his death he owned six slaves and was a commercial
hemp farmer.
James's death left his family saddled with debts and many of his possessions, including one of the slaves, were auctioned off to pay them. His widow Zerelda married Benjamin Simms, a wealthy farmer, on September 30, 1852. This, however, did not last and they soon separated.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Robert
James–Younger Gang
Baptists from Kentucky
American people of English descent
People from Logan County, Kentucky
1818 births
1850 deaths