James, John

Carmarthenshire, Wales; joiner (fl. 1833-49)

A press has been recorded bearing the inscription ‘John James Jany 20 1849’ and a double chest of drawers has also been recorded bearing the inscription ‘John James made this June 28th 1833… for Mrs Mary James 1833’ (illus. Bebb (2007), figs. 1183 & 1186). James was a common surname in the area but a likely candidate was John James of Dre-fach Felindre. He was born in Pen-boyr parish in 1803 and in 1829 married Jane of Llangeler. They had seven children. The signature on the marriage documents matches that on the furniture. In 1841 he was described as a cabinet maker and in 1851 as a carpenter with a son, Henry, aged fifteen. Henry was his father’s apprentice. In 1861 both men were listed as cabinet makers and by 1871 Henry had a son aged nineteen called Samuel. John James had died by the time of the 1881 Census when Henry and Samuel were both listed as carpenters at separate addresses in Llangeler parish.

Source: Bebb, Welsh Furniture (2007), I, pp. 280-82