| James Fisher Jr. and Jane Atkinson from "Descendants & Ancestors of Cephas Fisher Jr." by J.L. Fisher James Fisher Jr., a Quaker, was born July 18, 1744 in East Caln, Chester County, Pennsylvania, a son of James Fisher and Alice Standfield. In 1762, the family moved to Newberry, York County, where they were members of Warrington Monthly Meeting. James Jr. married Jane Atkinson February 15, 1775 at Newberry. Jane was born in Bucks County in 1753 to Cephas Atkinson and Hannah Naylor. James and Jane settled in nearby Monaghan. James Fisher Jr. of Monaghan, York County is listed as a veteran of the Revolutionary War. However, the records show that he must have struggled severely with his Quaker principles, and it is not clear to what extent he ever met the roll calls. In 1777, he was fined L3.10.0 for “failure to meet and exercise in order to learn the art military.” He was listed as a Private, Fourth Class with the York County Militia, under Captain Daniel Williams, Second Company, First Battalian, in 1778. He remained a member of this unit when, in 1780, it became the Fourth Company, under Captain Andrew Wilson, Sixth Battalion, in which capacity he paid a fine of L3 after an appeal in 1781, which lists him as “infirm.” After failing to “provide one able-bodied Recruit for the Continental Army, to serve during the War,” under penalty of a fine of L15.0.0 specie, he was found delinquent. The 1783 tax record for James and Jane shows: James Fisher, of Monaghan Township, 50 acres, 1 house, 1 barn, 2 horned cattle, 2 horses, 1 sheep, 7 inhabitants; valuation L91, tax L1.17.11. Taxables 1783 Monaghan. Seven of the ten children of James and Alice were born at Warrington. After the war, Quaker records show that James obtained a certificate from the Warrington, Pennsylvania monthly meeting, dated October 10, 1789, to relocate to the monthly meeting in Hopewell, Virginia with wife Jane and children Hannah, Alice, Cephas, Mary, Thomas, James and John. The certificate was received at Hopewell on April 4, 1791. On December 3, 1792, Hopewell records show a request to relocate, with additional children Hiram and Jane, to the Westfield, North Carolina Monthly Meeting. Receipt of the certificate was recorded upon their arrival at Westfield on October 25, 1793. The family then moved to the New Hope monthly meeting in Greene County, Tennessee. Court records of Greene County, Tennessee contain this account concerning James Fisher and his horse: “On the Oath of Thomas Doan it appears to the Court now here that James Fisher by the hand of James Galbraith has paid to George Conway former Sheriff of Greene County $5.82, two thirds the appraised Value of a Stray Horse beast wherewith the Said James Fisher appeared to be charged on the Stray list of Said County for the year 1797.” On December 13, 1804, records of Miami monthly meeting, Highland County Ohio, show the arrival of James and family (with additional child Elizabeth) from Tennessee. The family settled near East Monroe, where James and Jane remained. Fairfield monthly meeting records show that Jane died at age 71 on September 18, 1824, and James died at age 84 on August 30, 1828. Both were buried in theWalnut Creek Friends Cemetery, Fayette County Ohio, near Martinsburg. Whereas James Fisher son of James Fisher Deceased and Alice his Wife
of the Township Monahan county of York and Province of Pennylvania and
Jane Atkinson Daughter of Cephas Atkinson and Hannah his wife of the Township
of Newberry County, and Province aforesaid, having declared their Intentions
of Marriage wth Each Other before Several Monthly Meetings of the People
Called Quakers held at Warrington according to the good Order used amongst
them and having Consent of Relations and friends their proposals their
proposals are allowed of by th said Meetings. ~~~ Now these are to certify
whom it may concern that for the full accomplishing their said intentions
This fifteenth Day of ye second Month in the Year of our Lord one Thousand
Seven hundred and Seventy five,they the said James Fisher and Jane Atkinson
appeared in a Public Meeting of the said People at Newberry and the said
James Tisher taking the said Jane Atkinson by the Hand did in Solemn manner
Openly declare that he took her the said Jane Atkinson to be his Wife,
Promising with the Lord’s assistance to be unto her a loving and
faithful husband until death should Separate them, And then and there
in the same assembly the said Jane Atkinson did in like manner declare
that she took the said James Fisher to be her husband promising with the
Lord’s assistance to be unto him a loving and faithful Wife Until
Death should separate them (or words to the same Effect). |